Apple has always positioned itself as the underdog computer company standing alone against the overpowering corporate giant Microsoft. This stance was further strengthened by early marketing campaigns positioning Apple as a way to break out of the “clone” mentality that was supposedly being brought into being by other computer firms. With customer satisfaction, reliability, and ease of use leading the charge, Apple created what many would consider a better mousetrap. In the 1980’s the Macintosh computer was the rave of schools and the creative community, and most recently the phenomenon known as the iPhone is keeping Apple on the bleeding edge of electronic devices. The little underdog has gotten very very big.

On June 29th the iPhone became available to the public, and people were ready. At prices ranging up to $599.00 the iPhone was an enormous success. The iPhone is attempting to change how cell phones and cell phone accessories are being used, and from the reception the market is giving it this may actually come to pass. So what does Apple want to turn the cell phone into? A portable media device and communications center that fits in your pocket.

Now in a single device you can listen to your favorite song, call your friends, read a web page, send an email, or watch a movie. Yes, watch a movie. Specifically the iPhone is:

Operating System

* OS X

Display

* 480-by-320-pixel resolution at 160 dpi
* 3.5-inch (diagonal) widescreen multi-touch display
* Support for display of multiple languages and characters simultaneously

Wireless data

* Bluetooth 2.0+EDR
* Wi-Fi (802.11b/g)
* EDGE

Camera

* 2.0 megapixels

Storage

* 4GB or 8GB flash drive1

Audio

* Audio formats supported: AAC, Protected AAC, MP3, MP3 VBR, Audible (formats 1, 2, and 3), Apple Lossless, AIFF, and WAV
* Frequency response: 20Hz to 20,000Hz

Video

* Video formats supported: H.264 video, up to 1.5 Mbps, 640 by 480 pixels, 30 frames per second, Low-Complexity version of the H.264 Baseline Profile with AAC-LC audio up to 160 Kbps, 48kHz, stereo audio in .m4v, .mp4, and .mov file formats; H.264 video, up to 768 Kbps, 320 by 240 pixels, 30 frames per second, Baseline Profile up to Level 1.3 with AAC-LC audio up to 160 Kbps, 48kHz, stereo audio in .m4v, .mp4, and .mov file formats; MPEG-4 video, up to 2.5 Mbps, 640 by 480 pixels, 30 frames per second, Simple Profile with AAC-LC audio up to 160 Kbps, 48kHz, stereo audio in .m4v, .mp4, and .mov file formats

Those stats certainly don’t read like a phone. But what about the traditional problems that are inherent with traditional PDAs or other wireless Internet devices such as tiny keypads and endless function screens, or the stylus that would never actually input the correct information? All gone. The iPhone is accessed via a touch screen with a virtual keypad that changes depending on the function the user is attempting to access. So it looks like a phone when you are making a call, and it looks like a keyboard when you access the Internet or send an email. The iPhone uses the Safari browser, so current Apple users will already be familiar with the look and feel. Also, don’t worry about spelling errors in your email as the iPhone will auto-correct just like you are accustomed too.

With a price tag between $499.00 and $599.00 the iPhone isn’t cheap. The vast majority of the marketplace will be unable or unwilling to pay this amount for a “phone”. As the word gets out however the market will slowly become aware that although this is called an “iPhone”, it isn’t a phone. This is something new altogether, and from a holistic standpoint the price is right.

Jon Norwood is a founder and managing partner of the directory SurfCellular.com, a site dedicated to providing information on Cell Phones and Cell Phone Accessories.

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