Did Apple waste their 5 year head start with iOS?

Posted by marksheary on July 1, 2012 05:09 pm 50

When the iPhone was introduced in 2007, Steve Jobs claimed the iPhone was 'Five years ahead of it's time' - That statement ended up being mostly true. So here we are 5 years later, and with the introduction of Android 'Jelly Bean' iOS is no longer ahead in my opinion. So, did Apple waste their 5 year head start? This is obviously arguable on many different levels, and the answer is 'yes and no' but mostly, yes.

The changes to iOS over the last 5 years have been great, but it still took 5 YEARS to get to this point. I understand Apple wants to keep iOS simple and easy to use for consumers, thats a great thing. But, how do you innovate with a product like the iPhone only to tread water and allow Android to out innovate your OS? Is Apple too hesitant to truly tweak the massive success iOS has become out of fear of messing it up? Why not add widgets? Why keep the same dull home screen? Why is iOS 6 such a boring OS update? What is the killer feature of the next iPhone going to be other than a redesign and possibly a larger screen? I want Apple to prove me wrong, but it feels like they are just coasting off prior success and it is frustrating to watch.

UPDATE:

I wasn't specific enough with my criticism being with the look / feel / gestures of iOS. The iPhone getting a bigger screen could be the best thing to happen to iOS on the iPhone yet. Hopefully it opens up the OS to more swipe gestures that liven up the experience. And while I don't want Apple to blatantly rip off widgets from Android or live tiles from Windows Phone, something needs to be done to liven up the home screen. My fingers are crossed that we do see a new screen size and that it breathes new life into iOS.