Tech-wise, I don't remember any devices with a 3.5" capacitive touchscreen + multitouch before the iPhone came out. That was imo the most important hardware feature of the iPhone, given that the "accepted" mode of interaction with similar devices was a stylus on a resistive screen.<p>Similarly, there aren't any shipping devices with a 7-10" capacitive touchscreen. Whether or not any of the various tablets with one announced at CES beats Apple's to market, the kinks in said displays weren't ironed out before this year.