This morning Apple announced a long rumored, much anticipated, highly coveted mobile phone called the iPhone. Jobs promised to revolutionize mobile phones, and being one to never disappoint the masses, I believe he did.
The iPhone is a revolutionary new product, aimed at completely redefining mobile as we know it. Even though I’m still reeling from the excitement, this is probably the biggest thing I’ve seen happen to the mobile industry in the 5+ years I’ve been in it since well… phones.
The iPhone merges the needs of the user with technology into a very small and very compelling package. Rich with all the features you would expect from a phone, Apple puts its signature on the industry that leaves me spinning. Not one to imitate, Apple has simultaneously revolutionized the mobile device, media player, mobile service provider and mobile web in one masterful stroke.
Of course, like everyone else, I have to wait until June to get my hands on the iPhone, but after the watching the Keynote and reading through the Apple site, here is my analysis of exactly how big the iPhone will be.
Revolutionizing the Mobile Device
The iPhone solves one of the biggest limitations of the mobile device, input and output. The all touch screen interface allowing for multiple finger taps, creates a dynamic user experience allowing for a qwerty keyboard to appear on screen when it is needed, like the Newton, Apple’s first foray into handheld computing.
A touch screen is nothing new in phones, but allowing for multiple taps as well as gesturing for scrolling, resizing, etc, I believe Apple has found an intuitive method of doing complex tasks easily.
But in my mind, bigger than input is the output. The screen on the iPhone is incredible. Text is crisp and clear, with a resolution that is easy to read and use. Mobile phone displays aren’t something that has seen a lot of miracles. Most phones look pretty much the same, resorting for bitmappy text that one comes in two or three sizes. Usually the only difference is brightness. The iPhone makes content on a portable device look comparable to hardest to duplicate screen of them all, a piece of paper.
While these two features are huge, Apple delivered a knock-out in the technology end. The phone has wi-fi, GPRS-Edge for fast over-the-air speeds, Bluetooth for inter-device connectivity. All in a package less than 2.5 inches wide, 4.5 inches tall and .46 inches thick, slimmer than the super hot Motorola Q or the new Cingular/HTC Backjack.
Jobs mentioned going for existing technologies rather than use 3G networks, which would undoubtedly make the device much bigger. Obviously Apple is betting on ubiquitous wi-fi rather than bleeding edge 3G, which is probably a very good bet at least for the first or second generations.
But the technology didn’t stop there, the iPhone has a number of proximity sensors to detect device rotation and lifting it to your ear, allowing the phone to seamlessly shift between phone and media player just by where you position it. All of this is delivered using Mac OS X natively as the device OS, proving how far the operating system has come in the last six years.
But the none of this compares to the impact the iPhone will have on the mobile market. If you consider the fact that the Motorola RAZR (one of the worst phones ever by the way) redefined mobile devices, consumer demand and handset form factors, then what impact with the iPhone have? Not doubt it will be BIG!
Industry leaders Nokia, Motorola, Samsung and LG are going to spend years trying to create something that even comes close to competing with the functionality and design of the iPhone.
Revolutionizing the Media Player
Not like the iPod could use much room for improvement, but I can’t ignore that the media functions of the iPhone are very impressive. Given the interesting methods of data control using gestures, the iPhone brings an interesting element to the portable media player that I haven’t seen before, managing your content.
Having a high resolution camera phone myself, I take a lot of photos with my phone. Forget that the iPhone has a 2 megapixel camera for a second, the merger of iPhoto functions on the go brings an interesting dynamic to capturing media lacking from many digital devices, including high end cameras.
Since we never leave home without our phone, the iPhone promises to be the new digital wallet, giving countless proud Dads like myself the ability to show off your personal photos and videos to whoever will bear with your own personal keynote presentation of your life.
While you can’t squeeze a ton of movies on the 4Gb or 8Gb models, it still gives iPhone holders something to do while waiting for the bus or train. After spending close to four years selling mobile content, I can tell you idle time equals huge mobile content consumption. Forget about streaming video over 3G, who needs it when you can sync your iPhone with your iTunes purchases so you always have the latest Daily Show or Cobert Report on your iPhone.
Mobile video has been a much hyping new arena for the mobile industry, with hopes to greatly boost mobile service provider revenues in download fees. Apple has in one step bypassed the extraordinary fees as well as increased the quality offered to consumers. The Apple iPhone/iTunes Music Store strategy could make mobile video finally a reality.
Revolutionizing the Mobile Service Provider
Being intimately familiar with the difficulty of dealing with mobile service providers (aka carriers aka operators), Apple has done only what Apple could do. They strong armed carriers to bend to the will of what consumers want, not the other way around. This is a mobile first.
