Playing with all sorts of (iPhone) applications: I dreamt of this moment

I’ve just been looking at Google’s own iPhone application, available now from the iPhone Application Store. It’s rather smart. I can see myself using that regularly as it gives me direct access straight into Google.

I’d been peering at the other applications on the store. It’s nothing short of amazing. I’ve dreamt of this moment. It’s happening. Innovation is flying fast — the circle is complete. You can now come up with a wicked idea, create the application, get it on to a brilliant shop-window and, if you’ve done a good job, it’ll get picked up and run with by consumers.

There are most certainly issues. Issues like actually getting on the store in the first place and so on. Let’s leave those alone for the moment and take a look at the reaction from normobs.

I’ve been on the phone to friends and family who’ve purchased new iPhones this weekend. I can’t tell you how strange it is being the one left behind.

Yesterday I met up with a friend who was lucky enough to have got hold of a new iPhone and got it activated. He’s entirely new to the platform so I was expecting to do a bit of teaching.

“Have you tried this ShoZu thing?” he asked, as we sat down.

“Errr?” I said.

“Does he mean what I think he does?”

He took a photo of me and then showed me ShoZu’s application working on his iPhone.

“It’s wicked,” he says, “You can send stuff to anywhere! You just click here!”

Now it’s happening. Irrespective of the discussion raging elsewhere on the site, it’s happening — normal mobile users (“normobs”) are picking up the iPhone now and they’re using it. They’re getting the ‘Facebook App’ model of the iPhone App Store and pimping out their devices as they wish. They’re exploring and playing — and they’re showing it off to their friends.

And all of a sudden, I’m behind. I hadn’t actually tried out the ShoZu app myself prior to meeting my friend. Strange feeling.

Say what you like: This same kind of experience isn’t going to happen with Sony Ericsson, LG, Nokia or Samsung in the near future.