What’s next for the iPhone in 2009?
By Erna Mahyuni
As the year winds down to a close, what’s next for the world’s most iconic mobile phone? The iPhone pretty much put the whole ‘I can’t live without my phone’ in a totally new perspective.
As far as consumer visibility, no phone has been as noticed or as noticeable as the phone. RIM’s tried to match its appeal with its Storm – and pretty much has only preached to the choir of BlackBerry believers. The iPhone still generates the equivalent of press that only Steve Jobs can attract.
But there are still places where the iPhone has yet to gain traction – the enterprise space. Though Palm Treos have managed to gain general, mainstream acceptance among the business set, the iPhones aren’t quite there yet. The most that they’ve managed is to convince that group to get a second phone – one for fun, the other for business.
Doubtless telcos will be happy (since owning an iPhone pretty much ties you into the device) but the iPhone still isn’t that smart a business proposition. Security factor, the lack of a keypad, applications that are far more frivolous than productive – the iPhone is more an icon than a practical device.
There is no doubt there will be a new iteration of the iPhone. There’ll still be the screen, the whole futuristic swipe thing going on. What the iPhone needs perhaps is a budget version and then perhaps a high-end one, instead of trying to make a single device to suit everyone.
The Treo idea of making phones for different segments just could work for Apple. If it could make it work for its iPod range, then why not give consumers more iPhone flavors?
Whatever happens, what is needed is a more streamlined process for App Store developers. Or for Apple to lighten its grip on its controls for software, and not try to prevent competing software on the store. But perhaps, for a company too much in love with all that’s proprietary, that’s too tall an order.
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December 30th, 2008
“RIM’s tried to match its appeal with its Storm – and pretty much has only preached to the choir of BlackBerry believers.”
Sorry this not true.
Most sales of the storm are to new customers.
The storm is a credible competitor to the iphone and is getting better over time with new software releases.
Cheers,
mz.