When is a phone not a phone? – Why I don’t want an iPhone
Today is launch day for the new iPhone 3G S. Based on the number of people who have made it clear to me that this was the perfect week for me to lose my phone, I’d say there’s quite a lot of excitement about the new iPhone release (as always).
But I am not here to write about how great the iPhone is. You can find plenty of that on Twitter. Instead, I intend to do quite the opposite.
I am on the hunt for a new cell phone. That is, I’m looking for a portable telephone that allows me to easily and clearly make calls from just about anywhere. With the cell phone industry expected to sell 4 billion phones by 2010, you’d think it would be an easy task to find a good, solid phone that makes calling people simple. Think again.
I really don’t like talking on the phone. I’m a very visual person, so having to pay attention to someone on the other end of a telephone is a big deal for me. Often, I have to force myself to physically stop what I’m doing in order to actually take part in a phone conversation. So when I’m out doing something, I really would rather not be interrupted by someone somewhere else wanting to talk to me.
Despite the fact that there was, in fact, a time when cell phones didn’t exist and people still managed to get through with their daily lives without dying,today’s society seems to be so dependent on cell phones that I must own one. After all, how else would I know what I need to pick up for dinner when I’m on the way home from the mall?
So now that it’s time for me to find a new cell phone, I find myself wondering what all the fuss is about the iPhone. Every time I’ve used one, I’ve found it uncomfortable to hold and requiring way too many virtual button presses in order to simply make a call. Sure, there’s an “app” for finding the nearest restroom and another for trading pictures with random strangers, but what about the make-a-darn-phone-call app?
When I’m at home and I want to call someone, I pick up the nearest telephone, dial 10 numbers (on physical buttons) and it’s ringing. Shortly thereafter, someone on the other end picks up and I have a conversation. My old cell phone behaved in the same way. It was a Samsung slider phone (I forget the model number) that I could pull it out of my pocket, slide open, dial 10 numbers (on physical buttons), and press call to talk to someone. I even was able to assign numbers that I frequently called to each of the keypad buttons so it only required that I press and hold down a single number to call home.
The iPhone and its touch screen have significantly complicated the calling process. After I lost my phone, I used my friend’s iPhone to call home to let my wife know that she couldn’t reach me for the near future. In order to do so, I had to swipe my finger across the bottom to unlock it, tap the phone icon at the bottom, then tap the keypad button to bring up the virtual numbered buttons, tap out the 10 digits, and then tap call. While it is mildly amusing to watch all the words and graphics on the screen fly around while I was doing all this, the process would definitely get old after two or three phone calls.
When I’m driving and need to quickly make a call or answer the phone, I’d like to be able to take the phone out of my pocket and perform whatever actions are necessary without having to actually look at the phone. Some might say I can do that with the new iPhone 3G S now that supports voice commands, but that would require: a) me to turn down the music or podcast that I’m listening to & b) it to actually understand the voice commands – technology I’ve had very little success with in the past.
Fans of the iPhone keep telling me that if I get one, I won’t understand how I ever got along without one. They make it seem like it’s impossible to be anywhere without the ability to check e-mail, surf the web, watch YouTube, look at Google Maps, and play Peggle.
To all that I say: Bah. I spend so much time in front of my computer at home, responding to e-mail and surfing the web, that I really would like the ability to get away from it once in a while. I already would prefer to not have a cell phone at all but, as I wrote above, that’s not really an option anymore. So since I have to have one, I’d rather it only enable me to make and receive phone calls and keep all that other Internet stuff away from me while I’m on the go. There no such thing as an e-mail that is so important that I absolutely need to know about it while I’m shopping at Target. It’s actually nice to be able to be away from a computer now and again.
Now, since I host a popular podcast about Disney and co-publish a magazine about Orlando theme parks and attractions, there are those that tell me that I will be happy to be able to Twitter, update Facebook, and post pictures/video from an iPhone. To that I say: Maybe. I just *might* want to do those things every once in a while. But I don’t need an iPhone for that. Nearly every cell phone that’s currently available has enough built-in features to send various messages and multimedia with relative ease. What’s the difference? Doing so on the iPhone will cost me an extra $30 a month via AT&T’s required unlimited data plan.
