by Saeed Khan
Did you notice what Apple did this past week?
Yes, they announced the iPad 2, but it’s worth taking a look at the details of the announcement and analysing the implications.
It’s been less than 1 year since the original iPad was released, and we all know how much of a success it has been, even with a number of seemingly glaring limitations. And although the iPad has a dominant position – 70%+ market share, competitors like Samsung, Dell, HTC, Motorola, RIM, HP and others have all started to stake their claim in the market.
Yet before most of Apple’s competitors have established their first generation products in response to the iPad, Apple announced a new, faster, thinner, less expensive upgraded version of their product: essentially obsoleting the original iPad.
And this strategy is not new to Apple. Look a the history and evolution of the iPod, and you’ll see the same pattern. Year after year, newer, more feature laden products were introduced, with more storage, video playback, video recording etc. driving new demand and staying well ahead of any competitors like the Zune.
Apple was it’s own biggest competitor. Given their dominant position in portable audio/video market, why would they let anyone else take market share?
And looking at the tablet market, it looks like Apple is following the same pattern with the iPad. A 3rd edition iPad is already rumoured to be coming out by the end of 2011. Can Apple’s competitors keep pace?
Now ask yourself, how does your own product strategy compare to this? Are you in a position to obsolete your own products, or will you let your competitors do that for you?
Saeed
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