Re: [tlug] About to break down and get an iPhone

[Martin Killmann <martin@example.com>]

On Fri, 08 May 2009 12:36:33 +0900 
Edward Middleton <emiddleton@example.com> wrote:

> Martin Killmann wrote:
> > JC Helary wrote:
> >   
> 
> > Apple will never control ... the cell phone market, ...
> > ... They don't have the products for a monopoly position ...
> >   
> 
> Apples actions dictate what they are, which is what I was talking
> about.  Their products are clearly capable of taking a monopoly position
> as evidence by their dominance in music distribution.

In my previous mail I wrote why I don't think Apple's dominance in the
music distribution business is a model for other sectors.
If we had seen plenty of music stores with a "one song for a buck, no
strings attached" business model during the dot-com bubble, iTunes would
still be in the Apple niche of under 10% market share. The music industry
didn't want it.
And the iPod was the only decent player on the market at the time of the
3rd generation, when many other players had an SD card slot and a
storage capacity of zero.

In other markets, Apple has nowhere near these favorable starting
conditions. The iPhone is doing well, but it is nowhere near the market
dominance the iPod has. We're talking about 1% (mobile phone) vs. 80%
(mobile music player) here.

> 
> > ...  it's a decision for the best hardware and software engineering. ...
> >
> > My iPhone is great for checking websites in the morning train, it plays
> > music without hassle, it's okay for mails and a secret feature even lets
> > you call people. ..
> >   
> 
> That is pretty much on par with all current mobile phones.
> 

If you're used to normal "advanced" Japanese cell phones, the iPhone is
a step forward. Some pamphlet claimed that my old Sharp was able to play
music but all attempts to convince it to play an mp3 failed. It didn't
come with earplugs or USB connector either. Exporting the address book
from it was a PITA. And don't attempt to load a normal webpage on it. 

But yes, of course there are cell phones that do everything that the
iPhone does and more. The hype that surrounds it is mostly hot air.

The achievement of the iPhone is that it did introduce "modern
smartphones" to many Japanese customers who never new that cell phones
could display normal web pages, do GPS, or load custom applications.
Before that, Blackberry, HTC Touch, Nokia Smartphones etc. were largely
ignored by Japanese telcos and consumers. So even if you don't get an
iPhone, you profit, because it helped to bring many of its competitors
to Japan.

Martin Killmann