Will this Change Everything?

The much anticipated iPhone is launching in less than a month (June 29th). The implications are amazing. Many are finally predicting a convergence between Internet and mobile, Media and Commerce, and location and information. User generated commercials have popped up online.

However, is the iPhone as big of a deal as we think? Of course Apple is going to hype up their latest product which they hope will be as big as the iPod. Apple, though, is limited by Cingular and with a price tag of $499-$599 by wallet sizes. (Unlocked phones I hear are going for over $1100). I think the biggest breakthrough though with the iPhone is the touch screen interactivity of it. With this, there will be no more need for clunky QWERTY keyboards and t9 guessing algorithms.

Smaller devices will come out that can take advantage of this, being not only a phone, but a web browser, a camera, MP3 player, and camcorder ... all at the same time! But how will it affect marketing? I think the implications are obvious. Text messaging while powerful and popular will become even more when rich media can be delivered on the spot in relevant locations. Users won't be limited and programs won't have difficulty reading varied responses when web like applications appear on your phone. Overall, the iPhone is a step toward a world where we really will have the world at our fingertips, anywhere, anytime, anyplace.