Apple has never been first at the game, but simply the best at the game. That’s where Apple makes its money, by being the BEST for the consumer mass market!
From what I’ve experienced, not the BEST but certainly the best at hype and overpriced blingy devices. On the other hand, their software tends to be the WORST, next to malware in many cases.
With their pricing, the consumer mass market is not going to throw their pocketbooks at Apple just to get their devices. If they did, Apple would have already prevailed in all arenas which they have not.
They’ve never gotten over losing their 80s predominance in the computer market.