“A company’s culture is the foundation for future innovation. An entrepreneur’s job is to build the foundation.”

Today, it seems that Apple has lost that innovation which made it a cutting-edge tech-giant at the turn of the century, producing such hits as the Mac computer and iPhone and revolutionizing the concept of personal technology. Now, instead of reimagining how society uses its gadgets, Apple seems to focus solely on giving a new spin to those gadgets to make more money. Case in point: the fact that they are now creating an eighth version of the iPhone, when it seems that there has been nothing really new with smartphones for several years now. What’s more, with starting prices of $699 and $999 two important questions to ask now are this, “Are the iPhone 8 and iPhone X really worth buying?” and what’s more, “Are Apple products worth buying?”

The iPhone 8 and iPhone 7 are almost indistinguishable at first glance. Taking a closer look reveals a fractionally larger screen on the iPhone 8, along with it weighing in at 7% heavier than its previous model. This heftier iPhone is due to Apple’s controversial decision to give the device a glass back which enables wireless charging, but is now prone to cracking. The iPhone X is an even more controversial addition to Apple’s smartphone family, with its one selling point being a feature designed to allow the user to unlock their phone with face recognition. Ironically, at a press conference intended to show off this leap forward in security, the phone actually failed to read its presenter’s face and resulted in a very embarrassing situation for Apple. However, the price point for this flashy new toy comes in at one thousand dollars, while the new Google Pixel 2, arguably equally if not more technologically advanced, only costs $649.

The iPhone X offers a larger screen, facial recognition, more powerful charging capabilities, water resistance, and increased resolution, definite benefits for a potential buyer, while the iPhone 8 is essentially the iPhone 7 but with wireless charging and a bit more screen. However, before rushing to buy the newest in a large family of smartphones, make sure the phone you buy is from the right brand. Many other companies have been working with these concepts long before Apple released their newest iPhones, and many of these features, besides facial recognition, were released on smartphones long before the 8 and X. In fact, Galaxy has released a phone with many of the same features as these iPhones since their previous models several years ago, and their newest phone, the S8, does practically all the same things as the iPhone X at a cheaper price, $750.

The new iPhones do not seem to live up to the standard of innovation Apple was once famous for, as companies such as Google and Samsung are beginning to eclipse this once all-powerful mogul. These companies took the initiative and created more effective devices earlier to lower their costs now, and Apple is paying the price for their misstep with iPhones that now seem unnecessary and expensive. In conclusion, it is not wise to purchase the iPhone 8 or X, especially without looking at other companies’ offerings. As for Apple, they seem to have lost the foundation that once made them so great.