On May 3, 2017, at 1:28 AM, M. Taylor <[email protected]
<mailto:[email protected]>> wrote:
CNET: 10 ways the iPhone changed everything
Ten years ago, Nokia was the world's largest phone maker. Microsoft was
gearing up to launch Windows Vista. And the best new products at CES
included a wireless TV and an MP3 player that streamed internet radio.
Then, on Jan. 9, 2007, Apple CEO Steve Jobs unveiled a device that
went on
to change the world -- a $499 iPhone that came with 4GB of storage.
It was a
mobile phone, a music player and an Internet device.
"iPhone is a revolutionary and magical product that is literally
five years
ahead of any other mobile phone," Jobs said at the time.
Since then, Apple has sold more than 1.2 billion iPhones and has
become the
most profitable public company in the world. Copycat phones from
companies
like Samsung, HTC, Motorola and Xiaomi proliferated across the
globe, and
now even people in places without steady electricity have smartphones.
"It's difficult to understate [the iPhone's] impact," Reticle Research
analyst Ross Rubin said. "The ripples it has created affect wide
swaths of
our lives."
Here are some ways the iPhone has changed the way we live:
1. We're always on
It used to be you'd fire up your computer, wait for your Wi-Fi to
connect
(or your dialup connection, if we're going wayyy back) and open Internet
Explorer, Safari or some other web browser. Now you're connected to the
internet all the time. If you're not on Wi-Fi, you're linked through
your
cellular network.
It's not just inescapable connectivity that the iPhone helped bring
about.
It's also how we actually access the internet. The iPhone made
mobile web
browsing useful for the first time. Every other mobile web browser
before
that was painful, in the words of CNET's Kent German. Soon came a
flood of
apps, which removed the need to open a web browser at all.
2. Tablets, watches and headphones, oh my
Multiple devices are either tied to the iPhone or exist because the
phone
was created. There's the iPad, essentially a larger iPhone you use
at home.
And there's the Apple Watch, which is tethered to the iPhone.
Then there are all the accessories spurred by the popularity of the
iPhone,
like phone cases; Bluetooth speakers and headphones; and charging
docks. ABI
Research estimates that revenue in the global mobile accessories
market will
top $110 billion in 2021.
"Given users' attachment to their smartphones and their wants and
needs to
personalize and protect them, the aftermarket mobile accessories
market is
showing no signs of slowing down," ABI analyst Marina Lu said.
3. The key to happiness
You may not remember this now, but Apple's first iPhone didn't have
such a
thing as third-party apps or the App Store. That changed in July
2008, when
Apple introduced the iPhone 3G and its iPhone 2.0 software.
The App Store is what made the iPhone a must-have device. There are
now more
than 2 million apps in the App Store, with essentially every company
making
one or more apps. And the iPhone and App Store have spawned
industries that
couldn't exist without smartphones. There'd be no Uber or Lyft to
shuttle us
from place to place, for instance, or Instagram or Snapchat for
sharing our
photos.
4. Everyone's a shutterbug
Sure, we had cameras on our phones before the iPhone. But the Apple
gadget's
combination of easy internet access and apps like Instagram inspired
people's inner photographer.
As a result, lugging around an actual camera became redundant.
"We as a species take more pictures than we ever had in the past by
an order
of magnitude," Current Analysis analyst Avi Greengart said.
5. Livin' live
The phone's camera also means you have a portable camcorder (remember
those?) at your fingertips. And on top of that, the phone's
connection lets
you broadcast video immediately. That could mean talking to your family
members on the other side of the country or shooting a cat video for
YouTube. Or, thanks to services like Facebook Live or Periscope, the
technology can be used for filming police brutality or instantly
reporting
something you've seen.
On the flip side, having these smart devices on us at all times lets law
enforcement and corporations (like the makers of those apps on your
phone)
track us. Apple has taken a strong stance on privacy, but security
remains a
big concern for users.
6. Putting the digits in digital
Touchscreens once were rare. Now babies are swiping at TVs and
wondering why
the screen doesn't change. Interactive screens are in virtually
everything,
even refrigerators. When Jobs introduced the iPhone, he said, "We
are all
born with the ultimate pointing device -- our fingers -- and iPhone uses
them to create the most revolutionary user interface since the mouse."
He was more right than he could imagine. The appeal of a touchscreen
phone
forced Microsoft to embrace touch in its software and get its hardware
partners to make touchscreen phones, tablets and computers.
It's almost surprising to see a device today without a touchscreen
(though
Apple maintains it won't be putting touchscreens in its Mac computers).
7. You are here
The introduction of mapping on the iPhone meant you no longer had to
feel
like an embarrassed tourist in a new city, clutching a giant paper
map on
the street corner. Google Maps and Apple Maps are two of the
most-used apps
on the iPhone, and they've steadily added features over the years, like
public transit directions.
The first iPhone had only 4GB of storage.
8. Gaming goes to the next level
The iPhone reinvented the idea of mobile gaming. Apps like Angry
Birds, that
anyone could play using their fingers on the touchscreen, became hugely
popular, and payment models changed. Many games are now free to play --
instead of charging a sales price, developers came up with the idea of
in-app purchases, which let you pay for new levels and features as
you go.
Seven of the top 10 grossing iPhone apps are games, like Pokemon Go,
according to market tracker App Annie.
9. Cash ain't king
Apple wasn't the first company to talk about mobile payments, but it did
make even your grandma aware of the technology, which lets you use your
phone to purchase things. Goodbye, cash. Hello, iPhone. The iPhone's
Wallet
app also can store retail coupons, reward cards, and passes for
flights and
movies, all in one place.
Cash isn't dead yet -- there still are many places that don't take
mobile
payments -- but using your phone at the checkout stand is more
common than
ever.
10. But wait -- there's more
There's no way to sum up all that the iPhone did in just 10 points. So
here's a grab bag of additional stuff.
Apple basically killed Adobe Flash on mobile devices and made endless
scrolling a very good thing. You never have to carry a calculator or
flashlight anymore, and visual voicemail lets you easily skip
forward in a
meandering message. Podcasts mean you don't have to listen to the
radio in
real time -- and they give you new options, such as the hit show
"Serial."
Social media has also shifted heavily to mobile devices from desktop
computers, letting people feel connected to friends at all times.
Facebook
said that in its most recent quarter, roughly 84 percent of its $6.82
billion in ad revenue came from mobile ads.
At the same time, the iPhone has been linked to the rise in
attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder and short attention spans
in kids.
Governments use mobile devices to spy on their citizens, and
consumers give
up a lot of personal information in exchange for services like Uber
rides.
But even with the negatives, don't try to take someone's iPhone away.
Original Article at:
https://www.cnet.com/news/apple-iphone-ipad-q2-2017-earnings-revenue/
Mark
--
The following information is important for all members of the V
iPhone list.
If you have any questions or concerns about the running of this
list, or if you feel that a member's post is inappropriate, please
contact the owners or moderators directly rather than posting on the
list itself.
Your V iPhone list moderator is Mark Taylor. Mark can be reached
at: [email protected] <mailto:[email protected]>. Your list owner is Cara
Quinn - you can reach Cara at [email protected]
<mailto:[email protected]>
The archives for this list can be searched at:
http://www.mail-archive.com/[email protected]/
---
You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google
Groups "VIPhone" group.
To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it,
send an email to [email protected]
<mailto:[email protected]>.
To post to this group, send email to [email protected]
<mailto:[email protected]>.
Visit this group at https://groups.google.com/group/viphone.
For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/d/optout.
