Should you buy the new iPhone?
I suppose that is a question that current users are asking as well as potential new adopters. Walt Mossberg from WSJ.com has some very interesting thoughts that you should read if the new iPhone is in your radar. Battery life and overall cost has to be a consideration and Walt seemed to hit those nails very hard.
There are two big hidden costs to the new iPhone’s faster speed and lower price tag. First, in my tests, the iPhone 3G’s battery was drained much more quickly in a typical day of use than the battery on the original iPhone, due to the higher power demands of 3G networks. This is an especially significant problem because, unlike most other smart phones, the iPhone has a sealed battery that can’t be replaced with a spare.
Second, Apple’s exclusive carrier in the U.S., AT&T Inc., has effectively negated the iPhone’s up-front price cut by jacking up its monthly fee for unlimited data use by $10. Over the course of the two-year contract you must sign to get the lower hardware prices, that adds $240, overwhelming the $200 savings on the phone itself. If you want text messaging, the cost rises further. With the first iPhone, 200 text messages a month came free. Now, 200 messages will cost $5 a month, or another $120 over the two-year contract.
Check out his thoughts here at WSJ.com
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Jack,
Additionally I just found out that if you are and existing AT&T customer (like me) but have not been a customer for at least 20 months, you are not eligible for upgrade and will have to pay 399/499 for the new iPhone. This effectively penalizes people who switched carriers earlier in anticipaton of this event. Dang!
Still gonna get one tho :)
Thanks Jack.
I was thinking about buying two - one for me and one for the wife. I think I’ll pass. The Samsung Instinct looks better and better each day.