Once one of the strongest-growing businesses of the 21st century, (NASDAQ: AAPL) can no longer claim the title of the world's most valuable company. While second place hardly constitutes a fall from grace, investors may be wondering what the tech titan's path forward will be. In the past, Apple's annual release cycle consistently offered either new devices or significant improvements to existing products. Today, it's quite difficult to tell a 2019 Mac apart from a 2023 Mac, and even the last five iPhones have not seen any major design changes.

While some product launches provided more growth than others for Apple, the general philosophy under co-founder and CEO Steve Jobs and design chief Jony Ive always aimed to improve the brand's perception. During Ive's 27-year career in Apple's design department, the company went from large plastic casings to precision machine aluminum. In the five years since his departure, Macbooks and iPhones alike have gotten thicker, heavier, and larger than ever before.

There are now two questions to consider before investing in Apple:

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Source Fool.com