I can only imagine the negotiations with Jobs and the mobile service providers. I can imagine him claiming “this is going to be the biggest thing to happen in mobile. You are either with us or your aren’t.” Remember, this is the man that negotiated the 50/50 deal with Disney for the then unknown studio known as Pixar.
Apple has obviously pushed very hard to redefine the mobile experience from the ground up. They threw out everything established, questioned the rules and did it their way, in only a way that they could. Creating a truly people-centered experience on the phone.
This isn’t something the other big boys in mobile like Nokia or Motorola has been able to pull off in a long time. Nokia is far and away the best at developing compelling Mobile UIs, but after today, they have a lot of ground to cover. (I actually wonder is Nokia is partly behind the iPhone. Apple had to get that experience someplace and they have been working with Nokia for a while. My guess is Nokia or HTC, who makes virtually all Windows phones, helped make the iPhone happen.)
If Apple is successful and they see even modest consumer adoption, this will be the biggest thing to happen to the mobile space in a very long time. The consumers expectation of what a phone can do will be transformed and they will finally see that a phone can be more than just a phone.
If Apple can duplicate the cultural success of the iPod with the iPhone, consumers will demand more from their mobile devices, demand more of their mobile content and demand more from their mobile service providers.
Revolutionizing the Mobile web
Finally, the iPhone will bring about the greatest of revolutions. It brings the mobile web front and center, creating the first decent experience on the mobile device. Now those of you with newer Nokia devices know that Safari has been on s60 Nokia’s for at least a year now. The mobile web experience demo’ed today looks similar to the experience of the new Nokia browser. But of course Apple has made all the expected user interface refinements to make it easier to use and an enjoyable experience.
But the real advantage is the screen. Text is easy to read, even while zoomed out. The user is able to shift focus quickly, literally pointing to what they what to read. The iPhone looks like it could be the first serious contender to readable digital content in a handheld device.
If other device manufacturers follow suit with their mobile web experience I predict older versions of the mobile web (like WAP 2.0) could quickly become extinct. It is possible that the division between the mobile web and the desktop web could disappear much sooner than I ever expected.
In addition, the iPhone will bring two communities together for the first time, the mobile community and the web community. These groups have been apart for a long time. And the introduction of the first mobile device that web developers and designers can get behind will create a boon for mobile web content creation.
Right now it is difficult to get more than a passing interest in web developers, meaning less content to consume, less consumer interest. But given that members of the web community are likely to carry their iPhone like a badge of honor, I expect an enormous increase in mobile web content in the next 6–9 months.
Why should you care?
If for any reason you have ever overlooked mobile, saying it was too soon, technology wasn’t ready, or consumers won’t buy it, I argue today is the day you should sit up and start paying attention.
Apple has pushed mobile into the forefront of the consumer consciousness, brought us the future of communication and in my mind has brought has one of the biggest events of the Information Age.
Today was a very big day.
More interesting reads on the iPhone:
One thing I think needs to be mentioned is that just because we can get a decent experience with non-mobile content on a mobile browser we shoudn’t just assume the bases are covered.
A mobile specific expience will always be a better option. A great browsing experience doesn’t really address the context factor.
What mobile browsing experiences like this do offer is a much lower barrier to entry and a way to much more easily port Web content to mobile. Via standard markup, mobile specific stylesheets, etc. While a mobile specific experience might be best, getting that middle tier experience should be easier and come out better.
I don’t think that the phone has GPS capabilities.
I’ll be the first to admit that I’m one of those guys that says “I just want a phone!” Existing smartphones have left me underwhelmed, especially with respect to form factor and display. Today, I am a convert. Apple (again) has made something that is so incredibly desirable.
Now, of course, while the opportunities are great for mobile web developers, the jury is still out for APPLICATION developers. The early reports seem to indicate that there is no way for one to load new applications onto the device. There obviously HAS to be a way to do it. Between the fact that the iPhone is running a version of OS X, can run applications like Mail, Safari and widgets and has great connectivity options, Apple will eventually need to make it possible for people to sync apps to the device.
But, even if they don’t…I’m getting one!
Carlos, you are correct, the iPhone does not have GPS-based location services. It has text based searching. I wondered how the hell they got a GPS chip in there ;)
Yes, the UI is excellent… but it it really all that different from other currently existing smart phones in the treo/pocket PC vein? Is this really REVOLUTIONARY?
“Apple has pushed mobile into the forefront of the consumer consciousness, brought us the future of communication and in my mind has <b>brought has one of the biggest events of the Information Age</b>.”
Go easy on the Kool-Aid. :)
Thank you for another enlightening and engaging post. As usual, you guys are right on the money with your insights. Cheers! Like I always tell my friends “Blue flavor are the Nostradamus of web trends” and this post prove it once again. Yesterday’s announcement was literally the shot heard round the mobile world: You bet the device manufactures are taking notes!
