[olePigeon]

My brother upgraded his phone to an iPhone. With that upgrade came a "free" texting phone that he offered me so I could replace my phone.

"Free" because it's really $50, with a $50 mail in rebate, and you still have to pay tax on the retail price of the phone at $300, so that's another $30.

So I thought, OK, $30. I'll go for it. I spent about an hour looking at the various phones because I couldn't decide which one I wanted. Then it occurred to me quite suddenly that I wasn't deciding which phone I wanted, I was deciding which phone I hated the least. It was like I was voting for a presidential candidate.

Every single one of those stupid phones were horrible. Gods sake, I'm still using a 7-year-old Ericsson T-306 phone and these stupid companies can't come up with anything better? All of them had some horrible interface.

Even with the iPhone's initial lacking of basic features, the interface alone is a godsend. It's no wonder the iPhone took over the market relatively over night.

I didn't take the "free" phone. I decided to save my pennies and I'll get an iPhone sometime in June. I hadn't stepped into a cell phone store in 7 years, I don't know what I was expecting. After the iPhone I thought maybe the other phones would be really cool, too. Disappointing.

[turtle777]

Originally Posted by olePigeon 

I was deciding which phone I hated the least. It was like I was voting for a presidential candidate.

-t

[mduell]

Originally Posted by olePigeon 

My brother upgraded his phone to an iPhone. With that upgrade came a "free" texting phone that he offered me so I could replace my phone.

What's a "texting" phone? It can't make calls?

Originally Posted by olePigeon 

It's no wonder the iPhone took over the market relatively over night.

what? 3% after 2.5 years is the worst overnight takeover ever.

[Simon]

Originally Posted by mduell 

what? 3% after 2.5 years is the worst overnight takeover ever.

Enjoying those sour grapes? ROTFLMAO.

The entire industry is trying to imitate the iPhone. Every new phone is benchmarked against the iPhone. It's probably one of the most impressive tech takeovers we've seen in the past decade. And this from a company who previously had zero experience in the market. Facing competitors who had 15+ years to get it right and failed. In their core market.

The iPhone is the gold standard of smart phones. And Apple still has a good lead. Plus with competition from Android it's bound to only get better.

[MacinTommy]

I can't text on a "normal" phone now. Even a on a Blackberry I'm pretty slow.

[analogue SPRINKLES]

Even the "best" alternative to the iphone such as the nexus still has a poorly throughout and hacked interface.

[-Q-]

Dug out the old unlocked Motorola SLVR the other day to test it (wife needed for a trip abroad) and when I went to test the texting had to really stop and think how I used to do that. I just can't imagine going back to a 'regular' phone at this point. The iPhone interface has me totally 'trained.'

[olePigeon]

Originally Posted by mduell 

What's a "texting" phone? It can't make calls?

Any of their marked phones with a QWERTY keyboard, except the Blackberry.

Originally Posted by mduell 

what? 3% after 2.5 years is the worst overnight takeover ever.

Apple became the 3rd largest cell phone manufacturer in just 2.5 years. Yes, that's only 3% globally, but they passed up HTC in 1/3 the time, and is quickly catching up with RIM in a position which took them over 10 years to get. I'm not sure why you're laughing.

When compared to other smart phones, Apple holds 18% of the market.

Nearly every smartphone company is now trying to make a phone that looks and acts like an iPhone. Like Microsoft and the PC manufacturers, they grew complacent in their dominance and got caught flat footed.

Edit: What Simon said.

[SSharon]

I totally agree. I can't even use my wife's phone to look up a phone number, nevermind send a text message. I too am spoiled by the iphone.

[tooki]

In all fairness, a significant factor in cellphones' suckiness is the carriers. The handset makers apparently have wanted for years to make more advanced phones, only to have ATT, Verizon, and Sprint pull all the good features from the custom firmware, be it to replace a good feature with a revenue generator (e.g. the 3 redundant buttons to the VZW "web" browser), or to force data to flow over the network at data rates (instead of bluetooth or USB), etc.

Apple was the first handset maker to basically say no to the carriers.

[Simon]

Originally Posted by tooki 

Apple was the first handset maker to basically say no to the carriers.

Which is just another smart decision they took. And just another reason the iPhone is so great.

[turtle777]

Originally Posted by tooki 

Apple was the first handset maker to basically say no to the carriers.

Not in all cases.

Apple seems to try to please AT&T.

E.g., iPad no BT tethering - I'm pretty certain this was a AT&T mandate.
Just like AT&T mandated that the iPhone have no tethering at all in the first 2 years.
Then Apple got enough pressure from users and providers that would allow BT tethering that they implemented it for the iPhone. Sans AT&T, of course.

-t

[SSharon]

Originally Posted by turtle777 

Not in all cases.

Apple seems to try to please AT&T.

E.g., iPad no BT tethering - I'm pretty certain this was a AT&T mandate.
Just like AT&T mandated that the iPhone have no tethering at all in the first 2 years.
Then Apple got enough pressure from users and providers that would allow BT tethering that they implemented it for the iPhone. Sans AT&T, of course.

-t

I was thinking the same thing. Lack of tethering was entirely done to please ATT and had nothing to do with any technological problem. I still don't know why I can't do it with ATT or why it costs so damn much.

I'm not sure who to blame for (the initial) lack of MMS support.

[Simon]

Originally Posted by turtle777 

Not in all cases.

Yep, you make a good point. There are indeed exceptions.

Apple not getting tethering with AT&T or their continued blocking of Skype over 3G reeks of AT&T appeasement rather than a technology-driven design choice with the focus on customer needs first.