[freyr]

How many people need to tell you you're wrong? Google "smartphone 2007" and take a look at the iPhone's competition at the time. The iPhone was leaps and bounds ahead because it focused on the features more users care about most. It's no coincidence that the other smartphones of 2007 look like ancient relics and the iPhone looks like a modern phone.

Sure, Apple's marketing is better than that of their competitors. But good marketing and good products aren't mutually exclusive.

That said, since the original iPhone, the updates have gotten increasingly incremental, and the competitors have closed the gap.