Should I get an iphone?

[webbie]

I am the last holdout.........

here's the deal. I like my little flip phone and am not a phone person anyway. Also, I am at home 90% plus of the time, so not roaming the world...

So, I was about to buy the new ipod touch since it has all the goodies like a mike and double cameras and HD video - and video conferencing.....

BUT, my wife tells me I should just give in and get an iphone. The total cost difference is only the $15 a month I will spend for the smaller data contract on the iphone.......I can definitely afford it, but will end up worrying about a more expensive device (iphone is expensive if you lose it, etc.)......

Hmmmmmm, what to do???

 

[Delta-T]

actually, I am and will be the Last, last holdout. I find the personal device things to be quite annoying, that said, everyone else I know has the iPhone and they like it very much. Have you lost or destroyed your previous devices? I've never thrown one across the room to "test" their resilience. All in all I hear good things, and you can get an app that turn the screen into a zippo lighter that lights when you flick the phone, you can't really put a price tag on something like that.

 

[fossil]

I don't have a cell phone. Of any kind. And that's just the way I want it. :coolsmile: Rick

 

[webbie]

They have an app which lights up the screen and you can then use it to find the key slot in your door or mailbox!

Problem is, all of these apps work in the ipod touch also....and it costs less. I'm still leaning toward the touch.......which is multi-use....I will use it for everything from a camera to a sign language tutor (yeah, they have apps for that).....

Oh, the iphone can do boat navigation....charts.......etc.......

But I question the ability of the thing to stand up to moisture and all that jazz........

We actually bought an ipad (just for research - I'm an apple stockholder...well, just sold it all today).......but we sold the ipad this week. No real need for the thing. Overblown, IMHO.

 

[webbie]

actually, I am and will be the Last, last holdout. I find the personal device things to be quite annoying, that said, everyone else I know has the iPhone and they like it very much. Have you lost or destroyed your previous devices?

Martha lost one iphone - luckily it was within 90 days and our cc has a policy where they reimburse - unluckily, apple charges the full price (not the 200) for a replacement phone!

My flip phone went to the bottom of the bay last year.......so there is something to be said for low cost devices! I can get a square trade warranty which covers abuse and dropping, but does not cover loss or theft......

 

[TMonter]

I'm more partial to the blackberry or Google Droid myself. The iPhone is slick but most people who have owned both it and a droid seem to be more partial to the droid's operation even though the Apple has a better app list.

 

[polaris]

I doubt you'd be disappointed. The # of apps(a great # of them free) can not only be fun but time savers as well. I love the nav charts when on the boat, and whether you admit it or not it is handy to be able to surf/check email anywhere you are(even while on the boat as you deftly navigate around a shoal thanks to your nav chart).
Joe

 

[ANeat]

Ive been thinking about an IPOD touch, dont really like the idea of having a cell phone combined (Still dont have a cell phone)

I do like the music and video with the bigger screen of the Ipod touch but its still small enough

 

[timfromohio]

Don't do it! Don't do it! This from an engineer that has neither a cell phone nor cable - ha! Are you all ready for this ... we don't even have a flat screen TV. Still watching library movies on a 27" purchased from Sam's club circa 1996. Technically, we do have one cell phone for the family which is used mostly on trips. If you have genuine use for one, I suppose it might be useful. Personally, I just don't want to be that "connected" all of the time.

 

[Later]

Since I don't like ear(buds)phones and don't want to buy any more music than I already have and I have a pretty good camera, my answer would be no. I have a cell phone to use as a phone, I dial, it works. I don't need most all of the "apps" that I see in the Apple commercials for the Iphone. My friend has an Iphone and all the other Apple computer stuff that he is addicted to, and he amazes me, for a while anyway, with the fact that he can back up his hard drive from 500 miles away. Not my top need at this time. Bottom line, it rings and I answer my wife's call. And then I order the pizza.

The real answer is, if you want it, buy it - that's my mantra for guns and tools.

 

[vvvv]

gotta have a fone to call AAA+ when the car breaks down,duh

 

[Archer39]

They a lot tougher than i would have ever thought. I have not broken mine in two years and i normally break my phone within a year. It has even been submerged in water for a few seconds and still works fine. It sure is handy to have all the apps at your figure tips where ever you go. I always have my phone but if i had a iTouch i would forget because it is not necessary where as my phone is. But that is just me plus it is one less thing to carry on you. You won't be dissatisfied.

 

[webbie]

Don't forget, my wife has one and she is with me about 70% of the time I am away from the house.....

