I'd disagree. I had a smartphone before I got an iPhone and the difference was astounding. Every phone I had before had a wealth of options (a SNES emulator was my favourite) but was an utter mess. I could never have given one to my parents to use.
The iPhone was a triumph in proving that smartphone software can make a very real, very huge difference to a device, and that hardware does not rule all.
The iPhone was a triumph in proving that smartphone software can make a very real, very huge difference to a device, and that hardware does not rule all.