In case you have been wondering, I did end up getting the new iPhone! I got the 3GS in black (of course) and 32 gb, and it is so saweet! I have never been the type who is totally into cell phones and/or other tech gadgets, but the iPhone is so much more than a cell phone.On vacation, it did everything for me. It directed me to where I needed to go so I wouldn't get lost. It helped me find great hotels and restaurants. I had Internet access the whole time. I took pictures with it, and shot amazing video that I was able to e-mail to friends so they would be jealous of my vacation. It did all that and so much more! I ain't even lying. I don't know how I ever lived without it.
For all the complaints I've heard about battery life, I haven't had any problems whatsoever. I used the cell phone quite a bit during my driving vacation, and I didn't even need to use a car charger once. That's a good thing, too, since I don't own one yet. I had planned on buying one, but after my vacation experience, I really don't think I need to get one--ever.
The ONLY complaint I have with the iPhone so far (and it's not even Apple's fault; it's AT&T's) is the fact that AT&T does not support MMS. The official word from AT&T is that iPhone customers will be able to send picture and video text messages by the end of the summer. Since it's almost the end of the summer, that sounds like B.S. to me, but hey, we'll see.
In the meantime, since I couldn't text my vacation photos and videos, I e-mailed them from my iPhone so I still was able to make my friends jealous. It involved a few extra steps, but it was worth it. Here's one shot, so you can see for yourself.The MMS thing is a relatively minor issue. A major issue is AT&T's monopoly on the iPhone. Word on the street is that iPhone service will be available through other cell phone companies soon. When a Verizon representative called me to beg me to come back to Verizon, he said that Verizon would have an iPhone in the next six months. At this point, I can't see giving up the phone and waiting six months for Verizon's iPhone.
Even though I'm locked in with AT&T for the next two years, I still hope that iPhones are made available to all cell phone companies because competition is good for business. OK, it's not really, but it's great for the consumer. Clearly, giving up its monopoly on the iPhone will not be good for AT&T's business. A July 17 article on iphonetouch.blorge.com carried the headline "AT&T will falter at end of iPhone deal."
The article said, "No matter how you look at it or who you ask, when the sweet deal that AT&T currently has on the iPhone runs its course, as it inevitably will, the wireless provider is going to take a very big hit."
When iPhone customers are able to get their service elsewhere, the article says that they "will immediately head for greener pastures, and the greenest pasture of all is Verizon."
The article went on to say:
"Walter Piecyk, head researcher at Pali [Research], said, 'A basic premise of our recently initiated buy rating on Verizon and sell rating on AT&T is our belief that as the iPhone exclusivity period rolls off between AT&T Wireless and Apple, a material number of AT&T customers will flock to Verizon’s superior network. We expect AT&T Wireless net subscriber additions to fall to less than 1 million in 2010 from more than 4 million in 2008.'"
Oh, how the mighty fall.
You make me want an iPhone.
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