“The iPhone Effect”: What Studies Lie in Store?

Tomorrow marks the iPhone’s official release to the public, in what will be one of the most hyped and anticipated product debuts in history. So far we’ve seen prediction markets making odds on everything from sales figures to the likelihood of spontaneous combustion. But what of the aftermath? Will economists, psychologists, sociologists and other researchers pick up where the tech experts have left off? We’ve assembled a list of possible studies that could start appearing within the next few years, A.i. (After iPhone). Got your own ideas to add? Feel free to share.

1. “The iPhone’s Effect on Social Cognition: Can We Shuffle Playlists and Web Browse at the Same Time?”

2. “Did iPhone Sales Affect July Gas Prices?”

3. “Gender and the iPhone: Do Women Browse Better?”

4. “The iPhone Crime Effect: How a Joint Phone/iPod/Web Browser Contributed to the National Drop in Violent Crime”

5. “The iPhone Gap: How the iPhone Intensified the Country’s Growing Class Divide”

6. “iPhone Addiction: A Legitimate Disorder?”