Apple executive Tim Cook, on today’s earnings call:

“Frankly I think people are trying to catch up with the first iPhone two years ago. We’ve long since moved beyond that.”

I’m not going to get in to how Verizon/Motorola/Google’s new Droid compares to the iPhone because I (like Mr. Cook) haven’t seen one yet, but I do raise an eyebrow at the comment that Apple has long since moved beyond the original iPhone.

Apple’s done a great job at implementing key features like Exchange integration, GPS, and the App store, but the core iPhone experience and hardware product haven’t changed much at all in the last two years. It’s absurd to suggest that Apple has been widening the gap between the iPhone and its competitors.