Today marked the 10th anniversary of the introduction of the iPhone, which debuted on June 29, 2007. Technology giant Apple computer has several busy months ahead, with major new versions of its desktop and mobile operating systems already announced. The product pipeline is fully stocked for Apple, a company that some have accused of lagging behind in the race to launch the biggest and best mobile devices.
With a screen that maxes out at only 4 inches, the current iPhone has been eclipsed by Android offerings from companies like Samsung, LG and Microsoft’s new Windows phones. The other big plus point about Android is that a huge variety of different devices run on their operating system. If you know Android, then you can buy, for example, a smart connected device from Hugo Boss Black watches, have a stylish piece of wristwear and a smart device you know how to use. In fact, even BlackBerry, long known for their devices that sport physical keyboards, has been offering customers a 5-inch all-touch phone with the recently released Z30. Now, Apple is finally joining the phablet fray.
The already announced iOS 8, the latest version of Apple’s mobile operating system, is slated for this Fall and will feature an updated keyboard design, new shortcuts, a refreshed look for the interface and a few other neat tricks. iOS 8 will be compatible with every iPhone from the 4s and up. Also, it will work on all iPads dating back the iPad 2.
Apple isn’t stopping with mobile, the company’s desktop OS for their Macintosh computers will get a refresh with OS X Yosemite. The release promises consumers more built-in apps, along with a sleeker new design and interface. One item of particular interest to iPhone and iPad owners will be a service called Handoffs, which will allow your Mac to know the last thing you were doing on your iOS device and vice-versa. So you can start something on one device and, Apple claims, instantly pick it up on another.
Finally, consumers will likely see an updated version of Apple TV within the next year. The set-top box designed to bring iTunes and other streaming services into the living room recently added a selection of new channels and Apple has been rolling out updated software to the latest generation versions of the device.
Will 2018 be the year the company’s efforts at integrating all of their devices finally pay off? Only seven years removed from that first iPhone launch, and with Steve Jobs no longer at the helm, all indications are that Apple has remained impressively innovative and competitive.
