This year we are celebrating 10 years since Apple released its revolutionary new phone - the iPhone. Combining "an iPod, a phone and an internet communicator", Steve Jobs promised to turn the mobile world on its head, and 10 years later, it's fair to say that promise has come true. Although not the first smartphone, Apple changed people's perceptions of what a mobile could be used for, and is largely responsible for the dependency culture that has since developed. With over six iPhones being sold across the world every second, the easy-to-use interface and connected Apple products have turned it into a cult product- once you've switched to an iPhone, there is no going back.
But was this phone always on track to be the must have smart phone?
Some felt that Apple's latest release would barely make a dent on the mobile market, with Bloomberg arguing that it would only appeal to the "gadget freaks" and stating that Nokia had nothing to worry about. Others felt that the 'one phone fits all' concept was ridiculous, with Marketwatch boldly stating that Apple would need to roll out numerous variations or risk the iPhone immediately becoming passé. Leaders in the mobile world, unsurprisingly, also wrote off the launch of this new phone, with Microsoft CEO, Steve Ballmer, declaring there was 'no chance' the iPhone would get a significant share of the market.
Yet, even back in 2007, there were the wide-eyed Apple fanatics who embraced the ground-breaking technology. New York Magazine questioned whether Steve Jobs had peaked with his creation and the SF Gate predicted that the "iPhone could mark a tipping point, encouraging the masses to look at their cell phone as more than a cell phone and prompting profound changes in everything from privacy to citizen journalism."
Since then, Apple has gone from strength to strength, but its position as number one has been challenged by the growth of the android operations system. Within a few short months, companies such as Microsoft and LG released their own version of the smartphone and the battle between Samsung and Apple took over the smartphone world. Despite recent setbacks with the Samsung Note explosion, the success of the Galaxy S7 is still prominent, with the May 2016 Kanter World Panel revealing that the Galaxy S7 accounted for 16 percent of smartphone sales worldwide.
With the latest release from Apple witnessing a new shift in the realm of smartphones, the debate as to who is one top is stronger than ever. Some believe that despite the updates, Apple is still behind in terms of technological prowess, but you cannot ignore that Apple has won over the hearts and minds of its users and still can come out on top. Other innovations are vital for Apple if they're going to continue top in the face of high pressure from their rivals. Currently, the iPhone is responsible for two-thirds of Apple's revenue but this isn't sustainable due to global market saturation.
So what is next for the smartphone? Back in 2008, when smartphones were still in their infancy, Nokia released a video of the Morph Concept, which explored the possibilities of nanotechnologies in communication devices, and while it might seem dated now, their predictions of a watch that can also act as a phone, wasn't too far off the mark.
There has been a noticeable shift towards wearable technology and it wouldn't be a leap to suggest that this is also the case for the mobile world. People are increasingly looking for a compact device that can control everything and carry out the basic functions of a phone. Apple has once again shown it is ahead of the crowd through the launch of the Apple Watch, which as seen it placed as the number one smartwatch vendors, with a 40% market share.
The potential of Apple Car is the most anticipated thing on the horizon. Whether it will or won't happen, and when, is completely up to Tim Cook - they certainly have the war chest - but it'll have to be some machine in order to become Apple's number one and beat the gadget of a generation.