Although I think the cloud is very important in making a great end-to-end mobile product, I think this would be a red herring for Apple. Here's why: Apple appe

Although I think the cloud is very important in making a great end-to-end mobile product, I think this would be a red herring for Apple. Here's why: Apple appeals to a limited range of people. There are many people who simply don't identify themselves as being a potential iPhone owner, regardless of superiority, design, range of apps, etc. I would be extremely surprised if most consumers had any idea of what cloud syncing meant or why it would benefit them, let alone have it be a deciding factor in their cell phone purchase. Sure such a feature can be explained, but most users don't even work at that level yet where they need such deep syncing. What Android phones are offering is choice in identity: tons of different types of phones they can choose from on carriers they are already on (a big deal when you consider family plans), with a big range of prices. These phones run the gamut from the low to the high end of the market. This is the antithesis of what Apple is all about. It is likely that Apple has always known this would happen, and once things settle down, Apple will position itself comfortably in the high-end smartphone market and pull in higher than normal profits.