Over the past few years, Apple Inc.’s innovation has been falling behind inthe everlasting technology race. Even though the initial release of products like the iPhone and iPad was groundbreaking, Apple has failed to build on these accomplishments.

Siri was a big move for Apple. The iPhone 4s was one of the first phones with a comprehensive voice interaction system. Since then, almost every advancement Apple has made in their product has been a reproduction of an idea from Android or Windows.

Android had a touch identification system before iPhone came out with the Touch ID on the iPhone 5s. Apple has also moved to a larger display on the iPhone. Every time the Galaxy display has been enlarged. While Apple brags about the new QuickType keyboard, Android users have been enjoying this experience for years. Even though the keyboard was updated in iOS 8, it still lacks the SwiftKey keyboard which so many Android users love. The Swiftkey keyboard allows the user to type by swiping across the keyboard rather than tapping their fingers on the keyboard to type.

One of the main reasons that iPhones are more popular than Galaxies is because of the brand. People buy iPhone because they know the Apple brand name, and they like their compatibility with other Apple products. It’s the safe bet, because the buyers know exactly what they are getting when they buy an iPhone. People tend to stay away from the Android phones because they are different and more complicated.

Apple’s problem is that they are not innovating their top product in way that makes consumers’ eyes pop. The new iPhone 6 looks suspiciously similar to the Galaxy S4 from 2013- not a good thing.

The solution to this problem starts at the top with CEO Tim Cook, and goes all the way down the line. They need to bring in younger and more creative minds to work on the advancements for the iPhone 7 and 8,  for the next iPad and to perfect the new iWatch. It was rumored that when Apple released the first iPhone, the company possessed the technology and ability to make the iPhone 4s, but wanted to string along consumers for a couple of years before releasing the technology. They knew the first iPhone would be groundbreaking enough to wait for things like Siri and the front camera and Touch ID. These next couple years are going to be vital for Apple. If they have technology and ideas that the public has not yet seen (and I’m sure they do), it’s time for them to go all in. Everyone is waiting for Apple’s next big move, and we’re growing impatient.

image courtesy of hengluck.com (The Samsung Galaxy S5 and the Apple iPhone 6)