One thing I wonder is, are you sure Nokia and HTC make all the Windows phones out there? I thought someone else was involved? I always thought it was Audiovox??
Anyway again, great article. BTW: I didn’t realize you guys have been selling mobile content for 4 years? Great! We have something in common then (besides great ideas) Could I find this content you have been doing on Blue Flavors mobile site?
Jeff,
Thank you for the kind comments. Just to clarify a few things. HTC makes the majority of Windows devices, not Nokia. I believe that the Audiovox “Typhoon” device now branded as Cingular is also made by HTC, but don’t quote me on that.
Nokia is the leader on all other smartphones. Given that Safari has been on s60 Nokia devices for over a year, I’m wondering if Apple had a little help from Nokia making the device.
Also, I personally have been in the mobile industry for over five years, dealing mostly in the mobile content sector. Blue Flavor is not a mobile content company.
I vowed to never be part of a company that had to cow-tow to mobile service providers again ;)
About the mobile web revolution… I still think mobile web developers must continue to create content and support the existing set of mobile web browsers. However, this raises the bar, and will force other handset makers to improve their web browsing experience. Once the mobile web browser feature set has finally caught up to this new high standard on all mobile handsets, can we finally say goodbye to having to create separate content for mobiles.
— “The consumers expectation of what a phone can do will be transformed and they will finally see that a phone can be more than just a phone.”
That happened years ago. This is a niche product for wealthy kids. Nothing more. Certainly NOT “Revolutionary”.
The phone is definitely cool, but in the end it’s just a very expensive iPod that makes phone calls and browses the web (assuming you’re willing to pay the high cost of a monthly data plan).
There’s nothing revolutionary about that. In fact, plenty of phones already do these things - and they’re not tied to iTunes. Of course, none of them are as cool looking as the iPhone, but that doesn’t make the iPhone “revolutionary”. Apparently it just makes it ridiculously expensive. :)
Nice piece, Brian.
WIth the rest of the industry creating mobile content that fits into 240 x 320 or 176 x 220 formats and smaller, Apple is about to launch a phone with a 320 x 480 screen.
I’m really curious about the yet-unmentioned content partnerships that the iPhone will allow. With Cingular’s push toward accessing mobile content via MEdiaNet and MEdiaMall, did Apple push CIngular completely out of the content game, limiting Cingular’s involvement only to network service? Now I’m hearing that there will be no revenue sharing on iTunes purchases with iPhone? Now there’s a meeting to have eavesdropped on!
Generating revenue via content sales (ringtones, wallpapers, games, apps) is simply too huge of a revenue opportunity to leave unanswered with the iPhone. I’m very curious to see how they address ths one.
Is the best mobile web experience one that matches the desktop web? I wonder. When mobile users pay for every byte they’re pulling down from the web, there is something about cutting through the clutter with a mobile-specific design that allows for quick-reference access to the most contextually relevant information needed at any given time… with optional access, of course, to the full web experience, but does that need to be “on” by default?
As you might have noticed my take on the mobile web is(was?) with a great dose of scepticism. I must admit iPhone changed a lot in the way I think of it now. Or rather it changed the whole thing: it blurs or eliminates that classification of mobile versus non-mobile web. Goodbye mobile web, welcome the web on the mobile device. Make your text column 400px wide and you ar good to go ;) Now you will be able concentrate WHAT to offer for the mobile surfers, not HOW.
Now, let’s talk why nothing like this was offered by the major players in mobile industry. I am not an expert and I am not even informed well enough, but I think that this industry runs in extremely short cycles. Design, produce, release, design, produce, release. No time to stop and think because if competitor releases a bit cooler device first-you are looser. This kind of race with blinders on can only produce incremental improvement, but no breakthrough.
Apple was not in the race. They took their time: I guess 30 months is insanely long time for Nokia, Samsung and others. But maybe it is worth to spend two and a half years on the product if it ends up five years ahead of competition?
Kathy Sierra has a great post “Incremental vs. revolutionary improvements” <a href=”http://headrush.typepad.com/creating_passionate_users/2005/03/incremental_vs_.html” rel=”nofollow”>http://headrush.typepad.com/creating_passionate_users/2005/03/incremental_vs_.html</a> , go ahead and read it.
Just think about it - iPhone barely needs a manual. Everyone who have seen Steve’s keynote should be able use most of it functions right away. After half an hour you would not even think how do you interact with the device, you just do. They can sell iPhones with short intro video preloaded and “No manual required” campaign ;)
Pretty soon we will be able bo buy the musci on the same device which plays it, in a very straightworfard way. Yep, that’s going to be huge…
Glad that you posted your thoughts, Brian, given your interesting perspective on mobile / web tech.
