To call the Apple iPhone a mere cell phone is almost an insult to the device itself. It may have a couple of similarities of a normal cellular phone, like voice call and text, but that is where the similarities end. With its revolutionary touch screen controls and the actual iPhone software itself, it was not surprising that the release of the first version in 2007 created such a stir. When the downloadable apps came along a few months later and you could customise your iphone, it was no wonder that each release that followed was greeted like some sort of divine revelation.
What produced the big sensation over the Apple iPhone when it came out was the new touch display technologies, mixed with the phone, texting and internet capabilities that already existed in other products, such as the Blackberry. But as development progressed, people began hearing iPhone application news, that is, news that they’d be able to design or download personal apps to customize their iphones. This created a new excited buzz even whilst people were still enamoured of the locked 07 model.
The initial iPhone was released gradually in several countries around the world. Of course its first release was in its own home, the United States, in June of 2007. Over the following months, the iphone was rolled out across much of Europe and the UK, as deals were reached with the companies that would have rights to be the official vendors. And everywhere the iPhone news spread, people continued lining up and paying high prices to get an iPhone of their own.
With each new iPhone release, Apple has added features that have kept the device popular and in great demand. The big difference between the 3G and 3GS variations was primarily one of overall performance and some additional video capabilities, but it was the leap in function between the 2007 Apple iPhone and the 3G version in 2008 that really pushed it over the top. Even with some issue over high prices, the capability to obtain beneficial apps has taken the concept of a simple cell phone and lifted into another realm entirely.
Most of the other cell phone manufacturers have tried to compete with Apples iphone, although it would be justified to say that it seems no one is capable of knocking Apple of its iphone perch at the present time..
A prime example could be HTC with the launch of Hero in 2009, which seemed to be their take on the iphone. It reportedly was going to compete with the iphone, but although there was quite a buzz about the HTC device, it never really hit the mark. With its Goole Android operating system and the opportunity to download thousands of apps it was looking fairly good for the HTC Hero. Unfortunately for HTC it was let down by a low spec hardware and painfully slow processor, along with several clumsy hardware buttons at the bottom of the screen that could be pressed in error, rapidly closing your session.
About the writer:
David Stuart is a self employed advertiser and marketing expert in the UK. Operating from home he operates a small mobile phone insurance company on the net, offering gadget insurance cover such as iPhone Insurance right through to laptop computers and even ipad insurance for apples newest offering.