Here’s where we reach part three of why I don’t need or want an iPhone: the cost. I don’t use a phone enough to justify paying $70+ per month on my line alone. For the last few months, my wife and I used between 300 and 400 minutes per month on both of our cell phones combined. The AT&T family plan with 550 shared minutes would be more than enough for us, especially as the minutes roll over. That plan costs just $59.99 a month for both of our lines. If I really wanted an unlimited data plan, I could pay $15 per month for a non-smart phone when I need it and cancel the data plan when I don’t want it anymore. With the iPhone, I’d be locked into shelling out $30 a month whether I use the data plan or not. Plus, getting an iPhone would cost me at least $99-199 up front for the phone ($199-299 if I wanted the iPhone 3G S), whereas I can get another phone that will make calls just as easily (if not easier) for $0.01.
Hopefully this explanation of why I don’t want an iPhone will help explain… why I don’t want an iPhone. I doubt it will stop anyone from telling me I should get one, but at least you know where I’m coming from. Feel free to comment and tell me why I’m wrong and why an iPhone is the best invention since sliced cheese. Maybe someone will convince me. Probably not.
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You are paying for the phone and you are using the phone – get what you want.
This is from an iPhone owner as well.
I hear ya, Ricky.
I don’t deny anyone who enjoys their iPhone the pleasure of having one, but it certainly is not for everyone. Like you, my phone is primarily a phone. I just bought a Palm Pre, but I will probably never use 3/4 of the software loaded on it, let alone hunt for more applications to download.
If I see someone take out a tiny flip phone, I don’t wonder why they haven’t “traded up” for a smartphone. I just accept that they would rather go a different route. And sometimes simple is very smart.
Well, the truth is, no-one can possibly understand how darned useful they are until you own one. That goes for me, a few of my friends, my father, and many people around the world.
I find it a lot easier to use, and more powerful than any other phone I’ve ever seen or used.
And it removes the need to carry an iPod around with you as well as a phone, and can save energy, as you don’t have to turn your computer on to check something on the internet, or look on Wikipedia.
If you’re going on a flight, your iPhone is all you need, saves a lot of space in the old hang luggage.
It’s just, simply, very useful.
But at least, in the UK, I don’t have to be on AT&T. They appear to be rather awful.
If you don’t want an iPhone, don’t buy an iPhone. Simple. No need to write 1238 words about it. You don’t need to justify yourself. The phone’s for you. Nobody cares :-)
Just get a RAZR and be done. All it’s good at is making calls, which is all you want to do. Buy it, put it in your pocket, make calls. Simple.
Actually, I don’t like my wife’s RAZR. It’s uncomfortable and hard to hear out of.
And I will gladly write 1,238 words (or more) about many more topics that nobody cares about in the future. ;)
As much as I would love to own an iPhone, your reasoning in “part 3″ is also a reason that stops me from owning one. I already pay $42+ a month for high speed internet in my home, why would I spend another $30+ a month for a data plan? If anything, I would get an iPod Touch, since that device can use my existing home wireless network (and any other public WiFi hotspots) to get online and do almost anything the iPhone can do. What do you think about the iPod Touch Ricky?
Ok, no worries :-) Keep writing.
My point was, you’ve already made up your mind. There’s no decision to make. Nobody can help you, or influence you. You’re done. And it’s perfectly understandable. Some people just don’t want an iPhone, or any kind of pocket computer.
I myself wrote down (albeit privately) a similar list of practical reasons why I didn’t want an iPhone: too expensive, duplication of desktop computer features, don’t like talking anyway, etc. And now, guess what, I have an iPhone 3G. It’s one of those things that you don’t think you need, until you have one. And in many ways it’s more enjoyable and satisfying to use than a desktop computer.
