"Post hoc ergo propter hoc" is Latin for "after it, therefore because of it". That it comes from Latin should indicate how far back that particular fallacy can be traced. Yet ever since Apple launched the original iPhone in 2007, it has been the point of comparison for every flagship phone, from every manufacturer, on every carrier. Just like "post hoc ergo propter hoc" isn't always -- or even often -- true, "post iPhone ergo propter iPhone" isn't always true. Yet time after time, phone after phone, everything from hardware design to software features are taken as derived from, or as being a response to, the iPhone.

There's a theory in combat that dates back to Sun Tsu, if not earlier, called "strike first to gain the initiative". If, in a fight, all you do is defend, you'll eventually make a mistake and get tagged. Even if you're a natural counter-puncher, if you don't take an opportunity when it opens up, at best you'll stall your way to stalemate (and get booed for your efforts), and at worst you'll mess up at some point and get clobbered. That's why a good fighter knows everything is an attack. Everything is an attempt to turn an opponent's mind away from acting and towards reacting.

It can be obvious -- a strike or shoot or something else an opponent has to deal with. Or it can be subtle -- a change of angle or distance that rocks them back on their heels or shoulders and messes with their balance and timing.

Those same essential strategic truths apply to the ancient battlefield, the modern Octagon, and business -- including the smartphone business.

In 2007 Apple didn't introduce a better Treo or BlackBerry, they introduced a better device. They didn't take a tiny little step that entrenched competitors could quickly match. They took a diagonal leap that entrenched competitors either couldn't quickly match, or didn't even understand. They changed the rules of the game. They attacked.

It didn't matter that the 2007 iPhone lacked apps or copy/paste or unobtrusive notifications or MMS or any of a dozen features existing smartphone has on their neat little checklists. It mattered only that multitouch, and the way the iPhone interface leveraged it to make a new experience, was so compelling no one cared what it was missing.

That was an attack.

The shift was so radical that for years after, every other flagship, or would be flagship phone was pitched by desperate competitors and attention-seeking media alike as an "iPhone killer". (Early among them, the Samsung Instinct -- a coincidence, I'm certain.) That the iPhone made every headline, that every device was cast not as something unique unto itself but as something wholly dependent on the gravity well of the iPhone, was the punchline. (No true iPhone killer would ever be called that -- everyone would be too busy talking about it to bother mentioning the iPhone.)

And since then, no one else has done much attacking. Hell, most of Apple's competitors ignored or derided the iPhone at launch. Smartly, Google didn't. They spun on a dime and turned their new Android acquisition from a BlackBerry or Windows Phone Standard (or Nokia Communicator, if you lived in Europe) competitor to an iPhone competitor almost over night.

Yet Apple didn't react. They didn't rush to match any Android features that the iPhone was missing or toss in a hardware keyboard to win over legacy smartphone users. They changed the rules again. They acted again. They attacked again. They announced the App Store.

Palm got back into the game sooner than the other traditional smartphone vendors. But when they made the leap from Palm OS to webOS it was far more audacious than Android. (That tiny, cash-starved Palm literally coded circles around mighty Google, and made a more Google-esque product than Google itself, should be scrawled in permanent marker atop the dessert-laden garden in Mountain View so as to never be forgotten.) While elements of the Palm Pre were inarguably iPhone inspired -- having the former head of Apple hardware, Jon Rubenstein, as their CEO and a lot of Apple engineers on their team will do that -- they played a smart strategy. Rather than matching iPhone features, they tried to hit Apple where Apple was weak -- multitasking, notifications, unified messaging. And unlike the early days of Android, they did it in an elegant, tasteful way.

RIM floundered with the Storm. And the Storm 2. And the Torch. Microsoft stumbled with Windows Mobile 6. And Windows Mobile 6.5. Still, other platforms started adding their own centralized software stores. Android Market (now Google Play), Nokia Ovi Store (no, really), webOS App Catalog BlackBerry App World. By and large, like Palm with the Pre, they tried to differentiate themselves by going where they thought Apple was weak -- openness. It turned out, however, that openness didn't translate into a better user experience. Having great apps and being able to take credit cards in large amount of global markets were far more important. (The "iTunes advantage" was the platform equivalent of having seized the high ground before the battle ever begun.)

