As near as I can tell, Apple is the ultimate tech industry disrupter. In recent memory, Apple’s iPhone put applications in the hands of millions of consumers, wrenched a good measure of control out of the cold grip of cellular service providers, and sparked a fire of touchscreen smartphone competitors. Before the iPhone’s multi-touch, sure, there were touchscreens, but the dominant pundit discourse put the need for a physical keyboard high on the list of smartphone success factors — but it turns out you don’t really need one to succeed.
