So all of the hype of the iPhone captured me from day one. I'd have given Apple $600 back in January just because of the reality distortion field. Today I'm in a bit of a quandary. The iPhone gets released at 6pm tonight and I'm not sure if I want to buy one or not. I loved my Newton and have been saying that I'd buy any Apple designed PDA/smartphone. As the release has gotten closer, and I've learned more about the iPhone and read some of the recent reviews I'm not so sure.
Non Factors:
- AT&T. I'm already an AT&T customer. They're not the best, but I've never really been excited about any carrier.
- 3G. A lot of people are complaining that there isn't 3G support on the iPhone. I agree it would be great, but about the only time I'm not in an WIFI environment is when I'm driving. Yes EDGE is slow, but I use it currently for light web browsing, email, etc and it's not unbearable. That said probably greater than 85% of my waking hours are in hotspots. The only exception is road trips, but those are few and far between. UPDATE: Apparently 300kbs speeds are being reported on EDGE now. Perhaps it won't be an issue for anybody.
- Limited Expansion. This is an issue for the 4gb model, but 8gb is more than enough space for a phone. I've taken to using my 1gb shuffle for music and been very happy to not lug my larger iPod around any more – it's plenty of music given that I can always update playlists on my laptop. 2gb of music leaves 5gb of space for video, pictures, and other data.
Hesitations:
- No Flash. Is it really the "real web" without Flash support? I think Apple has been misleading people with the statement that it's not the watered down internet because Flash is as ubiquitous on web sites as jpeg files. I've got limited flash on my 6682. What I really want on the iPhone is the Adobe Integrated Runtime for app development.
- Wireless Sync. I love using iSync to sync my current phone without plugging it into the computer. I'm able to leave it on my bedside table and sync from my home office when I check email in the morning. It's nice to sync without taking it out of my pocket in the middle of the day. Several friends of mine love syncing their Palms over WIFI. Why not on the iPhone?
- Bluetooth Modem. If I'm not in a WIFI zone and need to get work done I often suffer through EDGE slowness using my phone as a modem for the laptop.
- Video Recording. This seems like a nobrainer. My 6682 records video. The quality is bad, but it's a cell phone. I'd expect the iPhone to offer limited video recording it's got a 2mp sensor.
- Custom Ringtones. It's an iPod, it's a phone. Why can't I play my own music as a ring tone? I do on my current phone.
- True Applications. Web apps are great, but I don't want to have to be connected to use them. The web app approach means that only Apple's applications are useful on a plane. Why can't I add custom app icons to the home screen? I understand the desire for stability, but I know that if I install screwball software on my computer (or my current phone) that it might crash. This is just common sense.
- Nonreplacable Battery. I hate not being able to replace the battery in things. After just a year my iPod battery only lasts half as long as it did when it was new. Apple's estimates of 300-400 charges being the lifespan worry me a lot – I charge my phone almost every day.
It's actually kind of funny. EVERYTHING I'm really concerned about are features I have on my 2 year old Nokia 6682 phone. Series 60 provides me with every bit of the iPhone except for the Apple UI, touchscreen and iPod support (but I can play music on it). At the same time every issue except for the battery can be solved via software, but I hesitate to shell out $600 for the hope that Apple will solve these problems. So why is it I REALLY want to buy one anyway? Simple, the outstanding user experience I imagine the iPhone will provide is worth it.