Sadly, Palm never made webOS work well enough, fast enough, to catch on before they were brutally bought and betrayed by HP corporate intrigue and ineptitude. Android, however, got some body shots in. The Nexus One was smartly timed to the hit the market right in the middle of Apple's typical year-long product cycle. With great hardware, an improved OS, and features like voice control, it caught influencers at the perfect moment and got a lot of attention. The Droid, meanwhile, seized on the huge, Verizon-sized hole Apple left in its flank by being locked to AT&T in the U.S. for 4 long years. (The Evo did similar on Sprint, and I'm sure something did on T-Mobile as well...)

Apple's limited carrier footprint couldn't stop Android from gaining incredible non-AT&T marketshare, but the iPhone remained a strong enough device that it not only held its own ground with but one flagship a year, on one carrier in the U.S., but kept on growing it.

And then Apple changed the rules again. They acted again. They attacked again. They released the iPad.

It was a tablet launched in 2010 that didn't (and still doesn't) have a desktop or windowing system, that didn't (but now does) have multitasking for 3rd party apps. Like the iPhone in 2007, it didn't matter that the iPad didn't have nearly as much as the decade of Tablet PCs before it. It utterly obliterated and obsoleted its predecessors before it even shipped.

Again, Google reacted. They spun on a dime and rushed out (a still closed-source version of Android), Honeycomb, to compete in the tablet space. Absent the carrier opening it had with the iPhone, however, and left to their own devices, Android tablets haven't caught on. Nor did the incredibly iPad-like Palm TouchPad hardware, even with it's arguably still more elegant multitasking, notification, and messaging software. Nor did the BlackBerry PlayBook, similarly rushed to market without even a chance to put its email on.

Microsoft, meanwhile, finally got Windows Phone off the ground. Unlike Palm, however, they didn't target the iPhone where it was weak. They copied the weaknesses the iPhone had at launch. Weaknesses Apple, for the most part, had long since addressed -- no multitasking, no copy and paste, and an app store that needed to be filled from scratch. The design was new, much to Microsoft's credit. It wasn't the same old app launcher and swapping panels. That part Microsoft absolutely nailed. But taken as a whole, great new design with fundamental flaws in functionality (not to mention branding), it wasn't enough to slow the iPhone's momentum. The same interface gambit that gave Apple its smartphone mindshare in 2007 just wasn't repeatable in 2011. At least not by Windows Phone. (Maybe one of those transparent aluminum jobbies from Avatar or Iron Man, branded as XPhone, could have made that shot...)

BlackBerry is now trying to get back into the game, some 5 years later, with BlackBerry 10. Based on QNX it will offer realtime capabilities and the most promiscuous development story in the smartphone space. The PlayBook, like Honeycomb, shipped before it was fully baked. RIM seems prepared to take their time with BlackBerry 10. We'll have to wait see how that works out for them.

Until then, one essential truth remains indisputable -- Apple, who wasn't even in the smartphone or tablet business before 2006 -- has controlled the pacing of both industries since the moment ever since. While they've given up a step or two, while they've been cut and bloodied a little at times, for the most part they've stood at the center of the ring, cut off the angles, and forced everyone else to circle and fight Apple's fight going on 5 rounds now.

And if the Galaxy S III event is any indication, where Samsung introduced a bigger black slab with music matching and interactive voice control, no one is even challenging them for control of round 6.

Whether you like Apple and their products or would love nothing more than to kill them just to watch them die, everything that matters that's happened in mobile since 2007 is because of Apple and iPhone, or has been in response to Apple and the iPhone.

Post iPhone ergo propter iPhone.

And as someone who loves technology even more than I love the iPhone, I'm well past tired of it.

Last week, Robot Entertainment launched a new army for their excellent turn-based strategy game for iOS, Hero Academy. At PAX East 2012, they were appropriately showing off the greenskins next to their upcoming dungeon-trapper PC game, Orcs Must Die 2, so we decided to check out the update. The Tribe differs significantly from the structure set by the other armies in Hero Academy in that they only have one armor upgrade, but have two hero units in their bag of tricks. The Tribe also includes a new tidal wave spell which can move whole armies towards or away from you. The update also offers a new map which is available even if you don't dish out the $2.00 for The Tribe. It has crystals that are able to fire thorns at nearby assailants once a turn, and a new bonus square which provides magic resistance.

