Rob Sanheim

Why Apple's iPhone Doesn't Really Matter To Verizon

Its not about hardware or software, its about the total user experience. Thats something that Apple has mastered time and time again, and rivals just don't get. Every cell phone on the market right now *sucks*. UI is horrible, they are a pain to use, and everything is built around selling a provider's services instead of being easy and fun to use. Noone actually likes or enjoys using their phone - they are just tolerated because there are no other options.

The real question I see with the iPhone is how much of the UI and design is Apple versus how much is Cingular. If Cingular was able to apply enough pressure for pushing its own pay-per-use services, keeping things locked down (ie: no 3rd party apps), and keeping the overall experience about Cingular instead of the user, then the iPhone will be "just another smart phone". If Apple was and is able to maintain control in version 1 and beyond, then they will truly change the market the same way the IPod did.