D-day for Apple, iPod and iPhone - again

I’ve been chugging away about the Apple iPhone for some time now. To all those who will listen, I explain that the rather delightful iPod market is dying a death on its feet as I type, in the context of the millions of Nokias, Samsungs, Motorolas and Sony Ericssons being shipped around the globe to consumers desperate to listen to audio on one device.

While the iPod had style, baby, it’s not that exclusive anymore when you can get one for £50. It’s also not that good when you open up your new Sony Ericsson and see that they’ve included high quality in-ear phones which double as a headset. Your iPod starts to look dated.

BLAH BLAH BLAH. Discussed this all before. Adding movies to your iPod ain’t helping me. Mobile is where it’s at, and right now I’m the total dick who has to walk about with a PHONE and an iPod. I’m not enjoying the experience.

The phone is non-negotiable. The iPod is.

As for the Sonys et al, the user interface is still an abject disaster on these phones — but, people are using them. Proudly. They’re not hiding them away. They’re content for you to see they’re using their mobile as their audio device.

Ergo Apple’s iPhone (of sorts) is coming soon.

But all sorts of reports put it’s availability somewhere next year. I was hoping it was today. Just like, about a quarter ago, I was hoping it was that day.

Anything. Please. Apple. Please. Save us from the operators.

Since I’ve accepted that Apple have to do something. Have to have been working on an iPhone — it’s that or surrender their market to the mobile handset companies — I’ve begun to allow myself to dream.

How will the operators handle an Apple iPhone?

How will they cope with having, for example, one million people in the UK go out and buy an iPhone and dump their Orange or Vodafone branded handsets?

Badly. This in itself will be a gorgeous sight to behold. I mean truly illuminating. All of a sudden the operators are relegated to ‘pipe status’ (that is, just providing the connection) overnight. What does that mean for their expensive walled gardens?

How will the operators react to an Apple iPhone that comes with an Apple sim card and a ‘click here to transfer your number’ gorgeous Apple wizard?

You know what would be really good — it’d be great if Apple actually understood where the industry is and what the key issues are with it — and negated them. For example, wouldn’t it be super if they brought out two service plans. £25 a month and £75 a month. £25 is variable — while £75 is unlimited? Heh.

And I haven’t even begun to allow my mind to drift toward the handset possibilities. I’ll need to stop there.

I worry if I’m putting far too much emphasis on the apparent excellent of Apple. I think, perhaps, I’m doing the rose-tinted-glasses thing on them, from a future perspective.

Is it just a handset they’ll come out with? Or a full cell service? Who knows. They’ve done well to keep the operators silent if that’s the case. Who knows.

So I’ll prepare to get half excited someway through the afternoon here while Jobs is on stage then, as I read the live coverage, I’ll quickly tone down my excitement and wait for another few quarters….