The iPhone Madness
According to research firm M:Metrics, nineteen million Americans say they want the iPhone sight unseen. That's unreal. So many people that have never even held a product and say they must have it. Well, I'm here today to proudly and loudly tell you that I am not one of those nineteen million Americans.
I'm not some mindless goob that is clamoring for a piece of the iPhone action without even seeing it in person. You won't catch me blindly following the pack of cows to feed at Farmer Steve's iPhone trough. (What? Just go with it.)
No, I am not one of the 19,000,000 Americans that want an iPhone sight unseen. I want one because I have seen it. I have fondled that sweet mistress of a touch screen. I've watched YouTube videos, scrolled through images, browsed the web, played movies, and watched as voicemail was checked and calls were taken with grace and beauty that make your head spin.
I kid you not, at one point yesterday 2 of the 6 people present in my office building were proud iPhone owners. Which isn't hard to believe since they sold, what, 500,000 the first weekend. Insanity.
But alas, work had to go on, the drool dried, and reality sunk in. As I realize the $500 phone, with a more expensive plan, on a network with horrible Southside Virginia coverage probably isn't for me, I can always phone vicariously through the hundreds of thousands of people currently iPhoning across the nation.
One of those people, of course, being David the J H I Intern. More power to you bro.
As always, thanks for checking in.
Aaron
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5 comments:
ur funny, i miss our random conversations and such! i am one of those people still drooling over them but not mindless enough to go and buy one.. i want to wait it out until somethings wrong and prices go down.. no need yet.
i'm wondering if i was the other person in the office with an iPhone. if so, i'd like to drop the following knowledge:
A. i was gifted mine. i didn't pay anything for it.
B. the cost of the phone itself is actually fractional and small, relatively speaking, when taking into consideration the cost of a cell phone contract/plan. this is where the bulk of your expense is incurred for cell service. the minimum contract (2 years) and minimum plan ($60/month) commits the user to $1440 for service.
i've been using the phone for months now and i don't know anyone with the minimum plan (most people have more minutes and more text messaging). my plan runs about $100 a month, after decided to trim it back some, and that's still $2400 over two years. not to mention you'll most likely be using a cell phone beyond the two years, so the bills continue to come in the mail.
(side note: this is exactly why i was confused when they dropped the price on the phone by $200 and everyone flipped out; i simply saw that as the equivalent of two bills (and of course that's the price you often pay for being an early adopter))
C. at just $20-30 more a month than what i was already paying for a cell phone, and the fact i actually find the device very useful, i have no problem justifying the added expense six months after i was given it. that said, it's clearly a luxury and no one 'needs' an iPhone.
:)
Jason! So honored that you stopped by to read a little here. Yes, you are indeed my other iPhone owner I reference. I thought it was crazy that 1/3 of the people in the office that day had iPhones. Then I read the stat about people wanting one sight unseen and had to geek out about seeing 2 at once so soon after it dropped.
Good point regarding the cumulative price too. It's easy to compare the price of phones themselves and completely overlook the total cost of cell phone use for a couple of years. But you're right, the phone itself is just a fraction of it all.
Taking it all into consideration, I totally felt the iPhone was a luxury worth the price and was ready to start campaigning for family iPhones with the wife, but sadly, the deal breaker was ATT&T's poor Southside coverage. Ah well, maybe we'll be ready when the next generation rolls out.
i actually read and admired a lot of your work last night. i noticed you were a flickr contact of lindsay's and found the SP link from your profile. you do great work! like most designers I know, I'm really into identity, and I really enjoy your well considered, clean marks.
i'm honestly somewhat surprised about the coverage being the limiting factor about your iPhone purchase(s), but suppose it makes sense considering they live up to the hype for the most part. i think the proof I'd in the puddin and, just as I believe with the mac vs. pc thing, you really need to use the device for a month to experience how it benefits (or doesn't benefit) your personal daily lifestyle.
it's a shame the coverage is the limiting factor for you; i too was concerned with it too but luckily it's been impressively close to verizon's service. i suppose there's usually a trade off when being an early adopter.
anyway, keep up the good work!
sent from my iPhone, under a tree in 71 degree weather. seriously!
i have a funny story for you. IRL.
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