I'm officially an iPhone User: Some Initial Reactions

On Wednesday of this week I purchased an iPhone and stopped using my older Motorola Razr.  I had debated for weeks whether to wait and see what kind of Android handsets Samsung and LG would come out with next year.  Also, I knew that Motorola's Droid would be available in the Korean market early next year, probably in January.  However, I have no need whatsoever for the slide-out physical keyboard.  It strikes me as an appendage from an earlier age in the evolution of digital communication.  So, after two days of using the iPhone (3GS, 32 GB) here are some of my reactions.

• 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!