I’m going to debunk most of your complaints…
I used to work at AT&T, and the biggest problem we had selling smartphones and the iPhone, was helping people realize that they actually WOULD use all the features of their phone. Remember when texting came out? I thought “Why would anyone want to bang out a message when they could just call someone?” Now I communicate almost EXCLUSIVELY through text messaging. Even my mom uses it as my sister and I refused to answer the phone when she called lol.
Your concern about the number of actions to make a phone call are legit in someways, but not in others. It takes only 3 actions to call someone on my phone. Slide to unlock, phone, and then press the name I want to dial. I have a virtually unlimited amount of contacts to add to my favorites, even though I only have about 10. And the 3GS has voicedial, making the process even simpler! Significantly complicated process? Hardly. In fact, what iPhone owner is even aware of the “length” it takes to call?
I too dislike sitting on my PC visiting surfing the web and answering emails, but on my iPhone, it’s a different story. I RARELY turn on my PC to surf or check email, if I’m not doing work or syncing my iPhone to iTunes, I don’t turn it on at all. Having my email sent directly to me is convenient because I can get it out of the way INSTANTLY. No more coming home after a long day and spending an hour reading emails. Even if I don’t want to check my emails, I can simply turn them off, or ignore them.
In regards to you using the data plan, come on… The iPhone has only been out for 2 years, is only on one carrier, yet it accounts for 66% of all mobile browsing. Blackberry, Palm, Motorola, HTC, etc all sell phones to EVERY carrier and aren’t anywhere close. I felt the same way, and that’s why I never bought a smartphone before working at AT&T. Even with my Blackberry’s, I didn’t browse that much, but with my iPhone, I’m on ALL the time. It’s so convenient to find out what’s in a type of sushi on the fly, or compare prices when I go shopping. I love being able to jump on google whenever I have a question. There’s NO WAY, I would get an unlimited data plan for a regular phone. Especially after all the functionality of the iPhone and having the real internet that I’m familiar with be in my hand. In fact, I don’t think any smartphone owner regardless of their handset of choice would!
Most of today’s technology can be looked at with a “we got along fine without it!” frame of mind, and we did. But why not make your life that much easier? The exact same arguments you’re making were made by people when PC’s became popular…
Like many others, you won’t appreciate the iPhone, or any smartphone until you own one yourself. Literally every person I convinced to try one has loved it, even my LEAST gadget friendly pals. Why not try it out, and if you’re not digging it, return it during the grace period? Most of your hang ups are largely do to your own pre-existing issues with what you “perceive” to be smartphone problems. Most iPhone owners will tell you that your concerns are unwarranted with this device.
I agree completely.. I think the iPhone is great, and looks to be pretty useful.. but it sounds as if be making it so hi-tech and fancy, the basic function of it being a telephone is lost. So now why have a phone that is a struggle to use as a phone, and is still wayyy less functional than an actual computer?
We just upgraded to an LG something or other phone from Sprint. It’s a slider with a keyboard underneath, because texting is pretty convinient. But beyond that, I just want a phone with a phone book. That’s all! I remember a time when I thought a pager was cumbersome!
Congrats Ricky. I think you’re the one person in the world who doesn’t like an iPhone nor a Razor. Two of the most popular phones of all time!
If you’re someone who works from home I agree the need for a smartphone is less than for someone out of the house more often.
I only use the iPhone for making calls about 5% of the time. Otherwise, I am using the camera, staying up to date with Twitter, using apps like the tip calculator, to-do, and game (e.g. PDA-style functions).
You know whay I don’t care for a cell phone that does 300 thousand different things? Except for MP3 playing capabilities and maybe radio, all those other wonderful things like surfing the ‘net and checking e-mails are extra down here in Brazil. Even texting can be very expensive if you do it too much.
I absolutely hate phonecalls, but I love smartphones.
Smartphones are something you won’t understand fully until you have one integrated with your life and that’s because the whole “phone” thing has become secondary to everything else it can do.
