Three version of the touch screen phones: have grown in popularity over the past year. Each network offers different features in order to compete with similar products. Pictured above are the Verizon Dare, Apple iPhone 3G and the Sprint Instinct. These phones include turn-by-turn navigation, push
Just three days after its launch, Apple Inc. announced July 14, that it sold its one millionth iPhone 3G.
If this isn’t enough to shock you, during its first weekend, iPhone and iPod touch customers downloaded more than 10 million applications from the new App Store.
It took 74 days for Apple Inc. to reach the one million mark with the original iPhone, and with the new 3G now being offered in 21 countries, do other phones have a fighting chance to compete with the iPhone’s popularity?
Lines were out the door at stores around the world, and iTunes was bustling as new users activated their iPhones, while existing owners downloaded the 2.0 update with anticipation.
“There’s been an overwhelming response to the iPhone 3G; it’s really exciting for us,” said Sue Sperry, AT&T spokesperson. “Both current iPhone users and new customers responded with enthusiasm. With all the new features and the App store launching, the decision to purchase a 3G was that much easier.”
Apple Inc. boasts at being a mobile phone industry leader since it entered the market last year, by offering a faster network speed, GPS turn-by-turn navigation, integrated push e-mail, contacts and calendars. It also offers the iPhone at half the price of the original iPhone, which debuted last summer.
“I don’t think the 3G has any real competitors,” said Adam Wilson, a senior in mathematics. “With Apple’s interface, the speed upgrade, the price cut and the 3G’s ability to sync with Enterprise servers, there’s not really anything that can match it.”
Other mobile phone providers are stepping up to provide customers with products similar to the iPhone, in the ever-growing trend of touch screen phones.
Sprint Nextel accepted the challenge head-on with its June 20 launch of the Samsung Instinct. This full touch screen device is $69 less than the iPhone and could save customers $50 a month over comparable AT&T plans, according to Sprint’s Web site.
“It’s just a fun phone,” said Kristin Wallace, manager of Sprint corporate communications. “It’s cool to see all the different features it has and all the different things it does, from music to TV, to the live search function and the GPS turn-by-turn navigation. It’s definitely been something our customers have been wanting.”
Instinct has been the fastest-selling high-speed data phone in Sprint’s history and was recently named “Best in Show” in the third annual Emerging Technology Award competition in April at CTIA Wireless 2008, Wallace explained.
Some phones’ features include visual voicemail, 2.0 megapixel camera and video camcorder, threaded text messaging, advanced stereo Bluetooth wireless technology, HTML Web browsing on Sprint’s Rev A mobile broadband network and an extensive selection of full-length songs from the Sprint music store.
Verizon Wireless customers are not left out of the recent full touch screen mobile device frenzy this summer, as it urges customers to “take the dare.”
LG was quick to manufacture touch screen devices after the first generation iPhone launch, such as the LG Voyager and the LG Vu, offering certain features the iPhone did not have, like live mobile TV and 3G connectivity.
The LG Dare became available to Verizon customers in early July for the same price AT&T was offering the iPhone 3G.
The 3-inch touch screen has many of the same easy navigation elements as that of the iPhone and makes multitasking a breeze with its ability to play music while texting, viewing pictures and sending e-mails.
“In response to the iPhone 3G launch, Verizon Wireless is conducting business as usual, offering a wide selection of handsets and devices, great network reliability and unique multimedia services,” said Caran Smith, Verizon Wireless spokesperson. “The reality is that quarter over quarter, we’re proud to report the lowest customer churn rate in the industry, which means our customers are choosing to stay with Verizon Wireless.”
Some of the Dare’s features include a true HTML browser, total V CAST suite, 3.2 megapixel camera, intuitive on-screen handwriting recognition, GPS support through VZ navigator, automatic screen orientation and VGA video recording capabilities.
With so many options out there, touch screen device users can only expect bigger and better products to fill store shelves in the future.
The iPhone boosted interest in the technology immensely causing many to ask – Is any room left for buttons?
