> ...but the wave of full-screen smartphones had already started.
I’ve heard it argued that someone would have gotten there eventually, but my suspicion is that without a big player committing all their resources to marketing and selling it a similar device would have failed to make headway. Phone manufacturers would never have pushed like Apple did against the headwinds of physical keyboards and flash and operator-managed app distribution (and phone crippling).
But I’ve never heard someone argue that the design was already established and going to become a tidal wave. There were a few devices which vaguely resembled a few superficial elements. What examples can you provide to illustrate a wave was already underway?
The first of its kind was the LG Prada, which came out slightly before the iPhone and sold a million units. The technology had all come together just enough to make devices like this possible, and they were starting out at barely good enough.
Batteries, screens, CPUs, all of those were advancing rapidly whether phones used them or not. And 3G was spreading rapidly. Even if it took two more iterations of moore's law, the market was growing more and more feasible every month. Even half-baked attempts 2-3 years down the line could easily have been more compelling than the original iPhone.
I guess a chunk depends on how critical the operator-independent apps were, but let's not forget that the iPhone was ATT-only for years.
I’ve heard it argued that someone would have gotten there eventually, but my suspicion is that without a big player committing all their resources to marketing and selling it a similar device would have failed to make headway. Phone manufacturers would never have pushed like Apple did against the headwinds of physical keyboards and flash and operator-managed app distribution (and phone crippling).
But I’ve never heard someone argue that the design was already established and going to become a tidal wave. There were a few devices which vaguely resembled a few superficial elements. What examples can you provide to illustrate a wave was already underway?