Has the Tech World Lost It's Mojo?

A pause or roadblock? JL

Andrew Brown comments in LinkedIn:

An indication of a plateau in any industry is homogeneity between companies and their respective products. Apple, Google, and Amazon are known as three of the most innovative tech companies, and three of the most powerful corporations in the world. Yet, all three businesses are producing a nearly identical product. Samsung, Apple, and Google are  producing nearly identical smartphones as well.
In 2007 when Apple first released its groundbreaking iPhone and Steve Jobs was the leading pioneer of innovation, it appeared that the company could not be stopped - its room for growth had no ceiling. As other technology companies began to mimic and improve this idea of a “smartphone”, human productivity increased and the world of technology appeared brighter than ever.
However, over the past couple of years it has become apparent that Apple, and the other tech giants, have plateaued by all standards. There is no company that is actively producing and acting as the leading force in innovation and technology, like Apple once was.
With the release of iOS 11, the iPhone 8, and the iPhone X, Apple has gone yet another year without truly impressing anybody. The “new and improved” iPhone 8 features a slightly better camera, a minisculely improved screen resolution, and a glass shell which allows for wireless charging.

When comparing the original iPhone 3 to the newest iPhone X, the iPhone has become faster, gained greater screen quality, and now finally lost the home bottom. But despite having ten years to develop the iPhone beyond a standard smartphone, Apple has failed to reach its full potential. While the improvements in speed and screen quality are notable, the fact that the most noticeable change is the removal of a simple button, reveals the state of the tech world.
Maybe Apple set the bar too high, or maybe our expectations for the growth of technology are too lofty - either way, the tech world is at a crossroads.
When was the last time you saw a technology advertisement truly astonish an audience? How much better can screen resolution become? Do we want curved flat screen TVs or flat curved screen TVs? You get the point. There is a technological culture of complacency that is affecting more than just Apple, but the world of technology and productivity as a whole.
A clear indication of a plateau in any industry is homogeneity between companies and their respective products. Apple, Google, and Amazon are currently known as three of the most innovative tech companies, and ultimately three of the most powerful corporations in the world. Yet, all three businesses are producing a nearly identical product.
The Apple HomePod, Google Home, and Amazon Echo are home assistant devices to help homeowners more conveniently operate in their household on a daily basis. However, all three devices fill this role with the exact same method - a voice operating system.
Whether you’re talking to Alexa, Siri or your neighbor, you’ll still be able to figure out the weather for the day. Apple’s voice operating system technology, Siri, has existed since 2010 - but don’t worry, with this new “groundbreaking technology” she is now available to talk to in a box!

The homogeneity does not stop at home assistants. Samsung, Apple, and Google are all currently producing nearly identical smartphones as well. Even though Samsung was ahead of the game in 2015 with the unprecedented wireless charging feature on its devices, the company has reached a similar plateau in technological innovation; seen in their parallelism to other tech companies.
With the iPhone, Google Pixel, and Samsung Galaxy gridlocked in smartphone mediocrity, these three respective tech giants are in a standstill. As advertisements targeting each other’s products take priority, Apple and Samsung have surrendered their mission to conquer the world of technology, and have settled to simply beat their competitor.
If the superpowers of the technology world swallow their inter-industry pride and focus on the greater issue of technological stagnation, our human productivity could further progress. 
Our human productivity rates need to progress now, more than ever. We, as a technology craving society, have lost our mojo. Nonetheless, this complacency should not be accepted, but rather defeated. For the continued prosperity and existence of our society, technological advancement needs to be more aggressively pursued and used to our advantage.

Technology can improve productivity and efficiency, two factors that can in turn decrease the human race’s biggest problem: waste of time and resources. With the current rate of pollution, destruction of our atmosphere, and depletion of natural assets in mind, companies must develop technology and adopt business practices that reduce the human impact on the environment - rather than focusing on developing a better selfie camera for the front of a smartphone.
Technology can be humanity’s worst nightmare, or our best friend. It is time we wake up from our current dream of technological bliss and actively pursue technological advancement