Marcin, one of the game's devs, described the Tribe as relentless and aggressive, and as far as I can see, they'll really mix up the flow of gameplay. The guys at Robot Entertainment were also clear that they're working on a port for Android, which is great news if they're able to include cross-platform multiplayer. Besides the new army, this update also includes universal support, so it counts as one app across iPhone and iPad.

If you aren't already playing Hero Academy, be sure to pick it up for free and at least give The Council a go. Despite the cartoony graphics, the tactics in this game are very rich, and have had me hooked for awhile.

Being in a gritty far-future sci-fi universe with big honkin' guns doesn't mean politeness goes out the window, just wait your turn to blow the bad guy away.

Hunters 2 is a relatively new game for iPhone which corners a very specific (but hardcore) niche. It's a turn-based tactical combat game where you tailor futuristic mercenaries with your choice of skills and gear over the course of several harrowing missions. You have a squad of troops that are set up on terrain with a square grid, who each take turns moving, shooting enemies, healing, defending, and engaging in all sorts of other maneuvers. As you play your soldiers gain experience points, eventually allowing them to level up and giving you the option to tweak their specialties. You also win cash for completing levels, which can be spent on upgrading gear. Of course, you can always buy in-game money with real cash through in-app purchases if you're the impatient type. You can also win in-game money and loot for clicking on mobile ads. Overall, I found Hunters 2 wasn't too pushy with those kinds of microtransactions, which is always nice. Once you've plowed through the single-player campaign, there are five fresh missions available daily. Unfortunately, there's no multiplayer just yet, but honestly, the AI is challenging enough as is. It's a Universal app, so you can play it on both iPhone and iPad after buying it once, plus there's full Game Center support for leaderboards.

The story of the game takes place in a dystopian future where corporations rule the galaxy, and mercenaries are hired to implement their will. Early on, your ragtag team is double-crossed by an employer, and they quickly get roped into a conflict against a burgeoning alien menace. Throughout the game, you'll deal with vicious aliens in close combat as well as other soldiers competing for your contracts. The story isn't what really makes Hunters 2, though - it's the fine-tuned gameplay. Seemingly insignificant strategic decisions, like moving that extra square or not facing the right direction while defending can make or break a mission. Establishing line of sight is a huge part of the game, and often you'll encounter tight passages where your own allies will block off support.

Getting clumped together can limit your firing options.

Veteran gamers familiar with older titles like the original Fallout, X-COM, and Syndicate, will be well-versed in the turn-based combat/role-playing playstyle. What really differentiates it from the more casual games like Hero Academy is that your characters progress, gain skills, and expand their equipment over time. It doesn't take long before you become really heavily invested in team members; after playing Hunters 2 for a few hours, you'll be visibly wincing when your favourite guy goes down. Personally, I like spending time meticulously deliberating on my next move, but some may find that pace of gameplay too slow and plodding. Replay of campaign missions might also not be quite up to snuff, since enemy positions remain more or less the same. Rodeo Games offers increasing difficulty levels, including a hardcore mode where soldiers die permanently if they go down in a mission, but I find it challenging enough as is that I have to repeat most levels at least twice. The real replayability comes from the daily missions.

You may quickly find yourself spending just as much time shopping for guns as playing.

The amount of customization adds a ton of depth to gameplay, but may be a bit too much for casual players. Let's take talent trees for example. There's one generic set of talents that you can pick for any of mercenaries. They span the usual areas - increasing hitpoints, increasing damage, etc. Every soldier has access to two other skill trees with more specialized abilities, such as scouting, survival, or support. Depending on which combinations of talent trees a soldier has access to, they get a cool (but mostly useless) title, like Arbiter, Devastator, Stalker, or Sentinel. What this boils down to is that every time one of your soldiers levels up, you have to pick between at least 14 different talents, on top of equipping new weapons you've found, bought or crafted. Multiply that by however many soldiers leveled up in a given mission, and you can be quickly overwhelmed with options.

The few 3D cutscenes that are included are really impressive.

The music in Hunters 2 is subdued and ominous, and is wonderfully paired with graphics ripe with gritty textures. Although the game itself takes place in a mostly-unimpressive 2D plane, zooming in and rotating the map is extremely fluid, the wide array of high-tech gunfire has impressive lighting effects, and the 3D models used in gameplay and on the title screen are very impressive. Though there are a lot of things to manage between missions, the user interface has been laid out intelligently, and lets you kit out your team with minimal fuss.

