Apple is arguably the Brangelina of companies: It’s not young anymore, and there isn’t much new there. But our fascination and fixation endure.
Widely regarded as a bellwether for the global economy and a perennial favorite on Fortune’s World’s Most Admired Companies list, Apple’s better-than-anticipated earnings report reveals a company that continues to capitalize on its unwavering customer loyalty numbers, baked-in culture of innovation, and relentless focus on design as a key market differentiator.
But with its iconic founder gone and the company maturing under the leadership of CEO Tim Cook, some are seeing signs of stagnation and decline. In his blog, “Rational Irrationality,” New Yorker staff writer John Cassidy offers a nice overview of the great debate: Is Apple dying on the vine? Or just shifting into its next stage of market dominance? In short: It’s not an easy one to call. Ultimately, he writes, “It will be Apple’s computer engineers, programmers, and designers—rather than its financial engineers—who will determine the company’s fate.”
