Must have the iPhone
Wow, I had high expectations and somehow Apple surpassed them with the iPhone.
I am most interested to see how the iPhone touch screen works. If the touch screen gains widespread appeal, then I think it is fair to say Apple has redefined the phone form factor. Only, time will tell…
Hmm, I’m not sure if the iPhone really has much that’s new. The Cingular 8525 and other phones have touch screens as well and have a number of advantages over the iPhone. Engadget isn’t very impressed with the iPhone:
http://www.engadget.com/2007/01/09/the-iphone-is-not-a-smartphone
That said, sometimes the products that redefine the industry are the ones that render moot the usual features we use to make our comparisons. I am curious what it’s like to use the iPhone.
I did not read the Engadget post as negative. I think Apples lack of some features makes the phone better. I see the lack of Exchange support as a good thing. Same with iTunes store downloads. Anyone can add new features now picking only the right features is an art onto itself. Much of the success of the iPod is all about doing one thing well.
I agree that more features is not always better. But what does the iPhone do well?
If all you’re saying is that you have confidence, based on experience with other products, in Apple’s ability to choose the right features and implement them well, then you may very well be right. But are you saying more than that?
What does the iPhone do badly? I haven’t used it but based on Apple success I think it will be very easy to make calls and send SMS messages. Watching the demos they have made voicemail incredibly simple. They made putting a call on hold and answering the other line very simple. At least it looks like it in the demos. They maid it smaller the huge Treo’s I see people carrying.
Apple is genius marketers. There are really two types of people. Those that want the iPhone and those who find reasons not to like it. Each group is big. Each group is passionate. These guys are going to be printing money.
I’m not saying the iPhone does anything badly. But it does seem that But I’d say at this point the two types of people are more properly characterized as those who passionately like it based on very little information and those who are scratching their heads a bit and reserving judgment.