We’ve had discussions of the iPhone as a product of computing and as an Apple phenomenon [whatever that means?]. This article examines how the iPhone might affect wireless Telcos.
Steve Jobs’ WWDC keynote, demo of upcoming Leopard and Safari for Windows may have generated a lot of oohs and ahhs, but it was towards the end that His Jobness revealed the game plan to irreversibly change the world of wireless.
“I am certain that the mobile telecoms world will count its time in two Eras. The Era BI: time Before the iPhone, and the ERA AI: time After the iPhone,” writes Tomi T Ahonen…who believes that even media business should be very very worried about iPhone.
The 5 points Om Malik discusses in his article:
A true web applications platform for the mobile
Break the Wireless Walled Gardens
Shift of control to the customers
Slow demise of subsidized, boring phones filled with bloat ware
Keep it simple or else
Om Malik’s articles can disturb both his friends and peers. He knows more about Telcos than I ever want to know.
Okay John, after Om plays with this damn phone for a few days, get him on CrankyGeeks.
“A true web applications platform for the mobile”
But third-parties can’t develop non-web apps for the iPhone, and doing web apps for it appears to be awkward, with poorly-defined standards/guidelines for doing so.
“Break the Wireless Walled Gardens”
When I can run Skype on my iPhone, use it with a provider other than AT&T/Cingular, and buy music from stores other than iTunes, then it’ll break the walled gardens. Apple is as enamored of walled gardens as any company out there.
“Shift of control to the customers”
See above. I want to use Skype via a WiFi connection on an iPhone, so I can send less money to AT&T. Think they’ll go for this?
“Slow demise of subsidized, boring phones filled with bloat ware”
The iPhone deserves points for boldness.
“Keep it simple or else”
We don’t know how simple people will find the iPhone, since so few people have actually used one. It would be nice, for example, to have a user-replaceable battery, but Apple’s idea of simple seems to mean sending your iPhone to Apple for battery replacement.
Not my bag – getting excited about cellphones, that is – but, #2, update your facts: 3rd parties can develop for the iPhone. That was one of the reasons for the increase in developers at WWDC.
A true web applications platform for the mobile — AJAX-ified apps can be powerful, but they are still limited. If someone can write me a PDF viewer or Flash player using Javascript and Web 2.0 methods, I would be impressed.
Break the Wireless Walled Gardens — Right, no more walled garden, just a (presumably) very expensive monthly data plan. Is being able to use your own ringtones really such a big deal once your consider the monthly charges associated just with having an iPhone on the AT&T/Cingular network?
Shift of control to the customers — This is really just the walled garden argument rehashed. Safari will be cool and it will take you out of the provider’s walled garden of content, but it can also create security problem. “Oh no! Someone hacked my phone and called (insert 900 number).”
Slow demise of subsidized, boring phones filled with bloat ware — Ok, Om apparently doesn’t realize that the $500+ price ***is the subsidized price***. I heard somewhere that the unsubsidized version will cost several hundred dollars more. If anything, the iPhone is ***encouraging*** people to buy a subsidized phone… it’s a lot cheaper in the long run even.
Keep it simple or else — I’m not sure what point Om is trying to make here. Yeah, it’s a new interface. Yeah, it’s from Apple. But it is thoroughly untested and unproven. I’m going to wait for feedback after the launch date to see if it’s really as useful and simple as Steve Jobs says.
3 . Read it again. Slowly this time without getting angried up about a non-positive apple post…
He said “non-web apps” which is true. You cannot develop apps for the iPhony unless it’s a web app. Queue the 100 versions of web based shopping lists…
Tee hee, #5 – OK, the non-sequitur takes precedence.
The answer to the statement about: “web applications platform” is you “can’t develop non-web apps”. Uh, OK. I can’t change channels on my TV with a cigarette lighter either.
I’ve never had a cell phone and don’t plan to get one. I love gizmos and gadgets, and can see cells’ usefulness for realtors, but for me, the functionality doesn’t justify the cost. All that babbling and teens texting “sup dude” to each other. Go for it….
who wants to use webapps on a 2G phone?
it’s painful on a 3G phone already.
