The phrase “iPhone killer” sounds great but it doesn’t withstand scrutiny.
Consider that in the 8 months since Apple Inc.’s splashdown in the mobile device market, device vendors have relentlessly chanted the mantra of “user experience” and “ease-of-use.”
Sure, that mantra has been a popular refrain for years, but now everyone really means it. (Right?)
The fact remains, few vendors have yet gone head-to-head with Apple’s creation. The trick, naturally, is to create an iPhone alternative without appearing to try. No one who considers oneself an innovator likes to look like an imitator.
So we asked a half-dozen analysts to name mobile devices that present an alternative to the iPhone and mention why they think so. Remember, the iPhone sells at Apple and AT&T Mobility stores for $400 (8 GB) and $500 (16 GB).
The results reveal that the market is awash in choices, offering the discriminating shopper a range of options. While none are likely to exactly “kill” the iPhone — or replicate Apple’s marketing wizardry — they do capture the state-of-the-art for mobile devices in the United States at this juncture in early 2008.
“No one can beat Apple at its combination of slick, discoverable user interface, application power and sleek, minimalist, fashion-phone design appeal,” said Ross Rubin, analyst with NPD Group. “Other handset makers, however, are fighting valiantly on overlapping fronts.”
Prices given were current carrier retail prices as of Feb. 6, with two-year contracts and rebates, unless otherwise noted. “Alternative retail channels” implies third-party resellers, including big box retail outlets and Web-based channels.