The good

• Deep, rich gameplay
• Excellent sound and graphics, despite 2D layout
• Unobtrusive but beneficial microtransactions

The bad

• Complexity may be overwhelming
• Pacing may be too slow for some
• A little on the pricey side

The conclusion

$4.99 - Download Hunters 2 Now

YouTube Link

Trainyard for iPhone combines simplistic graphics and design with puzzles that are not so simple. The concept of the game is to get all the trains into the correct stations without a collision. The first several levels will teach you the basics but after that, you'll definitely be scratching your head.

[iTunes Link]

After learning a couple basics, you'll quickly be sending trains into the correct stations. Then you'll gradually learn more maneuvers and techniques as the courses get more difficult. One thing I really liked about Trainyard is the progression. You don't feel bored but the levels don't overwhelm you either. Before each new trick or maneuver, you'll spend several levels getting to know techniques before adding another.

You'll need to learn techniques such as crossing tracks and merging trains. In some stations, you'll have two trains and a hub that's a different color. For instance, if you have a station that will only accept a green train, you'll need to combine a blue train with a yellow in order to make one green train. The game will only use primary color trains and if you make a bad mix, you'll get an ugly brown train, which no station will accept.

As you get further into the game, you'll have to combine several techniques to get the correct patterns. There isn't only one right solution to many levels though. While you may solve a level one way, another user may solve it another way. Trainyard also lets you upload your solutions to help other users. If you get stuck on a level, you can always view how other users solved those levels on the Trainyard site.

Each level will have a star amount it's worth. You'll need to collect a certain amount of stars in order to unlock new cities. Once you collect all the stars, you'll unlock expert mode which will give you access to even more levels.

Levels also give you the option to clone them. This will let you solve the puzzle more than once since there can literally be hundreds of possible combinations for each level. So if you want a new challenge, try and solve the puzzles in more than one way. The only addition I'd really like to see is GameCenter integration.

Pros

• Difficulty increases at a steady pace
• Graphics and sound effects are simplistic and refreshing
• Sharing solutions is not only a great idea, but incredibly easy
• Longer game play than most puzzle or strategy games

Cons

• No GameCenter integration
• A way to see solutions in app would be awesome

Crush the Castle for iPhone is a simple and fun strategy game. The object of Crush the Castle is to destroy buildings with trebuchets -- a fancy siege engine something like a catapult. You get the chance to be the attacking army and, as a twist, you can even build your own structures and destroy them as well.

The game interface is very easy to get used to. You tap the screen to launch the trebuchet and then again when you want the ammunition to be released. The you watch to see if your ammunition has hit its target. You get to pass the level when all of the occupants of the building have been killed. (Yes, this game is not for the pacifist.)

There are 10 different types of ammo that you get access to as you continue through the game. Boulders don't cause enough destruction for you? Well in later levels you get access to cannons and greek fire (D&D flashback anyone?). There are 90 different encampments. If you get a medal on each encampment you get to progress to the next stage. Once you have unlocked a type of ammunition you can go back and try to use that weapon on previous levels, which makes it much easier to achieve a medal there.

One of the more interesting aspects of the game is that you also get access to the castle editor. This allows you to make your own buildings and then you can find out how easy they are to destroy. It is not the most seamless interface for creating new buildings but after a bit of practice you'll get the hang of it.

This is the perfect game for the casual gamer who wants to have something to do when they have a few minutes to kill. If you enjoyed playing Angry Birds than this is a another game you will like.

Pros

• Easy controls
• Fun build your own fortress level
• Simple concept

Cons

• Build level is difficult to use
• Can not see trebuchet and target at same time
• No projectile trail so hits are difficult to repeat

Cut the Rope for iPhone is a simple, yet challenging strategy type game.  Your little frog Om Nom wants candy.  The candy is hanging from random ropes with all kinds of obstacles in the way.  Your job is to find a way to cut the strings in the right order to get the candy into Om Nom's mouth.  You'll also need to collect stars on the way down.  The more stars you collect and the quicker you complete a level, the more points and achievements you'll earn.

