The latest operation system of the wildly successful smartphone was warmly welcomed. An upgraded version of the phone, the iPhone 3GS, also scored handsomely. One million of the machines were sold in the first week alone.

David Pogue of the New York Times praised 3GS as a new iPhone that "doesn't just catch up to its rivals - it vaults a year ahead of them."

Technology journalist Michael Gartenberg called the model "the golden standard for smartphones."

These compliments come as a happy addition to the extraordinary success the phone has enjoyed since its first release two years ago. However, when examined more closely, the success story of the iPhone can be the fodder of case studies on the meaning of innovation.

In a world of pure numbers and quantifiable performances, the iPhone should be regarded as a mediocre, if not an inferior,

product. People generally define a smartphone as a high-end cellphone packed with the latest technologies and functions. In the case of the iPhone, however, it is not entirely true.

When the first iPhone was released in June 2007, it did not support the faster 3G Internet connection capability and featured only a 2.0 megapixel digital camera.

In comparison, Nokia featured a 3G connection capability and a 3.2 megapixel camera in its model produced one year before the original iPhone and therefore vaulted three years ahead of Apple (until the 3GS's belatedly featured a 3.2 megapixel camera).

In terms of software functions, one of the most overlooked characteristics of the iPhone OS 3.0 is that it is in fact a patch instead of a major upgrade.

Among its key, and most anticipated, features are commonplace functions such as the abilities to copy-and-paste text, to send multimedia cellphone messages and to make voice-activated calls. All of these have been around in the smartphone market for a long time. It is astonishing that Apple failed to provide these functions in the first place and needed another two years just to fill in that gap.

Despite all these shortcomings, the cellphone surged to become what the Wall Street Journal called "a smashing success" that redefines the smartphone market. The counterintuitive triumph of the iPhone dispenses three myths of innovation.

The first myth is that innovation means boasting a range of technologies. What makes the iPhone stand out is not having bigger guns in technological terms. Instead of providing more functions, Apple focused on what makes users feel advanced.The centerpiece of the machine is its state-of-the-art full-screen touch screen control that enables the user to operate the phone without pressing any key. It creates a futuristic touch to the machine's input mechanism, which resembles the computer used by Tom Cruise in the sci-fi movie The Minority Report.

Touch screen had been around for years before the iPhone, yet it generally failed to provide an instant feedback to the users' control. One of the milestones of the iPhone is the fluidity and sensitivity of its touchscreen control. Technological development alone cannot achieve such attributes.

Meticulous tuning is required for the maker to calibrate the control mechanism to the precise feeling and texture. Apple's CEO Steve Jobs' famed punishing attention to details is no doubt a major reason behind the smartphone's success.

The application of this touchscreen technology dispenses the second myth of innovation, that originality is the result of random inspiration, a lighting of the bulb above one's head. Creativity is hard work.

The third myth of innovation is that it can only be achieved by professionals or resourceful organizations. One of the most significant propellers of iPhone's success obviously came as a surprise even to Apple. Along with the release of the iPhone, Apple provided third-party developers (i.e. any person) with the ability to design application programs for the smartphone.

More importantly, Apple set up a platform on its online music store for these developers to provide their applications, which are called apps, for free or for sale. An explosion of apps ensued. A total of 50,000 apps were produced in two years, attracting more than one billion downloads.

The proliferation of these application programs achieves what no technology can ever do: It keeps the iPhone fresh and relevant by constantly adding possibilities to a technologically fixed machine. By inviting people to share its technology (the iPhone hardware and the development tools), Apple tapped in their unlimited creativity to maintain the iPhone's momentum.

The focus on the integration of technology instead of pursuing the most advanced functions, hard work, attention to details, and the welcoming of amateur creativity are the secrets behind the iPhone's success. It serves as a vivid reminder for organizations and governments that are often obsessed by numbers as the most important factor in their search for innovation.