Phonecalls are annoying because since it’s not visual then you can’t tell how incredibly boring you are when you describe how much smarter you are than your coworkers. So we tend to avoid certain calls, but then we are punished with a voicemail that takes 10 minutes to retrieve and listen to.
But that is why the evolution of communication is so great. Email, Text, Facebook, IM, Twitter etc. These are all communication tools that we use on OUR schedule. Waiting in line, lying in bed, watching TV. If you have time you can respond, but if not then you let it sit on your phone until you’re ready.
I’ve been using smartphones for years and because of it I am more efficient in every possible way:
-Text-based messages are shorter and quicker to the point
-It’s easy to be informed of important info (Client/Family/Friends)
-Simple things like traffic, directions and weather are no longer a guessing game
-I am able to NICELY inform people that I’m busy without simply ignoring their calls
- Internet Access no matter where I go
And I do all that despite only using about 100min/mo in phone usage.
I respect that people don’t want to get cellphones because I understand the perceived nuisance of them. BUT, if you own a cellphone already then I feel you are missing out by not going one step higher and getting an iPhone/Pre/Android device because they truly are life changers.
(What a sales pitch. I feel like I just sold a crate of Sham-Wows)
The only thing there that I can’t defend is the price. I Mean what can I say, you don’t want to spend the money than I can’t argue. All I can say is, I think you should try it before you decide to keep it (like others have said) because than you’re no better than “I don’t want to go on Exepedition Everest because I hate roller coasters” “Have you ever been on one?” “no but I know I won’t like it”
I deal with this on a daily basis because I work for Apple. I just came home from being there since 6AM selling phones like clockwork. Every other normal day however is people exactly like you going “i wont use it” Okay then, but you can’t really say that until you try now can you? ;)
These are exactly the type of responses I was hoping to get from my post. Thanks! :) A few comments…
Jesse: I feel the same way about my home internet cost. It’d be nice if I could just pay one price for high-speed internet and have it apply to my home network and a portable one. I don’t want to end up paying $80+ a month for Internet access.
Marlon: Thanks for the debunking. Here’s some debunking for your debunking. ;)
I don’t use text messaging. Maybe 2 or 3 a month, and that’s only in reply to other people’s messages. I never initiate a text conversation. It has nothing to do with how tedious it was to write messages on my old phone but rather that I really have no use for it.
As for the difficulty in dialing a number… are you able to pull up one of those saved contacts without looking at the phone? That’s the real deal-breaker for me. Even the simple action of sliding your finger across the bottom of the phone requires you to look at it first. The voice commands may fix this, but I’ll wait to hear how well it works in a loud environment like driving in a car with the stereo on.
For e-mail… I type well over 100wpm and I can’t imagine reaching that speed on the iPhone. So writing messages will be nothing but frustrating for me. Likewise, 3G speeds are nowhere near the 10-15mbit I get with my home connection, so waiting for web pages to load on the iPhone will make my impatient side just say “ah forget it” before getting anything accomplished.
Kevin: I tend to stay away from trends, so it doesn’t surprise me that I dislike two of the most popular phones of all time. ;)
Anonymouse: I’ll take 2 crates of Sham-Wows. Nice pitch. You make a great point about why I hate phone calls. Perhaps avoiding them completely by taking 10 times as long to clumsily type something out with my thumbs really is the solution.
Since everyone seems to keep saying I need to try it for a while before judging it, maybe I will do just that. I was planning on ordering a pair of non-iPhones for $0.01 each on Amazon with a new AT&T contract, but if I can figure out a way to try the iPhone first and still have the ability to order those phones if I don’t like it, then maybe I’ll give it a whirl. I need to transfer my existing 2 numbers from T-Mobile, so it might get confusing. I’ll talk to someone at AT&T about it soon (unless someone reading this knows the answer).
haha touche!
Text Messaging: I can understand this, and if you don’t text you don’t text. Although I will say that I text more with my iphone than I ever did with a regular phone or even my Blackberries.
