At prices that ranged from $499.00 to $599.00 Apple’s new iPhone hit the market on June 29th. The launch was without a doubt an incredible success, with lines around the corner all over the United States waiting patiently (sometimes) for the latest and greatest high tech toy. The iPhone however has turned out to be more tool than toy. Apple is now changing the way cell phones and cell phone accessories are being used. And what is Apple turning them into? A powerful media and communications device that can fit in your pocket.

Apple has been positioned as the friend of the people, standing against the corporate might of an unforgiving Microsoft. While this stance is more a marketing campaign than a mission statement, Apple is a strong competitor and is certainly a viable alternative to the traditional PC product. In the 80’s the Macintosh stood against the PC, and succeeded in the educational and creative community (the niche markets Apple wanted to begin with). Now the iPhone has will take Apple into the bleeding edge of technology, and it appears they are leading the charge.

Specifically the iPhone is:

Operating System

* OS X

Video

* Video formats supported: H.264 video, up to 1.5 Mbps, 640 by 480 pixels, 30 frames per second, Low-Complexity version of the H.264 Baseline Profile with AAC-LC audio up to 160 Kbps, 48kHz, stereo audio in .m4v, .mp4, and .mov file formats; H.264 video, up to 768 Kbps, 320 by 240 pixels, 30 frames per second, Baseline Profile up to Level 1.3 with AAC-LC audio up to 160 Kbps, 48kHz, stereo audio in .m4v, .mp4, and .mov file formats; MPEG-4 video, up to 2.5 Mbps, 640 by 480 pixels, 30 frames per second, Simple Profile with AAC-LC audio up to 160 Kbps, 48kHz, stereo audio in .m4v, .mp4, and .mov file formats

Wireless Data

* Bluetooth 2.0+EDR
* Wi-Fi (802.11b/g)
* EDGE

Display

* 480-by-320-pixel resolution at 160 dpi
* 3.5-inch (diagonal) widescreen multi-touch display
* Support for display of multiple languages and characters simultaneously

Storage

* 4GB or 8GB flash drive1

Camera

* 2.0 megapixels

Audio

* Audio formats supported: AAC, Protected AAC, MP3, MP3 VBR, Audible (formats 1, 2, and 3), Apple Lossless, AIFF, and WAV

* Frequency response: 20Hz to 20,000Hz

With a price tag between $499.00 and $599.00 the iPhone isn’t cheap. The vast majority of the marketplace will be unable or unwilling to pay this amount for a “phone”. As the word gets out however the market will slowly become aware that although this is called an “iPhone”, it isn’t a phone. This is something new altogether, and from a holistic standpoint the price is right.

Now in a single device you can listen to your favorite song, call your friends, read a web page, send an email, or watch a movie. Yes, watch a movie. Those stats certainly don’t read like a phone. But what about the traditional problems that are inherent with traditional PDAs or other wireless Internet devices such as tiny keypads and endless function screens, or the stylus that would never actually input the correct information? All gone. The iPhone is accessed via a touch screen with a virtual keypad that changes depending on the function the user is attempting to access. So it looks like a phone when you are making a call, and it looks like a keyboard when you access the Internet or send an email. The iPhone uses the Safari browser, so current Apple users will already be familiar with the look and feel. Also, don’t worry about spelling errors in your email as the iPhone will auto-correct just like you are accustomed too.

Jon Norwood is a managing partner of Surf Cellular, a site dedicated to providing information on cell phones, cell phone batteries, and cell phone accessories.

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