I would never argue that is wasn't a revolution when it first came out a decade ago. There is little doubt that it changed the landscape for smartphones and spurred plenty of competitive efforts etc.

Its just that now it has had about 7 major iterations (not counting 'S' models etc.), it is really in the 'consolidation' stage of the battle. The storming of the castle is done, now the army is battening down for the long siege and the door to door skirmishing, slowly moving the front forward.

The only way Apple (or any manufacturer) can claim another 'revolutionary' step is if they come out with a foldable display screen, or a 30 day battery life or similar.

A better metaphor might be that of the battle, and the war, long since won, and the victorious army having spent most of the last ten years getting lazy and soft as it forgets why it won in the first place, still reveling in the fading glow of glories past - while, somewhere, an upstart as yet unknown to the world makes ready to dethrone it in its turn.

It's a shame. The only smartphones I've ever had have been iPhones, and I don't want that to change. But I'm not seeing much reason lately to believe that Apple can continue going from strength to strength.

Ah, okay, I understand your point and see my misunderstanding. I would still suggest they have more sway in feature pushing than any other manufacturer, insomuch that when Apple sets something in stone, even the very unpopular removal of the headphone jack, others follow suit (not widely copied, but a few manufacturers followed suit with flagship devices)

I would agree that their newest changes aren't revolutionary in my mind and are more iterative, just spec bumps and features added, but everyone is still taking their cues from Apple when it comes to functionality.

but everyone is still taking their cues from Apple when it comes to functionality - isn't apple adding now feature which were common on Android OS.

> it has had about 7 major iterations (not counting 'S' models etc.)

I would argue that some of the S models are more significant iterations than the main numbered ones. Siri shipped with the 4s, the Appstore shipped with the 3G (IMO it's fair to call the 3G and 3GS "S models" of the original).