iPhone

iPhone hype: Every day my RSS Feed delivers me a handful of articles pushing the iPhone. Captivating commercials showcase the beautiful simplicity of the phone. Right now geeks are busy typing away and yapping at the new national holiday: June 29th; however, I just can't believe the iPhone will instantly create a dramatic shift in cell phone consumers.

Three weeks after you buy get a new phone and lock into a 2-year agreement, a glossy hipper phone flashes on the screen for 30 seconds during your show. Companies create a constant feeling that your phone is old and clunky even if you just bought it. Then the 2 year replacement comes up, and the customer opts in instantly: new phone, new plan, 2 more years.

Look at the cost if you're currently under contract for a phone company that's not AT&T:
$599 + tax for an iPhone
$40 Activation
$150 cancellation penalty
that's and initial cost of $789 just to make it work.

Too many people are locked in to plans to make it feasible for 3 million iPhones to be sold in 6 months. Too many people have learned that cool phones constantly come out, and waiting can be a good thing. Those who live and die with their email at their side already have Treos or Blackberries. They are not going to all jump on the bandwagon.

What I see as value in the iPhone:
The iPhone doesn't do anything new. I can't find a main feature of the iPhone that is not currently available on other phones. Apple's ability to integrate those applications and features with one another is what makes the iPhone stand out. Other smartPhones have taken the stance of "I want to do this" whether it's email, take pictures, or listen to music. Then the company crams those features into once device, and says it can make phone calls too. The disjointed applications function in an appropriate manner and sync to your computer, but the applications don't function with one another. The iPhone takes those same ideas and weaves an important link between them. Take for example the Google maps commercial. The movie is paused, the location and info are shown, then instead of reverting back to phone application to dial the number, the user simply touches the number. The idea of each piece working together to make a unit is critical, because while it has multiple functions, it takes advantage of how each part can work together. That's why the iPhone is worth it, but it's also why worth waiting for. I'll take the 2nd generation, thanks.