Wow. Those are some of the lamest justifications I’ve ever seen (no offense).

It’s pretty!
It’s touchy-feely!
Other phones are jealous of it / AT&T ownz it!
It can do soooo much more that just make phone calls!
You’ll have to buy a new one next month! (wait, what?)

I’ll freely admit the iPhone is really cool, and that Apple did a good job overall with the design and implementation. But “invention” of the year? Hardly…

I’d say the ElectroNeedle Biomedical Sensor Array is the best invention of 2007 (http://www.sandia.gov/LabNews/070720.html#electro). Sadly, that won’t sell as many magazines for TIME if they put it on the cover.