Is a new name long overdue?

You are going on a business trip and waiting to board a plane. You look at the seat map on your phone and discover your favorite wide window-seat in the front is now available. A few taps, and you are confirmed to give your legs a few inches of extra space. Then, a brief scan of your phone takes you past the gate agent. You are standing in the aerobridge and realize your may have left the lights on and not set the house alarm. A couple pinch, pan and taps – welcome peace of mind. You are texting with college buddies about catching up with beers while paying the water bill and buying shares of a trending stock. Settling into the seat, you realize that after the 3-hour flight, you will crave for Chinese food. A quick detour into Yelp finds you the best local Chinese delivery. As you are checking President’s latest statement and your favorite football team’s game status, you get an alert that the Lo Mein is lined up to be delivered at your desired time.  All bases covered, and you heave a big sigh of relief glancing outside the window.  Moments later your phone screen lights up with a motivating quote and a work email screaming the deal was closed – you smile and fasten the seat belt. None of this was possible a decade ago. Even now none of this involved a live interactive voice conversation with a fellow human.

Being an avid technologist, a long-time iPhone enthusiast, it was only natural to carve out time to catch the launch of the new iPhone.

I was keenly drawn – in awe and a tad bit skeptical as well – to two key things:

  • You can now record and view ECG health data (of course, firstly you will need the new Apple Watch to be able to record ECG). But I bet the viewing experience of the ECG metrics and insights is going to be richer on the iPhone.
  • Being a photography enthusiast, this was an “awe” moment – Pull down the slider from a f/2.8 to f/1.4 and voila – a stunning Bokeh in the portrait bringing that coveted shallow depth of field to great effect. The optics could give the conventional budget DSLR a run for its money. And hey, that DSLR can’t make a phone call (!). On a different note, serious photographers and professional lensmen would still prefer the legendary traditional DSLRs – rich feel of the body, the churn of manual focus ring, the cranking of optics, cheetah-like (in relative terms) shutter speed, sublime continuous shoot. The list is virtually endless. Although I’m an amateur photographer, I’d beg to take their side in this argument.

So, coming to my reactions. Awe – because of virtually unending capabilities getting packed into the pocket-sized device. Skepticism – more so for the former than latter. How effective and meaningful an ECG would be something that ought to be waited and seen; more importantly, a review and blessing by practicing medical fraternity is of paramount importance.

Nevertheless, as I saw those two features unravel, I couldn’t hold but exclaim with a grin – now the iPhone is going to be:

  • a Doc-office-trip that can also make a phone call, and
  • an almost-professional-DSLR camera that, by the way, can also make a phone call.

A rival; and a close competitor calls their product Galaxy. True, the name resonates with the perception its legion of loyalists has on their favorite device – it’s their galaxy with virtually unlimited capabilities.

Why’s this counterpart still holding on to Phone as part of its name?

Over a decade since launch, and traversing the iPhone maturity curve, we saw the suffix part of the name continuously change – 3G, 3GS; the 4’s, 5’s, and the 6’s etc. Each signifying a specific capability or feature or form factor. In the backdrop of this evolution, one characteristic stood like a citadel. The prefix, its primary name – iPhone – has remained a constant all through the years.

The founder and original visionary launched the first-generation iPhone over a decade ago. That then was a groundbreaking innovation, and many saw a paradigm shift as well. However, the device itself stuck to its primary purpose – a phone – that could do a few other things. Customers lapped it up for all its intent and purpose. The ultimate selling point was the stellar design and quality.

Sometime around third or fourth generation perhaps, there was apparently another paradigm shift. As faster bandwidths opened, richer media & content came available, and App ecosystem mushroomed; its primary purpose was forever altered. Messaging and Social Media catapulted, and traditional phone call was left far behind. From “a phone that can do few other things digitally”, it moved into a new era of “it is everything that can also make a phone call”.

It’s your Weatherman, Mailman, Personal Assistant, Music Player, Television, Camera, Photo Album, Travel Agent, Real Estate Agent, Wallet, Bank, Newspaper, Socializing Hub, Classroom, Health & Activity Tracker, Navigator, Library, Bookstore, Grocery store, Departmental store, Restaurant, and even a Spiritual Guru. The list is long winding!

Does that cover the entire spectrum of your Life? Not really. It’s still not your parents. Neither your sibling, nor your friend. But in the modern society, it’s just everything else that screams Life.

Photo Source: www.apple.com