The iPhone Cometh
There it is boys and girls; the iPhone. Unless you have been in a deep sleep or in a isolated bunker underground, you are very aware that it comes out June 29th at 6pm nationwide. Since word and video have gotten out about the iPhone, I constantly keep getting the same question over and over, “So, you’re getting the iPhone when it first comes out right?”. Usually my answer would be a simple yes, but in this case it’s not that easy. I’m usually the first to jump on any new technological advance that comes out for mass consumption because that’s what I do, buy expensive toys. I pre-ordered a Xbox 360, I waited in the cold on launch for my Nintendo Wii, I even figured out away that I could get a PS3 without having to pay full retail for it. But I just can’t make this leap of faith…
The reason that I’m not going to get the iPhone anytime in the near future is because I don’t want to cancel my contract with T-Mobile. Almost as simple as that. In the past, canceling a contract early and paying that fee for doing so never stopped me, that’s how I ended up with the very first Sidekick. But in this scenario, the price barrier is way to high! Apple wants me to spend up to 600 bucks on a phone that’s missing key features? That’s just not going to happen. Aside from the fact that they decided to go with arguably the slowest network in the game, not giving me the chance to change out my battery without having to send it in to them (ala iPod style), and not shipping with a dedicated messaging client; they want me to have a leap of faith over something that has never been tried before. Granted the iPhone could be the beginning of a new feature, I’m just not willing to be a guinea pig for this initial test phase.
This is a list of things that the iPhone doesn’t have that I found over at Gizmondo:
• Songs as Ringtones
• Games
• Any flash support
• Instant Messaging
• Picture messages (MMS)
• Video recording
• Direct iTunes Music Store Access (Over Wi-Fi or EDGE)
• Voice recognition or voice dialing
• Wireless Bluetooth Stereo Streaming
• One-size-fits-all headset jack (May have to buy an adapter for certain headphones)
Stuff we already knew it didn’t have
• 3G (EV-DO/HSDPA)
• GPS
• A real keyboard
• Removable battery
• Expandable Storage
That’s a lot of stuff for something that cost $600. The fact that my Sidekick 3 has a faster browser than the iPhone is makes me wonder if Apple regrets going with AT&T as their providers. Yes, I know you can use Wi-Fi with the phone but how often are you near a Wi-Fi spot? Now if I happen to fall into some money anytime in the next year, I’ll probably pick one up. I just want all of those people that are hyped over something they have no experience with to do some research before they blow all of that money.
“Songs as Ringtones” - does that mean you can’t have an mp3 for a ringtone? It’s apple, wtf! How can you expect people to buy something that doesn’t let them express themselves through annoying 30 second song clips?
You tell ‘em, Jermaine.
Haha…yeah.
At least now we have a physical record of your technological weakness.
Hey I did my research. It’s like I got the phone for free and all I had to do was change my number. And wait….
It’s weird not seeing you online all the time now. Have you tried meebo or anything on it?
Not yet. I’m okay with not being online all day. Its kind of peaceful.