Palm CEO on Apple iPhone Threat

[freeny]

I am skeptical about the iphone myself and am waiting to see what apple will offer. I have never felt part of the "cell phone generation" and find all the bells a whistles superfluous. I am hoping apple will add features that I will actually want and use. What they are, I dont know, but perhaps apple can tell me what I want?

Givin apples history and reputation I will give them the benifit of the doubt...

 

[daneoni]

I dunno, i dont think buying an iPhone is feasible for at least another year. For me at least, just not excited about it at all. First off, it'll be the first ever Apple phone meaning there will be some niggles, also it'll be a candy bar. The only candy bar phone i can tolerate is a smart phone. Some thing tells me the iPhone WON'T be a smartphone from the ground up. It'll be a phone with *some* smart phone abilities.

Also, like most recent rumored products from Apple, its probably been waaay overhyped and will end up being a dissapointment.

Palm shouldn't be so confident though. Apple is the same company that made Michael Dell eat his words.

People shouldn't discount palm yet either.

 

[cherrypop]

Herein will lie yet another concrete example of the difference between Steve Jobs and everyone else.

I'm not saying that the iPhone will be a sure-fire hit. In fact, I fully expect a lot of Apple fans to be disappointed with the first revision.

But Apple gets IT and won't have a failure on its hands simply by combining a phone and an iPod. Hell, that's why I use my Sony Ericsson W810i over my iPods: one device in my pocket.

 

[corywoolf]

i think they would be cutting their profits to a certain age group of potential buyers

I completely disagree. Apple would reach a larger audience with a candy-bar style phone that is sub $250. If they can just release an inexpensive version and a souped up version shortly after, they could really kill Palm.

 

[tobefrnk]

Ok...and the MSRP for that phone would be 800 bucks with a 10 year contract with cingular.

People need to realize that apple products are somewhat overpriced so I can see a great apple phone with great features but with a contract the phone is going to be extremely expensive.

Nokia already has phones (their N series (http://www.nokia.com/nseries/index.html?lang=en&country=US#product,n93)) capable of 640x480 30fps vid at $800 unlocked. I don't see an Apple Phone with these capabilities being THAT much more and certainly cheaper if Apple is the provider for the phone service as some people are speculating.

 

[sachamun]

I dunno, i dont think buying an iPhone is feasible for at least another year. For me at least, just not excited about it at all. First of, it'll be the first ever Apple phone meaning there will be some niggles, also it'll be a candy bar. The only candy bar phone i can tolerate is a smart phone. Some thing tells me the iPhone WONT be a smartphone from the ground up. It'll be a phone with *some* smart phone abilities.

Also, like most recent rumored products from Apple, its probably been waaay overhyped and will end up being a dissapointment.

Palm shouldn't be so confident though. Apple is the same company that made Michael Dell eat his words.

People shouldn't discount palm yet either.

The most sensible thing i've heard so far...

 

[Mac Fly (film)]

HEY! who's he calling a "PC guy"??!

Exactly, Mac guys are though. Actually nobody is walking anywhere, very bad analogy. Apple isn't going to walk in, they're are going to use their thought processes, thier leadership, thier skills, thier talents, thier expirence, and their knowhow, to proove there's a reason why Apple makes things better then the other, and they will once again be proven right, I hope.

 

[Seasought]

Contracts and locked phones will keep the phone industry from growing and maturing in the same way computers did.

I think this is largely what keeps a bitter taste in my mouth regarding buying cell phones at all. I'm still using a crappy, standard-issue phone for my provider as 1.) the phones available to my provider are not to my taste or 2.) The ones I do like are ridiculously expensive.

Perhaps the root of the issue is that I simply don't talk on my cell that much any way.

 

[war]

the features I want

I wish Apple would keep features at a minimum. My current phone has so many features that I don't use. I don't care if it can surf the internet nor do I care if it can take pictures. Could I just get a phone with a great address book that syncs really well with my mac? I just want an excellent way to keep control of my contacts, that's it. Any mobile phone companies out there listening? Stop putting features in that I don't care about.

 

[macFanDave]

"PC guys are not going to just figure this out. They're not going to just walk in.''

I think John Hodgman could easily make a great cell phone quickly -- it's one of the areas of his expertise!

