It all started back in 1996, but it took twelve years and the iPhone 3G to convince the world that smart solutions come in a portable package.
Apple has chosen a very service-oriented approach to the smartphone market, and succeeded with that. Coupled with a highly optimized touch interface, the new Apple iPhone 3G will be difficult to beat. With its wide distribution network, the iPhone 3G will also see the same sales increase other Apple products have been seeing for a while.
Apple's main challenge moving forward will be to keep innovating at the same rate as now, a task that seems to be harder the closer you get to the top of the sales ranks.
It's of course understandable that you don't feel the urge to come up with significantly improved solutions when people buy the existing ones anyway, but Apple is the most recent and best example of how quickly the wind can change.
Back in 1996, it took Palm 540 days to sell 1 million Palm Pilot handhelds. Last week, it took Apple three days to sell 1 million iPhone 3G smartphones. The world is finally ready for smart mobile solutions, and ironically, the company that ignited it all with the Newton now returns with a working master plan.
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