I present that common argument to Kallasvuo, and he breaks his silence to tell me it's all wrong. What's more, he hints, as long as Americans cling to the idea that mobile phones follow the path of computers, they'll remain also-rans in wireless. Computers are boxy and ugly, at least most of them are. They sit on desks or travel in briefcases and are considered tools. With the exception of Apple, which offers some pizzazz, they're judged largely on cost and performance.
Cell phones are different.
In Paris, I've seen teenage girls gawk at a window display of Nokias around the corner from fashionable Avenue Montaigne, a block from Versace. This is pure consumer lust, driven by design and brand. Sure, they're actually looking at small computers, but that's not what they're seeing. They're ogling a personal item that will make a statement when they flourish it in public. In Japan, people buy a new cell phone every eight months.