Comments on: Will you buy an iPhone?

You've heard and read all about Apple's iPhone. Now, let's get a sense of how many people have the iPhone itch.

[calpundit]

Eventually ... not now

Can't justify it now, but it will happen.

[knarfl1]

No - Overpriced, No 3G and only ATT as a carrier.

~

[lafriot]

I'm there!

Yes, I will be in line don't know if I'll necessarily be the first. But I
will be there, I've been painfully waiting 6 months.

[mike.gw]

Closer to YES than undecided

The technology sounds great. It's everything I'd like in a combined portable device. Plus, I commute 2 hours to work, and the iPhone should give me decent web access for reading, without having to lug a laptop. Prior to the iPhone announcement, I'd been looking at a 8 GB Nano to replace my current iPod. In addition to my current iPod, I currently carry a Motorola Q cellphone on the Verizon network. The Q is not as great a multimedia phone as the iPhone is said to be, and it's not as good of a device for e-mail as the Blackberry.

But I have several reservations that I need to get over:

1) 2.5G instead of 3G data speeds. I'd be pretty unhappy to see a 3G model become available in less than a year after I dropped $600 on my slower model. They better offer a trade in program!

2) I want to select snipplets of my iTunes music to create my own ringtones. Why pay for a crappy quality ringtone when I already own the music? Great deal for music companys and music vendors, terrible for consumers.

3) Worried about GSM reliability in the US, esp on the East Coast. Verizon has that airspace covered better than anyone. The US is still a CDMA world. Don't want to deal with dropped calls and poor call quality.

I love technology (I am an IT Director), and my personal concerns could be pushed aside in favor of an emotional purchase. I may likely purchase one despite my concerns, but only after getting my hands on one to try out and see how well it might work for me.

[tek-ed]

ancient technology

why pay more for a device that has older technology than phones that are already available and have been for the last two years? plus has limited functionality and purposfully crippled features? anybody who purchases this thing is either a poser or doesn't have a real job.
btw, this is sent using my cingular 8500...try using the iphone as a business device. you'll see how crippled it is!
tech_ed

[buffer_overflow]

what are you smoking? Better pass it along and share some

here is a quarter to buy a qlue, now go away you little troll.

[tallkell]

Please Explain...

Please explain exactly iPhones older technology? What features are
purposely crippled? How are they crippled? You really think the
iPhone won't be able to send this message to CNET? What exactly is
it about a "business device" that the iPhone won't be able to
handle? What pillow are you hiding under?

[tutcity]

Safe from scratches, but breakage?

Apple has said they will use glass on the iPhone to prevent scratches. This "solves" the problem of ruining the display after a short time, but what about duribility. Look at anyone's cell phone. In most cases, you will see a device that has taken a ton of abuse. Will the iPhone stand up to this sort of abuse? Of course it won't. The one upside to using glass, is that it will break long before the battery wears out in a year. And of course you can't replace the battery and you never will be. How else do you sell the same product to someone over and over again?

The iPhone is a great device for showing off, since most won't work less than a year after you buy it. Unless you have $600 plus a $100/month for the phone service bill, it is not likely this phone is for you. It is a great way to show you are into conspicuous consumption. What better match is there for your H2 Hummer when driving to the mall?

[ewilliams28]

not until I get a choice of carriers

I'm not as concerned with it being version one. It's an Apple product so it's already better than everyone elses third generation. I just won't be locked into using any one carrier, not even by Apple.

[howlyn]

where we live choice of carriers is of prime importance

We live in the Ozarks, with lots of "hills and hollars" and cell phone reception is minimal. At this point in time thee is no broadband, no high speed internet other than sateline and only 1 cell carrier and 1 satellite carrier in our area. Restricting the phone to one carrier locks out a lot of users in the small towns.

[batavier]

Not Apple's Choice

As mentioned MANY times before, ALL carriers had a chance to sign up for the iPhone. It was all a matter of product control, and Cingular was the only carrier to accept Apple's conditions.

If that's the main obstacle, I would suggest to contact your CARRIER and complain to them. (if there is an actual way to do so....)

