Apple iPhone Rising - June 29 Liftoff - Top Ten Innovations

Top Ten iPhone Innovations introduced by Apple's Creativity
Apple iPhone launches today, June 29, 2007.
Here are the Top Ten innovations introduced in iPhone by Apple:
1. Make calls by "simply pointing at a name or number." Get out of here... no buttons to click. No clicking umpteen times before you find the number you want to call. Point and Call. Welcome to the new touchscreen interface of iPhone. If you love the iPod interface, iPhone will only make it better.
2. Visual Voicemail, is definitely an industry first, a new innovation, that "lets users look at a listing of their voicemails, decide which messages to listen to, then go directly to those messages without listening to the prior messages." How useful is this? How often and how long you have to wait to hear that all important message from your very important friend, or boss until all the messages before are heard? If you are a frequent cell phone user, the answer is all the time. Apple understands the users' frustration as they check their voice mails, and Visual Voicemail will change the way you listen to your voice messages, and even save you minutes spent in waiting to hear that all important message. Oh, and you can even ignore earlier messages from that certain friend.
3. SMS move over. No more clicking 3 or 4 or more times to get to that letter that you want to type now. How about a touch keyboard that is predictive, full QWERT, and even prevents mistakes. Oh my. Finally, SMS will become easier, simpler, faster, friendlier, and bigger!! If you love SMS, iPhone is it. Recent reviewers have indicated that SMS on the iPhone needs a bit of getting used to; but once you do, you won't go back to the old ways.
4. A handy 2 megapixel camera, with that all important Photo management software. Finally. Now you can organize the photos you take and use them for wallpapers, emails, upload and download them to your PC or MAC, and watch them on a 3.5-inch widescreen.
5. A widescreen iPod. How wide? 3.5-inch wide. You love iPod. You would love iPhone even more. It takes iPod to the next level. Literally. iPhone promises that you will now "touch" your music, videos, photos, songs, artists, albums, playlists - all at the click of a finger. And now you can enjoy all those TV shows in cool landscape mode. Add YouTube to the video mix, and now we are talking!!
6. Cover Flow in iPhone introduces a new way to "browse music library by album cover artwork, for the first time." When navigating your music library on iPhone, you are automatically switched into Cover Flow by simply rotating iPhone into its landscape position. Now, you can enjoy the album in the same way as you buy it from the music store.
7. iPhone brings your Rich Email with the graphics, photos and visuals along with text from your friends, family or work to the phone. The emails are downloaded in the background while you work, browse, message or call, and will work on most POP3 and IMAP services. And to top it off, Yahoo! Mail is integrated and readily available for the iPhone.
8. Web Browsing as good as computer. This could be a stretch. Although iPhone comes with the Safari (TM) web browser which provides all the features of web browsing for the computer on the iPhone. Could this be the last straw that finally breaks the camel's back, and brings the hordes of wireless phone users to web browsing? Not only you can see a web page as it was designed to be seen, iPhone allows you to "easily zoom in to expand any section by simply tapping on iPhone's multi- touch display with their finger." And with the Quad-Band GSM technology along with EDGE and Wi-Fi means "you can surf the web from just about anywhere," and even "automatically sync bookmarks from their PC or Mac."
9. Google Maps. On iPhone. No way. Yes way. Google's groundbreaking maps service and iPhone's amazing maps application tied together "offering the best maps experience by far on any pocket device." Easily and conveniently view maps, satellite images, traffic information and even get directions. Finally, you have everything local and global covered.
10. Artificial Intelligence. iPhone that thinks and senses and becomes one with what you do. iPhone has "advanced built-in sensors -- an accelerometer, a proximity sensor and an ambient light sensor" that "detects when the user has rotated the device from portrait to landscape, then automatically changes the contents of the display accordingly, with users immediately seeing the entire width of a web page, or a photo in its proper landscape aspect ratio." Are you kidding me? No wait. There's more. iPhone also has "proximity sensor detects when you lift iPhone to your ear and immediately turns off the display to save power and prevent inadvertent touches until iPhone is moved away." Wait a moment. Finally, "iPhone's built-in ambient light sensor automatically adjusts the display's brightness to the appropriate level for the current ambient light, thereby enhancing the user experience and saving power at the same time."

Apple Inc. (NASDAQ: AAPL) is one of the top 20 innovators of The Innovation Index, and is the Number One Innovator for 2007 as per the rankings of the Top 50 Innovative Companies in the world by BusinessWeek.

Download Apple's Innovation Strategy and Learn how Steve Jobs made Apple the #1 Innovative company in the world.

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Also check out the following interesting stories about the Apple iPhone:

Two Days to Apple iPhone Launch - June 29 Liftoff
Three Days to Apple iPhone Launch - June 29 Liftoff
Four Days to Apple iPhone Launch - June 29 Liftoff
Five Days to Apple iPhone Launch - June 29 Liftoff
Seven Days to Apple iPhone Launch - June 29 Liftoff
Eight Days to Apple iPhone Launch - June 29 Liftoff
Nine Days to Apple iPhone Launch - June 29 Liftoff
Ten Days to Apple iPhone Launch - June 29 Launch
Countdown to Apple iPhone Launch - Day 15 - June 29 Launch
Countdown to Apple iPhone Launch - Day 14 - June 29 Launch
Countdown to Apple iPhone Launch - Day 13 - June 29 Launch
Countdown to Apple iPhone Launch - Day 3 - June 29 release
Countdown to Apple iPhone Launch - Day 2
Countdown to Apple iPhone Launch - Day 1

Two Days to Apple iPhone Launch - June 29 Liftoff

"Apple Inc.'s iPhone won't hit stores until Friday, but the heavily hyped gadget already has unleashed a cottage industry of touch-screen protectors, leather hip carriers and car adapters.

Even the most enthusiastic manufacturers said creating formfitting iPhone accessories was an enormous challenge. A notoriously tightlipped Apple kept many partners in the dark on precise specifications, and some of the company's most trusted accessory manufacturers still have not touched a genuine iPhone.

To compensate, many cribbed size and weight specifications from Apple's Web site, then created models out of wood, cardboard or plastic. They shipped models to Apple for advice on whether headset and other outlets were placed correctly. They adjusted and resent revised versions to Apple." - Source: BusinessWeek

"Motorola, the world's second-largest mobile handset maker is coming off a $118 million dollar first calendar quarter loss, notes the Financial Times, where its strategy to increase market share resulted in crisis.

Padmasree Warrior, chief technology officer for Motorola, told the financial paper that her firm is basing a comeback on a new generation of handsets, but admits that iPhone is of particular concern.
"I do worry about [the iPhone] because [Apple] is a great competitor; a very respectable, credible, tough competitor to have in the industry," she said.

At the same time, the exec believes the Apple device will appeal only to a "small part of the market" and hold its share of weaknesses. For instance, she said the phone's web browsing capability could have "severe limitations" because it will run on AT&T's slower 2.5G network, rather than the carrier's high-speed 3G network.

Motorola, which saw a resurgence after the launch of its RAZR handset in 2004, plans to unleash the second-generation of the super-slim handset sometime this summer. Like the firm's Q9 smartphone, the RAZR2 will reportedly run on the faster 3G networks." - Source: Apple Insider

"Vodafone is in talks with Apple to launch the U.S. firm's iPhone combined music player and telephone in Europe, and talks partly hinge on volume guarantees and subsidies, a Dutch magazine reported.

