iPhone 4: OMG? Nope, rather Meh.

(Photo credit: James Martin/CNET; http://reviews.cnet.com/2300-6452_7-10003681-3.html?s=0&o=10003681&tag=mncol;thum)

It’s the iPhone 4!!! ARE YOU ALL PSYCHED ABOUT IT SINGAPORE?!

Ahhhhh, nope. Not for me.

Pardon my nonchalant attitude but that seems to be like it. As announced at the Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC), Apple unveiled their latest product, the iPhone 4. If you still are lost in gaga, get your sitrep at cnet’s coverage of WWDC at this link, http://reviews.cnet.com/8301-19512_7-20007008-233.html?tag=hotTopicsBody.1 

But I’ll be honest, I did not stay up to catch WWDC just because of a new product. Yes, yes, it is a wonderful device. 2 cameras: 1 forward facing for video chat, another sports a 5 MP to capture high-res pictures and also do HD video. That is preeeety to me. Another upgrade would be the ‘retina’ display. Whatever numbers you throw into the resolution, a 3.5 inch display is never a movie screen. Engineering aspect, the physical appearance has changed. For one, it has more aluminium ascents wrapping the sides of the phone. Definitely looks much studier. Apple claims that this chassis is a new leap as it doubles as an antenna. Don’t know the real schematics behind this but sounds pretty rational: Metal + 2.4 Ghz signal = AMPLIFIED. That’s pretty much it.

So, okay, what was I really staying up for? Well, for once, I predicted that Apple, being primarily in the hardware industry, would shift gears and be in the software market. To be precise, the cloud computing INTERNET market. I was expecting Apple Inc. to replicate the results of the iPhone mania, in a form of some internet-related idea. This would directly go head on with internet giant Google. I was really keen on the idea of making MobileMe free. With that, Apple’s stake in the leading internet giant, Google, would go deeper. You see, with a total of 50 MILLION UNITS sold, allowing these 50 MILLION USERS to use take advantage of MobileMe would be a huge hurt for giant Google.

But looking back, maybe it was a good idea for Apple to not release MobileMe to the masses. Not just yet.

MobileMe, is a collection of cloud-based services that serves as a sync hub for all the computers. Calendar, contacts, files and all. And if you look at Google’s set of tools, Google is winning hands down. What MobileMe is offering can’t exactly contest what Google is offering. If Apple’s fighting chance is in MobileMe, it has to be more robust. And on a side note, why fight it when you can side it? :) Bottom-line, Apple is not ready to grab a huge part in that internet pie chart. Not just yet.

I guess the biggest step we should look at in this internet age is to how we can make that internet another familiar dimension in human communication. Let’s make it real. Collaboration tools, video chat, instant message, secured networks. All these words are erupting from my mind right now. And as I develop a linking towards the workspaces, working together never had a whole new meaning.

SO Apple! When will you sit beside Google? Oh and Microsoft, err, you just stick to what you do best in the workspaces. But if my tales do come true, Apple will be chasing that tail along with Google.