According to an article at BusinessWeek, plenty of people buy the iPhone as a portable computer for Web surfing, video, and music. But they carry a second phone to make calls. "People use the iPhone as a PC in their pocket" according to one analyst. Moreover, according to a July comScore survery, 70 percent of iPhone owners send and receive email with the iPhone.

It looks like the iPhone is getting used more frequently as a mobile internet device than as a phone. For some, the iPhone’s screen is rather small for web surfing and the like. As a result, the guys at TechCrunch are planning on a web tablet with touchscreen and WiFi support. This is kind of specialized and will find a niche eventually if it goes into production. Supposedly, it would fetch for around $300, yet for that same amount, you could buy a subnotebook with much more functionality than the web tablet. Add some 3G support and you’ve got a killer combo. Now the only thing left is for mobile carriers to get its act together and serve the market.