"Apple's genius with the iPhone X may be in launching a device that, as it did with apps before"
There was nothing genius about iPhone apps. Palm and Microsoft had been doing it for years before. Apple just made it more mainstream because they have a very good marketing dept.
As for the VR platform. One could say the exact same things for Samsung and Google with their VR platforms. Huge user base, been out for a few years now and still no compelling reason to have it other than curiosity.
Like Sammy and Google, Apple is just searching for relevance in an overcrowded market.