[Maybu]

YES

Amazing piece of technology

[Peter N. Glaskowsky]

Already answered this on my CNET blog :-)

The answer is "no." Or at least "not yet."

http://blogs.cnet.com/8301-13512_1-9734026-23.html

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[RyanLMM]

i will wait for 2gen

2gen

[drewbyh]

I wait for 2nd gen

work out those bugs cause you know its gonna have 'em.

[gajulapalle]

Sure, if it is < $100, with no contract !!

I know what you are going to say ! I don't mind waiting for 1-2 years...

[webdev511]

Not at that price

$600, change carriers and oh yes, give up syncing my phone to both my home and work email.

Opps, almost forgot the lack of a tactile keyboard.

[MRMOAV]

Time is money

I receive about 140 voice mails a day, and it is the biggest
headache to check them, I have recently signed up for some
visual voicemail web 2.0 apps online but they just don't work
that great with my 8525. This is going to be my saving grace, i
will finally be able to get my life back and in control, plus the
ability to have wifi in the phone is fantastic and I am always
carrying around and swapping micro SD cards and they are never
large enough or I constantly get formatting errors so, this is for
me. Most people out there don't need a phone like this, their
lives and time is worthless, mine is priceless.

[mbenedict]

Say no to crippled iPhone

The iPhone is crippled... no Java support, missing stereo Bluetooth, weak 2mp camera, no FM radio, no GPS, proprietary system, etc. It's also locked to a single phone company, and worst of all it's not even a 3G phone.

The N95 is an open platform phone with full Java support, works with any GSM provider world-wide, has built in GPS, has an award-winning 5mp camera with Carl Zeiss optics PLUS a second (dedicated) video-call camera, FM radio, 3.5G compatible, A2DP Bluetooth, UPnP over its WiFi, etc. It has dedicated media keys and plays many more media formats than the iPhone.

Why settle for a crippled iPhone?

Even if I were to buy a phone for just looks I'd get the LG Prada long before the iPhone.

[Fil0403]

I did already.

Amen.

[themortalgod]

Probably Wait for 2G

I still have a year and a half on my current plan to use up before I look into an iphone, so Im hoping a 2G iphone will be hitting the market right around that time with a much bigger hard drive as 8gb isn't near enough for it to be used as both my phone AND ipod

[ctfoley]

No--I have an N800

N800 matches the iPhone.

[buffer_overflow]

YES! I want one I have no contract so it don't matter

Two things hat will make it more difficult.

The first so far nobody at the ATT store will tell me how they are going to handle crowd control, or how they are setting up for campers if that is allowed.

The quantity of iPhones the store will receive also depends, if there is a line, and I am number 16 and they only receive 8 phones four of each I would be pissed. Otherwise yeah I want one.

I have no contract with metroPCS and I am going to change carriers anyway.

[dustin85]

Wanted...but won't buy one Why?

I love the idea of the iPhone and I absolutely want one, but the problem is that it is limited to AT&T. Already being a customer of AT&T I have to say that if you are thinking about switching just for this phone it will be a big mistake. Their service is less than satisfactory. I don't mean customer service as much as the quality of their service. I would love to say that when my contract expires in August that I'll upgrade but unfortunately Cingular/AT&T has lost my business to those companies that have a much more reliable service signal. I guaranty that in the next few months that other companies will be coming out with similar devices at a lesser price. We'll have to see.

[dustin85]

Wanted--but AT&T gets a thumbs down

I love the idea of the iPhone and I absolutely want one, but the problem is that it is limited to AT&T. Already being a customer of AT&T I have to say that if you are thinking about switching just for this phone it will be a big mistake. Their service is less than satisfactory. I don't mean customer service as much as the quality of their service. I would love to say that when my contract expires in August that I'll upgrade but unfortunately Cingular/AT&T has lost my business to those companies that have a much more reliable service signal. I guaranty that in the next few months that other companies will be coming out with similar devices at a lesser price. We'll have to see.

[jesmac418]

No will never spend that much for a phone!!

I love my Apple MacBook but I will not be giving any money to
Apple for a phone. I usually get my phones for next to nothing
every two years. I just think that the phone is too much money!
Call me old fashion, but I want a phone to be a phone, a computer
to be a computer, and my iPod to be my entertainment hardware.
If I put all that into one device, what happens when it breaks or
gets stolen. Which I know will become popular among thieves!
NO Thank you!