True product innovation often requires redefining the very nature of the company building it. When a technology manufacturer expands its scope beyond its original category, the shift forces a reevaluation of what constitutes a personal computing device.

Wikipedia recorded that Apple Inc. CEO Steve Jobs unveiled the iPhone and changed the company name to Apple Inc. at the annual Macworld Expo in San Francisco. Apple introduced the iPhone as a combination of three products: a mobile phone, a widescreen iPod with touch controls, and an Internet communications device. Steve Jobs, Apple’s CEO, stated, “iPhone is a revolutionary and magical product that is literally five years ahead of any other mobile phone”.

The Architecture of Convergence

Merging distinct functional categories into a single form factor challenges the traditional silos of consumer electronics. A company that changes its name at the same moment can be read as signalling that it no longer wants to be defined by one kind of product.

BBC News reported that the phone was demonstrated by Jobs at the Macworld Expo. The device will come in two versions, featuring either 4GB or 8GB of storage space. Apple announced the 4GB model for $499 (US). The phone will cost between $499 and $599 and will launch in the US in June. Availability is planned for Europe in late 2007, and Asia in 2008.

Positioning a new device as a synthesis of existing, proven tools establishes a familiar baseline for consumers while introducing novel interfaces. Renaming the company on the same day invites the reading that the device is part of a wider change of direction. The most significant product releases do not just introduce new features; they redefine the architectural scope of the companies that build them.

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