Apple CEO Tim Cook: It's better to be the best than to be the first

It'll be ready when it's ready. That's essentially what Apple CEO Tim Cook is saying about Apple's new products. He's been teasing that Apple is exploring new product categories for some time now, though he hasn't given many indications of what those new products might be, or let alone when they might come. For a very long time, since well before Cook took over as CEO, that's been Apple's policy. New products are ready when they're ready. And that's what Cook has reiterated in an interview with the Wall Street Journal.

"You want to take the time to get it right. Our objective has never been to be first. It's to be the best. To do things really well, it takes time. You can see a lot of products that have been brought to market where the thinking isn't really deep and, as a consequence, these things don't do very well. We don't do very many things so we spend a lot of time on every detail and that part of Apple isn't changing. It's the way we've operated for years and it's the way we still operate. I feel great about what we've got coming. Really great and it's closer than it's ever been."

Apple's policy has been and continues to be to refine and the release products when they're ready. They didn't jump on the smartphone bandwagon until they could make a smartphone with a full capacitive touch screen. They didn't bother with tablets until they could build a tablet that was reasonably fast, lightweight, and thin, even if Microsoft had been pushing Tablet PCs for years. And Apple won't make an iWatch simply because Samsung, LG, Motorola, and Pebble already do. Nor will they make an Apple TV because certain analysts think they have to.

There's no doubt there are a lot of products in development in Apple's labs at 1 Infinite Loop. Many will never see the light of day. Some may go through years of revisions until Apple deems them ready for release. Others might be announced tomorrow.

When it's ready, Apple will call. And not a day sooner.

Source: Wall Street Journal

Derek Kessler

Derek Kessler is Special Projects Manager for Mobile Nations. He's been writing about tech since 2009, has far more phones than is considered humane, still carries a torch for Palm, and got a Tesla because it was the biggest gadget he could find. You can follow him on Twitter at @derekakessler.