- It is a handheld computer or PC, more than a phone. There is no single "killer" application. What makes it so wildly successful is that it brings broadband to your palm.
- The screen resolution is great. I had debated waiting for one of the Samsung AMOLED screen-equipped Androids next year, but the iPhone display is so crisp and clear that I doubt I'll experience any buyer's remorse.
- The touch and multi-touch features on the iPhone are both designed for easy use. All you need is a clean screen and dry fingers and you can rapidly move through screens, scroll and zoom using only your thumb or a single finger for the most part. The user interface is elegant, with no extra steps and it is also largely intuitive.
- Synchronizing: I was very pleasantly surprised at how fast I could synchronize my contacts, calendar, pictures and other information from my notebook to the iPhone.
The above are some personal reactions. Using the device for a couple of days has also reinforced some of my thoughts about the Korean mobile market.
- I'll repeat my earlier prediction that millions, not hundreds of thousands of iPhones will be sold here in the next year or two. It is a big hit with younger people and we already know that diffusion rates in Korea's closely knit culture can be extremely fast.
- Samsung, LG and the mobile service providers here need to take a close look at the overall impact and patterns of use of the iPhone, not as an Apple iPhone per se, but rather as a breakthrough device, similar to the first PC, and the first GUI or mouse. A sea-change is taking place in mobile communications worldwide, and Korea has some catching-up to do.
- In the past, Korea has shown its ability not only to catch-up, but then to go out in front of other countries in the ICT sector. For the long run, don't underestimate what this country's leading companies may accomplish in mobile communications!