Consumers are still buzzing about the iPhone, but the talk recently shifted tone from laudatory to critical.
Many people waited in line for the new Apple mobile device, eager to take advantage of the iPhone?s Internet access, photo storage and media and music-playback capabilities. After the enormous popularity of the iPod music player, buyers seemed more than ready to see how the iPhone would revolutionize mobile phone technology.
However, concerns about the iPhone?s steep price (it?s selling for as much as $600), lack of GPS technology and sometimes difficult-to-use touch screen have competing wireless companies itching to lure consumers with similar products.
Laura Porter, communications manager of Sprint Nextel of the Baltimore area, said Sprint is pushing two new products with capabilities similar to the iPhone.
The Upstage and the Musiq are both selling for $100 and equipped with multimedia content.
The Upstage is a two-sided device, with a phone on one side and an MP3 player on the other. The Musiq is a flip phone with Web browsing, music listening and e-mail downloading abilities.
“You?re also getting the GPS and other features, as well as a pretty good phone,” Porter said Monday. “I think there?s a handset out there for everyone.”
John Johnson, communications director at Verizon Wireless for the Baltimore area, said there was no fear the iPhone would become the iPod of the wireless world. However, he said, the iPhone had forced competitors to improve their products.
“I think Apple has done a great job with the additional awareness of how cool is it to have audio and video storage and playback and your mobile phone,” he said. “For the industry, what Apple has is tremendous. They?ve focused additional attention on the user interface.”
Employees at a Baltimore-based marketing firm have had nothing but praise for the new device. As a morale booster, Vitamin recently gave each of its employees an iPhone, and Michael Karfakis, the firm?s president and chief executive officer, said he would “absolutely” recommend the Apple product.
“Apple has completely flipped the script on how the Internet is now integrated with palm devices,” Karfakis said. “This device has changed the face of hand-held technology as we know it.”
Staff writer David Francis contributed to this report.