Apple demanded a guaranteed sales volume for the iPhone, which the British mobile operator did not want to give, Dutch magazine Bright said on its web site late on Tuesday.

The magazine said Vodafone was pushing for more scope to subsidize the phone and did not want Apple to have control of the sale price." - Source: Reuters UK

"Apple Inc.'s iPhone won a strong endorsement from a key technology reviewer on Tuesday, June 26 when the Wall Street Journal's Walter Mossberg called it a beautiful, breakthrough device.

"Our verdict is that, despite some flaws and feature omissions, the iPhone is, on balance, a beautiful and breakthrough handheld computer," Mossberg said in a review on WSJ.com.

New York Times technology writer David Pogue also weighed in with a largely positive review saying that the iPhone lived up to most of its considerable hype even if it did fall short in some areas." - Source: WSJ, New York Times

Apple Inc. (NASDAQ: AAPL) is one of the top 20 innovators of The Innovation Index, and is the Number One Innovator for 2007 as per the rankings of the Top 50 Innovative Companies in the world by BusinessWeek.

Download Apple's Innovation Strategy and Learn how Steve Jobs made Apple the #1 Innovative company in the world.

Download Now

Bottomline:

If iPhone is a huge success, the iPhone accessories market will be another big hit. Case in point: iPod accessory market. iPhone has competitors worried, both in the U.S. and outside. In order to succeed globally though, Apple must put together a solid win-win plan to expand in Europe and Asia soon - within the next two months. Finally, reviews of iPhone are coming in, and are mostly optimistic - either the reviewers don't want to emphasize the flaws, or there are limited flaws - also, do they really want to bet against a winning horse when there is so much hype, buzz, hysteria and more surrounding the launch? The consumers will soon find out whether the iPhone is for real on June 29.
Also check out the following interesting stories about the Apple iPhone:

Three Days to Apple iPhone Launch - June 29 Liftoff
Four Days to Apple iPhone Launch - June 29 Liftoff
Five Days to Apple iPhone Launch - June 29 Liftoff
Seven Days to Apple iPhone Launch - June 29 Liftoff
Eight Days to Apple iPhone Launch - June 29 Liftoff
Nine Days to Apple iPhone Launch - June 29 Liftoff
Ten Days to Apple iPhone Launch - June 29 Launch
Countdown to Apple iPhone Launch - Day 15 - June 29 Launch
Countdown to Apple iPhone Launch - Day 14 - June 29 Launch
Countdown to Apple iPhone Launch - Day 13 - June 29 Launch
Countdown to Apple iPhone Launch - Day 3 - June 29 release
Countdown to Apple iPhone Launch - Day 2
Countdown to Apple iPhone Launch - Day 1

Three Days to Apple iPhone Launch - June 29 Liftoff

Jessica Rodriguez joins the line to purchase an iPhone in front of an Apple store on Tuesday, June 26, 2007 in New York. The much-promoted mobile phone from Apple goes on sale Friday in U.S. markets. For Jessica Rodriguez, waiting four days for an iPhone is nothing when the prize is "the next big thing."

On Tuesday, Rodriguez became the fourth person to line up outside Apple Inc.'s Fifth Avenue store in New York. The 24-year-old college student wants to get a belated birthday gift for her sister as soon as the iPhone starts selling Friday evening.
"Words can't express why I want an iPhone," Rodriguez said, sitting in a red folding chair she brought. "The main reason is (Apple CEO) Steve Jobs is a genius. He's a great innovator. It's going to be the next big thing in cell phones."
The three people ahead of her all joined the queue Monday, braving temperatures that reached 90 degrees. Their spirits weren't dampened by forecasts for thunderstorms later in the week and remarks such as "Crazy, people are just absolutely crazy" by one passer-by.
David Clayman, 21, on vacation from Chicago, happened to walk by and decided to change his travel plans on the spot, extending his trip by a day. He hopes to buy three phones: One to raise money for charity; one as an early birthday gift for his dad, who turns 50 on Saturday; and a third for himself.
....
Those features interest Eric Mueller, 45, a graphic designer who joined the line after dropping off materials for a client nearby.
He said he looks forward to better compatibility with Apple's Macintosh computers, complaining that the Bluetooth wireless connection on his Samsung Electronics Co. phone hardly works with Macs.
But Mueller said he might not last until Friday, saying every hour waiting for a phone is an hour away from serving his clients. Others, though, were willing to tough it out.....
"I've met some incredible people waiting on line," Clayman said. "When are you going to get an experience like this?".....

New Yorkers have a reputation for being a hearty lot, and those who want to be among the first to buy an iPhone on Friday seem to be made of a particularly tough constitution. Despite temperatures that soared above 90 degrees today, several were already lined up outside the Apple Store on Fifth Avenue in Manhattan.
The leader of the pack was Greg Packer, 43, a retired highway maintenance worker from Huntington, N.Y., on Long Island. Packer lugged his supplies, which included water and clothes, and set up a camping chair on the street outside the store on Fifth Avenue at 5 a.m. Monday so he could be the first in line for Apple Inc.'s latest gadget.
Though he's committed himself to spending nearly five days living on the street for the iPhone, he's not "computer literate" and doesn't own an iPod. Packer said "I'm not really a technology person, but I'm doing the best I can to keep up with technology," he said.
However, two of his favorite things are music and the phone, so Packer, who said he has camped out early for concert tickets and sporting events in the past, wanted to be first in line to get the product that combines the two and provides Internet access at his fingertips. "I want to see what it's like," he said. "I want to give my review of it."
Packer isn't the only one consumed with iPhone fever. At 2 p.m. today three people with chairs were in line behind him, and a fifth person said he was joining the queue while Packer was being interviewed. (That move seemed unlikely, however, since the man was dressed in casual business attire and had no supplies or other equipment that one might have for a four-day camping excursion on a New York street.).....

Johnny Vulcan started the queue outside Apple's store in Manhattan's SoHo district at 7 a.m. today. He's trying to raise awareness for Keep a Child Alive, a charity that treats children with AIDS in Africa. The group plans to auction the device on EBay and said one of its celebrity ambassadors will hand-deliver it to the winning bidder.
Service Plans
Apple will sell the iPhone at 162 stores. The company said today it will close the doors at 2 p.m. that day to prepare for the debut and then reopen four hours later. AT&T, which will offer the gadget at 1,800 company-owned outlets, said its stores will be closed for 90 minutes before the iPhone goes on sale.
The iPhone will come in two versions: a $499, 4-gigabyte model and a $599, 8-gigabyte version. Both require a two-year service plan with AT&T Inc. San Antonio-based AT&T said today that plans will cost about $60 to $220 a month.
"I'll probably get the world's worst sunburn,'' said Eric Mueller, a graphic designer from Harlem who's fifth in line at the Fifth Avenue store, the only Apple outlet that's open 24 hours a day. "But it's exciting to be part of it.''
For others, it's about earning some extra cash. John May, a college student in Vallejo, California, has offered to stand in line for $250 for a potential iPhone buyer. He'll wait at an Apple store in Vallejo or Walnut Creek. Although no one has responded to his ad on Craigslist, May said he'll still join the line for latecomers.
"It seems like an easy way to make cash,'' said May, 18, who said his dad gave him the idea. "It's crazy.''

Apple Inc. (NASDAQ: AAPL) is one of the top 20 innovators of The Innovation Index, and is the Number One Innovator for 2007 as per the rankings of the Top 50 Innovative Companies in the world by BusinessWeek.

