One bad apple
Could it be true? Could Apple’s strength in the smartphone operating systems war be weakening? With Apple’s iPhone bumped to third place, according to a report issued Monday by the NPD Group, it appears to be so.
BlackBerry-maker Research in Motion continues to set atop the smartphone charts with 36 percent of the market due to its unwavering focus on business users. But now Google’s Android has comfortably earned the second place spot with 28 percent. Could Google capture more of the market? Absolutely.
Apple’s iPhone, holding at 21 percent, clearly changed the world of smartphones. Its applications, marketing and styling created a following like never seen previously in the industry. But this apple endured some self bruising, and Apple co-founder and CEO Steve Jobs should be ashamed.
First, limiting itself to one carrier was idiotic and prevented herds of users from anteing up their hard-earned cash for an iPhone. Many smartphone users wanted to buy the iPhone, including us, but just couldn’t leave their current networks. Can you hear us now?
Second, the iPhone’s hot design cooled down, as fresh looks and features from its competitors are now the latest and greatest, proving once again that fashion is truly a trend. Yes, the touch screen was impressive technology at first. But, then again, so was the 8-track.
Third, and seemingly quite important, banning Flash from the iPhone was downright stupid. How does Apple expect users to effectively download porn without Flash? Seriously, this move has alienated developers and customers and could prove to be the dagger in the heart of Apple.
The greatest benefit to the iPhone, as users know, is their apps. They clearly lead the pack in this category with thousands of downloadable applications, but the gap is narrowing as their competitors are creating a growing number of apps by the minute — and many for free.
Apple will certainly respond with new innovations and technology, and maybe a new CEO. Give them time, and remember, one bad apple don’t spoil the whole bunch, girl. CV
