Symbian recently announced that its OS has powered 100 million phones. That's not bad - it's a lot of licences - but then, mobile phones shift around a billion units a year now. But a phone with Symbian isn't any old phone. It's a smartphone. 
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Member since:2005-07-06
Member since:2006-01-06
Even if it manages to compete against other smartphones, the fact of the matter is that the market for smartphones is really just a niche. And it's no wonder: $499 is a lot of money to pay for a phone. Apple is counting on people who would otherwise be thinking about buying a separate iPod and phone to purchase the iPhone as a unification device. Since the device isn't available publicly, it's tough to tell how much value it adds over separate iPod and phone devices. It has been my experience that so-called "convergence devices" tend to be lesser cousins of the devices that they sought to replace; that is, apprentices of many devices and masters of none. Apple does have a good track record on industrial design; however, Apple isn't immune to the realities of hardware tradeoffs. Economies of scale can only be stretched so far. Time will tell, though. I wouldn't bet against Apple's success, but "success" miht be pretty underwhelming if the reach is relatively small, compared to the larger market for phones.
Member since:2005-07-06
>classy
I'd say, looks like a toy.
>ease of use
S60 is very easy to use.
>itunes
That monstrous piece of software paired with DRM infected music store? Thanks, no.
>incredible screen
480x320? Nokia 7710/Communicators have had 640x320 displays for years, upcoming E90 will feature 800x352.
>8GB
There are already 8Gb smartphones on the market, Nokia N91 for instance.
>edit: do you really think that the nokia can compete on all fronts with the iPhone?
Apple should try to compete with Nokia, not vice versa. Currently, with that expensive iPhone gadget they hardly can.
Edited 2007-01-10 22:36
Member since:2006-11-15
Member since:2006-02-16
i just read your blog! wow.... dont you love the internet! now we all can be armchair know it all.....yea!!!!
look.... in know these iPhone got all your panties in an uproar! but seriously..... your way of life is not threatened!!!! i guarantee that! please... by all means... continue using your nokia, or your treo, or your winphone! i mean, those phones seem to have the spec that the iPhone does not! so obviously.... the iPhone cant be as good... right? so just press on.... have fun!
BUT.... down the road a bit.... say 2....3...4 years... when the iphone and its siblings have captured HUGE market share while the competition seamingly has better specs..... just remember to admit that you were a wee bit short sided... and may have been a bit to emotionaly involved with the anti apple crowd!
5 years ago.... about 42,455 (approx) experts out there said... "the iPod is a failure.....mark our words.... it will suffer the same fate as the mac..."
we all know haw it really turned out!
damn i love the sound of a toilet flushing!!!!!!!
Member since:2006-11-10
The problem , or the advantage that the iPod had was that at the time it came, there were a lot of mp3 players, all with their own niche and none with the iTunes ease of use. Plus the player was simplistic and nice. stylish. the iPhone is entering in a market that is saturated, there are WELL established entities. I think your analogy should be with Zune and microsoft.
Member since:2005-09-10
Must... resist... fanboy-gadget-troll...
Well, as someone getting that upset from a simple blogg comparing two devices you should back off. Most of us dont care a bit how many iPods Apple have sold or what the experts predict in terms of market shares and profits, but evaluate these sort of devices personally on the basis of functionality and durability. Bringing a new gadget to the market, don't make the old ones perform *worse*. Are you suggesting the Nokia or the Treo would suddenly turn into unusable crap overnight for someone who's comfortable using them when the iPhone is released? Get a life.
My Palm T|X is just as semi-functional/crappy now as it was a year ago, regardless where the competition is these days. At least it was cheap :-)
Member since:2006-08-23
Member since:
2006-11-10
Yea and what can the iPhone bring to the market that Symbian or any other Mobile OS doesnt have yet? Seriously, i wrote it already ( http://blog.2blocksaway.com/2007/01/11/the-iphone-why-it-is-and-wil... ) and I stand by this, Apple is too late, at least with this model of the iPhone and the specs of it. It looks cool but what else? The new S60 3rd edition has the rotating icons as well, so what?