Apple long enjoyed a leadership in the US smartphone and tablet segment due to lazy and monopolistic competitors. Apple's success in these two segments has more to do with lack of competition than innovation. But, the tables have turned and Android has come out with better products than Apple's iDevices.

The arrival of Android 3.1, and the way Apple's iOS 5 blatantly copies some of its core features including notification, gives a clear indication that Apple's sales strategy to hold back features and sell them in the next version is not going to work any more.

Is Apple Failing To Innovate?
Apple need to find companies that innovate and add that feature in its own devices, or as they did with the WiFi sync feature -- kill an application of an external developer, remove it from the App Store and then sell it as your own. Or, become a patent troll and sue everyone else.

Well, in a nut-shell, that's not healthy competition or sign of progress and innovation. Apple's arm-twisting of small guys and suing almost every other player in the mobile segment is harmful for the growth of the segment.

Apple out of competition
With the arrival of the Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 Apple's iPad is already out of the competition. Tables will replicate the success of Android smartphones and iPad market will be shrunk to a niche with users locked inside Apple's jail.

Android has brought healthy competition and a broad range of options for users. The real competition in the tablet segment is now among Samsung's Galaxy Tab, Motorola's Xoom, Toshiba's Thrive and soon to arrive Panasonic's ToughPad.

Amazon's entry with its own Tablet will be the turning point in the Tablet market as Amazon has all the pieces in place and has far bigger sales channel than Apple.

So, can we now stop talking about rumored iPad 3 and look at the real competition?