Topic 2 – Innovation 2
In-class Exercise 1 – The iPhone
Read the article below and in pairs, answer the following questions. Please note that all the answers are not included in the article; you should also use your own knowledge to answer them: * In what ways is the iPhone innovative? * Why is this innovation so important to the market place? * What are Apple’s competitors doing to try to obtain some of the market share? * What risks are there to the success of this product? * What can Apple do to avoid these risks?
Apple faithful smitten to the core with iPhone
Long-awaited entry into the mobile handset market is greeted with applause, says Kevin Allison
Financial Times London (UK): Jan 10, 2007. pg. 25 http://proquest.umi.com/pqdlink?did=1192257821&sid=5&Fmt=3&clientId=44714&RQT=309&VName=PQD The throngs of Apple fans who crowded into the Moscone convention centre in San Francisco to hear Steve Jobs give his annual MacWorld keynote address went into the room with high expectations. Judging by their response their expectations were more than met.
The unveiling of the iPhone, Apple's long-awaited entry into the mobile handset market, was greeted by rapturous applause, gasps of disbelief, and occasional whoops of joy from the Apple faithful.
Six years after Apple transformed the market for digital music players with the introduction of the iPod, the company had attempted a repeat performance in the market for mobile handsets with the iPhone - a slim, sleek handset that relies on an innovative touch- screen interface.
"This thing is amazing," says Van Baker, an analyst at Gartner, who had a chance to try the iPhone himself during an analyst briefing by Apple. "It's the biggest home run for them I've seen yet."
Apple is far from the first company to try to crack the so- called smartphone market. Microsoft, Apple's arch-rival, has been talking about such devices for years, but