Snapchat was not a text messaging app. Snapchat was not a social network. Snapchat was something new. Words escaped it because it was novel—beyond our vocabulary at the time. Old, referential language failed to explain Snapchat.
The iPhone didn’t happen in a vacuum. Apple needed to learn to make low-power devices with the iPod; flash memory needed to become viable at an accessible price point; Samsung needed to make a good enough processor; 3G networking needed to be rolled out; the iTunes Music Store needed to provide the foundation for the App Stor... See more