iPhone Predictions
I wondered - I know there is no way to know in light of the fact that this product is not even OUT yet - but do you think the Apple iPhone will blast the competition and make apple a STAR well known company again as some people are saying?
i may get really extravagant and buy one of these iPhones.
What is your take on this product and the effect it will
have on the cell phone industry??
Well, this is an awfully easy one to figure out, given what I’ve been reading lately. Thanks for asking, because it gives me an excuse to talk about it…
The buzz out there is INTENSIVE. Out in the early-adopter crowd, folks are so excited they can’t stand it, but this time, there are more folks involved. The folks who usually follow our opinions are shoving past us to be the first in line, this time around.
This article says it better (toward the end), but the short version is that Apple is going to sell a pile of iPhones, and Sprint, T-Mobile and Verizon are undoubtedly already kissing up to Steve Jobs as we speak.
This thing is going to be huge.
Here’s a quote from a recent article, just to give you a taste:
“A recent study by Harris Interactive suggests that nearly a fifth of all US adults are interested in purchasing an iPhone, but most will wait until pricing and availability improve. The study found that 47 per cent of respondents over the age of 18 had heard of the iPhone, and 17 per cent had an interest in purchasing one.”
Seventeen per cent. That’s worth repeating - Again, that’s nearly one out of every five adults that are in the USA. The nerd websites are frantically jabbering away, and the excitement just builds. Even Microsoft execs are having public opinions, and it’s not looking good for them. They’re sticking with the current plan, which is to supply the world with old-style phones that use a miniature version of Windows running on them. Yeah, that’s what we’re all asking for. More complexity, please!
So…. Why do _I_ plan to get one at some point, preferably around October when my contract with Verizon runs out?
- It’s all about synchronization with my Mac. I already have a phone (a Palm Treo 650) that does that in a primitive way, but it’s frickin’ awful. I never use the camera or the video because it’s so clunky. I hate the music-player, and you can’t force me to browse the web on its horrid little screen. I use the Treo to call people, and to read ebooks when I’m bored and stranded somewhere. That’s it. So expensive, and so little-used.
- I carry a big, heavy fourth-generation 40-gig iPod with the phone when I am out in the world doing things, rather than play my science-fiction audiobooks through the phone. I’d like to switch to one, slim, all-encompassing thing to carry. I used to have an iPod Shuffle that I loved dearly, but the darned thing was too small, and I lost it somewhere. I keep hoping that it will show up under my desk or something.
- I want something with me that can do the most-important things that my laptop can do, AND fit inside my shirt pocket. My guess is that there will be small, folding Bluetooth keyboards (similar to this one) that will allow me to do better typing if I have to send in an article while I’m on the road.
- I want something easy enough so that 1) I can use anything that is on it, and 2) it has programs on it that I care about and want to use for my own selfish purposes.
- My AppleTV is something that I gladly use every day. We watch a lot of our current video-based media on it, and it’s always a pleasure that never fails to be easy to use. The iPhone is going to work using the exact same visual interface, but using my fingers. Why WOULDN’T I love to use it often?
It looks like Apple’s on the job, and I trust them to do it right. They do simple and elegant better than anybody else.
April 27th, 2007 at 9:52 am
Sramana Mitra on her blog had mentioned how the iPhone would affect the future. And it now seems to be coming true. Here’s a really thoughtful analysis by Sramana Mitra on why the iPhone is significant.