rent ’s get this unbowed first : I am not an iPhone justifier , or worshipper , or acolyte . I have held one in my mitt , yes , and it was an gratifying experience . I am very optimistic about the iPhone ’s potential to be a successful product and to change the cellular telephone mart . But at the same clip , the devil ’s in the details — and it seems that we wo n’t have very many details until the iPhone arrives . That arrival is four months away .
In the meanwhile , everyone who ’s interested in the iPhone has nothing more to go on . But something has to fill that news void . luckily , the Associated Press is here toprovide us with some iPhone depth psychology , good manners of many of the iPhone ’s potential competitors .
I was catch by this particular article mostly because it show up when there ’s a potentially major change in your line of body of work or your agency of thinking , you ’ve got to decide whether to live in defense or begrudgingly acknowledge that things have changed .
“ Apple ’s an also - melt ”
Leading off the denial hit parade is Samsung Senior Vice President Peter Skarzynski , who writes the iPhone off as a me - too ware : “ They ’re just jumping into the party where everyone else is . ”
Reinforcing his full stop is Motorola CTO Padmasree Warrior , whowrote a blog entrythat gave Apple some credit : “ As always , Apple raises the bar with a compelling construct . ” But Warrior go on to arrogate that “ there is nothing rotatory or disruptive about any of the technologies ” in the iPhone .
I feel these form of statement fascinating , because whether or not the iPhone is a hit , I think most fairish people agree that Apple is shooting for the stars with this ware . It is not going to be like other phones that are out there . Yet Samsung and Motorola executives apparently think it ’s all serpent oil , and that their products do everything that the iPhone does .
paint a picture that the iPhone is n’t any different than other phones because it ’s got Wi - Fi , Bluetooth , a camera and a soupcon - CRT screen port misses the full point . Unlike so many of the average phone out there ( including models sold by Samsung and Motorola , no doubt ) , the iPhone is n’t riotous because it ’s got a half - 12 features that arede rigueuron a spec sheet .
No , the iPhone is troubled because it ’s an extension of Apple ’s design philosophies . That stand for it ’s a tightly integrated package of hardware and software . Apple ’s consumer - electronics products are meant to be well-heeled to apply , to be apleasureto use of goods and services — so much so that regular people really enjoy using them and feel an kinship for them . The cellular phone telephone set mart is littered with phones that areserviceable , orgood enough , orfrustrating but useful . That ’s not the variety of experience that Apple wants users to have with any of its products .
It ’s not about the Bluetooth , or the Wi - Fi . And it ’s particularly not about the touch - screen . To liken the iPhone ’s multi - touch screen and the port underneath it to any onetime soupcon - silver screen out there is like tell that the great unwashed and frogs are the same because we ’ve both got legs .
“ The iPhone does n’t have plastic buttons ”
Also on the self-renunciation power train is Marlene Somsak of Palm , the maker of my current phone , the Treo . “ The iPhone looks like aimed at consumers , ” she told the AP . “ Palm targets prosumers and business client who command a rich e - post experience . ”
Several points off for using the wordprosumers . Does anyone realistically think that these $ 500 and $ 600 iPhone fashion model , with their get-up-and-go e - mail client and rich Internet connectivity , are n’t go to make headway over a lot of people who are n’t soccer moms ? Somsak ’s full stop seems to be that business people are n’t going to want to use a phone that does n’t have pliant buttons on the front .
There doubtlessly will be some voiceless - core Blackberry nut who will bridle at the idea of using a buttonless touchscreen interface . Of course , many people bridle at using a tiny chiclet keyboard on a earpiece , too . We just do n’t know how usable the iPhone is go to be for hoi polloi who save huge volumes of text edition on teensy - weensy sound keyboard . ( Most of the people I know use their Blackberrys for reading content and send out back inadequate replies . The iPhone will probably do that just fine . )
But if I ’m going to bemock the three above people , I demand to give credit where it ’s due . In the same article , executives from Nokia and Samsung showed the right spirit .
“ The iPhone will do something , but what ? ”
Nokia CEO Olli - Pekka Kallasvuo say that the iPhone “ will arouse this market , it ’s very clear . I think it will be good for the industry . ” Of course , he also allege that Nokia would n’t exchange what they were doing because of the iPhone .
So for perhaps the good chemical reaction of all , I reverse to Dong Jin Oh , President of the United States and CEO of the American unit of Samsung : “ It ’ll definitely impact us , but how much , it ’ll depend . ” Now that ’s the right answer .
The fact is , it ’s hard to be a representative of a corp when you ’re doing interviews like that . When was the last time you get word a marketing VP narrate a newsman , “ Wow , you ’re right — our Cartesian product just are n’t good enough to compete with that . I ’d better polish up my resumé . ”
“ Okay , the accuracy is , we ’re terrorise ”
pull up stakes it to an analyst , of all mass , to put it all in linear perspective . As ThinkEquity Partners psychoanalyst Jonathan Hoopes order the Associated Press : “ They better be nervous . But they are all trying to assume complacency . ”
In other words , it ’s all an turn . The handsome players in the mobile phone phone industriousness may be meet it cool , but on the interior they ’re even more anxious for June to come than we are . Because they know that Apple ’s mien in the marketplace is going to ram them to make better mathematical product , or they ’ll be left in a heap by the side of the road .
I ’m not saying Apple ’s going to win this war — not at all . Like I said , I ’m not an vindicator or acolyte or worshipper . What I am saying is , the iPhone is a sign that Apple ’s entering this market with the full force of its strength and accomplishment at making electronic twist . And as a telephone set fellowship , you ignore and terminate them at your peril .
