IT won't solve the global warming problem, win the war on terror or cure cancer, but judging by the reaction of likely users, you could be forgiven for thinking it might.Apple's long-awaited iPhone, with its glitzy touch-screen interface, internet browser and music capabilities, has finally hit the streets in the US.
Greeted by credit-card wielding crowds whipped into near frenzy by a carefully choreographed marketing campaign, the device is Apple's first foray into the highly competitive mobile market.
Now the battle really begins.
Although Australian shops won't have stocks until next year, US technophiles have been crowding into Apple outlets in the past few days desperate to get their hands on the very latest in mobile gadgetry.
Lured by the phone's sleek looks and impressive array of features, they're happily stumping up $US499 ($588) for a 4GB model and $US599 for the meatier 8GB variant.
Thanks to an exclusive agreement, iPhone users can only use their newest acquisition on the AT&T mobile network. It's likely Apple will secure similar agreements with a single operator in each country around the world.
The feature capturing most interest among iPhone early adopters is the device's innovative touchscreen interface.
Rather than having to fumble with a stylus or peck out commands on a tiny keyboard, a pointed finger is all that's required.
Although touchscreens on mobile phones are not new, Apple has raised the bar enabling the use of more than one finger simultaneously.
For example, windows can be resized by grabbing them with two fingers and either pinching or extending them.
The same goes for photos and video, which both display impressively on the device's 3.5in, high-resolution colour screen.
The iPhone also incorporates a nifty feature that automatically detects whether it is being held in a portrait or landscape orientation, changing the aspect of the screen image to suit.
Add a camera, iPod music capabilities, a solid web browser, and put it all inside a sleek case and you've got an impressive product.
Apple is expecting to sell millions of them.
However, the California-based company faces tough competition in trying to enter the massive global mobile phone market.
Established players are not sitting idly by but working hard to counteract the publicity blitz that has surrounded the iPhone since it was first announced by Steve Jobs in January.
Apple has managed to single-handedly redefine the portable music sector with the iPod, but the mobile phone market is a very different kettle of fish.
Giants such as Nokia and Motorola are watching with interest but remain confident they can fend off competition from the newcomer.
Nokia chief technology officer Dr Tero Ojanpera says he is reserving judgement on the iPhone until he has had a chance to use one, but points out that a lot of its features are already available in other phones.
"Things like internet browsing we introduced a couple of years ago," he says. "The touchscreen is interesting, but a number of vendors already have touchscreen capabilities in their devices."
Nokia itself recently showed journalists video footage of a concept phone that incorporated a touchscreen interface remarkably similar to the iPhone.
Nokia says it has been working on the underlying technology for some time but declined to say when a product based on it would reach the market.
Ojanpera says a benefit of the iPhone launch and the associated publicity is that it has increased user interest in converged devices, and that will benefit all vendors.
"The iPhone validates the multipurpose device paradigm," he says. "It is an example of yet another vendor focused on single-purpose devices moving to multi-purpose devices."
Other vendors are a little more disparaging when asked about the new device.
Microsoft chief executive Steve Ballmer says he doubts that it will be popular with business users because it lacks some of the basic features they need.
"Five hundred dollars, fully subsidised with a plan? That is the most expensive phone in the world," he said in a recent interview.
"And it doesn't appeal to business customers because it doesn't have a keyboard, which makes it not a very good email machine.
"It may sell very well, but we have our strategy and some great Windows Mobile devices in the market."
One such Windows Mobile-powered device that could give the iPhone an early run for its money is the recently unveiled Touch smartphone from Taiwanese manufacturer HTC.
With an innovative TouchFLO screen interface, the phone is designed to be used by tapping it with a finger.
HTC chief executive Peter Chou says the interface will change the way people use and interact with mobile devices.
"With the HTC Touch, access to your most commonly used content, contacts and features is only a simple finger flick away," he said at the recent London launch.
