A well considered response. But I don't think Angela is the answer. While technology is moving ahead more slowly, transitioning into a lifestyle brand with fashion takes it away from the rather equitable model of the best technology you can buy at any price. That was the winning formula that made Apple the most valuable company in the world. Regardless of how much money you make, previous versions of the iPhone were the best mobile phone you could buy at any price. Celebs and other tastemakers didn't buy it because it was fashion forward, it was because it was the best. The move to make things gold, more exclusive and more expensive is not a great way to sustain one of the largest companies in the world. A boutique company perhaps. But Apple should continue to forge what made them great: better software that just works intuitively, hardware that is beautiful but ALSO functional (throw the pros a bone here) and great customer service. I feel like they've moved away from that recently. Less functional hardware (more form over function, more dongles), more buggy software that's released to make a ship date rather than release when it's fully baked, and significantly poorer customer service. My recent customer service experiences with Apple feel like they're the Microsoft or AT&T of the past. Too big to know they're doing it wrong.