[iTunes Link]

Cut the Rope will also tie into Game Center so you can track your achievements and share them with your friends. You also have the option to use Crystal if you choose to. The premise of the game is dead easy, but actually completing levels gets pretty challenging along the way. New enemies pop up, stars start to disappear if you aren't getting to them quick enough, and then there's the spiders, who steal your candy if you aren't quick enough! As of now there are 4 worlds to play through - cardboard box, fabric box, foil box, and gift box.

In order to unlock different boxes, you'll need to collect a certain amount of stars to gain access to that world. The developers also note after the 4th box that there are more levels coming. Some of the levels you can blaze through but collecting the stars makes it a bit more difficult. I've been trying to get all 3 stars within each level, which proves somewhat difficult after you get a good way into the 2nd box.

As you get further into the game, you'll start to encounter new enemies out to steal Om Nom's candy. You'll also have more obstacles and more gestures to learn. Some levels will require cutting ropes simultaneously or in rapid succession to avoid breaking your candy or letting it fall. Overall, the difficulty level is decent and the length of the game is good for the price you're paying. I haven't played through all the levels yet, but I'm already eager to see the developer add more.

If you're in the market for a good strategy type game that requires a little thinking, this may be a good option. It'll keep you busy for a reasonable amount of time for the price. If you've already picked this up, let us know what you think in the comments!

Pros

• Game Center Integration

• Difficulty increases at good rate

• Easy to learn controls and gestures

Cons

• More levels would be nice

Zentomino for iPhone is an easy to play puzzle game and a great time killer. While the game may have a simple concept, some of the puzzles are not as simple to solve. To complete a puzzle, you'll take Tetris-like pieces and fit them inside the puzzle designs without overlapping or going outside the boundaries. Drag pieces out of their places or back in, tap them while on the board to rotate them. Sometimes you'll use all the pieces allotted to you, sometimes you won't.

[iTunes Link]

When you first start the game, you'll be presented with pages and pages of puzzles to take a stab at. What I really like about this game is that you aren't forced to complete the puzzles in any specific order. You can flick through the pages and choose which ones you want to solve. Once you complete one, it will show the colored completed version as you scroll through. Get stuck on a certain puzzle? Click one button to take you back to the puzzle selection screen and take a stab at another one. You can always go back later and each puzzle should be as you left it.

Zentomino also links into Game Center. You'll get achievements based on completing a particularly complex puzzle, which will then show up in your achievements. You can see your achievements within Game Center, or clicking a link on the Zentomino main screen will link into Game Center to show you them.

So if you're looking for a good strategy or puzzle game, check out Zentomino and let us know what you think! They've also got a Lite version if you'd rather try before buying.

Pros

• Controls are easy to understand and fluid

• Lots of puzzle choices

• Game Center Integration

Cons

• Controls during game play to go back to main menu and reset pieces are a little small, making them bigger would make them easier to click on

Highborn is a turn-based strategy game for iPad set in a fantasy environment with paladins, wizards and warriors. What sets Highborn apart for the mix of other worthy turn-based games is it's humor and asynchronous multiplayer gameplay.

You start the game off with "Archie" your wise-cracking paladin. The game uses humor to its advantage to drive the story and successfully at that. You select your unit whether it's Archie, soldiers or archers and move them around the board to capture buildings and defeat the bay guys. You can tap on any character (good or bad) to see their movement range and attack range. Next you tap the location you would like your unit to move to. Then you can attack if next to an enemy or launch a distance attack if you are in range. Regretfully, once you have made a move (without ending your turn) you can not undo your move. This is frustrating, but you quickly learn to plan your moves out more carefully.

Capturing buildings and rune stones are a major part of Highborn. Towers typically attack you with catapults, buildings with arrows and so on. Most buildings come with a benefit too, once you capture them (which involves a battle) you earn something to help you in your battles. A monastery gives you a healer, a tower gives you a wizard and a farm building might give you angry farmers with pitchforks!

Each level in Highborn is individual, meaning that as you progress in the game, you don't necessarily carry your army with you. You sometimes get a bonus character to use during the level too. I was a little disappointed by this as it would be more fun to amass an army as you progress through the levels to some ultimate cataclysmic standoff! Sadly that is not the case here.

Multiplayer is a great addition to Highborn. Log into your OpenFeint account and you can play asynchronously like with Words with Friends or Scrabble. This is a blast, but the challenge is that you can only challenge friends to a game if they use OpenFeint. Granted, if they have the game they likely will, but it would be nice to be able to invite a player based on username or some other identifier.

