On Wednesday, the Fast Company’s annual list of ‘World’s 50 Most Innovative Companies was published, surprise, surprise! Apple, which topped the list in 2018, is now ranked 17th worldwide.
In the one-year since Apple topped the list, it seems a number of established corporations and fresh startups went on an overdrive in their R&D departments. While Apple might have maintained pace or slow down somewhat giving the opportunity for other companies to overtake.
Then again, going by all the negative feedback the company has gotten with its recent device launch; people accuse Apple of lack of creativity with Mac computer coming with same design as old one. We really should not be surprised by Apple sliding down the rankings.
The Fast Company’s report took the pain to explain the most impressive feature Apple released in 2018; the only impressive feature. The A12 Bionic system-on-chip that packs 6.9 billion transistors into a unique processor tailored for efficient delivery with artificial intelligence, augmented reality, and photography tasks.
Harry McCracken a Tech Editor at Fast Company, said: “Apple’s most impressive new product of 2018 wasn’t a phone or a tablet, but a chip: the A12 Bionic. At a time when it remains tougher than ever to induce consumers to upgrade, as proven by Apple’s surprise January move to cut revenue guidance on sluggish iPhone sales, the innovative chip design positions the company to create a whole new generation of irresistible experience.”
The A12 Bionic built on 7-nanometer process powers the iPhone XS released in 2018. It made it possible for an extremely dense six-core design. Apple says the A12 Bionic two high-performance cores run 15% faster than the A11 Bionic released in 2017. While consuming 40% less power.
So who topped the list if not Apple?
Well, the first and second spot went to Meituan Dianping form China and Grab from Singapore. These two companies are described as “transactional super apps” and the work by connecting millions of people with lifestyle products and services.