Apple Has Lost Its Mobile Market Mojo: 10 Reasons Why

by Don Reisinger

It’s hard to say that Apple truly has its “mojo” when the company has allowed the competition, particularly the Samsung Galaxy S 4, to overtake the iPhone in features and performance. The Galaxy S 4, which is due to go on sale this month, comes with a far more powerful processor and graphics processing unit, its 5-inch screen dwarfs the iPhone 5’s, and it has several software features that Apple’s handset misses. At what point will Apple catch up to Samsung?

Apple each year launches new updates to its internal processors. A couple of years ago, it was the A4. The next year, it was the A5. And last year, Apple offered up the A6 processor. Still, that chip is slower and less efficient than ARM-based chips in other devices. If Apple continues to fall behind in component innovation, it will find it hard to catch up with competitors.

It was rather unfortunate that last year Apple didn’t deliver a better iPad design. Sure, the iPad Mini has a nice new look, but for the most part, the 9.7-inch iPad looks just like its predecessors. Where has all of Apple’s design focus gone?

What’s needed right now are major updates to the iPhone. And yet, Apple only offers them every other year. What’s worse, the year that Apple needs to have the major upgrade—2013—is when it’ll likely deliver one of its “S” devices. What that means is it’ll only offer a slightly improved processor and the same product design. What a snoozefest.

Secrecy is dead in the Apple universe. There was a time when the company would never have let anything important slip out into the press. Now, though, nearly every move it makes is being leaked by supply chain workers, case makers and anyone else even remotely close to its products. Since Steve Jobs died, Apple’s veil of secrecy has slipped away.

Apple has always had some trouble getting along with developers, but the company’s recent moves have made things even worse. AppGratis, for example, had its application taken down for no apparent reason, and Apple simply ignored the company’s (and the community’s) outrage. Developers need to walk a tightrope with Apple’s App Store. And they don’t like it one bit.

With each minor iterative update and inconsequential design tweak, Apple is losing some of the buyer excitement it has relied on to make its products successful. For one thing, people are finding out about the devices before Apple has a chance to show them off. And when Apple actually shows the products off, they’re finding that they don’t revolutionize markets the way the devices once did. Hype is central to Apple’s success, and it’s just not happening the way it used to.

When Steve Jobs was running Apple, his focus was solely on the quality of his company’s products. Now, though, it appears Apple cares more about its supply chain, margins and other business-minded ideas. Business is now the most important aspect of Apple’s corporation. And it’s starting to show in its products.

Tim Cook just isn’t Steve Jobs. Yes, he has presided over the company’s biggest profits to date, but he lacks the charisma and market vision that his predecessor brought to the table. Cook also fails to inspire shareholders to believe in something bigger and better for the future. It’s a real issue.

Want proof that Apple has lost its mojo? Look no further than the company’s share price. Over the last 52-week period, Apple’s shares have fallen from a high of $705.07 to $395.57, as of this writing. Investors believed that the company couldn’t keep up its profits, competition is too strong, and there’s no indication that things will get better in the coming years. If shareholders don’t believe in Apple’s future, why should anyone else?