Download Apple's Innovation Strategy and Learn how Steve Jobs made Apple the #1 Innovative company in the world.

Download Now

Bottomline:
Fans are beginning to clamor for the brand new Apple iPhone which is due out at 6:00 p.m. on June 29. The lines will only get bigger by June 29 morning, and expect dozens to hundreds of anxious buyers waiting outside the key Apple and AT&T stores to try and buy the iPhone. Even the $59.99 monthly plan that includes 450 minutes and unlimited data services among other features will not deter the die-hard Apple aficionados. Most analysts are predicting 100,000 to 200,000 iPhone unit sales by June 30. If you cannot wait for the iPhone, don't want to stand in line for days or hours, and are searching for an alternative, check this review of iPhone competitors by Marketwatch: Wireless device makers target iPhone crowd - LG, Nokia and target high-end users, but devices lack carrier support.

Also check the following interesting stories about the Apple iPhone:
Four Days to Apple iPhone Launch - June 29 Liftoff
Five Days to Apple iPhone Launch - June 29 Liftoff
Seven Days to Apple iPhone Launch - June 29 Liftoff
Eight Days to Apple iPhone Launch - June 29 Liftoff
Nine Days to Apple iPhone Launch - June 29 Liftoff
Ten Days to Apple iPhone Launch - June 29 Launch
Countdown to Apple iPhone Launch - Day 15 - June 29 Launch
Countdown to Apple iPhone Launch - Day 14 - June 29 Launch
Countdown to Apple iPhone Launch - Day 13 - June 29 Launch
Countdown to Apple iPhone Launch - Day 3 - June 29 release
Countdown to Apple iPhone Launch - Day 2
Countdown to Apple iPhone Launch - Day 1
References:
Customers line up for iPhone launch
By ANICK JESDANUN
AP INTERNET WRITER
New Yorkers camp out for iPhone despite summer heat
IPhone fever takes hold in the Big Apple

Four Days to Apple iPhone Launch - June 29 Liftoff

The following table shows estimates for unit sales of the Apple iPhone from various analysts, including my own:



Download Apple's Innovation Strategy and Learn how Steve Jobs made Apple the #1 Innovative company in the world.

Download Now

Bottomline:

The average estimate from all the analysts including the Apple Innovation Blog is over 1 million units of Apple iPhone sold by September 30, 2007, and 8.74 million units of Apple iPhone sold in the next year by September 30, 2008 for a total of 9.74 million units sold from June 29 launch through September 30, 2008. Even if Apple iPhone sells closer to 7.5 million units in the first full year of launch, this would be considered highly successful, and would easily eclipse the first full year of launch sales of the Apple iPod. However, Steve Jobs' and Apple's sights are much higher - the Motorola RAZR sold 50 million units from 2004 to 2006. Can iPhone come close to the breakout success of the RAZR?

Apple Inc. (NASDAQ: AAPL) is one of the top 20 innovators of The Innovation Index, and is the Number One Innovator for 2007 as per the rankings of the Top 50 Innovative Companies in the world by BusinessWeek.

Also check:

Five Days to Apple iPhone Launch - June 29 Liftoff
Seven Days to Apple iPhone Launch - June 29 Liftoff
Eight Days to Apple iPhone Launch - June 29 Liftoff
Nine Days to Apple iPhone Launch - June 29 Liftoff
Ten Days to Apple iPhone Launch - June 29 Launch
Countdown to Apple iPhone Launch - Day 15 - June 29 Launch
Countdown to Apple iPhone Launch - Day 14 - June 29 Launch
Countdown to Apple iPhone Launch - Day 13 - June 29 Launch
Countdown to Apple iPhone Launch - Day 3 - June 29 release
Countdown to Apple iPhone Launch - Day 2
Countdown to Apple iPhone Launch - Day 1

Five Days to Apple iPhone Launch - June 29 Liftoff

Bob Rehm has seen the commercials, he’s witnessed the hype, and he really couldn’t care less that the iPhone is about to drop in Southwest Florida.

Yes, it’s a cell phone that can hold pictures, MP3s files, and includes a Web browser complete with Google search and map functions. Yes, it will be able to support wireless streaming of videos from YouTube.

And yes, it’s actually cooler — if that’s even possible — than the iPod, according to loyalists of the Apple brand.....

There's hype. There's hysteria. And there's history. The hype around Apple Inc.'s upcoming iPhone is abundantly clear. So is the hysteria. But how the iPhone will leave its historical mark after Friday's launch is to be seen.

Will the gadget - which triples as a cell phone, iPod media player and a wireless Web device - be as "revolutionary" as Apple CEO Steve Jobs has claimed?

Even if the product flops for some reason or stays limited to the high-end corner of the smart phone market, the iPhone has already jolted the industry, showing that it is not just the body and outward beauty of the handset that counts, but what's inside....

Remember the television ads for the Motorola RAZR?
The commercials showed off the sexy, thin profile of the clamshell handset and seduced more than 50 million people from 2004 to 2006 to buy it, making it the most popular cell phone ever sold.

But people want more now. There are plenty of slim, ultra-thin options out there, but not many make finding photos, saving phone contacts, picking up voice mail and selecting ringtones insanely easy.

"This is the most anticipated phone since Alexander Graham Bell did his," said Michael Gartenberg, an industry analyst at JupiterResearch. "Part of it is the fascination with Apple's products and how well they design them, but it's also about how poor the design in software is in cell phones now, and how much time Apple has spent working on this."

Apple's iPhone commercials show a finger swiping the touch screen display to activate the home menu, and with one tap on the photo icon, up pop your photos. Another icon zips over to your contacts.

Not a drop-down menu in sight.

"A few handset makers have been trying to make the phone simpler without having to refer to a manual that's 18 times the size of the phone," said Richard Doherty, president of The Envisioneering Group, a research company. "But Apple is going for the moon here.".....

Oakland Web programmer David Stillman, 21, hopes to be the first of his friends to own an iPhone.
Stillman, who has three Macintosh computers and two iPods, plans to trade in his two-year-old Sanyo phone for the high-end $599 iPhone if the all-inclusive monthly charges come to less than $100. Apple and AT&T Inc. - the exclusive carrier for the iPhone - have not yet disclosed the service charges.
Stillman says the best iPhone features appear to be the simple access to Google Inc.'s online maps and route directions and the intuitive user interface, which allows for easy scrolling through a contact list, fast searches through photo albums and quick callback for missed calls and recently dialed numbers.
Also, instead of just listening to voicemail in the order received, Apple has created what it calls "visual voicemail" for iPhone, an innovative way to see the list of voice messages so users can quickly choose the one they want to hear.
"The software is going to sell this phone - it's going to be so easy and obvious and will correct a lot of problems in other phones," said Stillman, who was waiting for Apple's flagship retail store in San Francisco to open Friday morning to do some shopping. "Other phones - even BlackBerrys - can do a million things but you can't figure out how to do anything on them.".....

Download Apple's Innovation Strategy and Learn how Steve Jobs made Apple the #1 Innovative company in the world.

