complicated simplicity

With the iPhone 3G being release globally soon and with some free time in hand, I thought I might write about how the iPhone will change our mobile habits more than what everyone has expected. To many people, the hype of the 3G iPhone is all about the 3G. Faster internet speeds, yada yada yada. It is true, it is better, but not groundbreaking. To quote one of the tech editors from a reputable online news network, "it is just the real iPhone released a year late". What is really groundbreaking is the way software is distributed onto mobile phones with the advent of iPhone 2.0 software which will be pushed out to existing iPhone (soon) and included in the new iPhone version.

In the past, putting software onto the phone is no simple task. Yes, it has gotten better in the past year, but it is still quite a task. Finding good software to put onto the phone may be an even tougher task, and I have given up pretty much trying to make better use of my N95 or k800. I love my Nokias and SEs. But if a techie like me feels pain in trying to make my own phone usable, there are serious issues involved.

 With the newly pushed iTunes 7.7, getting applications is now a breeze. Putting them onto a phone is going to be even easier. And best of all, many of those applications are free. The phone is going to be much more than a phone for many more people. A one stop location for distribution with easy access, this is no doubt a winning formula for encouraging better uses for the mobile phone.

I am no Apple fanboy myself, even though I use a Mac. I haven’t got an iPhone yet, mainly because I felt iPhone 1.0 was simply an overpriced piece of electronic gadgetry. I think Symbian and Microsoft should be worried. I think once the ease of using a phone to be more than a phone has become apparant, the mobile world will change significantly.

Be prepared for clogged 3G networks.