The Next Step in the Evolution of the iPhone

Nobody expected it. It came completely out of the blue in fact. Shortly before the release of the first iPhone back in 2007 there were a lot of critics who were sure the phone was going to bomb. Who would want to spend so much money on this phone? Who even wants a touchscreen interface, or such a large device for a mobile phone? Previous attempts at touchscreen phones had failed miserably. Fast forward a few years and it is easy to see the massive impact that the iPhone has had on the smartphone industry, with even the majority of lower end models trying to incorporate some form of touchscreen into their design and iPhone 4 deals selling by the bucket load.

Some companies were quick to jump on board the new revolution. For some, like HTC and Samsung, their ability to quickly adapt to the post-iPhone market has been a large part of why they have become so successful. Other companies, such as Nokia, have failed to transform themselves in any meaningful way and have been convinced that what they were doing in 2005 will still lead to success.

Although a great majority of the components and features of the iPhone predated Apple's entry into the world of phones, including downloadable apps, games, music support and the like, Apple managed to combine them into an award winning and desirable package that has resonated with consumer demands. Each successive iPhone release has upped the ante, introducing new concepts that have quickly spread across the smartphone gene pool.

Apple has taken issue with a lot of other companies trying to adapt to this new consumer demand, as is evidenced by their recent spate of lawsuits against virtually every company involved in the industry. Their biggest gripe is with Samsung, a company that is starting to achieve phenomenal success with the Android operating system developed by Apple's arch nemesis Google. With Android phones quickly eating up a huge chunk of the smartphone market it is easy to see why Apple is concerned about being pushed out of the market that they spawned.

It is quite easy to see that Samsung's TouchWiz interface has drawn heavily on the iPhone's design in an attempt to emulate its success, but Apple can't seriously believe that they own the exclusive rights to produce rectangular electronic devices with rounded corners – the main point of contention that caused Apple to have the sale of the Galaxy Tab halted throughout the EU and Australia. While the Galaxy Tab does bare some resemblance to the iPad, Apple is also seeking the same outcome with Motorola's Xoom – a tablet that doesn't look anything like Apples. Although the iPad has been the first majorly successful tablet device it was by no means the first such gadget.

What's more, Apple is insulting the intelligence of its consumers if it thinks that they can't tell the difference between an Apple product and a Samsung product. The huge brand names on the packaging are enough of a giveaway. Perhaps Apple needs to accept that some people are more attracted to the products of competing firms than their own.

But the lawsuits may be indicative of something else entirely, that maybe Apple has run out of ideas for making their phones stand out above the crowd. As the saying goes, "if you can't innovate, litigate". Previous iPhone releases had always introduced new features that quickly became the norm within the industry, such as the App Store, video chat and the use of an accelerometer. These features were quickly copied by most competitors, including HTC and Samsung.

Now it seems the shoe is on the other foot. Although Apple is still keeping quite tight lipped about the new iPhone 5, what little details have been released to the public, either through Apple keynotes or unofficial leaks, seem to indicate that much of the major new changes that will be introduced have been inspired by competing Android phones. The popularity of the huge 4 inch plus screens found on top of the line HTC and Samsung phones has led to the expansion of the iPhone's screen, even though previous models had always stuck to the original 3.5 inch design.

Then of course there is the new notification tray found on iOS5, which bares uncanny resemblance to the one that has been part of Android for some time now. Perhaps Apple is thinking that if people are to copy their ideas, why not do the same? Although this does seem to suggest that Apple is starting to lose its competitive edge and become a follower in the market, rather than a leader. This may be a moot point however, because as so little is known about the iPhone 5 just yet it is quite likely there will be a whole host of features that have not been done before, but will soon spread throughout the market.

Here is hoping that Apple does come up with something new, and that they aren't just suing in an attempt to rest on their laurels. You can't create one great product and expect it to last forever, the original iPhone was so successful because it completely transformed the way people used phones. Apple should heed the warning of Nokia here. Nokia was hugely successful back in 2005 and they assumed that if they just kept on doing what they had always done that the success would continue indefinitely, but it hasn't.

The iPhone 3G and iPhone 3GS weren't massively different to the original iPhone. The biggest change came with the jump to the iPhone 4. It could be the case that the upcoming iPhone will be more of an iPhone 3G in terms of evolution, and the next big change will come with the iPhone 6 next year. Unlike earlier versions that were usually released around June or July, it is expected that iPhone 5 deals will become available in September in the United States, and October everywhere else. Here's hoping that it is as groundbreaking and inspirational as previous models.