Faster. Cheaper. Better?

Faster? Yes, please.
Cheaper? Thank you.
Better? Are you kidding?
Apple's announcement yesterday that the revolutionary iPhone would be getting an upgrade surprised few people. Rumors abounded that the new versions would take advantage of the faster 3G (third generation) network with speeds approaching broadband. And while most early iPhone adopters were willing to sacrifice speed for mobility, those days are dwindling. Meanwhile, the biggest obstacle to iPhone purchases, not surprisingly, was price. So Apple announced significant cuts, dropping the 8GB iPhone from $399 to $199. Meaning, you'll start seeing a lot more of them.

But the real surprise (to me anyway) was the announcement of iPhone 2.0. Apple had already revolutionized "smart" phones with a new touch interface and multiple applications that take advantage of OS X's advanced graphical user interface, as well as features like multi-touch, built-in GPS and accelerometer. Developers–like kids in a candy store–are already producing amazing apps, soon to be available at the new "App Store." Apple also threw in support for Microsoft Exchange, catering to enterprise users demanding push email, calendar and contacts, enabling the iPhone to take on (and overtake) the industry leader, Blackberry.

Apple didn't have to make it better. Faster? Yes, please. Cheaper? Thank you. But better? Once again, Apple sets the standard for innovation, while their competitors can barely keep up. Not only will the iPhone become a new standard, much like iPod became the brand standard mp3 player, iPhone 2.0–in my opinion–will become the third major computing platform. Effectively there is now Mac OS X, Windows, and iPhone. And pretty soon, your Blackberry with QWERTY keyboard will be as outdated as a rotary-dial phone.