Writing about the iPhone has nothing to do with what I’ve been doing on this blog for the last year. Though I just love stupidity wherever it pops up. Now granted, the fact that every blog on the ‘net and every news station talking about this thing is the standard of hype. I just find it incredibly stupid.
It’s a freaking phone. Are we that bored with ourselves that we need a device to talk to someone on, take a picture and listen to a tune? Hell, everyone already has an mp3 player. Why do you need another one? Why does your phone need to take a picture? Why does your camera need to make a phone call?
Why are people standing in line for something today that they can walk in and buy in a month? Why would anyone pay $5-600 for a freaking phone? And pay activation fees? And data transfer fees? And get stuck in a stupid contract? The phone will cost like $3,000 over the life of the 2-year contract. Does that not seem like a lot of money?
“But it has so many great features!” My mp3 player which is the size of my finger and holds more songs than I’ll ever care about listening to, cost $35. It’s great. My phone was free. Has a camera on it even. But guess what? I have a digital camera. 5 megapixels. Flash. Takes amazing pictures. Videos. I can drop it in my shirt pocket. Cost about $200.
So the big thing everyone is jonesing over is the web browser. How exciting. Why in the hell would you want to look at the Internet on a screen the size of a wallet? I have a gorgeous 15-inch widescreen laptop to surf the Internet. It’s pretty neat. It’s portable. Convenience? Can we really not survive in this world without looking at the Internet wherever we are?
So who buys this thing ultimately? Business people? They are given a Crackberry at work. Why tote another phone around? Already sick of the one they have. Apple will never wrest that market away from RIM. So that leaves normal consumers. I think for most budget conscience people the price is too high, like most Apple products. So who over-extends themselves for this thing? My guess is HS and college kids are the ones who buy it mostly. Mommy and daddy who can’t say no will probably be funding that purchase. Or maybe not. How many credit cards are used to purchase this phone? Financing that $600 probably becomes thousand of dollars after the minimum payments. Today is a good day for VISA and Mastercard. Maybe tech geeks who have to have all the groovy new appliances too. The average guy, the ones who barely know how to surf the Internet. The ones calling me to fix their wireless router 
will care less. Too expensive. They get a free phone with their plan. And they already got sucked into buying an iPod. They don’t have the time to care about all those lame-ass YouTube videos. Especially not for $100 a month when they already have three phones on their plan for $70.
Understand, I hate cell phones. I carry mine for safety mostly (bicycling). I find their use annoying. There is no etiquette involved in their use. I’m a real grump about them. So I have a definite bias. I just think standing in line for one is stupid. It’s a freaking phone and the cost is ridiculous. C’mon America.
{ 13 comments… read them below or add one }
Splork…
I have a Palm Treo 700p that I use in my business. My entire life is on that thing. (Of course, I back it up regularly and redundantly!)
I use it to set appointments, keep track of about 600+ contacts, hold information, and use it as a phone. It will also act as a modem for me when I travel so I don’t have to pay $10 a day in a hotel for Internet access.
I can browse the web with it, too. Now, why would I do that? (The screen is tiny.) Well, yesterday, for instance, I was in the need of directions… I went to MapQuest and *poof!* I had door-to-door directions in the Treo. Nice.
There were times when I was sitting in a delayed flight, on the tarmac, with no explanation. I popped onto the airport’s web site and found out about the weather in Chicago that was holding up our flight in Pennsylvania.
I was on the phone with a hotel to make reservations and needed my frequent flyer number. I tapped on the icon that brings up the program that encrypts all that stuff, and instantly read her the number. (I couldn’t possibly remember all of them.)
The iPhone? It makes all of that even easier, better, faster and… well, cooler.
No, I don’t own one for the following reasons:
1. I won’t wait in line to get something that I could just buy in a few weeks. I don’t *need* the latest-and-greatest gadget to show to my friends. My self-worth is fine without that.
2. I use Verizon right now and the iPhone used AT&T. I hate AT&T, but if (when) I do get an iPhone, I will need to make the switch.
3. Apple has the bad habit of upgrading about every 3 months or so. I own a PowerBook G4 and in my office I have an iMac. (I LOVE my macs.) I don’t want to be disappointed when the next generation of iPhones includes a tricorder, phaser and juicemaker.
4. I don’t *need* it right now.
5. Apple is coming out with their next OS (10.5), Leopard, in a few months. It is then that I may get a new MacBook Pro (!). I would assume that the iPhone will be upgraded to fit the new OS.
6. The memory in the current iPhone isn’t so large at 8 GB. An iPod holds 80GB. I would liek to know I could back up my computer onto it.
7. There are virtually no 3rd-party apps written for it.
But, it is an amazing device. I will eventually get one. Not because it’s “cool”, but because I can use it… really use it for business and whatnot.
I am not interested in watching videos or music or photos, etc. on an iPhone. I will buy it because it will make my business life easier. However, right now, my Treo is doing the trick. I’ll wait ’till the current iPhone owners get the bugs out of it.
I have patience. I can wait.
Bryan
In both the pc and mp3 business apple was lucky as they were among the early birds and was conferred by default the first movers advtg. In the hanphone business however, apple iphones are really latecomers.