Download Now

Bottomline:

Oh my!! The buzz that the Apple iPhone has created pre-launch is unprecedented. As Steve Jobs will have you believe, iPhone is the coolest mobile phone, "it's all about the software inside", and the ease-of-use, the intuitive interface, the touchscreen, the iPod music player, the comprehensive Safari Internet browser, the YouTube video, the visual voice mail, the Google Maps, the pictures, the artificial intelligence, the photos, the wireless connectivity.....and more. Just one or two of these killer features have to be a big hit for the iPhone to rival the success of the iPod or the Motorola Razr. What will these features be? Would it be the Internet browsing? Would it be the music? Would it be the video? Or the fact that it would be the easiest mobile phone to operate. Would iPhone software come in the way of its operations and konk out when you are calling someone? Is the iPhone tested fully? Would iPhone connection be available everywhere and there would be no more "Can you hear me?". The industry is eagerly waiting for perhaps the biggest product launch of the 21st century.

Apple Inc. (NASDAQ: AAPL) is one of the top 20 innovators of The Innovation Index, and is the Number One Innovator for 2007 as per the rankings of the Top 50 Innovative Companies in the world by BusinessWeek.

Also check:

Seven Days to Apple iPhone Launch - June 29 Liftoff
Eight Days to Apple iPhone Launch - June 29 Liftoff
Nine Days to Apple iPhone Launch - June 29 Liftoff
Ten Days to Apple iPhone Launch - June 29 Launch
Countdown to Apple iPhone Launch - Day 15 - June 29 Launch
Countdown to Apple iPhone Launch - Day 14 - June 29 Launch
Countdown to Apple iPhone Launch - Day 13 - June 29 Launch
Countdown to Apple iPhone Launch - Day 3 - June 29 release
Countdown to Apple iPhone Launch - Day 2
Countdown to Apple iPhone Launch - Day 1

References:

Fans already saying ‘iWant the iPhone’ By Jessie L. Bonner
Originally published — 2:21 p.m., June 23, 2007
Updated — 10:20 p.m., June 23, 2007

Associated Press
Industry Awaits 'Revolutionary' IPhone
By MAY WONG 06.24.07, 4:04 PM ET

Seven Days to Apple iPhone Launch - June 29 Liftoff

Apple Inc.'s iPhone was a top choice in a survey of people who plan to buy an advanced mobile phone in the next three months, a sign the new device may take market share from rivals.
The survey by ChangeWave Research found that 26 percent of likely buyers would choose the iPhone, a combination mobile phone and iPod that will go on sale June 29. It was tied for first place with Research In Motion Ltd.'s BlackBerry. The research firm asked 3,489 U.S. consumers if they planned to buy an advanced mobile phone, and if so, what brand they would choose.
Apple Inc. (NASDAQ: AAPL) , based in Cupertino, California, is betting the iPhone's features such as a touch screen will lure customers away from the BlackBerry and Palm Inc.'s Treo. The U.S. market for so- called smart phones, which offer e-mail functions, music players and cameras, may grow 43 percent this year to almost $6 billion, according to research firm Strategy Analytics.
"It appears that the Apple iPhone will have a huge impact on the smart-phone market,'' ChangeWave said in the report. The device "poses an enormous challenge to the entire industry.''
ChangeWave, based in Rockville, Maryland, said 7.8 percent of the consumers surveyed planned to buy an advanced phone within the next 90 days. The study was conducted in April.

Download Apple's Innovation Strategy and Learn how Steve Jobs made Apple the #1 Innovative company in the world.

Download Now

Bottomline:
If the market of smartphones indeed grows to $6 billion this year, and 26 percent of likely buyers will choose the iPhone, this would translate to $1.56 billion in total revenue for the new iPhone in the first year. At an average sale of $549 per iPhone, the number of new iPhones sold in the first year could eclipse 2.84 million units. Most analysts predict that the first year sales of the new iPhone would be in the range of 3.5 million to 4 million units. This means, that an additional 1 million iPhones will be snapped up by existing iPod owners. With 100 million iPod owners all over the world, 1 million translates to only 1% of the entire population. It is plausible that at least 10% of the iPod owners would buy the new iPhone - this alone creates a market of 10 million new iPhones. The question then is really about the timing. How soon with Apple sell 10 million new iPhones? Would it take only two years, or closer to five years? The success of Apple and the new iPhone will be entirely defined by rapid acceleration of new iPhone sales. Anything less than the sale of a few million iPhones in the first year would be construed a failure.
Apple Inc. (NASDAQ: AAPL) is one of the top 20 innovators of The Innovation Index, and is the number one innovator for 2007 from among the Top 50 Innovative Companies in the world as per BusinessWeek.

Also check:

Eight Days to Apple iPhone Launch - June 29 Liftoff
Nine Days to Apple iPhone Launch - June 29 Liftoff
Ten Days to Apple iPhone Launch - June 29 Launch
Countdown to Apple iPhone Launch - Day 15 - June 29 Launch
Countdown to Apple iPhone Launch - Day 14 - June 29 Launch
Countdown to Apple iPhone Launch - Day 13 - June 29 Launch
Countdown to Apple iPhone Launch - Day 3 - June 29 release
Countdown to Apple iPhone Launch - Day 2
Countdown to Apple iPhone Launch - Day 1

Eight Days to Apple iPhone Launch - June 29 Liftoff

AT&T (NYSE: T) adds 2000 employees, includes 1,800 stores, and expands store hours for the upcoming Apple iPhone launch

AT&T, the exclusive service provider for the Apple iPhone, said on Thursday it has hired 2,000 temporary store workers to handle its much-hyped introduction of the iPhone, the first cell phone from iPod music player maker Apple.
The biggest U.S. wireless service provider by customer numbers will be the country's only carrier to offer the device when it goes on sale June 29. AT&T and Apple said they plan to start selling the device starting at 6 p.m. local time in cities across the country.
AT&T spokesman Mark Siegel said the company hired the extra summer staff for its 1,800 stores in anticipation of "significant demand" for the device. AT&T's wireless division employs a total of about 58,000 people.
The iPhone was first announced in January and combines a music and video player with a Web browser and a touch-sensitive screen in place of a keyboard.
AT&T sales staff have received a total of 100,000 hours of training to sell the device, at "the high end of the normal range" with an average of 6 hours per employee, said Mr. Siegel.

Apple, which plans to start selling the phone in all of its 162 retail stores on June 29, did not disclose any plans around training or staffing for the launch.
Apple will also start selling the phone online on the launch date, but AT&T will first launch only in its stores.
"This is such an important product we want to make sure people are fully informed," when they buy it, said Mr. Siegel.
AT&T stores will close locally at 4.30 p.m. on that Friday to prepare for the launch, then reopen at 6 p.m. until 10 p.m. that night, according to Mr. Siegel.
"We want to free people from the rush of what they would normally encounter on a busy day," he said.
AT&T, which is requiring iPhone shoppers to sign up for a 2-year contract, has not yet revealed the service fees it will charge iPhone customers. The price of an iPhone will be either $500 or $600, depending on the storage space in the phone.

Download Apple's Innovation Strategy and Learn how Steve Jobs made Apple the #1 Innovative company in the world.

