Apple is one of the Big Five tech companies in the United States. It has also been considered one of the largest tech companies in the world in terms of revenues and one of the biggest companies in the world in terms of market capitalization. The strategies it has developed and implemented have also provided a blueprint for other organizations to emulate while its range of disruptive and innovative products have made it one of the biggest and most enduring cultural exports of the U.S. and a true testament to the economic impacts of globalization.
A Look Into the Apple Effect: How Apple Contributed in Tech and Changed the Way People Use Tech
There are various standards and measures that can help better contextualize and appreciate the success of Apple. Nevertheless, apart from its solid and consistent financial standing, sales performance and market share, and unwavering brand equity, and in addition to the fact that it is a technology company, its success can also be understood by its impact on tech. What exactly are the contributions of Apple in technology and how did it change the way people from around the world use technology in their daily lives?
1. Introduction of Innovative Consumer Electronic Products
Apple did not invent the first personal computer nor did it invent the graphical user interface. However, following the launch of the Macintosh computer in 1984, it became the first company to commercialize a personal computer with a graphical user interface. A graphical user interface has become the standard for all personal computers since then.
The company was also not the first to introduce and market portable music players and digital music. It also did not pioneer the concept behind smartphones. However, through the iPod and the iTunes, which were introduced in 2001, and the launch of the iPhone beginning in 2007, the company helped usher in a new era for consumer electronics.
Apple has an established reputation for designing and marketing innovative and appealing consumer electronic products. It merged ideas or concepts from existing products with current and future or envisioned trends to introduce devices, operating systems and applications, and services that demonstrated the practical applications of modern technologies.
Products from the company have also become a cultural icon. The brand itself is a cultural symbol. An important contribution of Apple in tech is that it has helped in creating new product categories or popularizing existing ones through its innovative take on research and development and making product technologies more appealing to the masses.
2. Disrupting and Shaping Specific Markets and Segments
Furthermore, considering the aforementioned, market disruption is another contribution of Apple in tech. The company has demonstrated a couple of times that it has the capabilities to influence existing markets and even create new market segments. A specific aspect of its contribution in tech lies in its boldness to introduce game-changing products.
Remember that the iPod was not the first portable digital music player and the iTunes was not the first avenue for downloading digital music. However, following the introduction of these products in 2001, the company revolutionized the way people listen to music. These products also changed the recording industry by popularizing digital music.
The iPhone was also a game-changing product. The mobile phone market was once dominated by Nokia. Earlier versions of smartphones such as the Palm Treo and devices powered by the Symbian operating system had limited market reach. The iPhone was the first device to combine capacitive touchscreen technology with a powerful operating system.
Apple pushed further its market-disruptive streak. The iPad was the first tablet computer that was a true commercial success. It remains the most reliable brand of tablet computers up to this date. The specific chip strategy of the company also demonstrated that personal computers can run on a system-on-a-chip and the RISC-based ARM instruction set architecture.
3. Strong Focus on Product Design and Overall User Experience
An interesting reason why Apple products are popular and successful revolves around the fact that they look good and that they are intuitive to use. Apple has taken into consideration product design and user experience in its product strategy. It has a design philosophy that factors in elegance, attention to detail, minimalism, and user-friendliness.
It is important to note that mobile devices prior to the era of smartphones either had a cumbersome form factor or had distracted characteristics. Desktop PCs were massive while laptops were hulking and less mobile. The first generations of the iPhone and MacBooks had a sleek and uncluttered design that was a refreshing sight to behold.
Software products such as the macOS and the iOS have a simpler user interface and a more straightforward navigation flow compared to Windows and Android. This design principle has made these operating systems more intuitive. Apple focuses on making it simpler for its consumers to use its products without sacrificing hardware capabilities.
The company has also focused on streamlining the user interface across all of its devices, operating systems, and software applications. This creates a seamless user experience across different products while also strengthening the selling point of its product ecosystem. Apple made tech easier to understand and utilize for the common people.
4. Influencing the Business Strategies of Tech Companies
Another important contribution of Apple in tech is its influence on other tech companies. The company has rolled out strategies, tactics, and actions that have become blueprints for other business organizations to follow. The minimalist design of Apple products has been copied by several startups and even established consumer electronics companies.
The company has also demonstrated the importance of staging product launch events to generate buzz around its upcoming products with less advertising. Competitors like Samsung and other tech companies like Google and Tesla have staged product launch events utilizing the principles of product demonstration, narratives, and keynote speakers.
Furthermore, when it comes to product diversification, it is also important to note that Apple has popularized the creation of a close-knit product ecosystem to build consumer loyalty and upsell other products from a portfolio. Samsung and Xiaomi have followed suit. Tesla has integrated complementary services into its electric vehicle business.
Apple has also been demonstrating the benefits of outsourcing. It does not own and operate production facilities. Contract manufacturers such as TSMC are an integral part of its supply chain. The outsourcing strategy of the company has taught tech companies the advantages that come from focusing on research and development or product design.
Conclusion and Main Takeaways: Understanding and Appreciating the Contributions of Apple in Tech
The discussions above tell that the contributions of Apple in tech revolve around popularizing specific categories of consumer electronic products for the mass market, creating products that can expand or create new markets or segments through disruptions, making tech practical and easier to utilize for the common people, and providing other tech companies with a blueprint on how to develop and market tech products. Apple has changed the way people use tech by simply making them accessible and relatable.
