The first iPhone competitor

Submitted by acohill on Wed, 04/02/2008 - 08:06

Sprint is touting a new Samsung phone that is very similar to the iPhone. One of the most notable differences is that the new phone runs on Sprint's EVDO data network, giving it email and Web access speeds 4-5 times faster than AT&T's EDGE data network. Apple has always maintained that it used the slower network to provide better battery life. But this new phone is a good thing; competition always brings lower prices and more features, and this will force Apple and AT&T to get a more capable iPhone to market. Perhaps more importantly, it may force AT&T to improve both its voice and its data networks. The most common complaint I hear from iPhone users is that the AT&T network has poor coverage.

If you have not had a chance to try out an iPhone, stop in an Apple or AT&T store to take a look, especially at the Web and email features. The iPhone is truly revolutionary, and is just the first of an entirely new kind of mobile device that most of us will have within five years.