Download Now

Bottomline:

Both AT&T and Apple are working in overdrive to make the new Apple iPhone a smashing success. If Apple iPhone does not takeoff as anticipated, it would definitely not be because of lack of planning, preparation and execution. Rather, it may fail if the consumers do not adopt it by the masses and if the much touted Internet, Music and Video features don't live up to the expectations. Is the AT&T network ready to handle the type of data traffic that an iPhone user will exploit on a daily basis when they are downloading iTunes, Video from YouTube and Google Inc. (NASDAQ: GOOG), and browsing the Internet on the powerful Safari browser? There is also the small matter of texting using the touchscreen - this may involve a user behavior change that most layman users may not be ready to adopt or adapt. Remember Palm and the Graffiti. It never took off since the users were not ready to change the way they write their abc's. There is also the prohibitive cost of the Apple iPhone itself at $499 or $599, the monthly data services cost, and the inherent cost of switching carriers if you are stuck in a contract. All these costs can add up significantly, and can dampen the iPhone launch. However, if AT&T and Apple score high on these potential hiccups, they will launch a home run that will rival the success of iPod. Ten million iPhones may very well become a thing of the past by the end of 2008.

Apple Inc. (NASDAQ: AAPL) is one of the top 20 innovators of The Innovation Index, and is the number one innovator for 2007 from among the Top 50 Innovative Companies in the world as per BusinessWeek.

Also check:

Nine Days to Apple iPhone Launch - June 29 Liftoff
Ten Days to Apple iPhone Launch - June 29 Launch
Countdown to Apple iPhone Launch - Day 15 - June 29 Launch
Countdown to Apple iPhone Launch - Day 14 - June 29 Launch
Countdown to Apple iPhone Launch - Day 13 - June 29 Launch
Countdown to Apple iPhone Launch - Day 3 - June 29 release
Countdown to Apple iPhone Launch - Day 2
Countdown to Apple iPhone Launch - Day 1

Nine Days to Apple iPhone Launch - June 29 Liftoff

Apple® announced that Apple iPhone™ users will be able to enjoy YouTube’s originally-created content on their iPhones when they begin shipping on June 29. A new Apple-designed application on iPhone will wirelessly stream YouTube’s content to iPhone over Wi-Fi or EDGE networks and play it on iPhone’s stunning 3.5 inch display.

“iPhone delivers the best YouTube mobile experience by far,” said Steve Jobs, Apple’s CEO. “Now users can enjoy YouTube wherever they are—on their iPhone, on their Mac or on a widescreen TV in their living room with Apple TV.”

To achieve higher video quality and longer battery life on mobile devices, YouTube has begun encoding their videos in the advanced H.264 format, and iPhone will be the first mobile device to use the H.264-encoded videos. Over 10,000 videos will be available on June 29, and YouTube will be adding more each week until their full catalog of videos is available in the H.264 format this fall.

The combination of H.264-encoded videos plus iPhone’s built-in Wi-Fi networking, stunning 3.5 inch display, and custom YouTube application with its multi-touch user interface results in the best YouTube experience on any mobile device.

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Bottomline:

Just when we thought we had seen the last of the "nine days to launch" Apple iPhone's innovations, Apple iPhone once again steals the limelight, and creates a mobile industry first: iPhone becomes the first mobile device to use H.264-encoded videos with a built-in ability to browse 10,000 videos on demand from YouTube. Wow!! Google Inc. (NASDAQ: GOOG) leads the market with the YouTube on demand web video service; Google and Apple have now joined hands to offer YouTube over the iPhone. There are tens of millions of YouTube downloads daily; now there will be hordes of iPhone users browsing YouTube video clips daily. YouTube is already viral; now, iPhone can become viral based on the viral appeal of YouTube. Can one find a better match than this? Not in the current market. The numbers are mind boggling: 19 million consumers have shown interest in purchasing the new iPhone, and with YouTube coming on board, the numbers can only become real. One thing is certain: Steve Jobs and Apple are playing all the right cards to make the iPhone a must have, gotta have, to die for mobile phone that will provide the best internet, video and music experience. And oh, it's a pretty good phone too.

Apple Inc. (NASDAQ: AAPL) is one of the top 20 innovators of The Innovation Index, and is the number one innovator for 2007 from among the Top 50 Innovative Companies in the world as per BusinessWeek.

Also check:

Ten Days to Apple iPhone Launch - June 29 Launch
Countdown to Apple iPhone Launch - Day 15 - June 29 Launch
Countdown to Apple iPhone Launch - Day 14 - June 29 Launch
Countdown to Apple iPhone Launch - Day 13 - June 29 Launch
Countdown to Apple iPhone Launch - Day 3 - June 29 release
Countdown to Apple iPhone Launch - Day 2
Countdown to Apple iPhone Launch - Day 1

Ten Days to Apple iPhone Launch - June 29 Launch

iPhone Delivers Up to Eight Hours of Talk Time

Now Features Durable Glass Top Surface

Apple® announced on June 18 that iPhone™ will deliver significantly longer battery life when it ships on June 29 than was originally estimated when iPhone was unveiled in January. iPhone will feature up to 8 hours of talk time, 6 hours of Internet use, 7 hours of video playback or 24 hours of audio playback.* In addition, iPhone will feature up to 250 hours-more than 10 days-of standby time. Apple also announced that the entire top surface of iPhone, including its stunning 3.5-inch display, has been upgraded from plastic to optical-quality glass to achieve a superior level of scratch resistance and optical clarity.

"With 8 hours of talk time, and 24 hours of audio playback, iPhone's battery life is longer than any other 'Smartphone' and even longer than most MP3 players," said Steve Jobs, Apple's CEO. "We've also upgraded iPhone's entire top surface from plastic to optical-quality glass for superior scratch resistance and clarity. There has never been a phone like iPhone, and we can't wait to get this truly magical product into the hands of customers starting just 11 days from today."

Download Apple's Innovation Strategy and Learn how Steve Jobs made Apple the #1 Innovative company in the world.

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Bottomline:

With Ten days to iPhone Launch, Apple has once again upped the ante by providing increased talk time, and superior touchscreen surface for the iPhone. Either Apple is really getting good at underestimating and over-delivering on announced features thereby creating an awe for the iPhone even before the launch, or even Apple is essentially figuring out things out on-the-fly and innovating in real-time. Either way, the consumers benefit the most from these improvements. The question then to ask is whether Apple will announce another enhancement before the launch. For the naysayer, Apple's strategy of innovating while the product is on the assembly line should raise quality concerns. But then again, Apple has proved time and again that it will rather stretch just a bit more with the best interest of the consumer in mind and take that meaningful risk, rather than wait.

Apple Inc. (NASDAQ: AAPL) is one of the top 20 innovators of The Innovation Index, and is the number one innovator for 2007 according to BusinessWeek.

Also check:

Countdown to Apple iPhone Launch - Day 15 - June 29 Launch
Countdown to Apple iPhone Launch - Day 14 - June 29 Launch
Countdown to Apple iPhone Launch - Day 13 - June 29 Launch
Countdown to Apple iPhone Launch - Day 3 - June 29 release
Countdown to Apple iPhone Launch - Day 2
Countdown to Apple iPhone Launch - Day 1

Countdown to Apple iPhone Launch - Day 15 - June 29 Launch

Germany's three leading mobile service providers will start selling the HTC Touch smart phone in late June -- earlier than the European debut of Apple's iPhone, which the HTC Touch hopes to rival.

Taiwan's High Tech Computer Corp., which makes the HTC Touch, said today that its touch-screen phone would retail for a recommended €450 ($599 U.S.) if sold without a contract.

Apple Inc. (NASDAQ: AAPL) plans to start selling its much-hyped iPhone in the United States on June 29. The iPhone's price tag will be $500 or $600, depending on the amount of memory it contains.

