An interesting call by Brent Schlender: the Fortune writer, going against the conventional adulation of Apple's Steve Jobs, raises the possibility that the iPhone will flop. Schlender recaps the tycoon's earlier missteps, including among them the computer company's set-top box, the Apple TV, which has quickly lost its buzz since going on sale. "So it really makes you wonder whether the iPhone, when it finally arrives next month, will be clunky and misguided despite its gorgeousness and slick user interface. Apple could turn off customers if the pricey device can't really do what it promises because of little gotchas like insufficient bandwidth or short battery life or an unusable virtual keyboard." Put aside the substance of Schlender's remarks. The expectations surrounding Apple's new cellphone are so inflated, that the contrarian position, for which there is little competition, is the smart call for any ballsy opinion leader.

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