Dialing: Honestly Ricky, I think you’re making a big deal out of nothing! Pretty much every iPhone owner I know can unlock their phone without looking. I do all the time. I even have a password set that I can enter without looking lol. I also don’t need to look down to text, despite many people’s concerns about a physical keypad/keyboard. We learn to type not be feel, but by position. All the keys on my keyboard feel the same, but I know where an S is from a P! Same goes for my iPhone. most of the people I call often are in my recents list, and I can tap them easily. It may take the SLIGHTEST glance at the most. Even then, in the car, we should be using headsets (in Cali at least). Do you talk on the phone with the radio turned up? I don’t lol, but there are a variety of headsets that eliminate background noise. My Jawbone II is so powerful, that I can stand right next to a television speaker and the other person will barely hear it if at all.
Email: Once again, there’s an issue of what you “imagine”. I agree that there is a learning curve (along with any new keyboard of a size different than normal), but I’m amazingly fast with my iPhone, especially with predictive text. In fact, I decided to test this by going to iPhonetypingtest.com and I’m actually slighter faster on my iphone than my PC keyboard lol. Not having to actually press down a physical key helps you pick up a little time!
Internet speeds: I’m using EDGE and I still find browsing on my iPhone enough of a joy that I don’t even bother using my Verizon DSL connection. The convenience of watching TV and picking up my phone to visit the internet is the ultimate in laziness haha, and since the iPhone also supports wifi, there’s no need to get up, walk to the computer and wait for it to load.
If I lived a little closer I’d let you borrow my 2G iPhone for a month so you could see why iPhone owners love their devices so much! lol
Also remember that the iPhone is not the only smartphone out there. It’s probably not the most fun thing in the world to shop around comparing phones, but it could be worth it.
my wife has a samsung blast…it performs in the categories mentioned.
but if you wanna save money…hack an iphone, run it on another carrier, that way you don’t have to pay the data plan bill. you still get all the other features..and can use the internet near wifi
Marlon: I have a knack for making a big deal out of nothing. Great point about having to turn down the radio for talking. Touche indeed. :)
I will be heading to the AT&T store tomorrow to discuss this whole thing with them. If I end up getting an iPhone, I’m blaming it on all you commenters. And then I’ll create a “Why I bought an iPhone” post just so you can all say “I told you so.”
While I won’t deny I like all the bells and whistles of new phones, I still have a Samsung Gravity at this point. It is easy to make a call and I still love it.
Like I told you on Twitter, another use for an iPhone would be doing theme park recordings. In the iPhone 3G S User Guide it says:
“Recordings using the built-in microphone are mono, but you can record stereo using an external stereo microphone.”
“Note: External microphones must be designed to work with the iPhone headset jack or Dock Connector, such as Apple-branded earbuds or authorized third-party accessories marked with the Apple “Works with iPhone” logo.”
So, if you can use your iPhone instead of your iRiver MP3 Player (or whatever it is you now use) that’s when less device to take into the parks.
first off, you shouldn’t DRIVE while talking on your cell phone!!! I hate when people do that!!! Pay attention to the roads before you hit someone!!! DUH!!
Next, seriously, is dialing a number on your iphone THAT much more difficult?!?!? Swiping your finger then hitting 2 extra buttons?! That saves you, what, 4 seconds? maybe 5?
The iPhone gives you a phone, internet, camera, email, video ipod, game boy, contacts, calendar etc etc all in one. I’m not TRYING to promote the iPhone, but I think it promotes itself.
I’m surprised actually, I read this website a lot, I am an avid listener of your podcast and this totally surprised me. You seem like the kind of guy who’d appreciate progress like this, or at the very least gadgets.
I understand the need for simplicity, but c’mon….the iPhone simplifies everything else….and it fits in your pocket. Sorry, I just flat out disagree. Borrow an iPhone for a week and you’ll see. Maybe then you invent a Distant Creations app you’ll feel the love and join the dark side.
Ricky–
First of all, good luck resisting the urge to buy an iPhone! There isn’t a day that goes by without my mother proclaiming to one friend or another how much she loves her iPhone! And she almost didn’t get one!