There are a lot of things about the iPhone that look exciting, but I think it’s most potentially revolutionary in the way that it seems to re-imagine the “phone call.” (I posted more about this on my blog in <a href=”http://juxtaprose.com/posts/iphone-information-architecture/” rel=”nofollow”>iPhone as information architecture</a>.)
I haven’t seen an interface to phone calls as “unwired” as the one in the iPhone, and am curious if you’ve seen any UIs as innovative / revolutionary?
Nice writeup, though a question still remains:
How does a product that is completely closed, and by design effectively doubles the vendor lock-in considered a revolution?
The industry needs a revolution, that much is right. But closing down access to everything: from the battery, to the carrier, all the way to who gets to put applications on the phone, seems to be some very old school thinking.
Just a thought….
“Industry leaders Nokia, Motorola, Samsung and LG are going to spend years trying to create something that even comes close to competing with the functionality and design of the iPhone.”
Are you really believes in the marketing BS?
iPhone is available with Cingular ONLY!? And what if I am stuck under contract with a carrier OTHER than Cingular but still want a iPhone? Well, the only solution I could fine was <a href=”http://www.Cellswapper.com” rel=”nofollow”>http://www.Cellswapper.com</a> - they get you out of any cell phone contract!
Hi Brian, Do you have any ideas about how the IPhone will affect the mobile market in Asia? What about Japan, China, India? Are they as excited as the US?
If ever a device was all hype and no trousers… even with all guns blazing Apple can’t make it look better than an HTC handset. Do Apple do technology anymore or just marketing?
Every apple touches seems to turn to gold so i think this is going to do well
About the high technologies inside iPhone have been listed and demonstrated a lot. However, I believe visual voicemail is a great step in the right direction. More: <a href=”http://www.pqdvd.com/blog/iphone/iphone-faq/visual-voicemail-a-step-in-the-right-direction/” rel=”nofollow”>http://www.pqdvd.com/blog/iphone/iphone-faq/visual-voicemail-a-step-in-the-right-direction/</a>
Ok, the iPhone has been out for a while now, and I have yet to see a good review on it. So, are the people at Apple going to address any of the issues that have arisen by people about their product? I have been hearing a lot of things about the iPhone that people have been having problems with. I have seen them on sites, on the news, in the papers, and such. With all of these, I would think that I hear something from Apple that would try to quell the flux of negativity that has been put forth about their product. Have there been any good press about it? Have I been just missing all of them? I have been thinking about buying one, but I would like to see at least one good review about it before I do so if anyone knows of any, I would appreciate it.
I think it’s great that people are so excited about mobile computing. I mean it’s been around for years and is a pretty mature market with plenty of room to grow for a long while into the future.
I would disagree with the opinion of the post though. “Revolutionary” is nothing more than marketing & spin when associated with the iPhone. There is nothing revolutionary about the device.
Ease of use? You’d be surprised how good Windows Mobile is at present. I use it straight out of the box with no instructions.
How about Symbian UIQ3? As implemented on the new sony ericssons, it superbly simple, intuitive and allows touch screen interface as fully 1handed operation, something that any true mobile device should really be aiming for and not the required 2hand operations of the iPhone.
The sheer popularity of a product does not make it revolutionary by any standards. Apart from the interface, as snazzy as it may be, there’s nothing in the iphone that revolutionizes apat from the hype. Granted the web experience is a big thing, it’s more evolutionary than revolutionary.
Again, one must ask, what is the point of a mobile device. It’s not meant to be used the same way as a desktop.
To be frank, apart from the design of the iphone, it would have to do and offer comparable or even a great deal more than my Sony Ericsson P1i to actually impress me (doesn’t mean I won’t buy the iphone because I will).
Apart from the interface (which btw has it’s good and bad points), many phones have done more and better. And even in the interface department, with UIQ3 and Win Mobile 6, with their simplicity (moreso UIQ3), portability and 1hand/2hand options, the current generation phones measure up to iphone interface, albeit in a different manner.
I’m not seeing revolution. It may be a revolution in America where we’ve been trying to catch up to the Europeans and Asians in the mobile space, but again, apart from the snazzy (& in it’s own way, limiting) interface, the iphone brings America up to speed with the rest of the world which already have very mature mobile uptake, markets & handsets.
Don’t get me wrong, iphone is a highly prize consumer device. All I’m saying is, “Welcome to the rest of the world..what took you so long?”.
During the first few days of iPhones in the market, a lot of people have realized some of its inconveniences despite of the luxury it presents through its features. For instance, after using it for a month you’ll surely have a headache after receiving a 30-page bill. Plus, you can’t easily access its Internet site because of a very busy server.