Blink and you may miss it!

Well I have no idea why I picked a cryptic title when I pretty much said what this post was going to be about in the last one, but this will probably be a rant about the iPhone, however I may suprise myself and others!

What I would like to question is where all this hype over the iPhone came from? I’m guessing it was something to do with an iPod, cause lets face it, if the iPod had flopped no one would give a damn about the iPhone in much the same way that no one cares that Leopard* has been released for the Mac.

The iPhone was plugged at its time of mention, to do what the iPod did for the digital audio player market. However, unlike the DAP market at the time, almost everyone has a mobile phone, we’re almost at the stage where one is given as a “New Baby” present. So with the bold statements of completely revolutionising the mobile phone industry you would think that the iPhone was going to be something special…. as opposed to what it really is!

First off, who ever said they can’t be bothered carrying their phone and feather weight iPod? All the phone manufacturers seam to be jumping on this bandwagon and I have no idea why. It could be argued that a camera on a mobile phone was a comparable feature that did take off, but the only reason the camera on a phone is good is if you see something funny and you left your camera at home. They are used because they are to hand, a music player on a phone? I can’t see it, I also don’t see people doing it, there must be around 40 phones that can play music but I never see people using them for music.

I think at the time it was announced, it had the potential to do exactly what was stated but now it’s released that boat has sailed. To start with its too expensive, no surprise as its from Apple however you would at least expect the latest technology but it lacks even 3G and the 2.0 MP camera is around 12 - 24 months out of date for the latest technology as the new phones are up to 5 now. So you can effectively narrow the technology down to the touch aspect.

The pricing for iPhone also puts it in a strange market. I would predict that the majority of iPod owners are between 10 - 25 the bottom half of which won’t realistically be able to afford it so the market is more likely going to be people in business for whom mobile e-mail is a must, but most business’s use an e-mail solution from Microsoft, IBM or Linux for which the first two have much better solutions in the form of Windows Mobile and Blackberry. Then as if the target market wasn’t now small enough, Apple have chosen to limit the network for which the iPhone can operate, and not in the same way current networks do it, Apple can kill it with firmware. Its excessive and pointless as people get mobile phones based on contracts, in the middle of an 12/18 month contract no one of sane mind will go and get another contract for an iPhone.

The lock down nature and aimed market is going to kill something that has come in below expectation, don’t blink or you may miss the iPhone!

* I’m excluding Apple fans from this, all 5 of you.