Apple Reveals New Offerings to Distract From iPhone 5 Delay
Apple (AAPL) is one of the more secretive companies in high tech, at least among non-defense contractors. Usually, the company plays everything close to the vest, particularly at this time of the year when it typically announces the next iPhone version.
But this time, Apple officially spilled the beans: iOS 5, Apple's new iCloud media offering, and Mac OS X Lion are on the agenda at its big Worldwide Developers Conference next week. (So is CEO Steve Jobs, who will give the keynote.)
This has been anything than a usual year, and Apple management is smart enough to know that it can't run on habit and crossed fingers. When circumstances and competition alter the playing field, you have to develop a different game, and quickly.
Supply chain setbacks and confusion
It was clear early on that the earthquakes and tsunami in Japan would badly affect many supply chains, particularly in the high tech industry. It seems likely that such problems caused Apple to delay the iPhone 5 until late this year, at best.
And then there were the rumors of the iPhone 4S, as my BNET colleague Damon Brown noted last month. Suddenly, instead of people looking forward to one new device, there were conflicting rumors about multiple iPhones that might emerge. That would mean a muddled set of expectations and a story that would start disappointing one group or another. It was messy, and sloppy narrative is not how Apple runs its marketing. The company simply couldn't allow that to happen.
Enter the competitors
Unlike times past, Apple has also faced some serious competition. Android handsets have been outselling iPhones, putting Google (GOOG) into the smartphone operating system lead. Some new Android-based tablets are hitting the $200 to $300 price range with Wi-Fi support, meaning that many price-sensitive consumers will find alternatives to the iPad.
More importantly, the future is in cloud services, and both Amazon (AMZN) and Google launched cloud music offerings before Apple. Although iCloud will clearly have a lot of opportunity, it's rare for Apple to lag its competitors in introducing new concepts to consumers. And so, Apple provided some information to stall its competitors and steal back some consumer attention.
Because of Apple's size and influence, its rivals now have to make their own strategic calculations. Executives no longer have the predictability of Apple's announcement schedule to plan around. The rules have changed for everyone.
Related:
- A Sprint iPhone May Fragment Apple's App Market
- Japan Earthquake and Tsunami: Possible High Tech Impacts
Erik Sherman is a widely published writer and editor who also does select ghosting and corporate work. The views expressed in this column belong to Sherman and do not represent the views of CBS Interactive. Follow him on Twitter at @ErikSherman or on Facebook.
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