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Does Apple have a head start on most things they do? Most observers acknowledge they aren't usually the first to do something, rather, they're good at execution

Does Apple have a head start on most things they do? Most observers acknowledge they aren't usually the first to do something, rather, they're good at execution and polish. They were beaten to market on pretty much everything: watches, bezelless displays with notch (e.g. Essential Phone), smart/speakers (Amazon, Google, Sonos), Streaming/TV (Roku, Amazon, Chromecast), etc. Really, I think the world would be better if they published more openly and were more open, and I don't think it would really hurt their ability to outsell their competitors at all. Let's say they're working on AR glasses (which they probably are) and Samsung catches wind of this and rushes to market with Samsung AR glasses. How many Apple fans actually think this will make a difference to people in the Apple ecosystem buying Apple AR glasses? At this point I think the secrecy does more harm than good.

IBM 9y ago
Maybe there's zero business value in keeping secrets (I don't believe that at all), but even if that were the case and Apple were just overly obsessed with "the prestige" [1][2], why would that change anything? They should be free to operate the company in anyway they want. Apple's a 40 year old business and everyone knows their culture. Employees know what they're signing up for (and I think their first day is an orientation about this topic specifically). [1] https://youtu.be/gZY1mB9m9b0?t=19s https://youtu.be/gZY1mB9m9b0?t=19s [2] https://techcrunch.com/2012/09/13/the-iphone-5-event/ https://techcrunch.com/2012/09/13/the-iphone-5-event/
millstone 9y ago
TouchID and FaceID come to mind.
- lawnchair_larry 9y ago
  Both of those were on other phones before Apple did it.
  - fastball 9y ago
    Which phone had actually usable/secure fingerprint auth before the iPhone?
    - cromwellian 9y ago
      The fingerprint sensor made by Authentec, was the centerpiece of a Motorola Moto X1 and slated to be in Google's Nexus 6 before Apple bought their supplier, effectively preventing the release. That's why those devices were released with a dimple where the fingerprint sensor was going to be, even though there was nothing in that spot where the finger rests. That is to say, TouchID capacitive fingerprint scanning was going to be shipped in Android first and Apple delayed the market introduction with a strategic acquisition. Prior devices like the Motorola Atrix and Toshiba G500 also had fingerprint biometrics.
      - fastball 9y ago
        I did say "usable" though, and the fingerprint sensors before the iPhone were not. I would know, I had the same style fingerprint sensor that you see on the Atrix or the G500 on my laptop, and it was terrible.
      - tomaskafka 9y ago
        Wow, I didn't know this story, thanks!
      - dpkonofa 9y ago
        Source? Literally the only Google results for a search regarding Authentic and the Moto X1 is this thread and your comment.
        power78 9y ago
        I found a lot, here's one: https://9to5mac.com/2015/01/26/nexus-6/ https://9to5mac.com/2015/01/26/nexus-6/
        dpkonofa 9y ago
  - stouset 9y ago
    And other people made smartphones before Apple did. The details and the secrecy thereof matter far, far more than the features themselves.
  - dpkonofa 9y ago
    The technology used on both of those was not on other phones before Apple did it. "Face recognition" and "fingerprint scanning" are not the same thing as "Face ID" and "Touch ID".
valuearb 9y ago
If they told the world that the solution for touch screen phones failing in the market was this little idea called the “proximity sensor”, Google would have beaten them to the market with Android and the iPhone would be far less successful. Apples success is built on unique inventions, in design, software and hardware. They rarely are first to market in any category. They are almost always first to market with the first mass market useful combination of features in those categories.
- dpkonofa 9y ago
  Except that wasn't at all what Android was when the iPhone was released. Android was still a Blackberry clone at that period in time due, in part, to the secrecy surrounding the technology in the iPhone.

IBM 9y ago

Maybe there's zero business value in keeping secrets (I don't believe that at all), but even if that were the case and Apple were just overly obsessed with "the prestige" [1][2], why would that change anything? They should be free to operate the company in anyway they want. Apple's a 40 year old business and everyone knows their culture. Employees know what they're signing up for (and I think their first day is an orientation about this topic specifically). [1] https://youtu.be/gZY1mB9m9b0?t=19s https://youtu.be/gZY1mB9m9b0?t=19s [2] https://techcrunch.com/2012/09/13/the-iphone-5-event/ https://techcrunch.com/2012/09/13/the-iphone-5-event/

millstone 9y ago

TouchID and FaceID come to mind.

lawnchair_larry 9y ago
Both of those were on other phones before Apple did it.
- fastball 9y ago
  Which phone had actually usable/secure fingerprint auth before the iPhone?
  - cromwellian 9y ago
    The fingerprint sensor made by Authentec, was the centerpiece of a Motorola Moto X1 and slated to be in Google's Nexus 6 before Apple bought their supplier, effectively preventing the release. That's why those devices were released with a dimple where the fingerprint sensor was going to be, even though there was nothing in that spot where the finger rests. That is to say, TouchID capacitive fingerprint scanning was going to be shipped in Android first and Apple delayed the market introduction with a strategic acquisition. Prior devices like the Motorola Atrix and Toshiba G500 also had fingerprint biometrics.
    - fastball 9y ago
      I did say "usable" though, and the fingerprint sensors before the iPhone were not. I would know, I had the same style fingerprint sensor that you see on the Atrix or the G500 on my laptop, and it was terrible.
    - tomaskafka 9y ago
      Wow, I didn't know this story, thanks!
    - dpkonofa 9y ago
      Source? Literally the only Google results for a search regarding Authentic and the Moto X1 is this thread and your comment.
      - power78 9y ago
        I found a lot, here's one: https://9to5mac.com/2015/01/26/nexus-6/ https://9to5mac.com/2015/01/26/nexus-6/
        dpkonofa 9y ago
- stouset 9y ago
  And other people made smartphones before Apple did. The details and the secrecy thereof matter far, far more than the features themselves.
- dpkonofa 9y ago
  The technology used on both of those was not on other phones before Apple did it. "Face recognition" and "fingerprint scanning" are not the same thing as "Face ID" and "Touch ID".

valuearb 9y ago

If they told the world that the solution for touch screen phones failing in the market was this little idea called the “proximity sensor”, Google would have beaten them to the market with Android and the iPhone would be far less successful. Apples success is built on unique inventions, in design, software and hardware. They rarely are first to market in any category. They are almost always first to market with the first mass market useful combination of features in those categories.

dpkonofa 9y ago
Except that wasn't at all what Android was when the iPhone was released. Android was still a Blackberry clone at that period in time due, in part, to the secrecy surrounding the technology in the iPhone.