I compiled and combined a list of features that serve to make the iPhone a revolutionary product.
Please note "revolutionary" denotes an iPhone "only" feature as well.
Only phone that's completely Mac friendly. In todays market, this probably should be considered revolutionary (only feature to be read with a snide remark).
First and only phone to provide a revolutionary multi-touch interface
1. Two-finger stretching gesture
2. Two-finger tap-to-zoom out gesture
3. Two-finger pinching gesture
4. One-finger double-tap-to-zoom in gesture
5. One-finger scrolling gesture
6. One-finger flicking gesture
7. One-finger swiping/sweeping (depends on the context) gesture
Revolutionary fingertip editing lets you touch and hold the screen to get a zoomed in area of text for precise cursor placement with your finger.
Revolutionary keyboard - I know a little bit about what they are doing to make this unique keyboard a success. Every little space on that screen is tracking and measuring and relating to every other little space. There is a great deal of processing power required JUST for the simple act of typing. And reading how your finger hits the screen and what part of your finger hits first and the total amount of space that it hits — all in an effort to account for inaccuracies. There is a lot of research that has been done here. They even take into account a person's inability to accurately predict what part of their finger actually hits the screen. It seems that we fail to take into account the curve of our finger and how it actually hits the screen based on the overhead view we have in watching the screen as we type. Then of course there is the software based auto-correcting type of feature that analyzes which keys you MIGHT have meant to hit and figures out the word you wanted. And then of course word prediction. To this end, word prediction itself is also used in conjunction with a process of dynamically enlarging tap zones behind the scenes for virtually larger keys.
Revolutionary visual and user interface cues serve most appropriately.
Only phone to have a revolutionary one-button design - that lone button on the bottom of the phone will take you back to the home screen, provide quick accessibility to the iPhone's list of applications, provide a quick escape from the depths of any application or settings screen and act as a clean up/clean start tool - all with one quick press.
Only phone to employ context sensitive scroll bars that only appear when needed. No valuable screen real-estate is taken away and it is cleanly implemented.
Only phone to have a large 3.5 inch screen which utilizes every pixel for the camera view screen.
In a revolutionary move, Apple incorporates a high resolution, 160 pixel per inch screen that provides the most readable text (fonts) of any handheld device ever made. To explain, Apple uses a sub-pixel display technology algorithm that preserves the design of the typeface. Other OSes force the letter shapes into pixel boundaries to prevent blur and improve readability, but at high resolutions like 160 pixels per inch, this methodology suffers; and as a result, the true typeface character is lost. This results in two strikes against the other's methodology, which is designed for the lower resolution screens. Thank you resolution independence.
Thinnest "smartphone" available anywhere (and no big protrusions).
Only phone manufacturer to write and support the revolutionary software for provisioning AND revocation. In fact, they have their own provisioning servers. The benefits are many but it quite obviously saves time and allows the consumer to activate without hassle from Sales people.
Apple provides the quickest method available to accomplish phone number transfers. Only server software to accomplish phone number transfers in 3 minutes rather than 3 days. This too can be accomplished in the privacy of your own home.
Only phone to employ Oracle's open standard, OMA and IETF based "Push-IMAP" email.
Only phone (mobile device) made that gives access to streaming and scalable content from YouTube
Only phone to support open source, standards-based CalDAV calendaring solution for workgroups.
Subscription accounting for a phone to account for upgrades and additions over the course of 2 years. A promise and dedication.
First phone to not be subsidized through carrier. No rebate crap or distracting hand waving to save money in voice and data plans. No game or hoops to jump through. Just straight business.
Only phone that doesn't have carrier logos plastered all over it.
First company to actually sell a phone based on a subscription model and not a subsidy model. They don't leave the customer with an iPhone that grows progressively more obsolete over two years. Instead, they will release updates and applications that users can download to customize and enhance their phone. No fake promises like other phone manufacturers. They have no reason to upgrade the phone and the software because it is already sold, and they rarely do. When they do offer a firmware upgrade, it proves to be so difficult to perform that many never do it. And many never realize they can. Apple's unique approach assures its availability to all.
Apple is the only company that has designed a mobile smartphone for service provider but catering to the customer rather than the provider.
Only phone to provide seamless switching between EDGE and Wi-Fi. Continual surveying of wi-fi availability. Previously joined networks can be set up to quietly, seamless and automatically connected to.
Only phone manufacturer ever to influence a carrier to expand time slots available to data services network.
The stability and reliability and security that comes with OS X and LLVM.
Incredible scrolling with rubber band effects – mirroring real physics effects — provide for easy recognition and virtual orientation (eh, its easy to follow and understand what is going on).