"Mobile phone makers have done a great job of cramming ever-more exciting features into ever-smaller phones, but the way one accesses these increasingly capable features has not kept pace. That ends today with the HTC Touch."
The phone's screen is similar to that of the iPhone, with a range of icons providing fast access to features such as calendar, messaging, email and web browsing. However, the device does not have a qwerty keyboard, so emails have to be pecked out on the screen.
The Touch weighs in at a respectable 112g and sports a 2.8in colour touchscreen and a 2 megapixel camera. Powered by a Texas Instruments 850 processor it has 128MB of ROM and 64MB of RAM. A microSD card slot allows easy expansion of storage resources.
One thing users may find frustrating is slow connection speeds. The GSM-based device uses EDGE data networks and so cannot talk to faster third-generation networks (such as Telstra's HSDPA-based Next G network). It does, however, support Wi-Fi.
Being based on Windows Mobile, the device has the usual clutch of applications such as Outlook, Word and Excel.
Another device designed to take some attention away from the iPhone is the KE850 Prada phone from LG.
Trumpeted as the world's first fully touchscreen mobile phone (because it arrived in February), the Prada is stylishly designed and is selling in Europe through mobile phone and Prada fashion shops.
Built around a 3in touchscreen, it has a 2 megapixel camera and a sleek black case. When not in use, all icons on the screen fade to black, adding to its appeal for style-conscious users.
Frustratingly, this phone also doesn't take advantage of third-generation networks, connecting instead to GSM and EDGE data services. It also offers BlueTooth capabilities and an inbuilt FM radio.
The Prada phone has impressive music capabilities, being able to cope with WMA, AAC, RealAudio and MP3 files. It plays MPEG4 and H.264 video files.
While not an obvious choice for business users, the phone comes with a document viewer that supports Acrobat, Excel, PowerPoint and Word files. It also handles email and instant messaging.
As well as these high-profile examples, a wave of other devices is hitting the market to provide an alternative for anyone considering an iPhone purchase. Increasing use of touchscreen technology is a trend likely to continue gathering pace in the next few years.
However, when it comes to business users, the choice narrows. Many observers see the lack of a qwerty keyboard as a serious disadvantage, while others point to slower data speeds as a good reason to look elsewhere.
It might be coming first in the hype and marketing stakes, but whether the iPhone is purchased by large numbers of business users remains to be seen. Rival phone makers are far from giving up the fight.
Not for business
Reasons why the iPhone is unlikely to be a business user's first choice.
IT has attracted intense interest since its announcement in January, and initial stocks are sure to sell out within days of launch, however the Apple's iPhone has some drawbacks when it comes to business use. Some of the reasons to delay purchase include:
• No keyboard It might have an impressive touchscreen interface, but it doesn't have a keyboard. Tapping out emails and documents with your finger on a screen will soon become tiresome. Road warriors might be better off with an alternative device that comes equipped with a full qwerty keyboard.
• Slow connection Apple, in its wisdom, has chosen to go with a GSM-EDGE data connection. This is a 2.5G technology when all the interest is in the much faster 3G space. Expect lengthy waits for web pages to load and email to be delivered.
• Power limits The iPhone comes in a sealed case, meaning you can't swap over your battery for a freshly charged one while on the road. This limits usage to about five hours of talk time, which could be a frustration for power user business types. Also, when battery performance starts to fade, you'll have to ship it back to Apple for a replacement.
• Single network Just as Apple has done with AT&T in the US, it is expected to sign exclusive agreements with a single carrier in each market around the world. If you don't like the carrier they choose in Australia, tough.
• No extra software Apple has chosen to lock down the iPhone, meaning third-party applications cannot be installed. The company says it will encourage developers of web 2.0 applications to write for the device, making them accessible through the phone's browser, but if you want to download and run your own applications on the phone, forget it.
• Limited camera Sure, cameras are not essential in business phones, but they can be handy once in a while. The iPhone has one, but it's a paltry 2 megapixels, well below many other phones.
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