Secondly, I did do texting on my other phones, but texting is just SO EASY on the iPhone, it makes my old nasty LG flip phone look outdated by a country mile. If you don’t want to do texting too much at first, get the lowest texting plan you can. You can always change it later.
Third, I know how my mother uses hers. If she has to dial the phone, she usually has all the people she calls in her favorites list, and usually doesn’t have her phone in sleep mode. That way she can get dialing quickly and get her eyes back on the road.
I can’t wait to hear more, sir.
BJ
Is it necessary to require the finger swipe? The phone can’t auto-dial while in a pocket, right? It needs finger contact?
Actually, it can work through a couple of thin layers of fabric, like a pocket, just nowhere near as well. It’s nearly impossible to get it to swipe, but easier to press a single button. I can see how it could dial a number in a pocket without this feature, especially if it was in your favorites list.
To add my $0.02 the “Lets Convince Ricky” theme: I agree with those who said try it out!
I waited in line for the first iPhone and have never looked back since. (No, I didn’t camp out for days. I only waited a couple of hours.) When I first got the phone, I didn’t text message either. The 200 that came with it were more than enough for me, however, the longer I’ve had the phone, the more I have been texting. None of that “push number 2 thrice to enter the letter C” stuff that other phones forced you to do. It’s especially nice now that the keyboard can go horizontally. (Same for e-mail too!)
You also mentioned the speed of the internet on the iPhone versus a high-speed connection at home. While it’s true that the iPhone won’t reach those speeds, it’s incredibly convenient to have the internet in your pocket at all times. You truly don’t know how nice it is until you have had it, and once you have you won’t want to go without it again. While I’m on the topic of having the internet in your pocket, I shall bring about another point of interest: the app store! The variety of applications that you can get for the phone are simply astounding. You are out and about town and wanna see what’s playing at the movies? There is an app for that. Hear a song playing and want to know what it is? There is an app for that. Having trouble deciding on where to have supper? Yep, there is an app for that too. Want to find the phone number of a business? There is an app for that. Actually, that’s built into the Maps application. (Type a business name and tap their phone number to call them!)
With all of these features using AT&T’s data services, the iPhone data plan is a steal! I can’t imagine what my bill would be if I didn’t have unlimited data access, because I use it all day!
I’ll step off of my soapbox now. :)
Sorry if I wasn’t clear. I actually meant… is it possible to accidentally press virtual buttons while it’s in your pocket if you don’t lock it? If not, it seems to me like the swipe isn’t necessary.
To update this whole thing, based on all of your advice, I am giving it a try. As many of you said, how do I know if I’ll use it if I don’t try first? So I ordered a 3G S from Best Buy today and it should be arriving in a couple of days. I’ll write a “first impressions” post after a day of using it and then follow that up a couple weeks later with my usage patterns and whether I’m going to keep it or not. I’m definitely switching to AT&T. I just don’t know whether or not it’ll be with an iPhone or another phone.
I still don’t believe I’ll use it enough to warrant the extra $30 a month charge, but that’s what I’m trying it out… to see if I’m wrong!
Oh and I didn’t realize that being able to turn it sideways and type on the keyboard was a new feature. Seems like that should have been there from the beginning. If I do use the data features, I imagine I’ll almost always be using it sideways.
First of all let me say… GO YOU! Smart move on giving it a try!
Yes, its possible to press the virtual buttons while they are in your pocket, its just more difficult to do so than simply touching it. I’m not going to say that I guarantee it’ll happen, but its definitely possible. Look at it this way: With Apple’s love of simplicity, do you think they would make you do that if it wasn’t necessary? ;)
Yes, turning it sideways for notes, texting, and e-mail is new. You could always do it in Safari, but not in anything else for some reason. Yes it should have been there from the beginning, just like copy & paste… but thats another story. Yay for software updates!
Another feature that I forgot to mention was that it now does video! Say you are just relaxing in the parks for fun and happen to come across something podcast worthy, you can simply take it out and go! No extra equipment necessary.
