Apple Ranked World's Fourth Most Innovative Company Thanks to Expanded Chip Focus

[MacRumors]

Apple has ranked fourth in Fast Company's annual list of The Most Innovative Companies of 2017 published today, moving up three spots from its seventh-place finish in 2016. Apple trailed behind Amazon, Google, and Uber, and directly ahead of Snapchat, Facebook, and Netflix in the list of 50 companies.

The publication credited Apple for designing four of its own chips last year, which allows it to "control its own destiny" and create "the most compelling consumer-electronics experiences," including the A10 Fusion chip in iPhone 7, W1 chip in AirPods, T1 chip in the MacBook Pro with Touch Bar, and S2 chip in the Apple Watch Series 2.

"We pick the projects where we feel like we can make a difference--the big customer-impacting features," says Anand Shimpi, who works on hardware technologies at Apple. So the stunning depth-of-field effect from the iPhone 7 camera? That's directly enabled by the new A10 chip. "The actual production of the stored portrait image is because of things that we put into the [image signal processor]," Shimpi says.

Each chip has resulted in technological breakthroughs for Apple. The W1 chip in AirPods, for example, is programmed to automatically route the audio to each earphone, and engage the microphone, while its low power usage results in industry-leading battery life up to five hours on a single charge.

The S2 chip in Apple Watch Series 2 models results in performance improvements without sacrificing battery life, and the four-core A10 Fusion chip in the iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus is up to two times faster than the A8 chip in the iPhone 6 and delivers the longest battery life--up to two hours longer--of any iPhone ever.

Article Link: Apple Ranked World's Fourth Most Innovative Company Thanks to Expanded Chip Focus

 

[fox10078]

I can already hear the heads exploding around here.

 

[44267547]

I have no complaints how seamless and transitional my experience has been with how efficient my Apple devices perform. The W1 Chip being brilliant with the Airpods.

 

[asleep]

I'm sure he doesn't miss it,

But I kinda miss Anand at Anandtech.

 

[MH01]

It's February 2017 . Probably a good time to name the most innovative companies in 2016.

 

[WinstonRumfoord]

You say Apple can't innovate? Let me see you send an apple watch emoji with fireworks backgrounds on your low tech android phone. That's what I thought...

 

[bladerunner2000]

Unreliable source considering their top 50 doesn't include Tesla, which belongs in the top 3 spot.

 

[mdelvecchio]

But but but I thought the hater narrative said they can only make new watch bands and don't innovate?

Read it and weep, fellas.
[doublepost=1487014622][/doublepost]

Unreliable source considering their top 50 doesn't include Tesla, which belongs in the top 3 spot.

Maybe they're waiting for Tesla to make a profit first.

 

[Mac-lover3]

Unreliable source considering their top 50 doesn't include Tesla, which belongs in the top 3 spot.

You have to look in the right category though. Tesla isn't a 'consumer electronics device'

 

[bladerunner2000]

Maybe they're waiting for Tesla to make a profit first.

What does that have to do with innovation?

You have to look in the right category though. Tesla isn't a 'consumer electronics device'

The list is called "World's Most Innovative Companies". My point still stands.

 

[iHack13]

So Apple is 4th. Good that I switched to the 2nd.

 

[macs4nw]

Unreliable source considering their top 50 doesn't include Tesla, which belongs in the top 3 spot.

Unbelievable, considering BLM and Taco Bell were in last yea's (2016) top 10.

 

[Analog Kid]

"Our reporting team sifts through thousands of enterprises each year, searching for those that tap both heartstrings and purse strings and use the engine of commerce to make a difference in the world. Impact is among our key criteria."

*sigh*

I think Apple is an innovative company, but am I the only one frustrated with this kind of subjective methodology?
[doublepost=1487015195][/doublepost]

Unbelievable, considering BLM and Taco Bell were in last yea's (2016) top 10.

In their defense, Taco Bell did combine corn, beans, meat and cheese into genius...

 

[KazKam]

Who defines what's "innovative", and then by what metrics do they quantify and weigh those arbitrary scores?! What a load of subjective rubbish. Dry that report out and fertilize your lawn with it.

 

[Wackery]

most innovative? i thought tim cook was against fake news

 

[Michaelgtrusa]

I see where many on this list haven't created anything natively, they had to buy their way in.

 

[69Mustang]

Unreliable source considering their top 50 doesn't include Tesla, which belongs in the top 3 spot.

Tesla (Space X) is ranked #3 in the Space category and Tesla cars are ranked #9 in Transportation category. So they get recognition. Maybe not as much as you seem to think they deserve, but recognition nonetheless.

 

[andy.ringwood]

Apple's chip architecture is second-to-none. It's outstanding.

 

[daveak]

Uber? Seriously? A company that screws both the drivers and the passengers over is innovative? This list is a joke.

 

[HiRez]

I can already hear the heads exploding around here.

You really can't argue about Apple's chip design prowess, that team is absolutely killing it on all fronts, consistently for years now. It's so successful, I wish they would branch out into things like battery tech, display tech, and storage (SSD) tech. Especially displays, since they are so critical to nearly every product Apple makes.

 

[69Mustang]

In their defense, Taco Bell did combine corn, beans, meat and cheese into genius...

Not only that, they flipped the script and put the chicken... wait for it... on the mutha@#$%^&* outside. <mind blown>
I give you, in all it's glory, the Naked Chicken Chicken Chalupa.

Can't innovate my ass!! Which is ironic since, if I eat this, that's where a lot of "innovation" will take place.

 

[Max Portakabin]

"Our reporting team sifts through thousands of enterprises each year, searching for those that tap both heartstrings and purse strings and use the engine of commerce to make a difference in the world. Impact is among our key criteria."

*sigh*

I think Apple is an innovative company, but am I the only one frustrated with this kind of subjective methodology?
[doublepost=1487015195][/doublepost]
In their defense, Taco Bell did combine corn, beans, meat and cheese into genius...

AKA "our methodology is to marry bait with clicks".

 

[69Mustang]

AKA "our methodology is to marry bait with clicks".

Fast Company: Fast Company is the world's leading progressive business media brand, with a unique editorial focus on innovation in technology, ethonomics (ethical economics).
Clicks are it's raison d'être.

 

[Kabeyun]

I can already hear the heads exploding around here.

I actually laughed out loud.

 

[djcerla]

Anand as an Apple spokesperson just made my day