One million. That's a lot of anything, but it is certainly a lot of people who have signed up with AT&T/Cingular asking to be notified when the iPhone becomes available.
One million people who want a product that is not yet available. One million people who trust Apple to do something different and to execute it well. One million people subscribing to the idea that this device is exactly what they have been waiting for.
Steve Jobs had set a target of a 1% market share in 2008 which is ten million units. If a product that is not even released can garner the enthusiasm of a million people I cannot imagine how this is going to take off when people actually see the device in the hands of their families, coworkers and friends.
One million people have asked to be contacted about this device. One million people who want this device enough to go out in search of more information.
One million. Anyone still doubt Apple can pull off a 1% market share? I think the biggest problem they will face is meeting demand.
Apple's much touted multi-touch screen technology may not be the whiz-bang new kid on the block afterall.
Though the use of this technology in the form factor of the iPhone and within the OS X environment is harnessing it for something unseen before now, I also now have to wonder if large screen applications like this have already been in place how long before Apple redefines computers once more and gives us the ultimate tablet Mac.
There are a lot of rumors and speculation in the blogosphere about the future of the video iPod with the upcoming iPhone release. Some are saying that the iPhone, once available, will cannibalize sales of the iPod. Others believe Apple will release a beefy version of the iPhone minus phone in order to offer a widescreen video iPod. I believe something entirely different because Apple is a company that, afterall, sloganized "Think Different".
[Note: Thank you to the great philosophers Calvin and Hobbes for verbing nouns like "slogan".]
The anticipated 6G video iPod should have a beefy 80GB or more of storage in order to allow the neediest video junkie the ability to download all the feature films, video podcasts and music videos they desire into the palm of their hand and watch in the brilliant resolution of an iPhone form factor. They should be doing so under OS X for handhelds (ala iPhone) and with multi-touch user interface.
Or should it?
What if it was instead the iPhone form factor with OS X for handhelds with less storage but wireless synching to Apple TV? What if the package still had WiFi and still allowed internet connectivity and all the IM ability of the Sony Milo?
The market for the iPhone and the video iPod are not the same. Though the ballyhooed iPhone is the convergence device, the widescreen iPod contained in the device and sixth generation Video iPod are - in my opinion - two different things.
What is the target market for the next generation iPod? I think it is likely we will see a device that does not require signing a two year expensive monthly contract. I think it is likely we will a device that incorporates the sexy aspects of the iPhone, bringing the iPod line into the OS X world. I think it is likely we will see Apple push the Apple TV as the hub device and a slimmed down (not beefed up) video iPod with less focus on storage and more focus on user experience.
In an earlier post about the iPhone as a PSP Killer I mused about the iPhone being positioned as a handheld gaming console and now it seems others are running with the idea:
The US Patent 6768066 filed way back in 2004 it seems Apple has thought of using the accelerometer in a gaming tablet of sorts for some while. The insistence that all software for the iPhone will be Apple produced does not gel too well with the idea that the platform will open to game developers, but I think this is really Apple just maintaining control over the experience. I think it won't be too long after the iPhone release that we see several things which lead to a larger adoption of the iPhone:
New versions of the device with much larger storage capacities.
Lower price points as sales begin to increase and competitors enter the market.
Apple certified development process whereby all sales are handled through iTunes.
Wireless integration and sync abilities with iTunes and perhaps Apple TV.
As mentioned in my earlier post about the iPhone introduction, Gaming Consoles was one of the markets mentioned in the MacWorld announcement when Steve Jobs was discussing possible sales figures. I simply do not believe this was a mistake. I think Apple is gunning for the living room in every way and I think the iPhone is the device to get them there.
Imagine your Apple TV becoming a game console and you can download iPhone versions of games alongside the newest title playing on your HDTV. Imagine when you purchase your Ghost Recon on Apple TV you also get the handheld version.
Do you see what I see? Integration, integration, integration.
Back in the days of John Sculley at Apple (circa 1987) there was a concept called the Knowledge Navigator and now with the multi-touch coolness iPhone brings to bear on the UI plus the smashing capabilities of OS X PLUS the recent speculation that Apple may be coming out with a Flash RAM subnotebook .... does anyone else see how this clunky concept can become a cool real-world device in a way that only Apple would be capable of pulling off?
Tablet PC's haven't really made it into the home like laptops, but I think Apple has a shot with a hybrid between laptop and iPhone - blending the size and capabilities of a laptop with the UI of an iPhone .... imagine running your iTunes and Apple TV from a tablet "Knowledge Navigator" - the Mac Tablet comes to mind.
iPhone is the revolutionary gadget the brilliant folks at Apple have brought to bear on the cell phone market. Part widescreen video iPod, part gorgeous cell phone and part internet appliance this device will be THE MUST HAVE device for years to come.
AlliPhones.com offers a place to discuss iPhones and the other products Apple offers.
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