There a few shortcomings with Highborn, but not don't let them distract you from the light-hearted fun turn-based strategy game. If you and a friend own it, multiplayer is awesome.

[$2.99- iTunes Link]

Pros

• Variety of terrain and enemies to fight
• Game gets progressively harder to build your skills
• Saves game if you need to quit
• Animated battles (can turn off in options)

Cons

• Simple graphics
• Can't undo a turn

No starker contrast could be drawn between Apple's iPhone 4 strategy and Google's Android than this past week where iPhone 4 made its traditional once-a-year debut -- just as Motorola showed off a new Verizon Droid X, T-Mobile Charm, AT&T Flipout, and Samsung announced the Galaxy S-class Sprint Epric 4G, Verizon Facinate, T-Mobile Vibrant, AT&T Captivate, and an as yet unbranded US cellular Galaxy S as well.

Only some of these have been officially announced, but even that number dwarfs Apple's once-a-year iPhone release schedule. That they're coming out around iPhone 4 launch, and iPhone 4 is a strong contender in the market right now (1.7 million in 3 days strong) is interesting. That Google and their manufacturing partners could keep up this pace in 3 months, 6 months, and when iPhone 4 is starting to show its age in 8 months is... something else.

Personally I -- and most importantly my early-adapter-pained wallet -- enjoy Apple's annual cycle. I don't know how Phil Nickinson from our sibling site Android Central survives some weeks. To always have a new phone to look forward to is exciting -- and terrifying. Ask me again in January though, and I might be itching for that iPhone 5...

Do you feel you benefit as an iPhone user from Apple staying focused on that one, integrated, end-to-end handset you own for the better part of a year? Or do you think Google's approach of hardware partners launching new devices, on different network, all the time will lead to greater innovation in the end? Focus can lead to stagnation, fragmentation to loss of direction. Maybe having both approaches in the market, pushing each other, is the best thing for all users?

UniWar is quite the little gem of a strategy game. You have four modes of play: Online, Campaign, Solo and Vs. and three species to choose from: Sapiens, Titans and Khraleans. The variety of  units is very diverse. You have units that can bury them selves underground and move a space at a time to units that can teleport across the screen. One of the great things I enjoy about this game is the plethora of maps you have to play; 50+!!! That is plenty to keep me busy. As of this writing, I have only played about 10 maps, so I have a long way to go!

This game is very polished and I have lost many hours playing it. If you like StarCraft, this is an excellent diversion to keep you busy. The developers are quite active in delivering updates (they are up to 1.0.4 already). They have also added the little extra touches that can make a difference such as the ability to play in portrait or landscape in real-time; just rotate your iPhone. Nice.

When you play online you register on the UniWar website and it keeps track of your stats and even has a ladder to see your ranking. You also have the ability to save multiple active games and resume them at your leisure.

If I were to mention some areas of improvement it would be the AI's time to play; it can be lengthy at times (I once waited 20 seconds). Though trivial, I think with the modern hardware of the iPhone, that the AI can be sped up a bit for mobile gaming. Also, though the graphics are good, the animation appeared to be a bit jerky. Perhaps this could be improved with more animations per unit. If i had to guess, there are only a few frames of animation each. The fluidity of movements would make the play that much more immersive.

Overall, if you like Sci-Fi turn-based stragatey games, this is a steal at $4.99! Check it out now! Sreenshots after the break!

As many of us eagerly wait for Twitterrific 2.0 to hit the iTunes App Store, developer Craig Hockenberry has provided an interesting insight into the mind -- and strategy -- behind one of the most high-profile development houses in Apple-dom. Says Hockenberry on being Trendy:

As software developers we often fall into the “just one more feature” trap. We want a 1.0 release to be awesome, and that one more thing will only take a day or two, and people will love it, so why not?

Because that awesome feature could be a very good thing to generate buzz and sales for a 1.1 or a 1.2 release. And by not “doing it all” in the first release, you get your product to market faster. You’ll be making money while you implement that cool new feature.

And holding back can have another advantage: you might find that your users want something different than what you had planned. Their input can often change your idea, so don’t waste time doing something without feedback.

The rest of the article is a worthy read, as is his blog Furbo.org in general.