When it comes to technology, few company names inspire the same confidence, sense of innovation and high-end quality as Apple. From the humble beginnings inspired by the late, great Steve Jobs to the current status as the world’s most financially successful tech company, Apple has become synonymous with what makes tech worth having as it leads the way, sets standards, and develops product after product that is the must have item for millions around the world.

During its rise to this worldwide position as the leader for mobile devices and desktop technology, Apple has not only become a frontrunner in digital innovation and evolution, but it has also become so dominant that other companies now measure set their sights on either imitating or replicating whatever the Cupertino based company puts onto the market. Not only is this a market share issue, but it is also a technological one. Hiring the best-in-class developers, designers, and ultimate tech gurus, Apple continues to show that it will do anything to remain at the apex of achievement in the tech industry.

With devices that can do everything from banking to smartwatch phone calls, provide potentially life-saving health monitoring alerts to playing bitcoin roulette games online, Apple has shown that it wants to not only dominate in terms of technological capabilities, it also has the drive to lead the way in terms of leading the entire industry. But if we look at both the short term, as well as long term advances in the tech sector, can Apple really depend on being at the top of the league for the years to come, or is the landscape ripe for change?

Innovation And Evolution: Technology Advances Driving Corporate Competition

Whether it is the age-old competition for market supremacy between Microsoft and Apple, or the more recent but equally competitive wearable market content between Apple and Samsung, the tech industry is a hotbed of corporate competition. From the old school wars that started with desktop computers to the laptop, tablet, and smartwatch contests that dominate today, innovation and evolution continue to drive the ever-febrile corporate competition.

Although Apple has the lead in both market share, financial value and overall popularity in many ways, technology is not something that has any guaranteed winners. As technology advances in a way that is seemingly unrelenting, companies that are in this sector are constantly determined to deliver the next big thing, the next must have tech hardware, the next innovative tech software, and all the attendant and associated advances. Without these advances, of course, the corporate competition would not be nearly as fierce.

One of the main drivers of technological advances for companies including Microsoft, Apple, Samsung, et.al., is the desire to deliver the next true and captivating innovation. From the Apple Watch, which redefined and shaped the smartwatch market, to the iPad, which revolutionized the table arena, companies commit billions of dollars into R&D to ensure they are the ones who come up with the next must-have piece of tech, driven by the ultimate software. Whichever company you prefer and whatever brand you favour, it is obvious to see that this corporate competition is driven by Apple and their dominant position is hard to breach or overtake.

Customer Loyalty and Apple Adoration: Can Anyone Break the Cycle?

It is one thing offering the best tablet, the most impressive smartwatch, the finest desktop or the most advanced and aesthetically delightful laptop, while it is quite another thing to convince and seduce consumers to become loyal to your brand over the long term. When the iPhone, the iPad, the MacBook and other Apple tech were first introduced to the market, they were new, innovative, desirable and in many ways a novelty. Over the years, however, Apple has become the global leader rather than the one hit wonder.

When it comes to any new Apple release, the excitement reaches fever pitch. From the overnight lines seen from New York to London when the next new iPhone or iPad is being released, to the febrile excitement that owners of Apple products show when the next major iOS upgrade is being released, this is a level of loyalty that is hard to beat. For whatever reason, Apple consumers are fiercely loyal to the brand, which begs the question as to whether any other company in the sector can make a genuine breakthrough.

Put simply, it is hard to dominate any commercial space, but Apple seems to have achieved this. This is not to say that other companies do not produce superb smartwatches, lovely laptops, tremendous tablets or delightful desktops. What cannot be said, however, is that these worthy competitors in the Android world are close to breaking the cycle of loyalty that seems entrenched within the Apple consumer community. However, we dissect all this for now at least, the Cupertino giants are set to continue their global domination in the world of tech, and competitors must somehow come up with a way to challenge this digital domination.