Apple Inc. and Its Founder (Essay Sample)

Apple iPhone Development Case Study
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Apple iPhone Development Case Study
Apple is one of the best smart phone manufactures in the United States. The firm is centered on a culture of innovation and entrepreneurship. Its extensive research and development activities, though costly, yields heavy return on investment. Apple and its founder (Steve Jobs) are credited for introducing new smart phone technology to the industry (Mark, 2009). As such, rivaling firms like Samsung, LG and HTC are quickly falling under the shadows of the tech giant. It is not surprising that smart phone innovations introduced by Samsung and other small business entities are seen as Apple’s copycats.
iPhone Introduction
Over the years, apple brand has grown to dominate industry. Apple’s success, especially in iPhone sales is a result if extensive marketing strategy and careful planning, thanks to Steve Job’s personal ideals. Some of the innovations iPhone introduced to the market include iTunes, iOS Appstore and the 64-bit A7 smart phone processor. Others are 3D screen touch and touch ID (Miluzzo et al., 2008). Steve Jobs, the company’s founder, receives credit for the introduction. He was guided by personal instincts to venture into the unknown. Other times, he was harshly criticized for his risky business moves and ideas. However, his ‘bizarre’ innovations have finally paid off. Steve Jobs was a curious individual passionate about technological adventure. His intuition led to the foundation of Apple to rival Microsoft’s stiff competition in PC development.
Apple as First Marketer of Smartphone
Introduction of iPod in 2005 and its success demonstrated that the global market was in dire need of sophisticated handheld gadgets able to support multiple applications and functionality. This presence of opportunity coupled with apple’s culture of taking business risks inspired the introduction of iPhone as a first smart phone. Initial failures by firms like Motorola signaled a lack of competition in the field hence the need for Apple to grab the opportunity for maximum ROI (Return on Investment)
One company Approach
Though Steve Jobs is regarded as one of the most successful personalities in the technology industry, he had his flaws. For instance his insistence on the need for a single tech firm to develop both the hardware and the software is now considered ill-advised. Jobs failed to factor in the enormous costs involved in the design phase. Besides, there is a limitation of innovation ideas if the development of phone software is constrained and limited to a single firm. The success of android software results from its model as an open-ended interface usable in most smart phones irrespective of the hardware manufacturers. This explains why Apple iPhones are expensive.
The Role of Apps
Application software defines the smart phone functionality. Currently, most smart phone hardware developers have crossed the mark for sophisticated hardware components. However, a problem sets in when the phones’ ability to support multiple applications is considered. In the case of Apple, it is hard to convince software developers to design iPhone apps unsupported in android devices. On the other hand, Google Play has thousands of Apps because android is open ender hence an opportunity for App developers to widen the market for their products (Goadrich & Rodgers, 2011).
Samsung Desi...