Apple's AI Fix And AR Transition
Apple is at a turning point in its history since the “iPhone moment” when, back in 2007, Steve Jobs announced it.
The iPhone has now become an over $200 billion business platform, spurring a “service-side” for the company that is close to turning a hundred billion in turnover!
Apple’s iPhone has been the most critical platform player of the last 30-50 years, and it has made Apple the most valuable company in the world.
Steve Jobs And The mother of modern market expansions
One of the most successful market expansions in contemporary business history was achieved by Apple.
As the company moved from a niche PC maker, it jumped to new markets until it created a whole new market with its iPhone (what is known as a blue ocean, or at least it used to be so).
As I’ve explained over the years, Apple had been trying for years to “manufacture a platform play,” and the iPod was the first hint at it.
Indeed, many believe the “iPhone moment” happened in 2007, when Steve Jobs launched the hardware device.
But, over the years, I’ve argued that the real “iPhone moment” happened a year after Apple introduced the App Store.
That’s when sales started to pick off exponentially, as that platform play turned Apple into a juggernaut.
The turning point for Apple was not the launch of the iPhone on June 29, 2007, but rather the introduction of the App Store on July 10, 2008.
This catalyst moment transformed Apple into a platform business, fueling iPhone adoption and skyrocketing sales.
By positioning the iPhone as a distribution layer, Apple placed itself at the center of a growing developer ecosystem, enabling the creation of countless apps that enhanced the device’s functionality.
This, in turn, spurred consumer adoption, reinforcing a powerful network effect.
Apple became the new winner-take-all middle layer, controlling the interaction between developers and consumers, ultimately becoming a tech juggernaut.
The App Store’s success established Apple’s dominance, proving that platforms—not just products—drive sustainable, long-term moats.
Steve Jobs at Apple has created the platform play blueprint for all of us. And yet, now, Apple is on the receiving end of it!