All day long, people around the country have been desperately trying to pre-order Apple's latest and greatest, the iPhone 4. I, myself, have been trying over and again to complete the task via the Apple Store (app and website) and ATT.com, all to no avail. This means both that the servers can't handle the traffic and that the iPhone 4 is going to be huge. Now, how is that going to affect the iPad?
When Steve Jobs told the world that the iPhone came about after doing preliminary work on a tablet, it seemed much more likely that Apple's big dream all along has been to perfect the tablet computer. Remember, you haven't heard Jobs call the iPhone "magical" or "revolutionary." And when Steve sends e-mails these days, they usually say "Sent from my iPad," not "Sent from my iPhone."
But the world is iPhone-hungry. I love my iPad, but that hasn't stopped me from using my iPad to try and pre-order an iPhone 4 all day long. Is it merely technolust? Am I more excited about the iPhone 4 than I am about my in-hand iPad? Is the iPad already old hat?
The iPhone 4 is an amazing device, but so is the iPad.
For me personally, no. Note that I am upgrading from an iPhone 3G to an iPhone 4, so I'm overdue for a new smartphone. Mostly, I just want the new iPhone to have a phone that no longer feels sluggish. Having access to all that iOS 4.0 has to offer, plus the new camera features, will also be lovely additions, of course. But for my day-to-day media consumption, I'll still turn to the iPad.
My concern is how the rest of the world will feel. The iPad was rumored to have a front-facing camera, but it came with no camera at all. iOS 4.0 is coming for the iPad, but not until the fall. Essentially, iPhone 4 is stealing some of the thunder created by the iPad. Is it building on its success, though, or stealing the show?
Quite frankly, I don't want the iPad to hit a sales slump because of iPhone 4. I'm sure that I will love both devices more-or-less equally, but the iPad has a rightful spot in my living room, and it's a device that I think everyone should experience. My worry is that people coughing up another $199 and the cost of a 2-year data plan may think twice about spending an extra $500 on the iPad, which could be seen as even more of a luxury device than the iPhone.
Time will tell, certainly. We will have to wait and see what the iPhone pre-order numbers are compared to the iPad, as well as if people are purchasing both devices, not one or the other exclusively. Will iPad sales hold fast, or will we see a summer slump? What are your thoughts?
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In terms of sheer volume, yes, I think the iPhone will not take long at all to overtake the iPad, but that's comparing $200 apples to $600 oranges.
And people don't need to be re-sold on the iPhone. It's been out a long time, people know its capabilities, they know the apps for it, they know how well it works and how useful it is. Upgrading to one with a considerably better screen, faster processor, and new features is definitely a no-brainer.
The iPad is still getting a foothold; not in a crowded market, but in people's minds. They still aren't entirely sure of what the device offers, and I still get people checking it out when I'm using it. A Caltrain conductor saw me checking my email on it the other day and asked me about it, and told me he was looking for something less unwieldy than a laptop but bigger than a phone screen on which he could do his email. I think I sold him on it. And that's on Caltrain, which might as well be called the Silicon Valley Express. I believe the same thing is happening across the country, and soon across the world, and that while in the short term, the iPhone's launch will overshadow the device, it'll soon be right back out there impressing people once more.
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