For the record, Apple did just "walk in" to the MP3 market and figured it out pretty quickly. Perhaps the idea that making devices is complicated is why Palm went from being the "next big thing" to obscurity. Apple has an excellent track record of making things simple. Applying that philosophy to cell phones would be mighty powerful especially compared to the bloated victims of chronic feature creep.

I regard the market of PDA's to be a colossal failure. Sure, it's a niche market that makes some money for a slimmed-down Palm and a division of Microshaft, but it could have been so much more if it were done well.

 

[radio893fm]

Sony P990

Mr Palm, Apple fan boys:

The perfect smart phone has already been created and is out in the wild: SONY ERICSSON P990.

Wifi, location free, 2 mp camera with flash, keyboard, MP3 player, videos, etc. Now if only Apple would open the iTunes so it can sync with some other devices than the iPod would be very nice...

 

[twoodcc]

well i can't wait for the new phone. i think it's gonna be a hit.

 

[Mr_Ed]

...
Apple could change the way phones are made as well, but only if they rethink the device from the ground up. Most phones have too many features that it takes too long to figure out how to use, don't have enough battery life, and are too painful to get hooked up to your computer so you can transfer photos and songs back and forth. Apple has the synchronization stuff down. If you can sync it like an iPod - and charge it in the process, its already leaps above most phones out there. But they cannot miss the interface.

If they want a camera on it (optional in my opinion) they have to make it dirt simple to use (scroll wheel to zoom, middle button to snap) and to get the photos taken on it into iPhoto. Otherwise, skip it altogether. And please don't make me fumble around to find the right button to hit to answer a call. Open it to answer the call, close it to hang up. And if you aren't going to put the number buttons in a tranditional layout - don't put them on there at all. I don't have the time or energy to learn some idiotic circular arrangement. I'd rather you put the numbers up on a touch screen and let me smudge up my phone than deal with a non-standard button arrangement. It also has to be hearty - I don't have time for a phone that stops working if I drop it 3 feet onto a carpeted floor.
...

I couldn't agree more. I still think a cell phone should be, first and foremost, a decent telephone! If it stops working after I drop it on carpet, or the person at the other end sounds like they are taking through a "tin can", or if the reception "goes down more frequently than a five dollar hooker" and it drops calls, I don't really give a rat's ass about a built in camera, video, music player, fancy ringers, or any of the other "bells and whistles" that seem to be a marketing priority these days. Then there's the whole battery life issue. I don't want to caught off guard with a dead phone late one night because I happened to be in the mood for music that day and used the phone as a music player all day. Give me a good telephone, and decent features that enhance that function (BT hands free, sync, etc.) first. Then worry about the other gimmicks.

 

[Object-X]

Open

I know that many Blue Tooth features of my Motorola cell phone is disabled by Verizon. Even if Apple would make the best cell phone possible, how many of those great featues do you think the cell phone companies would actually allow the use of.

Remember simple things like ring tones, photos & such could easilly be transferred from the cell phone to your home computer. But this is not usually allowed. Could this be because the cell phone companies allow these features only to add to their revenue stream, not to give the cell phone user some additional user or usuable feature?

Unless the an Apple cell phone was available from all cell phone service providers & without many of the cell phone features disabled, do you think that it could be a success?

Bill the TaxMan

To answer your question: yes, I think it will be a success.

First, there are the rumors that the phone will be sold unlocked. If true, then the carriers will have no control over what features a phone has or can use.

Secondly, most of the features we are talking about are Internet related. As long as the phone has the ability to connect to the Internet all of Apple's .Mac services can be reached.

Last, but not least, Apple has a history of innovating around intrenched limitations. One of the reasons Apple has been successful in changing market dynamics with their products is because they change the game.

Keep in mind that this will just be the first phone of many. It is quite possible that some sort of wireless VOIP phone could bypass cell phone networks entirely. I don't think that will happen at the beginning, but it is a future possibility. Perhaps what is behind the Apple Google connection. Remember, I said Apple has a way of changing market dynamics with their technology.

I don't believe Apple would ever allow some other company to dictate to them what features or technology they can use. If cell phone carriers had that kind of control Apple would simply stay out. This more than anything leads me to believe the "unlocked" phone rumors; that would be very consistant with Apple's way of doing business.

