Not enough for me to actually want one, of course — at least not yet…
Yesterday saw the much-anticipated announcement of the iPhone Software Developer Kit or SDK. While this doesn’t free the iPhone from the grips of AT&T here in North America, it does open up the platform to independent software developers. And if you don’t think software developers are important, then you should probably heed the sage words of Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer:
Anyhoo… Engadget has whipped up a very handy chart showing some of the iPhone SDK’s strengths and weaknesses compared to S60 and WinMo, among others. It’s more than a bit interesting to me that BlackBerry Connect is available for both Nokia Smartphones and Windows Mobile devices but not the iPhone. With Apple giving the nod to Microsoft Exchange for business-grade push email, folks seemed pretty convinced that the iPhone is poised to challenge BlackBerry for the hearts and minds of office-types. Me? I just don’t see it — and I’m not alone.
I’ve been fairly critical of the iPhone from the get-go, but I have to remember that, like the original Macintosh, this is a (mobile) computer for the rest of us. I maintain that the iPhone’s true genius is Apple strong-arming a major telco into offering an affordable unlimited data plan, but if the device itself gets the average user expecting more from their mobile then I guess I shouldn’t complain…
P.S. Through the blanket of coverage typical of an Apple event I have to give special props to Gizmodo for what is quite possibly the funniest headline EVAR!!1!
AC:
A friend of mine showed me his Blackberry Pearl this morning–compact, stylish, and business friendly. For the business users out there, who are quite used to the Wintel way of thinking, Blackberry is a natural fit, whereas an iPhone doesn’t come across as something you’d want your clients to see you use if you’re a lawyer, accountant, or financial wizard. Windows has trained people to expect computers to work a certain way, and the business environment is quite conservative–two major strikes against the iPhone being trendy on Bay St like Blackberry has become. There will be companies that will adopt the iPhone, but I suspect they’ll do so as part of their marketing: we’re hip, we’re with it. If Apple wants to compete for the business users, they’ll have to come up with something that has a less radical design, like the Pearl.
Me? I’d take the iPhone over the Pearl, but I’m not a power user like my colleagues at work….
Ed
PS: I meant to say something about the lack of a keyboard on the iPhone would be a major drawback for the business crowd, who are used to speedtyping with their thumbs….
I guess if Apple is to make any headway into the BlackBerry market it’s going to be with civilian (as opposed to enterprise) customers. For lots of folks — my sister in law included — BlackBerry is synonymous with mobile email.
She’d probably be a good candidate for the iPhone, but there’s no way in hell she’d be able to set up an MS Exchange account on her own…
AC:
I agree. I can’t see the more conservative companies, especially in the financial sector, approaching the iPhone as anything but a toy — these are employers who delete the built-in games from PCs. Giving employees phones that play music and movies won’t go over with the pinstripes at all. I’m sure the Blackberry phones have media capacity, but they don’t trumpet it very loudly in case the suits are listening…
Ed
AC:
http://tinyurl.com/3canfg
This is apparently what the next version of the iPhone will look like — a flipper. I’m thinking that with a more traditional phone interface they’re definitely thinking of taking on the RIM gang….
Ed
AC:
Two interesting stories courtesy of my favourite Mac site, MacLife:
http://tinyurl.com/575hzc
The SDK includes the 3G chipset, so iPhone 2 should have some extra kick to it.
And to market to all the iPhonies out there, here’s Apple’s newest venture, coming soon:
http://tinyurl.com/6bvtlu
I don’t think this will change a lot of the corporate mindset about the Blackberry versus the Jebusphone, but it should make things interesting for consumer users here the Great White North when the Jebusphone finally arrives.
Cheers,
Ed
AC:
http://tinyurl.com/6jor6e
here’s MacLife’s assessment of the iPhone and Canada’s wireless industry.
Ed
AC:
http://tinyurl.com/4nggrq
Here’s the sorta confirmation from Rogers about carrying the iPhone.
And the illustration is pretty good, eh.
Ed
More iPhone wanna be products are coming out now. It would be interesting to see if Apple can continue to innovate the iPhone in order to keep one step ahead of them.