That lovely statistic comes from a recent Strategy Analytics' Wireless Device Labs study on the perceptions of technology. I have to find a small amount of fault in their methodology, though. The study participants' reactions were based on a video they watched of the iPhone, and not actually using the iPhone itself. Would the results be the same with hardware on the table?According to the study, the video was developed by Apple and highlighted the iPhone's features. Is it really a big surprise that a slick, polished demo would make the iPhone look as good as possible? Whether or not the video was biased in Apple's favor, Apple is partly famous for making things easy, for simplifying the user experience and making things dummy proof.

"An overwhelming 90 percent of respondents gave the iPhone higher marks than their own handset and over 40 percent of respondents rated the iPhone much better across key functional categories-- including music player, web browsing, voice mail, and phone call management--indicating real innovation in designing a user experience," said Harvey Cohen, President of Strategy Analytics, who conducted this research.

Ah, innovative user experience. There we go. If the Apple user interface is as good as it looks, then I think standard cell phone UIs might be in trouble. Have you ever wanted to chuck your cell phone out the window because you were so frustrated with how it worked? C'mon, don't be shy. Go ahead and raise your hands. We all know it. Some cell phones are easier to use than others. Meeting the delicate balance of hardware, software, and underlying platform is no easy task.

But if the iPhone is a runaway success--and users rate the UI highly--then perhaps Apple will have raised the bar for others to make better products that provide a better experience for the end user.