 

[rtdunham]

It would be fun to speculate what features Apple brings to the iPhone that could revolutionize the cell phone industry? My guess is 1) ease of use in updating contacts, calendar, emails 2) iPod music integration 3) high quality 640x480 mpeg4 videos and 4) leveraging in flash memory pricing

Good post. I'm still waiting for a phone that will easily (and thoroughly) sync with my Address Book and iCal, and I'm on the mac platform. So even some of the features you describe would be of immediate value to a lot of mac users.

But I'm guessing a slick phone that made it easy to have one's songs, contacts, and calendar always at hand would be a major force in the "Switch" campaign as well. Imagine if the phone/iPod windows users were using in the future could also do all those extra things--from the mac platform. I think a lot would find that irresistable.

 

[rtdunham]

...it was the same for Creative, Real and now Palm...they are almost dead with their crappy PDAs

I like my Treo a lot. But what i really want is its capabilities (better executed) in a phone the size of a RAZR or Samsung A900. Maybe that can be done, maybe not.

 

[ryanw]

Sure....

Just like "some PC guy's" named Apple didn't just waltz right in on sony's discman market ownership with a thing called the iPod. Apple isn't just some random "PC Company", they're innovative and they do intense study groups to determine what works and what doesn't with the majority of consumers.

I "Personally" always feel that there is one or two tweaks or features missing from an apple application. For example the ability to change which search engine to use in Safari, or the ability to change what map website the address book uses to pull up a mailing address in a map, the ability to burn a list of songs in iTunes without making a playlist, etc... BUT these lack of tweaks are actually what the consumers LOVE about apple's software. There are enough options to make it functional and not too many options to clutter the interface to scare away the consumer.

I still believe apple could burry options deep in preferences instead of just not have them at all, after all, no consumer goes through the preferences, only power users. But again, the power user isn't the majority of the consumers. So we'll see if apple can take over the phone market. I know I'd buy one.

 

[lamina]

If Apple came out with a PDA, I would buy it in a split second. I am in the market for a PDA, but I don't like the feel of the Windows OS or whatever is on them.

I would want it to be slightly wider than the current 5th gen iPod, with the same height, and all virtual controls.

Come to think of it, why not just make a full screen iPod with PDA capabilities, especially bluetooth. Bluetooth wouldn't be too useful for song transfers (isn't it limited to 1 megabit/s?) but for calendar files and contacts, even pictures, it would be perfect.

Ohh Apple please come out with a PDA. I don't even want the cell phone feature.

 

[mkrishnan]

Good post. I'm still waiting for a phone that will easily (and thoroughly) sync with my Address Book and iCal, and I'm on the mac platform. So even some of the features you describe would be of immediate value to a lot of mac users.

My experience with Symbian (Series 60) is that it does a very thorough sync'ing using iSync.... and of course there are many, many phones that do at least a loosely passable job... even my cute but dumb RAZR. Are you serious or joking?

 

[SiliconAddict]

iPod Phone == phone + music

Palm Treo == Tool

Threat averted. Life can go on as usual.

 

[57004]

i am sure apple is finding the world of phone carriers complex and difficult.

The biggest hangup of theirs is probably the sale of media and ringtones. They simply probably do NOT want Apple to provide the solution. Even if Apple's storefront is better, they will not want money going elsewhere.

that said, Apple's best option here is to simply launch the product themselves. Offer a GSM phone that is unlocked. The phone companies will get a clue later on when people want the product

I think Apple is already working on moving in on the world of carriers. The O2 Ireland network is so into Apple that their shops are practically Apple stores with a few phones on the side. I'm not saying that this is directly due to the iPhone coming out because it has been like this for years, but it might have helped when this was negotiated.

Networks are always looking for ways to set themselves apart from the others because they basically offer the same (including rates). The iPhone will be associated with the iPod as a fashion item and being a reseller of them will be an excellent opportunity for a network to differentiate itself. Especially when the others won't take it up.

I'd say Apple will have no problem at all getting their phones on the networks' shops.

 

[RichP]

I have to agree with some previous posters on here; its not going to be the featureset, but the implementation.

