… I still won’t buy you.
I love the screen. I love the software. The ability to have GPS in my pocket is especially near and dear to my heart. (I once developed software for GPS on cell phones). Finally with the fast data connection, you can do what my Treo 700P did two years ago. At $199, you are a better value than iPod Touches… but you lock me into AT&T’s service.
Alas it’s that last thing that will prevent us from being phone mates. By affiliating yourself only with AT&T, you have told me that my business isn’t important to you. AT&T charges $30 a month for data access – the same amount that Sprint charges me for nearly all it’s services. Granted, I do have a special grandfathered plan with Sprint… it shouldn’t come between us. To get the equivalent level of service with AT&T, I’d have to pay nearly $85 a month. That means it will cost me an extra $660 a year.
As much as I love having the latest and great phone, I realize that I’m around a computer more often than not. I only take advantage of my Treo’s advanced capabilities once every few days. When I do, I usually call up Google Reader which comes in a mobile form that doesn’t require iPhone’s greatness.
IPhone, I would love to be able to talk myself into buying you (and be able to justify the cost), but I simply can’t. If/When you reconsider your relationship with AT&T, perhaps we could do dinner together sometime.
I’m with you Lazy Man. I dig the new iPhone, but I won’t get it. I just don’t want to be tied down to AT&T’s bad service. I’ve had Verizon for about 5 years now, and it’s great. I can connect anywhere in the country – fast. I can’t wait until the AT&T exclusive runs out for the iPhone. Then I’ll get one.
Bill
I’ve been wanting something similar to the iPhone for a long while now. I had the Mogul from Sprint (but it got stolen! wtf!). Now I’m anticipating the release of the Samsung Instinct. It’s supposed to be about the same price as the new iPhone and I will be able to get all the features with my Sprint SERO plan. Good alternative.
http://www.samsunginstinct.com/
Consumers with less than stellar credit will have to pay a $250 deposit when trying to activate the iPhone. If bad credit does result in payment of a deposit on your iPhone, you can still take comfort in the fact that 12 consecutive months of good payment history will result in the full refund of your security deposit. Either way, your intended $199 purchase can easily creep up to $450. I’ll stick to my Nokia for now.
It also bugs me that they claim the price is cut in half, whilst raising the plan rates. In all you will end up spending more over the course of a two year contract than if you bought the iPhone at full price. I understand that you are paying for a better and faster service, but don’t try and hide it like ATT and Apple have both done. They used words to hide the real truth. I also cannot wait till ATT no longer has exclusive rights. But even though I am ranting, I am planning to buy one.
I guess what gets me most is the wording, oh yeah its cheaper but you end up paying more for the service. Personally I would like to see that money in Apples hands and not ATT cause Apple will innovate, while ATT will pad the bottom line.
Buying the latest and greatest technologies is typically against any personal finance principle based on preserving or creating worth.
It’s the same principle behind buying and keeping a car as long as possible. Why would you buy a phone every year?
The only exception to this rule is buying a new technology that allows you to create more wealth. A cell phone with cool screen and GPS does not fall in that category.
So from that point of view, I am with you: not buying the latest iPhone anytime soon.
Wow that is expensive! I have a wee cell phone and I’d love an iPhone but not for that monthly price. Ugh. And like you I have my laptop with me a lot.
The iphone is gorgeous, it’s really nice, but let’s be honest… no one needs it. :)
This lower price point is going to blow things up for the iPhone. No doubt about it. I love gadgets and this one is right at the top. But do I really need it? No. I need a phone, not an MP3 player and I definitely don’t need another excuse to be online when I’m away from my computer.
Still, you gotta hand it to Apple…
And as far as I know, AT&T isn’t going to be the exclusive provider for much longer, so keep those fingers crossed!
You’re right on the money, Lazy. I had Cingular (which is now AT&T), so when the iPhone 16G iPhone became available, I got one. I love absolutely everything about it (it really is a very slick little machine – I use it to approve blog comments and check website traffic remotely, but I also love the Google maps apps and calendar.
The only things not to like -the speed (whcih has been addressed in this new version) and AT&T’s service. AT&T totally blows.
Also, I’m not sure what the service plans are now, but I’m only paying $45 a month for service, which I think is pretty reasonable.
I’m completely torn myself, though not because of ATT (they all suck). I pay $45 a month now and I don’t want to double that for something I don’t need, only want. However, I doubt I will have any choice. They are slowly phasing out the cell phones, that are only phones. Eventually you will just have one clunky model with no features to pick from, so you will almost have to buy a media phone.
The iPhone does seem neat and one day I bet it will dominate like the iPod but I can’t jump in either.
I just got a Motorola Q9C from the Sprint SERO plan and I love it! That $30/month goes a long way. And you know what? With Google Maps I get great GPS on it. It’s saved me in traffic a couple of times now.
any idea whats a comparable phone on Verizon?
No iPhone for me. I want a phone to do one thing, and that is to make phone calls. I don’t need to spend a buttload of money to do that. I have an old iPod to listen to music, and even then, I don’t walk around everywhere with headphones on my ears.
Sure, it would be cool to have a phone, the internet, and music available all at an instant with one device, but not for the cost and how much I’d use it. My wife has an iPod touch and has it hooked up to our wireless, and even then, she uses the internet feature maybe a few times a month. Other than that, she just uses it in the car to listen to her MP3s. I’m pretty sure you don’t need to drop a few hundred dollars and hundreds more on an expensive wireless plan to do that.
My husband bought the phone and swears by it. He says he cannot function without it now and has saved him so many times. It’s the internet in a phone and that’s his fave feature.
Anyway, it was a business expense so that’s a good thing!