The dispute between the International Trade Committee and Qualcomm has attracted a lot of attention, primarily because a recent ruling will affect the shipment of new 3G-capable phones.

The trade commission, in a 4-2 vote, said it will order U.S. customs officials to block imports of some handsets using Qualcomm chips that enable phones with features such as high- speed Internet access. The company also will be banned from bringing the Semiconductors into the U.S. for testing, the agency said in a statement.

And some people are saying that the ban can only help the iPhone when it launches on June 29. But it's also important to consider the reactions of service providers and manufacturers, many of whom consider the ban hurtful to their bottom line. That's because they won't be able to sell new 3G-capable models.

While these companies' profits may be affected, the ban won't significantly hurt the American economy. That's because even if the latest smartphones and PDAs can't enter the US (the ban exempts existing 3G capable agadgets), many buyers aren't looking for the latest specs anyway.

Current Palm products still enjoy a fanatic following because users buy the maker's products not because of their cutting-edge technology, but for the ergonomics and user-friendliness. The iPhone, which isn't 3G-capable, will surely enjoy a strong launch.

In short, while 3G-phones won't be able to enter the US for the foreseeable future, there are still plenty of non-3G yet capable models out there. The question is, just how many buyers out there know that sometimes it isn't just about the specs?