Revolutionary web interface helps to provide THE BEST overall smartphone browsing experience.
Easiest conference call management I have ever seen.
Revolutionary conference call management provides the most flexibility of any smartphone available. Connect up to 6 people easily. Even set up sub-conferencing.
Coolest implementation of Google Maps I have ever seen.
Only phone available that has a context sensitive keyboard that pops up only when needed and adapts functionality based on situation; no need to request the keyboard. This is extremely useful and really well done.
Only mobile phone to incorporate revolutionary concepts like "touching your music" and "Visual Voicemail" (random access). Greatly improves usability.
Only phone to have voice mail scrubbing. Lets you scrub through the voice mail timeline to quickly get to where you want.
Revolutionary method of having voice mail sent to you - like push e-mail. You can listen to and review your voice mail on a train or on a plane, without the need of carrier reception.
Revolutionary "Coverflow" browsing of music and media. Plus, you can flick an album and it spins around to reveal the song list to choose from on the back... just like physical albums.
Revolutionary, context sensitive, smoothly transforming control surfaces provide an intuitive user interface.
Only phone to support such a wide variety of media formats out of the box: AAC, Protected AAC, MP3, VBR, Audible (formats 1, 2, and 3), Apple Lossless, AIFF, WAV, H.264 video, multiple levels of LC H.264 Baseline, MPEG-4 video and of course .m4v, .mp4, and .mov file formats.
Only smartphone to have antenna located in the back part of the phone at the very bottom. Very considerate for those with radiation concerns. Never understood why manufacturers continue placing the antenna as close to your head as possible.
Only phone to have entire screen fa?ade flat so that it can be quickly and simply wiped clean with its unique edgeless, no-bezel design. This is to say nothing of the specially selected glass finish chosen to reduce finger prints.
Only phone to have a glass screen encompassing the entire front surface for higher scratch resistance as well as improved optical clarity.
Revolutionary battery technology will provide up to 6 hours of internet use, 7 hours of video playback, 8 hours of talk time, 24 hours of audio playback, 250 hours of standby time This is unbelievable performance.
Revolutionary approach in attracting developers based on AJAX has proven to attract the largest developer crowd ever for a single device.
Only smartphone to ever incorporate such a high number of great ideas and processes assembled into one device. It has proven to make the iPhone into what many critics, writers, analysts and consumers consider high-tech jewelry that holds an incredible allure.
Please note "revolutionary" denotes an iPhone "only" feature as well.
Only phone that's completely Mac friendly. In todays market, this probably should be considered revolutionary (only feature to be read with a snide remark).
First and only phone to provide a revolutionary multi-touch interface
1. Two-finger stretching gesture
2. Two-finger tap-to-zoom out gesture
3. Two-finger pinching gesture
4. One-finger double-tap-to-zoom in gesture
5. One-finger scrolling gesture
6. One-finger flicking gesture
7. One-finger swiping/sweeping (depends on the context) gesture
Revolutionary fingertip editing lets you touch and hold the screen to get a zoomed in area of text for precise cursor placement with your finger.
Revolutionary keyboard - I know a little bit about what they are doing to make this unique keyboard a success. Every little space on that screen is tracking and measuring and relating to every other little space. There is a great deal of processing power required JUST for the simple act of typing. And reading how your finger hits the screen and what part of your finger hits first and the total amount of space that it hits — all in an effort to account for inaccuracies. There is a lot of research that has been done here. They even take into account a person's inability to accurately predict what part of their finger actually hits the screen. It seems that we fail to take into account the curve of our finger and how it actually hits the screen based on the overhead view we have in watching the screen as we type. Then of course there is the software based auto-correcting type of feature that analyzes which keys you MIGHT have meant to hit and figures out the word you wanted. And then of course word prediction. To this end, word prediction itself is also used in conjunction with a process of dynamically enlarging tap zones behind the scenes for virtually larger keys.
Revolutionary visual and user interface cues serve most appropriately.
Only phone to have a revolutionary one-button design - that lone button on the bottom of the phone will take you back to the home screen, provide quick accessibility to the iPhone's list of applications, provide a quick escape from the depths of any application or settings screen and act as a clean up/clean start tool - all with one quick press.
Only phone to employ context sensitive scroll bars that only appear when needed. No valuable screen real-estate is taken away and it is cleanly implemented.
Only phone to have a large 3.5 inch screen which utilizes every pixel for the camera view screen.
