For iPhone, Software Defines Hardware
David Pogue wrote yesterday about the iPhone and points out that the hardware has not changed that much since the first go-round. The actual form of the phone is now a little more manageable, and the voice quality has increased dramatically, but other than that and a very simple GPS feature, the hardware is pretty much the same iPhone as before.
But it’s the software and the iPhone App Store that’s now really making the iPhone special. Any developer can now offer applications, after an approval process, for iPhone users to add to their phones. The actual iPhone itself and its large, beautiful touchscreen serve as the vehicle to deliver the app functionality to the user.
While making the internet connection speed faster with 3G helps, the software is what’s really empowering the iPhone now. Most handset makers are creating new ways to hide keyboards and slide different parts of the phone various ways to make them more usable and fun, but it’s software that can have the most impact on usability.
Think of something you wish your phone did that it currently doesn’t. Hardware issue or software? Software right? If the answer is hardware for some reason, I’d like to hear what the issue is in the comments.
With software essentially defining the functionality of the iPhone, and all phones for that matter, I guess you could say that developers are the artists, with the iPhone as their canvas. Umm, a really really nice canvas… With a monthly fee……
Trackback
Trackback url for this entry.