What won’t be in the new iPhone

Forbes contributor Adrian Kingsley-Hughes outlines what you won’t find in the iPhone 5, or whatever today’s product announcement out of Apple turns out to be called (the new iPhone, anyone?).

 

 

Before you look at the list, try this: List the feature improvements that users might find useful. Then apply the Apple Lens of Proprietary Advantage and cross out all the useful features that would prevent Apple from making money by using industry standards instead of their own tightly licensed features.

The fact is that with Apple’s dominance in the market, it’s less advantageous for the company to provide the features that consumers want (e.g. SD card expandable memory) if they conflict with Apple’s opportunity to charge more money ($100 more for a phone with more memory).

 

 

This is why it’s critical for there to be a credible, standards-based alternative to Apple’s iOS line. Android was dealt a blow with Samsung’s recent court loss. Microsoft is late to the game, as usual, but that’s no reason to count WIndows 8 out (just ask the people who brought you Netscape). February is starting to look a long way off for BlackBerry 10, and it can’t credibly compete unless it’s licensed to other device manufacturers.

 

Read the full story in Forbes.