This world has become much too connected.
pj
lately in a plane: guy besides me blackberrying right till the point where the pilot opens the throttles for takeoff. After touchdown, I’m not 100% positive that we had crossed the runway sideline to the taxiway when he had his blackberry back out. What a modern day slavery.
Do we need that?
Problems with the iPhone:
1. The “buttons” are a flat surface. No tactile feedback, unlike “real” cell phones.
2. Only works with Cingular/AT&T (Aside: why did AT&T resurrect the widely mocked Death Star logo?)
3. I want fewer “features” on my phone, not more. If I want a portable Web device, I’ll bring along a readable laptop. I’m still trying to figure out how to remove text messaging/SMS/browsing/whatever from my Samsung cell phone, without success.
4. Safari is a lousy browser compared to Firefox, Seamonkey, and even IE 7, and the iPhone “screen” is too small to let us older guys read Web pages on it.
5. I have an iPod with lots of room for music and file storage; I don’t need music on a cell phone except for a ringtone.
The answer to the statement about: “web applications platform” is you “can’t develop non-web apps”. Uh, OK. I can’t change channels on my TV with a cigarette lighter either.
When I can develop my OWN web browser for the iPhone, then it’ll be an open platform. The irony of Apple announcing Safari for the iPhone while it’s telling third-parties that it can develop web apps is rich indeed. If Microsoft pulled this, everyone would be screaming “monopolist.”
And unless I’ve missed something, you can write full-fledged apps for some other phones.
The world will be a better place once we all use blurry fonts.
I can’t wait to see some web apps spyware on the iPhone.
The most practical innovation, which consumers have been wanting for YEARS, is the visual voice mail. Apparently AT&T (then cingular) made considerable changes to their own infrastructure just to accommodate this feature on the iPhone. Let’s hope it’s not patented now, so other carriers can implement it as well.
Ummm… I can put applications on my AT&T Windows Mobile phone (Cingular 8125). I have both Skype and Slingplayer on it. It connects to AT&T with a $20 per month unlimited data plan (MediaNet Unlimited) and uses wi-fi. My contract with the 8125 runs out in December, so I guess I’ll see where the iPhone stacks up then.
#10 – I’m with you…
Here’s one way the iPhone will change things…
More people will die in phone related auto crashes as a result of some self absorbed jerk reading a sports blog on his iPhone, probably while talking on the phone….
I don’t see the need for most of the electronic gizmos out there. I don’t have a cell phone, and am quite happy being unavailable without question. I don’t understand why the iPod was a run-away success. No one really needs an iPhone, but it wouldn’t surprise me if 10 million are sold in the next 2 years and 50 million are left in junk drawers in 5 years. Predictable affluent human behavior.
But I do appreciate my Macs.
#16 – And yet, you still want one.
… but I’m going to buy an iPhone anyway, just to annoy Pedro.
#18 – You know better than that. I haven’t bought an Apple product yet, and I’m planning to start now.
You know, I took an online survey recently, and one of the questions was, “Which of these activities do you do with your cell phone?”
It listed about 15 things and you were supposed to check all that applied. The only thing I do with my cell phone is send and receive phone calls. That wasn’t one of my choices. I had to randomly check a box just to move on to the next question.
#14
Other carriers have already dumped their voice mail systems and just send voice mail in on sms messages… Any apple patents on their irrelevant and obsolete before release technology have already been subverted…
Who has read up on the service in Japan, called Ducomo??
#22
You mean DoCoMo?
Apart from Japan having cell phones capable doing of what the iPhone can YEARS ago and much more?
#24 – that’s why it’s also a non sequitur.
I make it simpler to understand or else (just to paraphrase my favorite buffoon Om):
iPhone for iDiots of iLife
thats all I have to say
23,
AS well as GPS.
http://www.nttdocomo.com/
#20 – No argument from me that making/receiving calls is A#1 on the priority list. Personally, that’s why I like the iPhone, because all of the additional crap has been built around calls.
The device doesn’t treat calls as “just one of many features”. I like that.
#23 – Too bad you can’t back that statement up with fact. It isn’t what is being done, its how its being done that makes Apple money.
#26 – Considering you’re not one of the winners in life, it would be best if you just shut up.