Apple unveils long rumored iPhone

Today at the Macworld Conference & Expo Steve Jobs finally unveiled the long rumored Apple iPhone. Most industry pundits and Mac fan sites predicted the phone's appearance; albeit giving it a low probability. They were dead wrong with other predications which seemed more probably; such as iLife '07 and Leopard.

The phone itself is striking to look at. It is somewhat larger than what you'd expected from Apple. Although it's really a PDA with phone capabilities; not a run-of-the-mill cell phone or even a smartphone for that matter. To be compared to today's Treos, Blackberry's and Pocket PC phones.

Disappointments

Of course the iPhone is not perfect! There are several disappointing facts which have come to light shortly after it was announced.

The Carrier

Apple plans on partnering with AT&T/Cingular for the iPhone's initial release. Their contract is described as long-term. It's unclear whether or not Apple will partner with other cell phone carriers, or how long they will partner with AT&T. This is bad news for me, since Cingular is one of the worst carriers for my area. I'm very content using Verizon and their broadband EVDO wireless network. I have no plans to switch.

The Network

The Closed Platform

The Bottom Line

Despite all of the disappointments, if Apple ever comes out with a 3G version for Verizon I would buy their iPhone. And I'm sure that some industrious types will eventually figure out a way to adapt applications for use on the phone. Or Apple may eventually acquiesce to Developer demands.