Introduction
I am writing this on my MacBook, listening to music on my AirPods, with my iPhone in my pocket and an Apple Watch on my wrist. Apple has had my generation (Z) in a chokehold for as long as I can remember.
The Beginnings: My First Apple Device
The first personal device I ever had was an iPod Touch (4th generation) in silver, which came out in 2010. I actually think I still own it—it’s probably at the bottom of a desk drawer at my parents’ house. I imagine it appealed to parents due to the size and limited functionality. I have fond memories of that iPod, from FaceTiming my friends and playing Clash of Clans to pretending to be a photographer. It was a product that excited me on every level to own and have the privilege to use.
Evolution of My Apple Loyalty
After my iPod 4 ran its course, guess what I got? An iPod 5. And after that, an iPhone or two in high school, and then a MacBook for college. If you add it all up, I’ve had a total of nine Apple products, and I know most people my age are in the same boat. If you take a look in any random lecture hall, you’re bound to see 90% MacBooks.
Locking kids into the ecosystem
My Apple loyalty all started with the iPod Touch, so why doesn’t Apple make one anymore?
It seems like a huge missed opportunity to lock kids into their ecosystem just like they did for me and my generation. It’s true that parents probably value the connectivity of an iPhone. But, they have something better than even the iPod Touch for this generation—the iPad.
The Power of the iPad
The number of kids I see glued to their iPads 24/7 is astounding. Those kids aren’t even going to know other tech brands exist. All Apple has to do now is incremental innovation—people will wait until the value proposition of the new device that year is convincing enough, and they’ll buy. It would take a miracle to steer everyone locked in away from them now.
A Critical Look
So, back to the title question. What does Apple do wrong? Their branding seems so washed lately. What does Apple’s brand even stand for? In their recent keynote when they dropped the iPhone 15, I know they talked about sustainability, but that is the bare minimum for any company nowadays.
They used to be known as innovators in their field, pushing the limits of what’s possible on top of having the best UI. Now, everyone else is so good at cloning them, reducing their brand equity.
Another missed opportunity for Apple is music streaming. Apple had a music monopoly with iTunes and didn’t transition to streaming time. Spotify sweeps Apple music.
Looking Ahead
It would be awesome to see Apple as a top innovator again to get people excited rather than just these routine, boring releases every year, capitalizing on their ecosystem. They seem to have forgotten what gave them that lead in the first place: their shiny, new, innovative products. Likely, it will take a different tech company to gain a more significant market share to light a match. Until then, I guess we’ll just have to wait and see.
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