Watch for Apple’s (AAPL) quarterly earnings report on January 24, 2017. Its phone business is at an inflection point: Apple’s “brave” move to make Bluetooth ear phones mainstream will either lift or hurt iPhone sales.If sales stop declining, then Apple’s market share will hold up, due partly by Samsung’s Note 7 recall. If sales weaken, Apple shareholders have no choice but to rely on iPhone 6S/6S Plus sales. It almost must wait for rumors of iPhone 8.Apple’s “innovation” is moving in the wrong direction for the smartphone industry. As MKBHD says it best:https://twitter.com/MKBHD/status/819555346775678976!function(d,s,id){var js,fjs=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0],p=/^http:/.test(d.location)?'http':'https';if(!d.getElementById(id)){js=d.createElement(s);js.id=id;js.src=p+"://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js";fjs.parentNode.insertBefore(js,fjs);}}(document,"script","twitter-wjs");The smartphone market, overall, needs:Bigger battery, expandable storage (extSD), better apps, thinner or reasonably-sized Bezels.The market does not need higher-resolution screens (>1080p, if they use more power). Faster SoC (if they use more power) and processing is not required. Apps do not need it and only VR games would benefit.Slimmer phones, a hallmark of the iPhone release cycle, suits style over function. That must stop.Related:Microsoft is smart in winding down or de-emphasizing on Windows Phone. Nokia sold the business to Microsoft but is re-entering the space through Android sales in China. BlackBerry (BBRY) shifted its focus solely on developing the security layer on the Android OS. It also develops BBM, HUB, Mail, and other productivity tools. BBRY devices are now made by TCL.