Rocked to the Apple core

by: admin Wednesday, January 10th, 2007

Rating: very juicy

So Apple finally did it – launched the much anticipated iPhone. And although CEO Steve Jobs was addressing the Apple faithful at MacWorld in San Francisco, the typically elegant device has been greeted by gasps of admiration in the wider world too.

The so-called smartphone market is pretty small and dominated by RIM’s BlackBerry, Palm’s Treo and Microsoft-powered devices, plus Motorola who was left at the altar by Apple who decided it would rather go it alone. Lots of mobile phone makers share prices dropped after yesterday’s iPhone launch with its new, touch-screen interface and 3.5in screen.

Just as Apple created a whole new industry around its iPod – even though MP3 had been around for years – Mr Jobs reckons he’s going to do the same with smartphones, broadening their appeal. He wants to attain a !% share of the mobile handset market by 2008.

He might find mobile a tougher market to reinvent. Firstly, as with all Apple products, the iPhone comes at a premium price – USD499 for the cheapest – and is only available for use on the Cingular network in the US. (It will be available in Europe in the second half of this year and go on sale in Asia in 2008.)

Nor are Nokia et al going to hang around waiting for Apple to squeeze the juice out of them.