Apple has announced the iPhone — which at first glance looks like an iPod (with video) combined with a phone combined with an internet browser (a version of Safari).
Of course, most phones now have similar functionality. This looks like it’ll have a bigger screen (with a soft keyboard — byebye click wheel) and of course Apple’s nice design should mean it’s easier than most phones to use.
With past false-starts like WAP, and the constraints of most existing mobile phone internet browsers, and the cost and geekiness of PDAs, perhaps this will be the thing that brings mobile internet into the mainstream.
And if you’re wondering if it’ll work outside North America, well apparently it will be GSM quadband, so my guess is it’s only a matter of time before it’s widely available throughout the western world.
PS.: Apple’s press release mentions availability: iPhone will be available in the US in June 2007, Europe in late 2007, and Asia in 2008 …
Update Friday: Cisco’s Mark Chandler blogs about the trademark infringement suit
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/business/6250511.stm
Apparently Cisco own the brand “iPhone” and have sued Apple. Interesting Apple didn’t seem to check the name before using it 🙂
And most fascinating of all is that the phone runs the OSX operating system – it’s not simply themed to look Aqua it really is OSX complete with Safari, widgets, etc.
Can’t help wonder the future and potential of this new “embedded” OSX…
I wondered about that too — will we see a “mobile OSX” on other handheld devices. And given it’s a few months from release, I also wonder just how complete it is.
>> Interesting Apple didn’t seem to check the name before using it
That’s an extremely wrong assumption! For one Apple own the iPhone trademark in all countries except the US. Second, Cisco themselves have been openly admitting that Apple had already been negotiating use of their US trademark and that the problem is simply Apple pressed ahead with its use before an agreement was finalised.
Apparently the iPhone is not running the full version of OS X. Here are some other myths about the iPhone discussed.
My biggest comment about the iPhone is something that Steve addressed during his presentation. He showed the awkward physical keyboards on many other smartphones. Then he touted that since the iPhone didn’t have one it must be superior.
The only problem is that I believe many smartphones have integrated a physical keyboard is that they’re incredibly useful (some would say required). I am currently using an iMate JasJar which is a terrible phone, but has such a fantastic keyboard I just can’t give it up.
The counter argument I’ve heard for this is that business users use keyboards, but consumers don’t need one, and the iPhone is targetted at consumers. I still believe a physical number pad on a phone is so useful that the iPhone will feel unusable to write texts with in comparison.