Posted on Saturday, 7th July 2007 by Bull
The iPhone hype is so intense right now, I think people will be buying
this phone based on hype alone. I mean, is the phone really that great?
The more I read about the iPhone, the less I want it.
At a glance, the device looks fantastic, features sound fun, and there’s
no doubt this phone is the “it” phone this year. But realistically,
would you pay $500-$600 for any other phone? Like many of you, I’m still
debating whether to buy an iPhone or not, so I’ve compiled a list of
cons (since the pros are obvious) just to give myself a reality-check.
* Price/Storage: Probably the biggest reason to wait is the price.
The iPhone will retail in stores for $500 (4GB) and $600 (8GB) - AND you
still have to sign a new two-year agreement. Don’t expect this phone to
replace your iPod either. The top-of-the-line $600, 8GB iPhone only
holds 2,000 songs, and only a handful of videos and full-length movies.
I also don’t understand why you have to buy the iPhone at full price,
and still sign a two-year contract. You could easily get a comparable
phone actually running on a 3G network like a Treo 750 for $199 with a
two-year contract, or an 80GB video iPod for almost half the price.
* Plans: What’s really bothering me about this is AT&T is playing
into all this hype too, forgetting about its customers. I called AT&T
today to find out more details about switching carriers, and the rep was
clueless. Come on guys, we needed pricing details about a month before
the phone went on sale so we could estimate costs. Why is the company
being so secretive? At least now we know getting an iPhone isn’t going to be cheap. Chris
Null outlined the cost of each service plan, the cheapest plan being
$60/mo for 450 minutes. He says that in two years, you’ll end up paying
close to $2,000 for service alone. Plus there is that $36 activation
fee, and a two-year contract on top of that. Those who already have an
AT&T account can expect to pay an additional $20-$30 for the “iPhone
plan” which includes Visual Voicemail, 200 SMS text messages, and
unlimited data since there is no voice-only plan. And if you think you
can get the iPhone to use without service, think again. Apple’s web site
says a two-year agreement is required for iPhone activation including
iPod features.
* Network: Surprisingly, the iPhone does not run on a
third-generation (3G) network, instead it runs on the slower EDGE
network. Forbes thinks Apple opted for the slower network because AT&T’s
EDGE coverage spans across 13,000 cities and towns nationwide, compared
with only 165 major U.S metro areas that have 3G coverage. It also
brings up another excellent point. Since 3G devices are interchangeable
between faster and slower networks, why did Apple still choose EDGE?
Other AT&T smartphones like Samsung’s BlackJack and Treo 750 run on 3G,
and for what I understand AT&T is slowing moving away from EDGE. So
perhaps a second- or third-generation iPhone will have 3G capability.
And while the iPhone may have Wi-Fi capabilities, realistically, looking
for a hotspot when you’re out can be a challenge, unless you pay an
extra $10 for T-Mobile access at Starbucks.
* First Generation: A geek’s rule of thumb is to never get a first
generation gadget. Apple is one of the few companies that revamps its
products at such a quick pace, that in this case, they actually make it
quite bearable to wait for the second revision. Look at all the
improvements they’ve made on iPods and MacBooks. It may seem like
waiting for a new iPhone will be an eternity, but I bet it’ll be a
matter of months before we see a better, faster version.
* Long Lines: I love technology as much as the next guy, but no
gadget is worth standing in line days in advance for, not even the
iPhone. People have already started to line up, and some are even
betting real money that someone will get trampled. I would add getting
shot at, beaten, mugged, and possibly being hospitalized to the list.
On top of all the above reasons, there’s still some doubts about the
lack of keyboard, inability to sync with corporate internal email
systems, and battery life. So lets get this straight. We’re expected to
pay for an overpriced phone, an expensive service plan, sign a new
two-year contract, and still wait in line hoping to get one? No thanks.
Posted in ATT, Cellular, Mac, Technology, iPhone | Comments (0)
