rotten bananas

whatever happens to interest me

rotten bananas header image 2

Alright, I’ll Say It - What’s the Deal With the iPhone?

June 13th, 2007 · 26 Comments

What’s the deal with the excitement?

Ok, maybe that’s not what I mean. I understand the excitement from the Macophiles. It’s what they do. I used to be one. Well, an aspiring one. All I could afford was a used iBook off ebay, but that’s neither here nor there. I own an iPod, two actually, they’re good products.

But, seriously, what’s the deal? I’m hearing people say things like the iPhone will revolutionize the mobile industry. What? The iPhone will change the wireless biz. Um… not quite.

Let’s look at the basics - it’s a phone that can play music. It has a web browser. It has email. According to Apple’s website, it can display maps. Maybe they’re not my standard Google-type maps. Maybe they’re special Apple maps with all the real roads.

I’ll go one up on them. It’s not just a phone with lots of fancy features. It’s a smart phone. It’s a PDA/phone combo. It’s a mini-computer. Call it what you will. I’ve had one since ‘05.

Let’s not even discuss that the iPhone won’t support the newest cellular network technology. I won’t bring up the lack of flash support (whoops). I won’t even point out that it’s going to be running Safari!

Look at the positives. It’s made by Apple, so the interface will surely be pretty and most likely easy to use. It’s got a fancy touch-screen and a sleek design. How exciting.

Is it worth $500? No. It’s not even worth $200. I am curious to see how it interfaces with Windows though (This may already have been revealed. I don’t really do “research”). What should happen if everyone buys the iPhone and realizes that it won’t sync with Outlook? I’ll laugh. Maniacally. Oh well. Buy a MacBook. They’re not that expensive.

I’ll admit that Apple products are cool. The iPod did change things. The interface was revolutionary. It does it’s job quite well and Apple has been well rewarded for that, but when the iPod appeared on the market there was no leader to speak of. This is a whole new terrain for Apple.

We’re talking Treos here. We’re talkin Blackberrys. They’re not jovially referred to as Crackberrys because people don’t love them.

I’m sure the iPhone will sell well. There’s a lot of Apple fanboys wetting their pants over this thing, but let’s be real. It’s a toy. It’s a fancy phone, just like the RAZR was. They’re not revolutionizing anything. They’re porting existing technology to a new case with a shiny new face.

They had a shot. Apple could sell used dog food to a dead cat if they painted it white. They could have made something that really was different, something that would make them stand out as a technology company. They could have dropped it into the hands of millions without trying. I think they got too comfortable, comfortable with the image. They got comfortable being the best looking, and they are, but everybody knows beauty is only skin deep.

I know this wasn’t meant for Apple, but I think it applies.

Tags: technology · business

Related Posts

  • The iPhone App Store is Pure Genius
  • iPhone and iAnnoyances
  • Apple Engages in Common Business Practice - Fanboys Shit Selves, Others
  • 26 responses so far ↓

    • 1 Mick // Jun 15, 2007 at 2:35 pm

      I love the look…is it even available to the public yet? I got lost in the Apple prelaunch hype…hope to regain footing soon…

    • 2 Adam // Jun 15, 2007 at 2:47 pm

      Sure, it’s pretty.

      Nah, it isn’t out yet. June 29 I believe.

    • 3 Carl Pei // Jun 21, 2007 at 5:04 pm

      Have you heard of the Meizu M8?

      I think it’s gonna kill the iPhone. I’ll perhaps get the iPhone too after a while, when the price begins to drop.

    • 4 Adam // Jun 21, 2007 at 7:14 pm

      Yea that looks pretty sweet. If I had the money, I’d actually like a Greenphone. (http://trolltech.com/products/qtopia/greenphone)

    • 5 Shawn Knight // Jun 23, 2007 at 12:46 am

      I wrote an article a month or so ago comparing the iPhone to the Treo 700p. And you are right, it really isn’t that revolutionary. The Treo can do nearly everything the iPhone will be able to do… and more, simply because it has been on the market for a while now. This has given developers time to make some great 3rd party apps.

      I do think the iPhone will sell like crazy and heck, if they weren’t locked into a deal with Cingular, I might consider purchasing one too. But, no worries, the Treo has and will continue to serve me well :)

    • 6 Adam // Jun 23, 2007 at 12:50 am

      Yea, I’ve been considering the Treo for my new phone, but I don’t know that I want something to big. I already downgraded from my Siemens SX66 because of that. My Cingular 2125 has treated me well so far, but the puddles I dropped it in did some damage.

    • 7 Sarakastic // Jun 26, 2007 at 5:35 pm

      I heard it can control the weather

    • 8 Adam // Jun 26, 2007 at 6:54 pm

      I heard you only comment on my blog when I comment on yours first :p

    • 9 swollenpickles // Jul 9, 2007 at 9:26 am

      I saw something on tv the other day where people were queuing up to get the iPhone. I just don’t get it. I’m not camping out just for a phone.
      I would suggest that if you get an erection thinking about the iPhone, then you have some real personal issues to deal with.

