June24
That is the question…
Last June I waited in line with the other nerds to get my iPhone on the first day. This year the hype isn’t as bad but I sense it starting to build. Yes I am using my online “spidey” sense to feel the pulse of the blogosphere.
MacWorld writer Peter Cohen wrote in “Macworld iPhone News”:
The biggest difference of the new iPhone 3G is reflected in the name — the phone offers 3G network compatibility, which Apple says will mean dramatically better performance for transferring data. What’s more, the 3G features will improve performance when you transfer data and talk at the same time. Which is great — if you live in an area where you can get 3G access. I don’t. I seem to live at the perimeter of AT&T’s coverage area.
Now, the iPhone 2.0 software update and the App Store that comes with it are certainly draws. But owners of the current iPhone model will be able to upgrade to the 2.0 software for free. So I’ll be able to run those new iPhone applications anyhow.
One cool feature in the iPhone 3G takes advantage of the new handset’s built-in GPS capability — it’s called photo geotagging, which makes it possible for you to pinpoint, with reasonable accuracy, just where you’ve taken any pictures on your iPhone. I have to admit that I rarely use my iPhone’s camera — it seems that I’ve permanently smudged the lens no matter how hard I try to clean it, so every picture I take looks smeared and foggy. But geotagging is cool — not cool enough to make me want to buy a new phone, however.
Apple and AT&T are certainly making it enticing to upgrade — the 8GB iPhone 3G will cost $199, compared to the $399 I spent last November on the 8GB model. But AT&T’s subsidization comes at a price: the data plan costs more under this new deal, so over the life of my contract, I would end up spending more on the new phone than I would if I just stuck with what I had.
It’s also nice that Apple has incorporated a standard 3.5mm stereo headphone jack, instead of the silly recessed jack on my iPhone, so you can use any set of headphones instead of having to rely either on Apple’s uncomfortable (for me) earbuds or an adapter. But I’ve already bought that adapter, and besides, I use the iPhone’s media player capabilities infrequently, as I already have an iPod.
So I won’t be standing in line with the faithful on July 11 to buy a new iPhone. How about you? If you’re a current iPhone owner, are you planning on moving over to the 3G model when it ships next month?
My response is well I won’t be standing in line on July 11 either. I probably will wait until Saturday morning to get mine.
There are only one or two things in my life that I have to have. And some don’t even occur on a constant basis. ‘LOST’ just finished season 4 (a shortened season) and the next one won’t be on until next January time frame. So what am I supposed to do until then? Ahhhh… Fill my time with the new iPhone, right.
