> Apple didn't just make a phone, it changed computing forever
I though that smartphones were a kind of inevitable outcome of technological advancement, and that many other similar products where already out there.
I have to agree that Apple's marketing was spot on, as it still works to this date.
Marketing is not why the iPhone took off, there is substance there even if you don't agree. A full UNIX kernel, capacitive touchscreen, low latency / high perf OS, 3rd party apps and a bunch of UX innovations. Yes everything existed individually but so did all the parts to make most groundbreaking products.
The capacitive touch screen and its features were the one thing that catalyzed the revolution. OS-wise, many competing phones were more high performance/low latency, and the app store didn't exist for years.
So LG could have become Apple but for some poor UI decisions and worse marketing - they released their own capacitive-screen phone, the LG Prada, a month _before_ Apple, but cheaped out on the UI development: no on-screen keyboard, and not using the touch screen to its potential with scroll/page-turn gestures.
iPhone was a triumph of product engineering. I had a Palm Windows Mobile device that was awesome in 2004. It gave me superpowers.
But, iPhone just hit it out of the park on a bunch of different levels. From the architecture, the software, UX and having the balls to tell Verizon to fuck off, they hit a home run.
I though that smartphones were a kind of inevitable outcome of technological advancement, and that many other similar products where already out there.
I have to agree that Apple's marketing was spot on, as it still works to this date.