Plus, if you get the 32 gig, it can replace your ancient iPod! Unless it was a 40 gig or more, in which case never mind.
Look at me still trying to convince you when you’ve already said you are going to give one a whirl. Feel free to tell me to shut up any time now!
iPhone or no iPhone the key reason for having a quality mobile phone for me.
1) when the car breaks down at the crest of a hill in the right hand turning lane of a 4 lane road during peak hour….and it turns out the car is in the blind spot of the cameras……………and leaving the car is a suicide mission…..it is nice knowing the phone will have excellent reception to call people.
I do understand the fact that you want to be able to leave the email world behind but I actually find that possible with the iphone and I suspect the reason is because there are 4 phone companies you can sign up with the iphone here and there are many plans and prepaid options to choose from.
I don’t have to pay for a data pack (and don’t) so while I have the capability to access email and I do because it can be included in my existing cap plan it is something I only use when necessary (such as when I need to check updates from lecturers and to see if I have finally received the important email I have ben awaiting from someone) because it is a per MB cost so as long as I balance it with talk time I can keep it under the $250 cap limit.
I pay 39.95+15 per month….which is comparable to any new phone really.
You really just have to get the phone that suits you.
I think the swipe is fine and I am quite capable of swiping without looking at the screen. I actually find the more you have the phone the less you do need to look at it to call. I have navigated to the phone favourites page without looking but I do generally check before I press the favourite so I don’t call the wrong person….
I also find that texting on here and dialing is easier than the last slide phone I had. I found the click buttons getting more and more tedious.
Turning it sideways is WONDERFUL.
The fact that gmail has a iPhone friendly page makes checking email easy although I rarely send one from the phone.
And then as to reliability. Perhaps it is just 3G generally but I have found this the most reliable with amazing clarity phone I have used. I is the easiest and clearest phone to hear a person on.
I went with the 16 gig version as my very old black and white iPod is 20 gigs and, while it is full, I don’t listen to 80% of the music that’s on there. I’m sure 16 gigs will be enough, even if I buy a few apps as well as take photos and video. I’ve never been one to purchase a lot of software, so I won’t be buying many apps, if any. Of course, all of that is dependent on the fact that I actually keep it… which is still debatable. We shall see.
well…not buying any software should be easy. there are many apps that are free, or have demo versions. In fact attractions magazine sponsors one of my free apps, the wdwtrivia app. I’m sure you’ll download that one! : )
I think the iPhone is a toy for grown-ups. Of course, I also think WAY too many people spend WAY too much time with their cell phones, no matter what the make and model.
Hey, how can you buy an iPhone 3G S on a contract and then return it? Are the rules different in the US?
I’m pretty sure that here in the UK you can’t do that. Once you’ve signed that 18 month phone contract, you’re stuck with O2 (the carrier) and your iPhone until it expires.
Anyway, I will be getting an iPhone 3G S soon too :-) I already have an iPhone 3G 16GB, but I have a friend who’s willing to buy it off me for a very good price. Hence I get to upgrade for a smallish amount.
I wish I could sign up for an 18 month contract, but it’s a 2-year contract here. But I do get 30 days to decide to keep the phone, exchange it for another (1 exchange allowed), or cancel the whole thing.
Well, even with a 2 year contract, it’s great that they allow you to try it for up to 30 days. That’s very generous of them. Just make sure you erase all your data of it if you decide to return it. And do it at home, because the iPhone can take 2-3 hours to perform the erase itself in a shop.
I have been using various smartphones for years…all Windows Mobile. Currently using the T-Mobile Wing. I am coming to hate the Windows OS, both Mobile and PC. It doesn’t use memory efficiently, it hangs all the time, has to be rebooted twice a day…Windows sucks. I would love an iPhone, but I hate AT&T. Looking forward to hearing about your experiences Ricky.
i love my iphone. if you only want to make calls, then get a regular phone. if you want so much more, then get an iphone.