It eventually plans to sell the iPhone in Europe and Japan but has not announced specific dates or prices. AT&T Inc. is the only cellular service provider with rights to sell the iPhone in the United States; the phone will also be available in Apple stores.

HTC said T-Mobile will sell a version of the HTC Touch -- which has an integrated media player and is based on Microsoft software -- under the brand MDA Touch.
Vodafone Group PLC will bring out a co-branded version designed jointly with HTC, while O2 Germany will sell another version branded Xda Nova.

The HTC Touch will come with 1GB of memory for storing video, music and photos -- enough for about 250 tunes -- compared with the iPhone's 4GB or 8GB.

HTC has begun selling the HTC Touch in Taiwan and Britain and will introduce it in the United States later this month.

It has sold a better-than-expected 60,000 of the phones so far this month and JPMorgan expects that it should be able to ship 2 million between July and December.

Download Apple's Innovation Strategy and Learn how Steve Jobs made Apple the #1 Innovative company in the world.

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Bottomline:

Apple iPhone is not even out yet, and it has already found solid competition in HTC's HTC Touch phone. Head to head, iPhone will have four to eight times more memory than the Touch, and include a complete Internet browser and fully functional iPod. HTC Touch will be a worthy competitor nevertheless since the wireless operators may lower its price point based on contracts, and the fact that it has already found a foothold in international markets - this means it has been tested and primed. Could HTC Touch become the dark horse that rivals iPhone? Or could it even create a larger market for touchscreen mobile cell phones?

Apple Inc. (NASDAQ: AAPL) is one of the top 20 innovators of The Innovation Index, and is the number one innovator for 2007 according to BusinessWeek.

Also check:

Countdown to Apple iPhone Launch - Day 14 - June 29 Launch
Countdown to Apple iPhone Launch - Day 13 - June 29 Launch
Countdown to Apple iPhone Launch - Day 3 - June 29 release
Countdown to Apple iPhone Launch - Day 2
Countdown to Apple iPhone Launch - Day 1

Countdown to Apple iPhone Launch - Day 14 - June 29 Launch

iPhone may boost AT&T subscribers by nearly 1 million in 07
By AppleInsider Staff

Apple Inc.'s (NASDAQ: AAPL) soon-to-be-released iPhone could potentially serve as a "very disruptive force "in the wireless industry, benefiting AT&T (NYSE: T) at the expense of the other "Big 4" carriers, according to investment bank Bear Stearns.

In a report to clients on Thursday, equity research analyst Mike McCormack said his latest model has the inaugural Apple handset contributing 915,000 new subscribers to AT&T's wireless network during the second half of this year, with an additional 3.5 million likely to follow in 2008.

McCormack's latest calculations represent an approximate 17 percent increase to his previous estimate of 5.4 million new subscribers in 2007, and a 76 percent increase to his 2008 estimate of 4.6 million newcomers. The iPhone should also help curb AT&T's churn (or loss of subscribers) during the same time frames, the analyst said.

"This improvement in churn reflects existing subscribers who were planning to disconnect but were retained as a result of the iPhone," he wrote. "While we have not factored into our estimates the impact of increased retail traffic in AT&T’s stores related to the iPhone, we believe this effect could contribute to further upside for the carrier."

Download Apple's Innovation Strategy and Learn how Steve Jobs made Apple the #1 Innovative company in the world.

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Bottomline:

Can Apple iPhone create disruption in the wireless marketplace? Would it have a direct impact on the likes of LG, Nokia, Motorola, Samsung and Sony? How much of an indirect impact will the iPhone have on AT&T, and the key national wireless carriers? Finally, what about all the suppliers who have provided parts to make the Apple iPhone? Can iPhone become the juggernaut that everyone is hyping it to be? The consumers hold the answer to all these questions. What percentage of current iPod owners will buy the iPhone? How many current cell phone owners will switch to iPhone? How many new mobile phone users will buy iPhone? And how many iPhone users will stay loyal? Many questions, many answers. We will check back in late 2007 for some of the answers.

Apple Inc. (NASDAQ: AAPL) is one of the top 20 innovators of The Innovation Index, and is the number one innovator for 2007 according to BusinessWeek.

Also check:

Countdown to Apple iPhone Launch - Day 13 - June 29 Launch
Countdown to Apple iPhone Launch - Day 3 - June 29 release
Countdown to Apple iPhone Launch - Day 2
Countdown to Apple iPhone Launch - Day 1

Countdown to Apple iPhone Launch - Day 13 - June 29 Launch

Verizon, Sprint await iPhone onslaught
Marketwatch - June 12, 2007

WASHINGTON (MarketWatch) -- While AT&T Inc. (NYSE: T) executives talk confidently about gaining market share in the wireless business after the iPhone is released, skeptical rivals have reserved their fire. Verizon Wireless, Sprint Nextel Corp. and T-Mobile USA Inc. all say they are prepared for the iPhone, but none has offered a clear strategy to combat the introduction of the highly anticipated device.

....

AT&T has repeatedly called the iPhone a "game changer," saying more than 1 million potential customers have made inquiries about the device. Many of them have declined to re-sign annual commitments with their current providers so they'll have a chance to check out the iPhone, AT&T executives say.

"We believe the big shift that will occur is it's going to be an opportunity to take share," John Stankey, AT&T's group president for operations, told investors at a Bear Stearns conference.....

Because the iPhone is a data-intensive device -- Web surfing and music playing are two of its most crucial features -- AT&T expects customers who choose the device will spend more each month. Data plans are priced significantly higher than voice-only service.AT&T executives also figure that iPhone users will prove more loyal, helping the company to cut its current churn rate of 1.7%.

.....

Nonetheless, rival operators and handset makers have expressed skepticism about whether the iPhone will truly shake up a wireless market in which the vast majority of consumers pay less than $100 for the handsets they own.

They point to the iPhone's $500 starting price tag and note that consumers would also have to sign up for more costly monthly plans."It's an expensive device," Forsee said. "If the customer is buying that for music, then we're going to be able to provide very significant alternatives to that at a much cheaper price point."

.....

But just in case the iPhone proves to be a huge hit, Verizon executives are plotting out their response. "You will see you will see more products from us by year-end, so stay tuned," Denny Strigl, Verizon's chief operating officer said.

iPhone to Support Third-Party Web 2.0 Applications

Apple Inc. (NASDAQ: AAPL) announced on June 11, "that its revolutionary iPhone(TM) will run applications created with Web 2.0 Internet standards when it begins shipping on June 29. Developers can create Web 2.0 applications which look and behave just like the applications built into iPhone, and which can seamlessly access iPhone's services, including making a phone call, sending an email and displaying a location in Google Maps. Third-party applications created using Web 2.0 standards can extend iPhone's capabilities without compromising its reliability or security."

"Developers and users alike are going to be very surprised and pleased at how great these applications look and work on iPhone," said Steve Jobs, Apple's CEO. "Our innovative approach, using Web 2.0-based standards, lets developers create amazing new applications while keeping the iPhone secure and reliable."

Apple Inc. (NASDAQ: AAPL) is one of the top 20 innovators of The Innovation Index, and is the number one innovator for 2007 according to BusinessWeek.

Download Apple's Innovation Strategy and Learn how Steve Jobs made Apple the #1 Innovative company in the world.

Download Now

Bottomline:

Rival wireless operators are worried, to say the least. They are betting that iPhone fails. If iPhone succeeds beyond expectations, watch out!! AT&T has the most to benefit, besides Apple. In a move to create a larger base of developers, applications and users, Apple wisely chose to open up iPhone to use any Web 2.0 Internet standard application. This will take some time to sink in, but once it does sink in, can iPhone become a mobile platform? Only time will tell.

