Bill Gates predicted the decline of the iPod 19 years ago, but Apple has proven they can turn every situation around.
In 2022, Apple officially discontinued the iPod product line, ending the journey of a device that once revolutionized the music and technology industries.
But actually 19 years ago, Bill Gates, founder of Microsoft, made a bold prediction about the decline of the iPod, and time has proven his prediction to be completely correct. However, Apple made a smart move to overcome this challenge, affirming its leading position in the mobile technology market.
Bill Gates' prediction:
On May 12, 2005, in an interview with the German newspaper Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung, billionaire Bill Gates commented that the success of the iPod will not last forever. He compared the iPod's situation to that of the Macintosh, the personal computer that once dominated Apple's market, but has since lost its lead.
Billionaire Bill Gates once predicted that the iPod would soon decline like the Macintosh.
It can be seen that Mr. Gates's argument is reasonable. At that time, smartphones were gradually encroaching on the portable music player market. However, he did not foresee that Apple's "trump card" was the iPhone launched in 2007. At that time, there was no product comparable to the iPhone, and Google's Android operating system also did not exist. now, making the iPhone a technological wonder in the field of mobile computing.
Apple's adaptation.
Aware of the potential decline of the iPod, Apple made a smart move when it launched the iPhone in 2007. With a groundbreaking design and outstanding features, the iPhone quickly became a global phenomenon, marking the Apple's strong transformation from music player manufacturer to smartphone "king".
Difference between Apple and Microsoft.
While Apple is constantly improving the iPhone, Microsoft is lagging behind with the Windows Phone OS operating system. The company decided to stop developing Windows Phone OS in 2015, leading to a significant loss of market share in the smartphone market.
Bill Gates' prediction about the iPod's decline was partly correct, but Apple has proven its extraordinary ability to adapt and innovate. Thanks to the iPhone, Apple has affirmed its leading position in the mobile technology market and continues to bring groundbreaking products to global users.
