Steve Jobs finally did it. The new Apple iPhone was revealed to the world today with much pomp at MacWorld, and in contrast to the mediocre Motorola ROKR two years ago, this phone is impressive.

Not only does it have the storage capacity of its iPod forebears, it is a device Apple obviously put a lot of effort into and in fact showcases several new features Apple is including on the mobile phone before including them in future iPod releases: a widescreen, advanced touch-screen display; Wi-Fi connectivity and sensors that detect how the device is being held and adjusts the display interface accordingly. Apple also seems to have more in mind than just enhancing a basic phone with music capabilities. It has created a full-fledged smartphone and multimedia handset, complete with e-mail, advanced photo taking and management capabilities and even mapping and directions services powered by Google Maps.

But despite creating a great communications and connectivity platform Apple is stubbornly refusing to ease the firm bond between the computer and the device. With EDGE and Wi-Fi connectivity, over-the-air downloads are unlikely. And even though the phone has multiple ways to access the Web, receive messages and make a phone a call, there is still only one way to load a song, through a direct connection to iTunes loaded on the owner’s PC or Mac. That critical link between the iTunes music service and the device has helped Apple to keep its iPod market share, and it looks like it plans on continuing that strategy with the iPhone. But if the ultimate goal is to sell more iPhones, not music—by all accounts, the iTunes store is a loss-leading proposition—then Apple is likely taking the wrong approach in the mobile market, where carriers have a big say in which phones ultimately wind up in customers’ hands.

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