The iPhone makes its way to Asia sometime in early 2008. Big deal, right? Smart phones in technology-saturated countries live on third-generation wireless networks and can already play digital video,
music and even satellite TV at faster speeds than Apple's new iPhone. Steve Jobs' new gizmo doesn't look so special compared to what's on offer overseas.
Now, touch screen
functionality is revolutionary everywhere, and if you're lucky enough to own an iPhone or have had the chance to play around with one, it's special. Even in South Korea, the leader in the wireless
handset market, next-generation phones don't have touch screen. Add in a sexy design, beautiful screen, Wi-Fi compatibility and a full-scale Web browser and competitors are worried. "Apple's impact
will be bigger than Asian handset makers think," says Kim Yoon-ho, an analyst in Seoul at Prudential Securities. "It is the prototype of the future of mobile phones."
Korean electronics
giants LG and Samsung are already scrambling to match the expected iPhone revolution. According to TechCrunch, LG is already fast at work on a new YouTube-focused smart phone. LG says the model allows
users to upload, view and share video clips via its 3G network without a computer. The iPhone, of course, uses AT&T's slower 2G network.
Read the whole story at The New York Times »