Making hardware is hard, it not possible to upgrade and update it over the air. Decisions made at design stage are hard to change after the product goes into production. That’s why we see decisions such as Google delays Nexus Q launch, will send free dev devices to pre-order customers

However, software is not easier. In the mobile platforms, after the challenges of RIM BB10, and the demise of Palm OS, Symbian, MeeGo, we see that Samsung pushes back Tizen to 2013, Bada almost certainly dead. Creating a mobile software platform is complex, it requires a lot of resources and a supporting ecosystem. That means that not only the technical part has been addressed (and it is not easy), all the stakeholders have to be included in the design and have to support it. Developers have to write applications for the platform, telecom operators want their benefits too. No surprise that we see a consolidation of smartphone OS platforms. Android, Apple and Microsoft. Even Microsoft with all its resources and competences is struggling to emerge in this tough battle of ecosystems.

Hardare is hard, but software is not any easier. And the combination of software and hardware is even more challenging when these parts have to be nicely integrated. And they have different upgrade and life cycle times.
But for the company that succeeds in creating this integration, there could be great rewards as Apple as shown. Controlling the overall experience allows the creations of seamless and intuitive products that work better.