So, why not the iPhone?
Posted by Jack Cook on 07/25/07 in Pocket PC Phones, iPhone
I keep asking myself why is it that if so many folks have purchased the iPhone as well as several of my peers, why is it then that I don’t want one? There is no question that it does look cool (well, sort of) and it does do a lot of neat things for bells and whistles and flowers and stuff but why do I have this thing about the device?
Clearly I have had an issue with the closed platform and although there were some changes in Apples philosophy, it still remains a closed device unless you have (and use) access to the net. Of course, we all know that AT&T’s performance in the “burbs” is less than stellar so total and quick access can (and will) be a continuing issue.
And the device is super expensive which is fine but Apple decided that they wanted to make a killing and they convinced AT&T that is is the right thing to do … but is it? In the final analysis, will people be so happy with AT&T that they will stay when it comes time for their next device? I think that in a year or two, AT&T will look back and say they made a mistake.
Little things bother me about the whole iPhone scenario like for example the new announcement for Apple Care. A cost of $69 for an extra year … that is the second year. Several questions go through my mind when I think of that second year … how many folks will still have the same device and for those that do, how many of those devices will go bad. If it makes it to that point, I doubt it will go bad. It’s an insurance policy. They bet it will go bad so they charge you $69 for a year. For those of you that don’t buy it, you’re betting it won’t go bad … I’m in that camp. I never buy those extra extended warranties and rarely have I ever been wrong. Up until yesterday, I could have said NEVER have I been wrong but I did have an item die yesterday and if I purchased the extended warranty I would have been all set … well sort of.
Even though you get the extended warranty, have you ever tried to collect on it? Too many horror stories … I’d rather take the chance and so far, I am ahead of the game. My son bought an extended warranty (against my advice) and his device died so he said: “see Dad, I get a new device”. Well he got a new device alright … a refurbished one that has continued to plague him with issues. I asked him this weekend as he was complaining about his phone, will you get an extended warranty on the next device … his reply: “not a chance!”
So, those are all minor issues. Why is it that I just don’t want one? What is it that turns me off?
As we were driving back from our vacation in Pennsylvania last week, we stopped at a rest area to have lunch. As we were sitting at the table, I was checking my feeds on my Palm and a fellow sitting at the next table asked how I liked the device. The conversation eventually moved onto the iPhone and he said he didn’t have one but his wife did so when she got home, he got to play with the device. He liked it, said it was cool but it would not fit his needs (he had a Blackberry). It didn’t hit me then but I did feel that it seemed like a strange scenario. You get to play with the device in the evening when your wife gets home…. well, I really didn’t think too much about it. He did talk about all the great things you can do with it … but he didn’t have one for himself, so I guess it really is not all that great.
So I let that pass and went on with life as usual. Dealing with my JasJar, KJAM, Cingular 8525, Nokia N95 … all great devices. Along with them I use my Palm 700W (which is always with me) and my Palm 750. I switch devices almost every day … I like them all. All these devices are sturdy, I am comfortable with them, they get all my work done and I can do it easily … so why couldn’t I use an iPhone?
I keep telling myself it is because of the programs … or lack of that I won’t commit but then today I realized why! I saw again a release notice about the upcoming Kaiser. This time it was on CrunchGear but the difference was they had a great picture with their story.
The story, Kaiser One Goose-Step Closer to AT&T, talked about the Kaiser clearing FCC muster. Possibly this means we will see it soon but my guess is that AT&T will hold off a bit if iPhone sales start to pick up. CrunchGear did say:
For those in need of a refresher, the Kaiser is the latest rendition of HTC’s Slidy-McQWERTY line of Windows Mobile smartphones. With 3G, Wi-Fi, and a large touch-screen, its ancestors include the AT&T 8125 and the 8525.
The standard Kaiser has a 3-Megapixel camera, though HTC added two variants: one sans camera altogether, and another with a secondary forward-facing camera. We expect those two to hit AT&T very soon. And read this carefully: If the Kaiser doesn’t hit AT&T by the end of the year, I’ll eat my hat. It should be noted, though, that my hat is made of cake. It is a cake hat.
Well I like cake, and I would love to have a piece of it but I would bet we will see it for Christmas … (hint hint to my wife). So why is it that I like this device and why is it that I would buy it? I know the picture did it … what was it? And then it hit me! The Kaiser is a “manly device“. It’s robust, looks strong, exudes a masculine touch and silently says “I can do it all”. The iPhone doesn’t do that.
And then I thought of that fellow talking about his wife’s iPhone. SHE had it, not him. Why? It’s slender, sleek, sexy and fits perfectly in her pocketbook. Yeah, it does some cool things but it just does not portray what I want in a device.
Written by Jack Cook · Filed Under Pocket PC Phones, iPhone
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