I've already addressed all these, which are actually still not very specific in terms of actual functionality if the device itself, but I'll also elaborate on yor generalizations:
Shall I summarize?
Revolutionary features:
1. OS. Evidence - Every major OS vendor has redesigned their OS to compete with the iPhone.
Right. Because noboby ever redesigns their OS to make them more modern. Everything is in response to Apple.
Actually, and I said this at the time, I kind of agree with you that many OS's DID try to copy Apple, and because of that I think it actually slowed down mobile OS development. It certainly simplified (um..dumified) it. It took years before I could AGAIN do what I could do on my old Microsoft mobile OS, in terms of customizations to the OS itself. I really think without the iPhone, OS's would be more advanced at this stage. I know that's not going to be a popular opinion.
2. Web browser. Evidence - desktop class rendering engine that went on become the industry standard.
I've already explained in many posts above (as have others) that there were desktop class rendering engines (terminolgy that actually makes zero scence) with many pre-iPhone browsers. It was pretty much only multi-touch that made this exprience much better.
3. Reduced carrier control - Concessions from carrier to allow direct upgrades no bloatware are a huge advantage for the iPhone to this day. Among other things.
Unlike the BlackBerry, the iPhone had a fully Internet-capable browser. That meant it would strain the networks of wireless companies like AT&T Inc., something those carriers hadn’t previously allowed. RIM by contrast used a rudimentary browser that limited data usage.
“I said, ‘How did they get AT&T to allow [that]?’ Mr. Lazaridis recalled in the interview at his Waterloo office.
The carriers had no control over Browsers in Smartphones (vs proprietary phones) at that time. Zero. That was an OS thing. Bloatware is a who cares thing. Direct updates is something that you are totally right about. I give you that as it's STILL an irritant with Android phones.
4. iTunes integration - Destroyed the iPod industry that Apple created and moved portable music from specialized devices to just another smartphone app.
This did happen, but certainly not with the 8 GB iPhone 1 vs the 160 GB iPod, and that's the phone we are talking about. Not until we got 32GB / 64GB + phones did this truly take place, and that was NOT the iPhone 1. But by then everyone had that storage and there were many alternative DRM free music internet marts (amazon, Google play, etc). Heck I STILL can't fit my 128GB of music on any current iPhone.
My main point is that maybe for a LOT of people, especially huge Apple fans, the iPhone was a revolution because no one had ever used an actual smartphone before that, even though they existed for years. For those of us who used smartphones from almost day one, the original iPhone release was kinda blah. It had a few things that were new, but a whole lot of ommisions that were already standard in the market (the biggest being 3rd party apps and 3G). Apple just had the fanbase and marketing skills to push smartphones into the mainstream, which they certainly did at a MUCH faster pace than would have happened otherwise, which is good. As for the first iPhone itself, other than multi-touch which was wonderful, bleh..
