Is Apple Inc. (AAPL) Destroying Steve Jobs’ Vision?

The impetus for the change is Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL)’s top designer, Jony Ive, and a growing contingent of those in Cupertino looking to move the company’s image forward. Without any desire to sound like an alarmist, and allowing for the reality that we are dealing in rumor — although Gurman has a reputation for getting good information — this seems like a very dangerous proposition. Customers and investors have already expressed concerns that Apple isn’t innovating quickly enough; changing one of the things that people like the most is a huge risk.

While there are times when refreshing what has become stale can be a good idea, suddenly fixing things that are not only not broken, but also the basis of your success, is the hallmark of mismanagement. Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) should continue to do what is does better than any other company in the world and not alter those key building blocks that got it here. Jobs’ vision may not be able to last forever, but radically abandoning it is not prudent.

Apple fans have long bristled at comparisons between Jobs and current CEO Tim Cook. This may be rooted in the fact that filling Jobs’ shoes is a practical impossibility, but legendary leaders frequently leave vacuums in their wakes. The potential of a cheap iPhone, a cheap iPad, and now a redesign of some of the most fundamental parts of iOS demonstrate that Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) is heading down into a new era. Investors should pay careful attention to this story, because an iPhone 5S that no longer looks like an iPhone could be a significant blow.

The article Is Apple Killing the Icons That Jobs Built? originally appeared on Fool.com.

Fool contributor Doug Ehrman has no position in any stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool recommends Apple and Google and owns shares of Apple, Google, and Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT).

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