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Sunday, January 27, 2013

iWatch: Apple's long-overdue innovative invention



Apple is due for a major product innovation. And though many people think it will be a new TV (the iTV), I believe it could be a new wristwatch (the iWatch or iBand).

Update: The New York Times reported on February 10, 2013 that Apple is indeed working on a wristwatch (as predicted in this blog post in late-January).

In the 2000s, Apple was inventing new stuff every year. But over the past few years -- and especially since the passing of Steve Jobs -- the company's assembly line of innovative new products has stalled. Even the software has lacked innovation (which led to the departure of Apple's Senior Vice President of iOS Software, Scott Forstall, in late 2012).

This lack of innovation has allowed for the competition to catch-up, and in some cases, surpass the once unimaginably imaginative company. Companies like Microsoft have developed an all-new product category with the Surface Pro. And Google has actually made a phone worthy of trading your iPhone in for -- the Nexus 4. In fact, for the first time, Apple's iPhone was ranked worst among the top smartphones by ConsumerReports. But why?

There's a saying -- "if it ain't broke don't fix it" -- but those words aren't uttered by innovators. Innovators are always fixing. tweaking, updating, improving, and creating. Apple has barely accomplished 2 of those 5 over the past few years. The iPhone changed the world forever. The AppStore changed software forever. Music was revolutionized by the iPod and iTunes. And the iPad was truly groundbreaking. But the iPad 1 was announced on January 27, 2010. It's been 3 years to this day. So what's next? I'm hoping it's the iWatch. Are you?

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