Apple Inc. (AAPL) Not a Consumer Favorite Anymore?

Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) is setting revenue records and continues to have a very loyal fan base over the last 30 years. But is that loyalty starting to wane? It might be too early to make that call yet, but at least in the categories of technology where Apple has been in the lead in innovation – the smartphone and the tablet – Apple’s loyalty is not as strong as that of Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd. or Amazon.com Inc. (NASDAQ:AMZN), according to the latest data.

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Based on information in a recently released report measuring customer loyalty, Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) has fallen behind in a couple of categories and has been caught in another category, where Cupertino had been the top choice. Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd. was rated No. 1 in customer loyalty in the smartphone segment, and tied Apple in the laptop category. And to really kick sand in Cupertino’s face, the Kindle Fire tablet by Amazon.com Inc. (NASDAQ:AMZN) has won over more customers in terms of loyalty than Apple’s iPad. Apple had won every customer loyalty award from this report since the iPhone was introduced in 2007.

What exactly might be the reason for such a turn of events in the two most prized categories for Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL)? One theory is a relative lack of innovation at Apple nowadays and the conservative approach to innovation. Samsung could be seen as more cutting-edge in its smartphone features, and Apple seems to wait to see if there is customer interest in a feature before introducing it in its devices.

What is an example of these innovative features that Apple seems slow to implement?

One example of an innovative feature in smartphones is near-field communications, or NFC. This has been a smartphone advancement in some recent smartphone models, but the Apple iPhone is the only one that has yet to introduce that technology.

Does this report surprise you? Does his portend anything for Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) going forward, and what might this say for Amazon.com Inc. (NASDAQ:AMZN) or Samsung? Give us your thoughts in the comment section below.

DISCLOSURE: I own no positions in any stock mentioned.

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