K.R.C. LogoThe Book of Kara

Commitment: The iPhone revolutionizes more the just software

Published 21 July 2008

Hi! You've stumbled upon a blog post by a guy named Ryan. I'm not that guy anymore, but I've left his posts around because cool URIs don't change and to remind me how much I've learned and grown over time.

Ryan was a well-meaning but naïve and priviledged person. His views don't necessarily represent the views of anyone.

I searched long and hard for a smartphone worth the expense, and although I looked at the iPhone, I said the same thing many others did: no 3G, no GPS, no deal. Well, what do you know, the newest incarnation has both. I'm not authorized for a discount, by as soon as the lines die down, I'll toss my AT&T Tilt. Not just because I'm a fanboy: Apple shows commitment.

Reading John Gruber's description of the performance gains in the newest iPhone OS version, I realized how revolutionary that is in the industry. Most mobile phones have a pretty short life-cycle:

  1. The full-price phase with all the commercials
  2. The discount phase, to clear shelves for the next model
  3. Trash

HTC even faces a class action lawsuit over the Tilt and still refuses to update. In contrast, the iPhone OS has been updated seven times the first year it's been out.

Not only is a customer buying the best mobile operating system on best-of-breed hardware, they're also buying from a company that has integrated the product into the very heart of their business model.

You're not just getting a warranty, you're getting commitment. And that's worth paying for.

K.R.C. LogoPrevious: If it quacks like a duckNext: I make Web sites, ergo