I think I am going to test the waters - buy the new ipod touch (almost exactly an iphone) for 299, fiddle with it for a couple of months and see how much I use it. If I like it, I can sell it at only a $50 or so loss and get the iphone....I sorta like that plan, because I can ease into it.....

If I was in my old career - where I had a lot going on and was away from the house, I'd go for it in a second. But it really doesn't fit with my current lifestyle - and I really don't want to check my email when I am daysailing (would ruin things, IMHO)......

 

[vvvv]

i can only hope u get a communicative devise which not only allows u to communicate your wisdom but also has an asskicker built into it

 

[JustWood]

I researched for 6 months and just got the iphone3 about 7 weeks ago.I was back and forth between a laptop and iphone for quite awhile.
Had my doubts about durability (I'm hell on phones).
I love it. I'm still learning even after 7 weeks but all the necessary stuff is mastered.
It's allowed me to accept credit cards on the road and the big thing that has made a huge difference is day trading on the fly now. Also started a part time business this last spring and the internet access in the field is priceless.
Get the iphone 3 , it's cheaper than the 4 and I've read it's had less issues.

 

[btuser]

First I was going to get an iphone, then I heard about the ipad so I waited. Now that the ipad is here I'm going to wait untill they get a little bigger, so I can be the first guy on my block to spend money on the next great thing: The Maxi-pad! Help me think of a couple apps for THAT, would ya?

 

[gpcollen1]

Iphones are great and all but all the other manufacturers have caught up. Their are plenty of great phones out there. Windows Mobile Phone OS should be hitting the market for Christmas season on phones too. Here are my issues with I:

1 - Expensive and they they try and hold you tighter than any other manufacturer does by making the device not compatible with anything else not I...
2 - ATT service is not even close to tops in the Northeast. Verizon has the best service. Buying a good device with crappy service sucks...
3 - While the Iphone has great Apps, the other phones do too. Maps, GPS, flashlights and all that crap. Android app store is huge. The launch of windows mobile phone is going to include an app store too already stocked. I had a Samsung Omnia almost 2 years ago and that phone was good back then, had a better camers than the Iphone, had GPS and all the other crap I needed. Iphones are overrated.


BTW - I currently have an Iphone through work but will be looking to get a new unit with Windows Mobile Phone OS as soon as they hit. I am hoping Samsung has a model out before Christmas.

 

[Adios Pantalones]

My wife has one. She loves it, but the battery is getting crappy after a year.

I'm a holdout as well. I would get rid of my cell phone, but it's handy when I travel on bizz.

 

[KennyG]

I just went from the flip phone to the Sprint Epic. It is the android competitor to the iphone. I love it. Its screen is bigger. It has a keypad. I did not think that I would use it all that much, as the wife was driving the bus on our upgrading. But I absolutely love it.

 

[Skier76]

My wife and I both have Black Berry Bold 9700's...great phones. But phones and phone operating systems are all down to what you like. ONe person may love a certain OS and phone...but not like a different one.

Be careful with that $15 a month data plan. That's only 200 megs a month. It sounds like a lot, but once you start surfing the web, e-mail pics, maybe streaming some music or video, you'll blow through that prettty quickly. My wife and I go through between 500-800 megs a month each. And we have wifi at home. The phone will switch off the cell network and go to wifi when one is available. Sans phone calls of course.

 

[onion]

I have an android phone and love it.

I also have a fart button app. I love that more.

 

[semipro]

I also was skeptical that I needed a smart phone but took the plunge about a year ago and got the Motorola Droid.

Its amazing how many uses I've found for this phone, mostly things I didn't anticipate:
- metal detector,
- level
- tracking satellites
- star gazing
- scientific calculator
- news
- camera
- online music
- in-store comparison shopping
- stopwatch
- Navigation that's better than that of my TomTom
- oh yea, phone and email.

PS. IPhone are nice but not being able to replace the battery myself was a no-start deal killer.

 

[wenger7446]

Get a good case! I have one of these cases for my BlackBerry and it looks like new after 2 years.

http://www.otterbox.com/

 

[timfromohio]

Hey webmaster - not trying to induce thread drift, but had to comment that I must have jinked myself with my anit-technology rant as our 16 year old TV died last night ... looks like one of those new fangled flat screens is in our future! Good luck with the iphone.

 

[webbie]

As to the $15 data plan, since I am in a Wifi range 90% of the time and don't download or upload music or video from outside of the wifi, I think I would probably make it. My wife comes in at only about 150 megs.......

In other words, for some simple email, google maps, yelp, etc. I would probably make it.

I'm still torn.....we'll see.