Will the iPhone sink or swim

After Steve Job's Keynote speech at Mac World there has been much talk about the future of the iPhone. In the world of PDA's and smart phones will the iPhone outlive all the hype? Marketing Guru Steh Godin announced an iPhone Challenge. He wants everyone to give their prediction on the future of the iPhone, and a year from now we will review.

I feel strongly that the iPhone is going to revolutionize the cell phone just like the iPod did with MP3 players. In the initial release loyal mac users, and tech geeks will flock to the iPhone, while others will wait till the price drops a bit, and any bugs are worked out. Since the iPhone syncs via iTunes; PC and MAC users will have no problem using the iPhone. I do think that Apple needs to let the iPhone be available on phone networks other then Cingular. With the cost of the phone, and the cost to switch networks the iPhone will range from $750-$1000. By alowing the iPhone to be availible on more networks will put the iPhone up there with the BlackBerry, and Treo Smart Phones.

My prediction is this: When Apple launches the iPhone there will be the initial spike in sales just like with any new product, then they will plateau. Apple's ability to fix any bugs, resolve price and provider issues will determine the future of the iPhone. If Apple can resolve all issues within the 6 months to a year after the release of the iPhone I don't see any reason why the iPhone can't be one of the best selling Smart phones on the market.