The iPhone Will Dominate, But Not Because Of Features/Functionality

By Daniel Miessler on May 9th, 2007: Tagged as Apple | Fanboy | Gadgets | iPhone | Technology

iphone

So the iPhone is getting ready to come out in June and I’m hearing a lot of press about how this phone or that phone is better than it already, and that it’s too late for it to make a splash. I disagree. People keep talking about features, and I think they are missing the point. Sure, there will be many people who don’t get an iPhone because it doesn’t have a certain feature (or 5 certain features), but again — I think there’s something else to this.

I think the iPhone is simply going to be superior (demand-wise) to these other offerings despite lacking features such as 3G, a real keyboard, etc. Look at the music player market; there are a number of other players that are “better” than the iPod, but they don’t have the same feel, the same interface, the same…”I don’t know what” that the iPod has.

So while people are saying, “I need x, y, and z and iPhone doesn’t have it.”, when they get a hold of one for two minutes they’re going to be like, “Holy crap. I’m getting one of these.” The phrase, “More than the sum of its parts” comes to mind.

Of course, it could suck horribly and die a painful, humiliating death. I accept that as a very real possibility, and will be getting a Blackberry Curve or Helio Ocean shortly afterwards if that happens. But I don’t think so. I think it’s going to become the next “must-have” device — not because of what all it can do — but because of how it feels when you do it.:

  • Kent Larsson

    I think it will sell mostly due to massive marketing. Partly in the form of hype Apple created. But of course, I’m also sure it will be a very polished product.

  • Kent Larsson

    I think it will sell mostly due to massive marketing. Partly in the form of hype Apple created. But of course, I’m also sure it will be a very polished product.

  • Ponteilla

    That’s so true. I do have an iPod but I’d advice people who want to buy one to look around the market before. Though, I’m now addicted to that expensive crap.

  • Ponteilla

    That’s so true. I do have an iPod but I’d advice people who want to buy one to look around the market before. Though, I’m now addicted to that expensive crap.

  • Carl M.

    Apple will continue to dominate because they UNDERSTAND ease of use. And, they are not content with the current state of the art. They continue to PUSH forward. Take a look:

    http://gizmodo.com/gadgets/apple/next-gen-ipod-patent-has-touch-surface-on-back-259271.php

  • Carl M.

    Apple will continue to dominate because they UNDERSTAND ease of use. And, they are not content with the current state of the art. They continue to PUSH forward. Take a look:

    http://gizmodo.com/gadgets/apple/next-gen-ipod-patent-has-touch-surface-on-back-259271.php

  • http://arik.baratz.org/ Arik

    That special something is Apple’s marketing machine.

    – Arik

  • http://arik.baratz.org Arik

    That special something is Apple’s marketing machine.

    – Arik

  • http://dmiessler.com/ Daniel Miessler

    Marketing makes people want one, but it doesn’t impress people once they already have it and are comparing it to other models with more features.

  • http://dmiessler.com/ Daniel Miessler

    Marketing makes people want one, but it doesn’t impress people once they already have it and are comparing it to other models with more features.

  • Jason

    Its the brainwashing that makes you satisfied with the crap.

  • Jason

    Its the brainwashing that makes you satisfied with the crap.

  • Carl M

    I remember my first encounter with an iPod. I was in the Apple store in NYC (several years ago, but not so early in the iPod craze). I was curious whether the click wheel was easy to use (it didn’t seem to me that it would be from the descriptions I’d seen). I was amazed. The interface was NATURAL. Not just easy to use … NATURAL. There is a difference. I was EXPECTING a clumsy interface. I had not been brainwashed. What I saw was great.

    Still, I didn’t get an iPod until podcasts came out. That was the killer-ap for me.

  • Carl M

    I remember my first encounter with an iPod. I was in the Apple store in NYC (several years ago, but not so early in the iPod craze). I was curious whether the click wheel was easy to use (it didn’t seem to me that it would be from the descriptions I’d seen). I was amazed. The interface was NATURAL. Not just easy to use … NATURAL. There is a difference. I was EXPECTING a clumsy interface. I had not been brainwashed. What I saw was great.

    Still, I didn’t get an iPod until podcasts came out. That was the killer-ap for me.

  • David

    >> “Marketing makes people want one, but it doesn’t impress people once they already have it and are comparing it to other models with more features.”

    Except that, for the most part, people aren’t comparing it to the other models (or rather, makes). They set out ‘to buy an iPod’, without ever having a clue what alternatives are available, because the market visibility of those alternatives isn’t high enough.

  • David

    >> “Marketing makes people want one, but it doesn’t impress people once they already have it and are comparing it to other models with more features.”

    Except that, for the most part, people aren’t comparing it to the other models (or rather, makes). They set out ‘to buy an iPod’, without ever having a clue what alternatives are available, because the market visibility of those alternatives isn’t high enough.

  • Pingback: iPhone: Feel > Features

  • SomeDude

    Great posts such as this are diachronical.


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