Also check:
Countdown to Apple iPhone Launch - Day 3 - June 29 release
Countdown to Apple iPhone Launch - Day 2
Countdown to Apple iPhone Launch - Day 1

Countdown to Apple iPhone Launch - Day 3 - June 29 release

Sunday night's ads in 60 minutes showed off several of the gadget's features and ended with the pronouncement that the phone will be available "Only on the new AT&T" and "Coming June 29." One other ad aired on the CW network before a 7 p.m. broadcast of "7th Heaven."

Apple Inc. (NASDAQ: AAPL) is one of the top 20 innovators of The Innovation Index, and is the number one innovator for 2007 according to BusinessWeek.

Download Apple's Innovation Strategy and Learn how Steve Jobs made Apple the #1 Innovative company in the world.

Download Now

Also check:

Countdown to Apple iPhone Launch - Day 2

Countdown to Apple iPhone Launch - Day 1

Sources:

Associated Press

engadget

Countdown to Apple iPhone Launch - Day 2 - (NASDAQ: AAPL)

What does Nokia's Chief Executive Olli-Pekka Kallasvuo have to say about the upcoming Apple iPhone launch?

Nokia NOK1V.HE, the world's biggest mobile phone maker, is investing in Africa to make the region its next big wireless market, Chief Executive Olli-Pekka Kallasvuo said on June 01, 2007....

Kallasvuo said the entry of Apple Inc. (NASDAQ: AAPL) into the mobile phone business this month, with its widely anticipated iPhone, marks the first time in years that a major new rival joins the highly competitive market.

Asked how the iPhone, with its touch-sensitive screen, will change design trends in the industry and at Nokia, Kallasvuo hinted Nokia would offer more such technology in the future.

"I definitely believe touch screen will be something that will have increasing relevancy in the mobile phone," he said, "and we definitely are working on that."

Most Nokia phones operate with button keypads rather than touch-based commands. Its first touch-screen device, the Nokia 7700, came out in 1994. It now has touch-screen phones on sale in China and two tablet devices for surfing the Web on the go.

Apple Inc. (NASDAQ: AAPL) is one of the top 20 innovators of The Innovation Index, and is the number one innovator for 2007 according to BusinessWeek.

Download Apple's Innovation Strategy and Learn how Steve Jobs made Apple the #1 Innovative company in the world.

Download Now

Bottomline:

Apple iPhone is going to usher in a new era of touch-screen cell phones. Of course, Steve Jobs wants to downplay some of these key new innovations, and want you to focus on how you can browse the Internet on the iPhone, but let's face it: what do users use their cell phone the most for? Making / receiving calls, Texting or SMS, and checking voice mails. If Jobs is right though, browsing the Internet will become a huge thing thanks to the iPhone, and also listening to music.

Also check: Countdown to Apple iPhone Launch - Day 1

References:
Reuters story

Countdown to Apple iPhone Launch - Day 1 - (NASDAQ: AAPL)

Apple iPhone is going to be launched towards late June, 2007. I am going to begin the Countdown to Apple iPhone Launch starting today.

Apple Inc. (NASDAQ: AAPL) is one of the top 20 innovators of The Innovation Index, and was voted recently number 1, the top innovator, by BusinessWeek and Boston Consulting Group.

What will the Countdown to Apple iPhone Launch contain?

1. Latest news about iPhone

2. Latest blogs about iPhone

3. Latest gossips and rumors about iPhone

4. Anything else that is interesting about iPhone

Today's latest news about iPhone as reported in MarketWatch:

"But to hear Steve Jobs tell it, the device's strongest selling point may be neither.

As he touted the product to a gathering of tech industry executives this week at D - All things Digital, Apple's chief executive sounded most excited about the iPhone's Internet pedigree -- especially its ability to download and play videos.The iPhone comes equipped with "real versions" of the company's operating system and the Safari Web browser, Jobs said, which will allow Apple to deliver to consumers an experience that others have mostly failed to. "It's the Internet in your pocket," he said.

Even though cell-phone providers have spent billions to build out sophisticated networks to let handsets access the Web, "you can't do a lot with them," according to Jobs. "You get the 'baby Internet,'" he said. "People want to get the 'real Internet' on their phone," Jobs said.

During his presentation at the "D" - All Thing Digital conference in Carlsbad, Calif., Jobs managed to turn on its head the most common argument against the iPhone -- that its lack of a keyboard will be a huge negative for consumers used to texting on smart phones like the Research in Motion Ltd. (NASDAQ: RIMM) BlackBerry and the Palm Inc. Treo.

Jobs acknowledged that the iPhone's touch screen will take some getting used to. "It takes about a week; you have to learn how to trust it," he said.

But the feature will provide the device with "incredible versatility," because it allows the device to offer users different interfaces for its different applications. To be sure, it's not that Jobs downplayed the product's music player capabilities. The iPhone "has the best iPod we've ever made," he said.

Still, he acknowledged that Cingular Wireless, which will be the only carrier to sell the product when it begins shipping next month, took a chance by agreeing to carry the product before Apple even showed it to them. "They took a gamble on us," because Apple has never made its own handset, "just as we took a gamble on them," Jobs said.

So why would Cingular, now a unit of AT&T Inc. (NYSE: T), do it?

Because "music hasn't been good on the phone," he said, and the company felt that partnering with Apple was their best chance of improving that experience. If consumers agree, Apple's sales and stock price may continue to rise, and Jobs may once again look like a genius."

References:

Apple is Number 1, Numero Uno, Top Innovative Company for the 3rd year in a row

The Innovation Index races to 21%, crushes major U.S. indices - Weekly Report 05-25-07

Apple is #1 - Numero Uno - Top Innovative Company in the world 3rd Year in Row

"It should come as little surprise, then, that Apple tops the BusinessWeek-Boston Consulting Group’s list of the World’s Most Innovative Companies for the third year in a row. That sort of staying power speaks volumes about the sort of innovation that matters today. Unlike the Post-it Note, which proves the value of lone inventors, the iPod epitomizes today’s innovation sensibilities. These include the ascendance of design, the focus on the user’s experience, and the power of ecosystems: The iPod is a hit because it works so seamlessly with the iTunes software. The company’s much-anticipated iPhone, which launches in June, will likely keep Apple high on our list next year too."

In the latest BusinessWeek-Boston Consulting Group's list of the World's 50 Most Innovative Companies, Apple Inc. (NASDAQ: AAPL) tops the list 3rd year in a row. Apple is crowned the #1 - Number One - Top Innovative Company. Although BusinessWeek and the readers tout Apple's iPod and iTunes, and soon to be launched iPhone, I believe iMac has come onto its own now, and Apple TV will also have a significant impact in 2007 and beyond.

What does Erich Joachimsthaler think of Apple in his latest book - Hidden In Plain Sight? Specifically, what was his answer to the question:

What drives Apple's innovation and growth? Is Apple better at connecting with and engaging consumers?

Click here to find the answer.

Apple is a top innovator, and is one of the top 20 innovators tracked weekly on The Innovation Index.

