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How is Apple faring in a post-Steve Jobs era? What's changed in 5 years? Let's find out

Steve Jobs’ passing on was seen by many as the end of Apple. Here was a company that was defined by its leader and five years hence, how has it fared?

Anirudh Regidi|Oct 04, 2016, 08:36:51 IST

Steve Jobs’ passing on was seen by many as the end of Apple. Here was a company that was defined by its leader and five years hence, how has it fared?For better or worse, Steve Jobs left an indelible mark on the company, and maybe even our lives.Apple as we know it might seem like nothing without Jobs. Just look at the products that have come out under his leadership vs the company’s time with Tim Cook.Apple under Steve Jobs: Revolutionary[caption id="attachment_338739" align="aligncenter" width="640"]

Apple Steve Jobs Hoarding Tech2 720 Reuters

Image: Reuters[/caption]The Macintosh was the first, commercially successful personal computer that came with a graphical interface (GUI) and also a mouse. The Apple II that came before it was also a raging success by the standards of that time.

Then came the iMac, a radical redesign that showed that PCs don’t have to be beige boxes anymore. He didn’t stop there, we saw the revolutionary iPod, the Macbook Air, the iPad and the icing on the cake, the iPhone, all released under Jobs.[caption id="attachment_222228" align="aligncenter" width="640"]

danny boyle could direct steve jobs biopic Leonardo DiCpario

Image credit: AFP[/caption]Each of these products was revolutionary at its time and became the benchmark for every subsequent product in the tech world. One may call Apple any number of unflattering things, but the fact remains that under Jobs, we saw a great number of amazing products from Apple and these products went on to define their category.It’s now almost 5 years since Jobs passed away and while we have seen some interesting things from Apple since, I doubt they’ve been as, for lack of a better word, revolutionary.Apple under Tim Cook: Evolutionary[caption id="attachment_329133" align="aligncenter" width="640"]

Image: Reuters[/caption]Since Jobs passed on, we’ve seen the iPhone go from a 3.5-inch screen to an unwieldy 5.5-inch one, We’ve seen the iPad go smaller and then larger. We’ve also seen the MacBook Air shrink to the MacBook (with its single, USB-C port), a redesigned Mac Pro that’s been neglected for three years and lastly, the Apple Watch, which is actually quite decent in its second iteration.

Everything we’ve seen since Jobs has only evolved based on market need. The larger iPhones were necessary because Android had already moved beyond 5-inch screens when Apple was still on the 3.5-inch screen toting iPhone 4s. iPads grew larger or smaller as required for the same reason. The iPad Pro only came about because convertibles were getting popular. The iPhone SE only came about because Apple realized that people wanted a smaller iPhone.

The only new product that came was the Watch, and while it is good and getting better, it hasn’t acquired that must-have status that every Apple product before it did.Thinner, smaller, lighter, faster has been Apple’s mantra and they’ve stuck to it like glue, ergonomics be damned! The MacBook and the iPhone 7 are perfect examples of this, sacrificing usability for aesthetics.Am I being too harsh?

I think I am. Steve Jobs had the personality and the ability to convince people that Apple was making the best, most innovative products on the planet. Tim Cook’s Apple lacks that ability. It’s done great work, but it hasn’t managed to convince you of it.

Take the Apple TV for instance. In its current avatar, it’s actually quite remarkable. You’re getting a device with a fast, fluid and capable interface, tie-ins with streaming services and an app ecosystem that is the envy of every device in that category.

If you look at the iPhone, its display offers the best colour accuracy on any device on the market and an app ecosystem that still rivals Android for quality. The audio quality is second to none — or was, till Apple ditched the headphone jack. You also get a device that feels better than anything else on the market today. That last is arguable, of course, but that hasn’t stopped everyone from attempting to copy the iPhone’s design and build. Sure, the S7 Edge is unique, but have you seen Samsung’s other phones?[caption id="attachment_338757" align="aligncenter" width="640"]

Image: TechStage, Flickr[/caption]More than anything else, iOS has evolved in leaps and bounds and opened up like never before. Yes, Android is years ahead in features, it always has been, but Apple is catching up at a rapid pace. This didn’t happen when Jobs was around.Apple needs to move on from Steve Jobs’ legacy and If the rumours around the iPhone 8 are true, it does seem like they’re set on doing just that. It did take them five years to get to this point, however.A post-Jobs Apple is still a force to be reckoned with, but for now, it's a giant without a voice.

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