Come July 11th there will likely be a mod at your local Apple and AT&T stores with nerds and norms alike waiting to upgrade their Rev 1.0 device to the latest and greatest Apple has to offer your hand. We’ve all heard the hype and we’ve seen Apple deliver before and there’s little to no reason to believe that his Steveness won’t pull it off again. Apple has been in the “Zone” for years now, and with Microsoft losing face with consumers and Linux starting to pull out all the stops (take a gander at Ubuntu and the newly released OpenSUSE 11 if you don’t believe me) Apple is in a real position to start making real strides into a larger marketshare. The iPhone, that little black and silver rectangle you cradle so delicately in your hand, is the catalyst of that growth, too.

There are two primary points involved here. One, Apple has added complete Exchange connectivity to the iPhone 2.0 software, making it able to automatically connect to the single most used email server software in the world. They did so by making it work with ActiveSync, so that it meshes with the same technology Microsoft’s own Windows Mobile (and older Pocket PCs) use to syncronize data between desktop and email access provider. Two, people are tired of the phones they have so far been offered, what with their difficult to use and inconsistent interfaces, small displays, pointless PIM applications, and unreliable performance. More and more people have realized that the so-called “free” phones they’ve been offered are just shills for their service providers.

Apple and the iPhone have already made major strides in changing that by directly affecting the product design methodologies of other handset makers, just not always in the right direction. It seems that everyone has latched onto the idea that the iPhone’s sole aspect of success is its touchscreen. What LG and HTC and the others making touchscreen handsets now don’t get is that the touch part is only one small element of everything that makes the iPhone great. Its the best iPod ever made, its a portable media player, its an internet access system which fits nicely in your pocket, its a real PIM, its a messaging center, and, if you didn’t know, its a phone.

Some handset makers have taken notice, notably Nokia and RIM. Sure, they both already had a clear idea about how the mobile handset should also be a PIM and, at least in the case of Nokia, about how the handset could be a media tool, but form factors have long been hideous. Take most Blackberrys until the Pearl, which wasn’t a very good phone until the Curve came out, and Nokia’s Communicator series which is simply monstrous. Now RIM has introduced the very slick and aptly named Bold and Nokia is about to introduce the extremely sexy and functional E71. Neither of these are touchscreen devices, which is smart, because neither of these devices would work well as a touchscreen without a major overhaul.

What Apple has done is force the other makers to focus on their strengths and to address their shortcomings, and I’m sure Apple is aware of this. Its very likely that what Apple has done is knowingly caused the market to re-evaluate itself and its expectations, creating what it hopes will be a market-wide halo effect, driving even more customers to Apple. This, of course, will never be confirmed by Apple since they never confirm anything until they have officially announced it, and they only officially announce products, not strategies. It could also backfire on them. Apple is not the only source of innovation, and that’s not their only Achille’s Heel.

While I can’t claim to share the views of everyone, I do believe that there are some innovative offerings in the technology and mobile world which Apple did not have a hand in. As regular readers of me will know, I’m an IT guy a heart, and Apple has been stuck in IT Kindergarten while companies like HP and Dell have already graduated from college and gotten their Master degrees. Apple also lost its edge in the education market. Apple has never been able to shake the concept that their computers are more expensive, even though they aren’t. Most consumers who have not experienced Apple simply can’t wrap their minds around the idea that equivalent Windows-based systems cost the same, and in some cases more.

In innovation spaces, Google has made enormous strides in online technology. Who knows, maybe Apple’s new MobileMe, the replacement for .Mac, will be its answer to Microsoft’s Outlook and Google’s Gmail, all in one tidy package. Then again, at US$99 a year, its not been as huge a draw as Apple has hoped it would be, though now that they’ve added complete Windows compatibility, that may change. Despite Apple’s early hand in the PDA race, Palm was the most influencial contributor from which came Handspring, the inventor of the Treo, the handset which changed the smartphone industry forever. Oh, and no matter how you slice it, the iPod was not Apple’s idea. They just did it the best.

What Apple has done, however, is create the iPhone Era, which will start soon after July 11th. Be ready for it, for we will all reap the benefits, whether we buy an iPhone or another phone which was made better because of the iPhone’s influence and market impact. Just keep in mind, you don’t need to buy crap just because others are willing to settle.

written by Tyler Regas