The battle they face now is to keep things looking interesting. The smartphone market matured a long time ago and it is getting harder to keep consumer interest across the board with a high-pressure annual upgrade cycle. Consumers are holding onto devices for longer and companies like Samsung and Google are gaining in mindshare with foldable devices and superior camera technology.

Apple has so far relied on a loyal customer base that is maybe upgrading every 3 years or so. But all it takes is a few friends to get something that looks more interesting for word of mouth to spread.

The iPhone is not an inferior product line. Regardless of model you will get a well-built device with untouched software support, a superior app ecosystem and a sophisticated OS. But all this counts for naught if your customers think it looks stale and boring.

Apple have proven this year that they can still see where things are going over the next decade and whilst their headset might be expensive and niche now it wont be in 2033. But the iPhone is still their bread and butter and they need to prove they can still show the rest of the industry how it’s done.

Currently they are not driving the narrative and this needs to change.