The next “iPhone moment”: Smart assistants for the home

Ever since Apple released the iPhone in 2007, people have been waiting for the next “iPhone moment” – the market introduction of a device or technology that dramatically changes the game. This is what the iPhone did. It changed the game. It invented a new product category (previous “smartphones” did not deserve the moniker), turned it into a mass-market sales success, inspired competitors to produce their own solutions, created a billion-dollar ecosystem, disrupted numerous existing industries and completely altered the way how people use the Internet.

However, until today there has not been another iPhone moment. The iPad did not reach up (despite its category-defining character). Neither did Google Glass, fitness trackers or smartwatches. It still remains to be seen where the Apple Watch will go in terms of mass appeal and game-changing potential. Right now it seems unlikely though that it will have the large-scale impact of the iPhone. Possibly virtual reality headsets will fly off the shelves once they are being introduced to the broad public next year. But many question marks remain. Continue Reading