Is Apple gradually becoming the new RIM?

Many of you may have read the title to this post and instantaneously scoffed and thought that I was out of my mind; this post isn’t geared toward apple as a whole, only at the mobile division. Apple is consistently innovating in other realms, even with their new campus pictured above. They stay innovating in real estate and personal computers because they must to maintain that competitive edge. Unfortunately, due to the success of the iPhone/iPad, I feel that they’re severely lacking on iOS development. Apple is becoming far too comfortable with the success of the line and aren’t pushing themselves to raise the bar as they initially had.

Sure, even with it’s debut it was both advanced and lacking simultaneously. No copy and paste, no MMS, etc. But the extent of innovation that was perceived was able to supersede it’s shortcomings. Then Apple introduced the App Store which forever changed the way applications were purchased on mobile devices. Apple’s upcoming changes to iOS with iOS 5 are different alerts and iMessages; that’s cool, but at the same time, it’s the same OS that I’ve been using. Nothing has really changed. The form factor of the iPhone 4, while slightly re-designed, is still identical to the first 3 renditions. I catch myself consistently wondering ‘what’s next’, where can Apple really go from here with out any real advancement?

Operating System

From my eyes, they’re slowly following the path that RIM had over the years. Due to the strong user base and strangle hold on corporate america, RIM was confident that nothing would be able to trump their ancient BlackBerry platform. Unfortunately they’re now stuck between a rock and a hard place scrambling to maintain relevance. Sure, they made small OS refinements, some changes here and there; they even refreshed the hardware for successors, for the most part. This is the systematic approach that Apple has been taking with their iPhone, no one can argue that. The problem with that is, when you stop innovating and begin renovating, you’re stuck fighting an up-hill battle because you’re found at the ass-end of the spectrum.

This week Microsoft introduced their new Windows 8 operating system, demonstrating it on tablets. The post-post-pc world, as it has been dubbed, is where Microsoft is attempting to regain traction to what they had lost to Apple. What Microsoft is doing with Windows 8 is exactly what I had said Apple should have done with the iPad. If I were able to use full-fledged OSX applications on an Apple tablet, I would no longer have any use for a laptop, it would be obsolete. It’s not that the form factor can’t run OSX Lion, it’s that Apple is attempting to build upon and further the success of iOS; by introducing the iPad with iOS, they had an enormous mobile application catalog which was enticing to buyers. I still feel the same way about the iPad that I did when it launched, I’ve probably had at least 10 of them; it’s a love-hate relationship, it’s a novelty item, it’s cool to play with but impractical from a productivity standpoint.

Microsoft is advancing it’s mobile platform with mango, introducing a plethora of new abilities that weren’t readily available on their handsets. While I wasn’t a fan of it initially, it’s growing on me as it matures. I legitimately can not wait to get my hands on Nokia’s first WP7 handset. Microsoft introduced an entirely new user interface concept, similar to what Apple had done, instead of following the norm. This was beneficial to set themselves apart, for better or worse, it’s working. They are finally working on innovating again, instead of beating the dead horse that was windows mobile.

It seems as if every mobile platform reaches the same level of monotony before something needs to be done, seeing it’s the 5th rendition of iOS and not much innovation is really being done, I feel that’s the wall that Apple is about to hit. When you were finally able to change your wallpaper on your iPhone with out jailbreaking everyone went ape-shit. Is that what we as iPhone users are to be perceived as, a gullible push over that will leap at the smallest novelty instead of any real advancement in mobile technology?

Android handset manufacturers are rapidly progressing, they’re even introducing 3D handsets. Sure, it may be a novelty feature, but they’re moving forward. They’re trying something new to benefit the end user, us. The various OEM skins are finally beginning to bring real functionality to the platform as opposed to being a burden to the user, a certain sense of refinement to the bare bones OS that is Android pre-customization. As the Android platform is becoming more user-friendly and beginning to catch up to the quality and refinement of iOS, iOS is becoming more set in stone and boring.

Even Meego, which was killed off by Nokia with their Microsoft deal, is something that is not necessarily revolutionary, but refreshing. Everything about it is new, all the way down to the navigation between applications. It’s the first operating system to offer a real form of multi-tasking, in my opinion. Sure, WebOS introduced it and it was a notable feature, but Meego takes it that one extra step. Unfortunately, due to Nokia holding on to the dying Symbian platform for too long, Meego will never be given the chance that it deserves.

Hardware

Mobile tech blogs have been consistently running stories about the current patent suits that are taking place amongst Apple and various Android handset manufacturers. What most don’t come to realize is that it’s actually good for competition sake. Everyone is copying similar form factors, the European Samsung Galaxy S/Galaxy S II and iPhone do look a lot alike. Sure, it’s nice to build off another’s success, but where’s the innovation? Just because something has been working well as a set form factor doesn’t mean you shouldn’t explore other options.

We’re finally headed in a direction that takes us to buttonless slabs that will bring designer aesthetics to our handsets. There are so many options, it’s literally an endless slate, there’s no reason that the top handsets look identical to each other. Why not explore different curvatures, make the handset sexy, something that’s appealing to look at. Sure, current devices do look good compared to what was available even 2 years ago for Android, but why is it that OEMs are limiting themselves to replicating current mainstream handsets.

Consumers want something new and exciting, something that catches our eye and makes us want to purchase it. Apple only offers one option, so if you want an iOS handset, that’s your only choice. That’s fine, because it keeps everything functioning at an optimal level. Android handsets have too many renditions of the same handset. There’s no reason there should be 5 handsets that share the same spec sheets. Each handset should be unique and drive the competition forward, not drag it into the same monotony that Apple has on it’s hands.

Summary

In an earlier blog post I had mentioned that mobile technology was constantly evolving, that there’s no way of telling what’s around the corner. While I’m somewhat contradicting that here, it still holds true. Sure, it’s easy to predict the near future because everyone is building upon the same model. That’s not what I was referring to, what I was referring to the endless amount of resources available to make breakthroughs in ways that we have yet to see. Where is that innovation? When will we see Apple step up to the plate again and knock another home run over the score board? We know that they’re capable of that level of innovation, but they’re no longer implementing it into their mobile devices.