For traders, private bankers, realtors, deal makers and key decisions makers, automation and information on demand productivity tools are not only crucial but a necessity when they pitches to competes with their peers in the market place. In this category, the most popular handphone has to be the Nokia E90. Among other features it has an organiser, scheduler, broadcaster and a useful database of clients details which contains activities that will be brought up the instant a client calls up. It also have email, camera, radio and mp3.
Thus in terms of novelty and mktg wizardry, the apple iphone is a runaway hit. But in terms of functionality no phone in my view, blackberry included comes near the E90.
Hi Splork,
Fear not – you are not alone.
Maybe it’s because I’m English, maybe not.
I have an MP3 player (not an Ipod.)
I have a digital camera.
I did once try one of those modern camera phones with Windows on it via my phone contract, but I only use the phone for occasional calls and texts so I didn’t fancy reading the book that came with it – it got sold on ebay and I bought a basic ‘text and call’ phone for £25. It’s great.
I’m so used to deliberately leaving my mobile phone at home (non mobile mobile phone) that I recently went on quite a risky adventure – on my own – and realised I had left it at home out of habit.
I don’t need any more chargers for the charger drawer, I don’t need any more bible sized manuals and I certainly don’t need any more shiny electrical things in my house making me think I have tinnitus from all the background buzzing as their magnetic fields fight with each other.
Purchasing difficult to master shiny gadgets that give you a headache (in more ways than one) should only be entertained if they make you a lot of money.
What is an i-phone anyway?
That’s funny. I have more freaking chargers than I can stand too. It is absolutely ridiculous. I can hardly keep them straight.
I have to agree about the whole “why does my phone need to do this stuff” idea. I have a nice 7 MP camera that takes gorgeous photos. I’ve never seen a camera phone produce anything but crap.
My MP3 player broke but I certainly don’t want one that’s going to interrupt me every time I have a call. Not to mention I have trouble keeping my boring cell phone charged, why do I need one that had more reasons to eat the battery.
The most useful and only non phone feature I use on my cell phone is the alarm. I use it to wake up because I hate how loud normal alarm clocks are and it’s safe from power outages. I use it at work to keep track of when I need to take care of scheduled tasks. It’s great. I don’t need a phone that takes photos and gives me tiny internet.
You know, I felt embarrassed for some of those people on TV. They were showing these people going in to get their phone and coming out with it like they were holding million dollar lottery winnings. Jumping up and down. High fiving other line-standers like they just hit the game winner. It’s pathetic. And very sad.
What’s the “i” stands for? I think ol’ Stevie has a fetish for all “i”s in them.
iPod
iBook
iPhone
iWatch, anyone?
how about iTV?
Hey Splork,
I must confess, I have an iPhone. No I didn’t wait on line for hours but rather walked right into an Apple store on Sunday morning and was in and out in less than 5 minutes. The people who waited on line for days in NYC must feel foolish. Anyway’s, I have a 2 hour commute each way to work everyday (total 4 hours commuting time every day). Before the iPhone, I would carry: my iPod, my cell phone (I too do not use my cell phone much. the extent of use is to let my hubby know how far away I am so he can pick me up at the station) and a portable dvd player (hey, I have to do something during my long commute!) so now I only have to carry one device. If you factor in the cost of each device, I would say the price of the iPhone is comparable or even cheaper. So now, I will be selling my old iPod, DVD player and cell phone on eBay. Also, if you’ve ever picked up a woman’s handbag, you know how heavy they can get, so I’ve also eliminated a few pounds (the dvd player was somewhat heavy) which will hopefully relieve some of the shoulder and back strain/pain I was having.
Nooo, say it isn’t so Diane!
I was coming home one day last week from work and got stopped at the light that gets me every day. So I’m sitting there and I start noticing the people yapping on the phone as they go by. More women than men. By far. So I started keeping track. Before my green light, I counted 16 out of 19 women drivers talking on the phone. The men were 4 out of 26. Thought that was quite funny.
I agree that the iphone is a big waste of time to even pay attention to.
Just be glad you don’t live in South America.. where in additonal to a drawer full of chargers, you have chargers, voltage converters and a zillion plug adapters. Then you fry something cause you plug a 110V only device with a USA style plug into a universal powerstrip… that… well isn’t quite universal as its all 220V even though it takes about 6 different kinds of plugs!
Sony needs to be shot for this on their digital cameras. Each one seems to have a different USB, power and adapter cord.
hehehe, dont worry man… this is a fundamental fact that females tend to be messing too much with phones than men
and by the way, i say u r totally right..
every freaking day, there is a new phone in the market and everybody goes crazy trying to buy the new phone.. but wat the hell do u find in the new phone?
a difference in look? maybe a better camera?
but the same version keeps coming over and
over again in different disguise.. it is so freaking
irritating.. buy a good phone and stick with it..
these phone manufacturing morons know
the fashion crazed folks and exploit them to the
max..
damn i am getting mad now..lol
oh and i totally forgot, look at the battery capacity..
the more features in a phone, the more often the freaking thing needs to be charged..
I’ve just come back from being on holiday on an island which doesn’t have mobile phone reception. I hope they never do, it was great to be away from technology, even if it was just for a week.