Is Apple's iPhone 4 2 Good 2 B True?

Several reasons:

1. Form over function. No matter how good an existing item is you need to make the next revision so compelling that people will flock to it. At some point it becomes harder and harder to put more value into a product, so marketing turns to emotional appeal. Unfortunately, what looks good in one hands may not be the optimal approach as far as design and function go. So, engineering compromises are made to give a product emotional pizazz. Form overtakes function.

2. Making schedule takes high priority. It's the old triangle:

You can't have all three, so you must compromise and put emphasis on the attributes that you value most. Interestingly enough, quality alone does not always net the highest return on investment. So, it is a balancing act.

3. Apple already said it. Apple makes mistakes, too. They are human. This was one of them. It was probably a poor decision on the triangle. You also have to risk to make money and there will always be the probability that something goes wrong, even if the probability is low, poop happens.

4. It's an aggressive market out there! Staying at the top is much, much harder than ascending there. You always have to be ahead of your competition. The tip of the spear is where all the glory is, but it is also a dangerous place to dance.