In a revolutionary move, Apple incorporates a high resolution, 160 pixel per inch screen that provides the most readable text (fonts) of any handheld device ever made. To explain, Apple uses a sub-pixel display technology algorithm that preserves the design of the typeface. Other OSes force the letter shapes into pixel boundaries to prevent blur and improve readability, but at high resolutions like 160 pixels per inch, this methodology suffers; and as a result, the true typeface character is lost. This results in two strikes against the other's methodology, which is designed for the lower resolution screens. Thank you resolution independence.
Thinnest "smartphone" available anywhere (and no big protrusions).
Only phone manufacturer to write and support the revolutionary software for provisioning AND revocation. In fact, they have their own provisioning servers. The benefits are many but it quite obviously saves time and allows the consumer to activate without hassle from Sales people.
Apple provides the quickest method available to accomplish phone number transfers. Only server software to accomplish phone number transfers in 3 minutes rather than 3 days. This too can be accomplished in the privacy of your own home.
Only phone to employ Oracle's open standard, OMA and IETF based "Push-IMAP" email.
Only phone (mobile device) made that gives access to streaming and scalable content from YouTube
Only phone to support open source, standards-based CalDAV calendaring solution for workgroups.
Subscription accounting for a phone to account for upgrades and additions over the course of 2 years. A promise and dedication.
First phone to not be subsidized through carrier. No rebate crap or distracting hand waving to save money in voice and data plans. No game or hoops to jump through. Just straight business.
Only phone that doesn't have carrier logos plastered all over it.
First company to actually sell a phone based on a subscription model and not a subsidy model. They don't leave the customer with an iPhone that grows progressively more obsolete over two years. Instead, they will release updates and applications that users can download to customize and enhance their phone. No fake promises like other phone manufacturers. They have no reason to upgrade the phone and the software because it is already sold, and they rarely do. When they do offer a firmware upgrade, it proves to be so difficult to perform that many never do it. And many never realize they can. Apple's unique approach assures its availability to all.
Apple is the only company that has designed a mobile smartphone for service provider but catering to the customer rather than the provider.
Only phone to provide seamless switching between EDGE and Wi-Fi. Continual surveying of wi-fi availability. Previously joined networks can be set up to quietly, seamless and automatically connected to.
Only phone manufacturer ever to influence a carrier to expand time slots available to data services network.
The stability and reliability and security that comes with OS X and LLVM.
Incredible scrolling with rubber band effects – mirroring real physics effects — provide for easy recognition and virtual orientation (eh, its easy to follow and understand what is going on).
Revolutionary web interface helps to provide THE BEST overall smartphone browsing experience.
Easiest conference call management I have ever seen.
Revolutionary conference call management provides the most flexibility of any smartphone available. Connect up to 6 people easily. Even set up sub-conferencing.
Coolest implementation of Google Maps I have ever seen.
Only phone available that has a context sensitive keyboard that pops up only when needed and adapts functionality based on situation; no need to request the keyboard. This is extremely useful and really well done.
Only mobile phone to incorporate revolutionary concepts like "touching your music" and "Visual Voicemail" (random access). Greatly improves usability.
Only phone to have voice mail scrubbing. Lets you scrub through the voice mail timeline to quickly get to where you want.
Revolutionary method of having voice mail sent to you - like push e-mail. You can listen to and review your voice mail on a train or on a plane, without the need of carrier reception.
Revolutionary "Coverflow" browsing of music and media. Plus, you can flick an album and it spins around to reveal the song list to choose from on the back... just like physical albums.
Revolutionary, context sensitive, smoothly transforming control surfaces provide an intuitive user interface.
Only phone to support such a wide variety of media formats out of the box: AAC, Protected AAC, MP3, VBR, Audible (formats 1, 2, and 3), Apple Lossless, AIFF, WAV, H.264 video, multiple levels of LC H.264 Baseline, MPEG-4 video and of course .m4v, .mp4, and .mov file formats.
Only smartphone to have antenna located in the back part of the phone at the very bottom. Very considerate for those with radiation concerns. Never understood why manufacturers continue placing the antenna as close to your head as possible.
Only phone to have entire screen fa?ade flat so that it can be quickly and simply wiped clean with its unique edgeless, no-bezel design. This is to say nothing of the specially selected glass finish chosen to reduce finger prints.
Only phone to have a glass screen encompassing the entire front surface for higher scratch resistance as well as improved optical clarity.
Revolutionary battery technology will provide up to 6 hours of internet use, 7 hours of video playback, 8 hours of talk time, 24 hours of audio playback, 250 hours of standby time This is unbelievable performance.
Revolutionary approach in attracting developers based on AJAX has proven to attract the largest developer crowd ever for a single device.
Only smartphone to ever incorporate such a high number of great ideas and processes assembled into one device. It has proven to make the iPhone into what many critics, writers, analysts and consumers consider high-tech jewelry that holds an incredible allure.