Full FeedWIll the iPhone’s strong tie to software hurt its sales?
When Steve Jobs first announced the iPhone at Macworld in 2007, he put a major emphasis on how the iPhone, being mostly software, could so easily be modified. He used the example of adding keyboard keys and how Apple wouldn’t need to reship their product in order to change the keyboard. However, now that iPhone 3G has rolled around, along with the 2.0 software, it sort of has me wondering if the strong role software plays in the iPhone will hurt the iPhone 3G sales. Jump to after the break to find out why.
The iPhone 3G brings very minor hardware upgrades compared to the software upgrades. The most obvious of the hardware upgrades being 3G, finding that sort of network in anywhere but large cities is nearly impossible. The second large hardware upgrade is GPS, but we don’t even know if Apple is able to add turn by turn navigation to that due to the iPhone’s small GPS antenna.
What does all of this mean? If you own a first gen iPhone, don’t live in a large city, and don’t care about GPS, the software aspect of the new iPhone (which is obviously available on first gen phones) is all you need. And that is the reason why the strong emphasis on software may hurt the iPhone 3G sales. With such minor hardware upgrades (for most), there is no reason to buy a new iPhone when you can get all the great software updates for free. What do you think? Will you be getting the new iPhone either way?
Subscribe to keep up with the latest Apple news and rumors! - 
Subscribe to our feed
Black Friday 2009
Black Friday is almost here! Gadgetell's got you covered with all the latest news on who's offering the best deals. Dangerous crowds? You're on your own.
Our new podcast: Meet...
We know. Podcasts are so last year - but this one you won't want to miss. Whether it’s a rumor that won’t die, a new product announcement, or just a really good Macintosh or iPhone app find that we have to let you know about, we’ll make sure it’s covered on Appletellcast.
iPhone App Reviews
iPhone Apps. They were great when the App Store was first announced and we could all pick and chose what we wanted, but the number is now overwhelming. Here at Appletell, we'll detail the great iPhone apps we find, and steer you clear from those that aren't worth it even if they're free.
iPhone Game Reviews
As Apple turns the iPhone into one of the most popular gaming devices, the staff of Appletell--gamers and Apple fans alike--are here to help you get the most entertainment value out of your app store purchases.
I’m getting one because I want a 16G model. 8G is too small to hold a decent amount of my music, video & apps.
on July 10, 2008 at 03:30 PM - LINK