apparently it's a two-tap operation (with the phone on, from the main view): tap settings, tap airplane mode. So granted, there's room for 50% improved efficiency. :-) As for assumptions... you seem to assume that flight attendants actually check every device on the plane to see if it is a phone or not, and whether it is on or not. I don't think I've ever had a flight attendant actually ask to see my phone to verify it is off (admittedly, with a sample size of only a couple dozen flights last year) I'll stand by my opinion that Apple Got It Right with the iphone. I guess we'll know in a couple months when the dust settles.

I believe the iphone has an "airplane mode" that turns off all wifi and cell features, letting you use all the other features. I understand the bit about the camera. It's impossible to find a decent phone without a camera.

I suspect the target market (measured in the 10's of millions, maybe?) will disagree with the "a phone is for making phone calls" statement. While I agree, I think we are in the minority. I'm one of those people who would gladly pay extra for a phone *without* a camera, voice memos, games, etc. etc. etc. I have a bottom-of-the-pile samsung because it was just about the only phone I could find in a clamshell that didn't have a camera. Man, if I could buy a phone that is just a phone with great reception and battery life (though I'd like bluetooth, too), I'd gladly pay several hundred dollars for it. If you want a good read, visit the slashdot archives and watch everybody whine and complain about how the ipod is awful design, way overpriced, way underpriced, etc. I think we can all agree that Apple knew what they were doing when they designed the ipod. I think they'll have the same success with the iphone, in spite of us who wish a phone was just a phone.

Because a product is more than just capacity and specifications. The iPhone, like the iPod, is all about making it easier to do what you normally do with these devices. Apple's value is sometimes in *removing* features for the sake of usability (for example, no FM receiver in the iPod). The iPhone may have fewer or different features than you want, but that's not the point of the iPhone. The iPhone is about making the experience of using a phone better. For many gear fanatics, the current lineup of phones works just fine. Everybody likes their buttons, tiny screens, non-predictive typing, etc. But those people are in the minority. The vast, vast, _vast_ majority of people actually do care about products that are easier to use. They will pay to get less features in exchange for more ease-of-use. The iPod is a perfect example of that.