    • 10 Link Building // Feb 27, 2009 at 4:57 pm

      in UK they are selling it for 500£ It is too costly in here. US people are having fun getting iphone that cheap.

    • 11 iPhone reviews // Mar 2, 2009 at 9:37 am

      It’s not what it can do, it’s about the penetration. It’s a pretty good phone, in some parts really technologically advanced, but that’s not the point. It’s the iPhone - Apple - Design - 2Cool package that will spread and take the mobile world by storm. Even if there are other better phones out there. Apple fans are just fanatics :)

    • 12 Himcolin gel // Apr 3, 2010 at 8:52 am

      i don’t like iphone since my iphone was hacked (

    • 13 Call Centre Outsourcing // May 28, 2010 at 6:48 am

      But actually iphone is not developed by group of engineers in APPLE.According to The Wall Street Journal, the iPhone is manufactured on contract basis in the Shenzhen factory of the Taiwanese company Hon Hai.

      Let me tell you Apple provides both voice and data access to remote agents in their virtual Call Centre environment which is the best part of their service.

    • 14 Cat Illnesses // Nov 3, 2010 at 8:42 pm

      The only benefit to owning an iPhone is that you can jailbreak it and get apps and games for free. If that weren’t possible, I wouldn’t have bought it. The data plans are just too expensive. Cheers.

    • 15 concrete joint sealant // Nov 11, 2010 at 5:05 pm

      Let’s face it, the American public isn’t always the most complex. Sometimes putting a new shinier face on something is all that is required to get the public in a fervor!

    • 16 Perpendicularity.org - Creative Writing // Nov 14, 2010 at 8:29 am

      I must be behind the times, since I don’t own an iPhone or cellular phone. I also try to stay away from that New Age electronic junk that dulls the minds and zaps people’s creative abilities and/or ability to think on their own without the assistance of some silly contraption. Cheers!

    • 17 HGH // Jun 22, 2011 at 10:32 pm

      Oh lol. I can see this is very old post but well, these days, after 3 years of this post, i can see how it created a revolution and as mentioned on your post itself, they created their own sustainable business model and challenged top cell phone makers to dive into smartest phones trend.

    • 18 Mundane Blog // Aug 31, 2011 at 2:00 pm

      What’s the deal with the iPhone?
      Simple answer: It’s an electronic pandemic that effects millions of people who suffer from constant “electrical device constipation.” There is a remedy for this disease, but it involves developing am ind of your own and a removal of the dependence from the robotic, computerized world of degenerates. In better terms, we need to regain the human from the human, and cast out all of this techno-babble baloney and senseless gadgets that simply make people even more stupid than they already are. Hmm, for example, I doubt if the Aztecs, ancient Egyptians or the Mayans had iPhones or iPads, and you can bet your arse that they were at least slightly more advanced than the majority of this New Age race of unappreciative rats, don’t ya think? ;)

    • 19 George // Sep 20, 2011 at 7:22 am

      I can´t understand this iPhone hype. Well, it is a good smartphone, bu not more. There ar e a lot of phones witch are cheaper and do the same things.

    • 20 CalgaryMan // Sep 23, 2011 at 3:12 am

      iPhone is very entertaining . specialy on there app’s its getting better and better .

    • 21 The Mundane... // Dec 19, 2011 at 10:10 am

      You say, “what’s the deal with the iPhone?”
      Yeah, yeah… the iPhone can play music, has a web browser, you can check e-mail, while it functions as a phone. Uh, I’ll take my desktop computer any day besides some micro-version with lame functions and so-so quality.

      The Mundane Blog’s latest post, “10 Most Lethal Toxins Known to Humans - Video” :

      http://mundane-blog.blogspot.com/2011/12/10-most-lethal-toxins-known-to-humans.html

      What’s the deal with that? Ha! :D

    • 22 Perpendicular // Dec 20, 2011 at 11:35 pm

      Yeah, what “the Mundane” said!
      Anyway, this blog is totally perpendicular!

    • 23 Diverse Blogger // Dec 20, 2011 at 11:36 pm

      By the way, what is the damn deal with the iPhone?

    • 24 hellen // Dec 21, 2011 at 3:41 am

      Nice
      The more you learn, the more you know, The more you know, the more you forget. The more you forget, the less you know. So why bother to learn.
      http://www.sencart.com/Supply-iphones-ipads-ipods_c9
      it has all kinds of iphone4 accessories,high quality and inexpensive
      thank you

    • 25 hellen // Dec 23, 2011 at 2:56 am

      Good
      The early bird catches the worm.
      http://www.sencart.com/Supply-health-beauty_c162
      it has all kind of cosmetic, and the products are attractive and reasonable price
      thank you

    • 26 cpanel server // Dec 27, 2011 at 2:59 pm

      The new Iphone isn’t even 4G I wouldn’t waste my time with it, i really don’t get what people are talking about either.

    Leave a Comment