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By Dave Mooney
In a little over a week, Apple’s new iPhone 17 and iPhone Air models will arrive in Australia, following their unveiling at its ‘awe-dropping’ event in California on Tuesday.
As an avid Android user, I’m left asking: ‘In 2025… should I care?’ When the first iPhone launched in 2007, Apple reimagined what a phone could be, in turn unlocking a global mobile economy worth $US6.5 trillion. So in 2025, do we really need to celebrate a slightly larger screen, with incrementally better functionality?
The story begins with Apple’s astonishing resurrection from near death in 1997, rising from the ashes of bankruptcy to become the world’s most valuable company by 2011. From this moment, Apple has been held on a very high pedestal, regularly topping lists of ‘Best brand in the world’. People love Apple. They’re staunchly loyal and brand marketers regularly hold it up as the poster child of what they long for in their own work.
But why? Is it the style of advertising, its DNA of uncompromising excellence or its innovative spirit? Is it their position as a market-leading brand with a challenger mindset? I believe the thing still worth coveting is the thing many strive for, but only few will achieve. Simplicity.
People prefer simplicity – it’s universal. Given two paths, any person with a semblance of sanity will choose the path of least resistance. You cannot underestimate people’s desire for pure, uncomplicated clarity. Simplicity is not only desirable, it’s infectious. In a world that is becoming increasingly complicated, simplicity is becoming rarer and more valuable. Don’t believe me? You only need to look at the very first iPhone. It’s a masterclass in simplicity. It’s the device that redefined what personal technology could be and propelled Apple beyond the stratosphere. And it was born from an uncompromising pursuit of simplicity.
Apple’s brand is grounded in the fact that it knows how to win people’s hearts through the simplicity of the user experience. From unboxing (even the box itself) to turning on the device, to opening an app – every touchpoint is designed to delight. Tiny hits of dopamine that keep you coming back time and time again for that next unboxing experience. The love people have for the brand is apparent with every interaction.
Apple built its empire on the equity of simplicity.
Under Steve Jobs, Apple grew under a fundamental belief that profit was a by-product of creating amazing products. Jony Ive, head of Design at Apple during this era of innovation, echoed this sentiment in a 2010 speech to the Royal College of Art in London:
“Apple’s goal isn’t to make money. Our goal is to design and develop, and bring to market good products. We trust that as a consequence of that, we’ll make some money. But we’re really clear what our goals are.”
Apple is one of the few brands to have the strength, conviction and trust in what it believes and to follow this philosophy through.
Cut to today and the leadership of Tim Cook. Although less of a creative genius, his pedigree as a leader is equally impressive. Apple has seen exponential growth under his stewardship, becoming the first $US3 trillion company in 2022. However, he has delivered growth of the iconic brand in a completely different way.
As a former COO, Cook introduced a data-driven and analytical approach to the company’s leadership style, stressing that efficiency leads to profitability. Cook prioritises operational optimisation and financial stability ahead of innovation and creativity. With one eye firmly fixed on sustainability and social responsibility, the Tim Cook era brings to the world enhanced feature sets and leads the way in user privacy. His innovation lives in streamlining processes, not products. Simplifying the supply chain and strengthening relationships with partners.
One thing that remains true throughout all of this is Apple’s culture of innovation. Apple has created an environment that fosters creativity and encourages new ideas through a commitment to R&D. At the end of the day, Cook is a different kind of innovator. To completely butcher a fantastic quote from Henry Ford, Cook isn’t inventing the car, he’s delivering faster horses. While the days of Apple creating groundbreaking designs that reshape how we think about technology may be behind them for now, what they are doing is reshaping our expectations around what technology should do for us through the feature set.
Over the past 15 years, the tail has wagged the dog when it comes to our interactions with technology. Our attention and data have been monetised, literally sold to the highest bidder. Throughout all of this, Apple has been instrumental in putting control back in the hands of its users while proving it’s profitable to do so. It would be easy to be critical of the fact that on a surface level, the screens are just getting bigger and the phones are only getting marginally slimmer. However, the one thing Apple seems to be committed to is driving innovation that is putting the ‘smart’ back into smartphones.
As a die-hard Android user, I feel like my views here haven’t been swayed by having drunk the Apple Kool-Aid. I objectively look at what Apple is delivering and see a brand that has every right to be aspirational for consumers and marketers alike. I see the spirit of Apple living strong in its approach to innovation. Sure, it may not be outwardly facing in the styling of the product, but simplicity seems to live true to their ethos in the way they approach the features and in the way the features aim to simplify our lives. At a time of peak global complexity, I think the launch of the new iPhone is worth paying attention to.
Dave Mooney is the Head of Planning at BCM Media & Creative
