Despite everyone’s suspicion that the execs at mobile phone and other portable device companies were soiling themselves at news of the iPhone, the CEO of Research in Motion–maker of the Blackberry– said of the new competition:

…in terms of a sort of a sea-change for BlackBerry, I would think that’s overstating it.

Is this the right attitude for a company like RIM, Nokia, LG, or others, to take? As Samsung has demonstrated with the F700, companies are already at least in the ballpark–if not closer–in terms of pure hardware and features. As we’ve pounded again and again, though, the Apple difference is software, something which Apple competitors have been slow to pick up on in other areas.

In a sense, a sea change is necessary on the part of rival device makers. Hardware has never been a problem for the best companies, but making the software useable enough so that users can actually take advantage of the hardware has been an entirely different problem. The real revolution that needs to take place is one of usability and accessibility, so that even a novice user can take full advantage of their device and justify the high price.

Filed under: iPhone News, Opinion