Keep citing sales figures as long as you want but it's already started to slow down, especially with iPhone sales. Even Apple has admitted that they've probably peaked. If the iPhone 7 receives huge backlash for removing the headphone jack (they rightfully should if they do something as foolish as that) and the sales suffer because of it, how else will you prove that Tim Cook's Apple is so friggin' incredible? That's literally you're only argument every time I make valid counterpoints.
I would only consider Apple to be a conglomerate now since they're trying to branch out and do way too much: fashion and electric cars, etc.
They used to be a company that only entered and disrupted particular product categories if they had a valid reason to, now they seem to be doing so only to catch up to their competitors. The Apple of Tim Cook are not leaders, they're followers. The idea of thinking different at Apple is dead and buried.
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Tim Cook has a recent track record of hiring unqualified people who may be talented in completely different aspects. Not just Jony Ive, current Retail VP Angela Ahrendtz is trying to turn Apple into some sort of luxury fashion empire like her previous Burberry CEO gig. I've noticed that since she came on board, the Black Friday Deals vanished, the Back to School promo became quite stingy and product launch after product launch became completely botched. The smart thing would've been to have Ron Johnson return after his brief stint as CEO of JC Penny.
Sure, the original iPhone was radical but in a good and innovative way. It knocked the entire industry on its side in a way that Apple cant seem to do anymore. iOS 7, like many recent Apple releases, is a me-too product. Apple had their own distant design identity until Jony decided that they needed to copy the flat designs of Google and Microsoft. It was radical in all the wrong ways.
Who Tim Cook hires (or doesn't hire) is up to him. Whether or not he succeeds will ultimately be decided by Apple's board of directors, and strongly influenced by the shareholders.
Jony Ive was hired by Steve Jobs, and put in charge of product design before Steve passed. Cook promoted him, and again, feel free to criticize that promotion, but how that turns out will be on Cook.
Angela Ahrendts was hired by Cook. She was quite successful at Burberry, and her impact on Apple is still to be seen. Interesting that you are lobbying for the return of Ron Johnson as head of retail. He did well at Apple, but went to JCPenney where he crashed and burned. His style was not right for what the management at JCPenney wanted - he wanted to kill off all the coupons and sales and adjust prices to reflect overall value, rather than have inflated prices and coupons, sales and special deals. His style and methods clashed with the expectations of Penney's customer base - not unlike the situation with Ahrendts and Apple. Just because there wasn't an immediate meshing of Ahrendts and Apple doesn't mean it's a bad hire - and just because Cook has not relieved Ahrendts of her duties doesn't mean that Cook has failed anyone. Give it time. Clearly Apple's sales figures and revenue are positive and the Apple board does not seem to be anxious about her. FWIW, Apple never did anything significant for Black Friday. Also, the back to school promo has been on the downturn for years... you used to get a $300 iPod with the purchase of a new Mac... then a $100 iTunes gift card... so not sure that I'd pin that totally on Ahrendts.
With regard to the original iPhone, you admit that it was "radical", but quickly add "in a good way". Not sure what that means or how to address that. It was different. People "ooohed" and "ahhhed" over it. Other companies started copying the design. And it has changed the industry. As far as Ive copying the "flat designs of Google and Microsoft", I would point out that design changes over time. The art deco of the '50s in south Florida was popular for a time. So were paisley prints, madras prints, etc. Apple had it's period of strong skeumorphic design, and eventually moved on to something new. Compare that evolution with comments of those who claimed that look was old and stale.
Finally, with regards to your first comment about Apple sales figures showing a slow-down... there could easily be a number of reasons for that. First, is saturation. Almost everyone I know has a relatively new cell phone - whether it's iOS or android based, most that I know and see are 2 years old at most. The carriers have moved away from 2-year contracts with subsidized equipment - meaning that we are all paying full price for our devices now (not that we weren't previously, but the true cost of those devices was hidden from the average user) - whether outright or via what is essentially an interest free loan. It's hard to justify $650-$1000 every year for a new device when the one you have still functions perfectly well.
The key is a diversified array of devices ranging from iPods, iPhones and various iterations and sizes of iPads, to Macs of various designs, the Apple Watch, and the ancillary devices like AppleTV, Airport routers, keyboards, mice, etc.
As far as what happens to Cook when the iPhone 7 launches, well, that will be on him. But despite the sales slow down, every time Apple launches a new iPhone, it has set sales records and obliterated old iPhone sales figures. I doubt this year will be any different. But, good or bad, it will be on Tim Cook.
You can see my comments as defending Apple if you wish, but I am merely trying to engage in the discussion. I use Apple products because they work for me. I am critical of the things that bug me (iTunes, issues with being unable to easily and intelligently share a common set of Contacts with my wife, etc), and don't consider myself a "fanboy"... but neither am I a basher and complainer for the sake of bashing and complaining.
