Isn't it fair enough to say that built into Apple's nature is a want not to be nostalgic, and not minding about reducing lines, making changes - this is much harder for some other companies.
An interesting example of this may be soon what happens to the iPod. It's been superseded, so where it goes we'll find out shortly.
http://tech.fortune.cnn.com/2011/08/24/corporate-antibodies-why-apple-seems-to-be-immune/Apple has the company so they basically can create walled off skunkworks, assigned to do specific projects, no-one else apart from top level staff know about (see the recompile to Intel, iPhone/iPad design for example). Most all Apple staff get to find out what their colleagues have been working on the day of the release, same time consumers do. They they get to work on making their area of coding/projects fit in once it's announced.
If I was at Canon - i'd be wondering if the convergence train steamrolling in from Android and iOS isn't going to start biting harder - when do dSLR manufacturers get seen as dumb hardware creators, who need someone else to help with better OS?
It's not there, but 8MP within a smartphone - it's biting at point and shoots. We've already seen apps to control dSLR, but when do consumers start asking for their dSLR to be slaved remotely/tethered wirelessly to their tablet/iPhone, with live preview? Wouldn't many people want to review the focus/depth of field on a shot, but are hindered by the screen on their camera?
Maybe it won't happen yet, but the skunkworks that Google is doing on computational photography could be interesting.
Especially as cameras become better video recorders - who wouldn't want pre-created focus pulling, automated focus/aperture/ISO/other bracketing, quick review, wireless flash control via an smartphone app etc...
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