The Complete Story on Hidden In Plain Sight can be found at: Creativity And Innovation Driving Business

Ten Questions with Erich Joachimsthaler - Hidden In Plain Sight - Demand-first Innovation And Growth

What do Allianz Group, Apple Inc. (NASDAQ: AAPL), Axe, GE Healthcare (NYSE: GE), BMW, Proctor & Gamble (NYSE: PG), Starbucks (NASDAQ: SBUX), and Netflix have in common? These innovators consistently and successfully bring to market winning innovations, achieve profitable new growth, and reinvent their business for the future.

Erich Joachimsthaler, founder and CEO of Vivaldi Partners, a strategy, innovation and marketing consulting company, in his newly published book - Hidden In Plain Sight : How to find and execute your company's next big growth strategy - provides us insightful answers to real questions facing businesses today: on creating successful innovations and driving profitable growth - by introducing a new methodology “demand-first innovation and growth” (DIG). Joachimsthaler purports a poignant view of the misplaced state of innovation in the broader market.

.............

Question #10: What drives Apple's innovation and growth? Is Apple better at connecting with and engaging consumers?

Erich Joachimsthaler: Apple’s innovation and growth is first and foremost driven by inner conviction about the outer world – a conviction that is manifested by Steve Jobs and largely led by him and people around him.

This conviction is about changing how consumers live around music or entertainment. It is not merely a product focus, although it might appear this way. Apple has created the transformational change that I talk about in the book, it has created the customer advantage as I define it. It has changed the way we find out about music, the way we select music, buy music, listen to music, store music and discard music – in short, it has changed how we manage music in our lives (something that is fairly important to all of us), it also has changed how we manage video, etc.

It is not merely a better experience from competitor X, but it is a transformation of our lives, a part of our lives and Apple moves on doing the same with our entire digital lives, watch the launches of iTV and iPhone.

If Apple merely would define a set of needs and wants and then seek to fulfill it, they would ask consumers what they like or dislike about the Walkman and then create a better Walkman. I think that model of need-fulfillment paradigm is NOT at the core of the Apple process. Instead, Apple develops a notion of the changing consumer landscape. Think about around 2000 or 2001, there were already some consumers who downloaded songs from Napster and Kazaa. They see how the demand landscape is changing and they develop their own thinking, what I call structured thinking, around how to create a transformative experience for consumers. They don’t rely solely on consumer input and focus groups. In the process, Steve Jobs reframes the entire opportunity space for Apple – from a computer company, to a music company (Apple happens to be now one of the largest music retailers), to be an entertainment company. You ask about connecting with consumers? What would Madison Avenue recommend you? They would say: you need to find an emotional message that creates a connection with the consumers – touting functional and emotional benefits and achieve a clear positioning relative to competitors. How would that look like? Most likely a message, communicated over TV that clearly explains the principal benefits and the reasons to believe this benefits to targeted consumers. What would a marketer recommend? He or she would recommend that Apple segments the market into those who like more noisy music versus the sophisticated music lover who perhaps listen to classic music. And if you look at what Apple did, it seems they have followed little of the standard advice from marketers or advertising professionals. Connection and engagement does not happen on the small screen, the TV set or the large screen, but it happens in the 1,440 minutes where consumers live and work and play. Engagement and connection for Apple has nothing to do with emotionalizing the difference of iPod over the Walkman or touting superior product attributes. Look at their advertisements. Their marketing program or advertising program cannot be printed on paper or shown in little films called TV or cinema spots. Their program of connecting with consumers is about the 2,000 accessories that they have licensed to Bose and other companies so that we can absorb and assimilate the iPod into our 1,400 minutes we all live every day.

The Complete Story can be found at: Creativity And Innovation Driving Business

Apple trading off Leopard for iPhone, for now

Apple Inc. (NASDAQ: AAPL) today released the following statement after market close at http://www.apple.com/ :

Apple Statement
PR Newswire - April 12, 2007 4:30 PM ET

"iPhone has already passed several of its required certification tests and is on schedule to ship in late June as planned. We can't wait until customers get their hands (and fingers) on it and experience what a revolutionary and magical product it is. However, iPhone contains the most sophisticated software ever shipped on a mobile device, and finishing it on time has not come without a price -- we had to borrow some key software engineering and QA resources from our Mac OS(R) X team, and as a result we will not be able to release Leopard at our Worldwide Developers Conference in early June as planned. While Leopard's features will be complete by then, we cannot deliver the quality release that we and our customers expect from us. We now plan to show our developers a near final version of Leopard at the conference, give them a beta copy to take home so they can do their final testing, and ship Leopard in October. We think it will be well worth the wait. Life often presents tradeoffs, and in this case we're sure we've made the right ones."

Click here for the complete story and analysis

Apple Innovations Roundup for 03-18-07

Apple Innovation News

Avid investors prepped for Apple surprises at NAB
Apple Insider - 15 Mar 2007
Investment research firm PiperJaffray on Thursday cautioned shareholders of video production firm Avid Technology , Inc . that shares could experience some short - term volatility should Apple ...

BofA echos reports of flash-based Apple sub-notebook in 2H07
Apple Insider - 14 Mar 2007
Bank of America Securities this week joined a chorus of other Wall Street firms who say they believe Apple Inc . is working on flash - based notebook and video iPod designs for a release sometime ...

Apple's multi-touch technology seen spawning "mega-platform"
Apple Insider - 13 Mar 2007
Financial experts at UBS Investment Research say they believe Apple Inc . is developing a " mega - platform " based around its recently introduced multi - touch display technology that will facilitate ...

Apple TV manufacturing ramp up to begin as early as today
MacDailyNews - 12 Mar 2007
" With last minute graphics - related issues seemingly sorted out , Apple Inc . expects to begin manufacturing ramp up of its long - awaited Apple TV wireless media hub as early as Monday , " ...

Apple job posting seeks engineer for next-gen multi-touch displays
MacDailyNews - 9 Mar 2007
" Although traditionally tight - lipped , Apple Inc . in a recent job posting has revealed plans to incorporate multi - touch display panels in more of its future products , "

Apple Innovation Blogs

Real Apple Innovation
12 Mar 2007 by Painfree
Whilst Apple Inc often claims innovation, the current rumour that it may be about to introduce a flash memory based notebook would be real innovation. Flash memory has the advantages of ruggedness and low power consumption compared to ...
Painfree - http://painfreeblog.blogspot.com/index.html

Editorial: Vista - Where's my innovation? Microsof...
16 Mar 2007 by 3DCOOL.COM
In other words, where has the innovation and imagination that went into the early Windows builds gone? There are scores of readers and critics that have pointed out the features in Vista and said, “You know, Apple has had that for a ...
3DCOOL BLOGS - http://3dcool.blogspot.com/index.html

The Innovation Index unchanged, still beats US major indices ...
16 Mar 2007 by Sanjay Dalal
Alphabetical list of the top 20 Innovators of The Innovation Index and their stock ticker symbols: 3M Company - (NYSE: MMM) Amazon.com, Inc. - (NASDAQ: AMZN) America Movil - (NYSE: AMX) Apple Inc. - (NASDAQ: AAPL) ...
Creativity And Innovation Driving Business - http://creativityandinnovation.blogspot.com/index.html

How to create and mantain the Apple Cult? - Instituto de Empresa ...
I am not an Apple fan. However, I do admit that I admire their Marketing Management and the cult they have created around the Apple brand. In this story I will describe the purchasing process of an Apple product by a fan, and how both ...
Marketing Weblog - Instituto de Empresa... - http://marketing.blogs.ie.edu/