Hard-core gadget lovers have one thing in common; at some point you will wait. Whether its waiting a month for the 3G iPhone to be available in stores, or waiting nearly a year for the Sony Xperia to be released we have come to accept it as a part of our lives. The problem with waiting today is that it only takes a window of a few days or weeks for new technology to be developed which would make the pending device almost antiquated before its even in the public's hand. Look at the Sony Xperia for example- when we first heard about this device it was big news because of the screen resolution, the interface, the sliding arc. We still have 3 months to go before it sees the light of day and the public is already getting bored with it! The interface that seemed so impressive 3 months ago now seems dated when adjacent to the likes of the widget-based Samsung i900:
Even the much awaited iPhone 3G ended up being a big snorefest, overshadowed by the likes of the Blackberry Bold and Samsung Instinct. Suddenly the old adage of a thing being worth the wait no longer applies- instead that waiting period is a prime window for someone else to steal your rumored thunder. Newcomer Velocity Mobile has already sullied their unknown name with a delay to the release of their flagship device, the 103. And the Palm 800 has been upstaged by its own little brother, the 850, seen in spyshots!
Manufacturers need to make a choice- either hold your blueprints closer to your vest until your release date nears, or set a date of reasonable proximity and stick fastidiously to it. The days of having us patiently waiting for what ends up being a mediocre step up are long over...we want innovation, and we want it NOW.
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