It's About Time

It appears that I picked up a new cell phone too soon. One of the worst-kept secrets in the tech world was finally revealed yesterday, when Apple, Inc. (no longer Apple Computer) announced the iPhone. Ooh, pretty:


It is not ready for prime time yet, as the FCC has not approved it on a technical basis, and Cisco has not yet relinquished its rights to the "iPhone" name. However, expect everything to be in order by the June release date.

Excitement and skepticism abound whenever Apple makes a big product announcement. There is plenty of enthusiasm for Apple's all-in-one methodologies, incorporating telephone, web surfer, PDA and music capabilities into one small package. Critics raise questions about durability, battery life, and the ease of typing on a touch-screen keyboard instead of little buttons that provide tactile feedback as on competitive products such as Blackberry or Treo. As an iMac owner, though, this is a very attractive proposition, because I use the iCal and other PDA-type functions of the computer far more than I used to and the integration between platforms ought to be seamless.

The downside for me is the price ($500) and the exclusive deal with Cingular (we've been with Verizon for years and have managed to hold on to a relatively attractive services package that is no longer offered). As with any such device, it is almost impossible to tell how good it is until it is actually put to use. I was very pleased with the Motorola RAZR I recently acquired, as its telephone capabilities were light years ahead of the several-year-old LG I had been using, although I couldn't know that for sure until I bought the phone. I'm sure the gizmos will be great on the iPhone, but if it doesn't work well as a telephone, it is pointless. Thankfully, I guess, I'll still have several months to go on my Verizon contract when the iPhone is released, so for once I'll let everyone else be the early adopters and work out the kinks.

UPDATE: within half an hour of posting this item, the news came down the wire that Cisco filed suit against Apple over the iPhone name. The two companies had been in negotiations over the name, but had not concluded a resolution prior to Steve Jobs' MacWorld announcement. Oops. A deal will undoubtedly be done, but Cisco has all the leverage in the world now, since Apple has now announced the product with that name and consumer expectations have been set. I think Cisco has engaged in some shenanigans by releasing a product bearing the name iPhone that nobody has heard of just three weeks before MacWorld (the key element of perfecting the registration of a trademark is to use it in commerce). Nevertheless, expect Cisco to pick up a sweet per-unit license deal before this is over.