On the grand scale of pop culture phenomena, it is no small matter that the new Apple iPhone, which hits store shelves at 6 tonight, is being hailed by many as the next life-altering piece of personal technology. If true, it could put the iPhone on the same tech pedestal as cable television, the answering machine, the personal computer -- and the Internet itself. On the surface, the iPhone boils down to this: Priced at either $499 or $599, depending on memory size, it combines a telephone, a full-service iPod digital music player and a Web browsing tool that displays pages in HTML, so they appear the same as on your computer screen. But the iPhone's real effect likely won't depend on whether it's deemed the best cellphone ever. Industry experts say its impact will be the inspiration it provides for the next big technology leap.