I have a Samsung Smartphone, and WinMobile isnt terrible, but its far from smooth or an enjoyable use. That being said, when you have "real" internet (aka not something that is just for phone use) and "real" Instant Messaging, you begin to actually use these things. The T-Mobile Sidekick, although a bit geared to the younger crowd, its a very good device in terms of its functionality and user interface.

I basically see the iPhone as a better designed, better user interfaced, and EXTREMELY easy to charge and Sync with a computer. Just like an iPod. All these phones lack in the sync department, Apple could dominate this (which, apart from the user interface, is the thing that sets the ipod apart. Plug it ina and it just works, no fuss)

Expect to see it sold through Apple unlocked, around 400-450 dollars. People used to pay that for an iPod, they will do so for a phone. Especially when there are VERY expensive ringtones, songs, etc. Apple will be the more economical choice in light of the expensive "services" the providers offer.

The industry will change. MS will release the "Pune" in 3 years to kill iPhone. In brown.

 

[vincebio]

Mr Palm, Apple fan boys:

The perfect smart phone has already been created and is out in the wild: SONY ERICSSON P990.

Wifi, location free, 2 mp camera with flash, keyboard, MP3 player, videos, etc.

yeah. except they forgot to put RAM in it...and the firmware is crap so far..and the battery last about...erm, 24 hours..and they wont support mac..ever!

great phone though!

 

[Clive At Five]

Okay, I've heard here a lot, that people want simple integration/syncronization with iTunes, iPhoto, iCal, & Address Book. These are all, (minus iTunes) 100% Mac-Centric. PC users would only get integration/syncronization with iTunes. What good is that to them? At that point you only have iPod + Phone.

So Apple has a choice: Mac-Centric or not.

Knowing Apple, their first choice is "not" (which doesn't mean it will start out that way, but we'll just have to wait to find out). Apple would then have to either write iCal et al. for Windows or build in support for Outlook, ...uh... photo viewer... whatever PCs use for photos.

Both are daunting tasks.

Conclusion: In order for Apple to make a phone as good and as universal as the iPod, it will have to accomplish one of the aforementioned daunting tasks.

Making a phone for Mac users would be a walk in the park, because 1) it's such a small microcosm, 2) It's an environment that they are familiar with.

Making a phone for everyone will not be as easy. HOWEVER, Apple is great at building OSes (the iPod OS is simple & intuitive and I have no doubt that they will do the same with a phone) and Apple is great at integration with software, so even though there will be hurdles to overcome, Apple will eventually churn out a phone that is simple and is loved by everyone.

I also think there won't be a single serious Mac-User who won't have one. It'll just be too handy to have a device that will sync easily with the awesome Mac software.

-Clive

 

[j26]

Okay, I've heard here a lot, that people want simple integration/syncronization with iTunes, iPhoto, iCal, & Address Book. These are all, (minus iTunes) 100% Mac-Centric. PC users would only get integration/syncronization with iTunes. What good is that to them? At that point you only have iPod + Phone.

So Apple has a choice: Mac-Centric or not.

Knowing Apple, their first choice is "not" (which doesn't mean it will start out that way, but we'll just have to wait to find out). Apple would then have to either write iCal et al. for Windows or build in support for Outlook, ...uh... photo viewer... whatever PCs use for photos.

Both are daunting tasks.

Conclusion: In order for Apple to make a phone as good and as universal as the iPod, it will have to accomplish one of the aforementioned daunting tasks.

Making a phone for Mac users would be a walk in the park, because 1) it's such a small microcosm, 2) It's an environment that they are familiar with.

Making a phone for everyone will not be as easy. HOWEVER, Apple is great at building OSes (the iPod OS is simple & intuitive and I have no doubt that they will do the same with a phone) and Apple is great at integration with software, so even though there will be hurdles to overcome, Apple will eventually churn out a phone that is simple and is loved by everyone.

I also think there won't be a single serious Mac-User who won't have one. It'll just be too handy to have a device that will sync easily with the awesome Mac software.

-Clive

There's no reason why they will choose to exclude syncing with mac applications. iTunes for everyone, and extras for mac users. And really they would only have to write something that would deal with Outlook to cover most Windows users to keep everyone happy.