Austin360 blogs > Digital Savant > Archives > 2008 > June > 10 > Entry
iPhone 3G: The bloom is off the rose
It’s been a day since Steve Jobs announced that the second version of the iPhone will be released on July 11.
That gives us a solid month to ponder the possibilities — for current iPhone users to weigh upgrading versus keeping their current model, for others to consider whether the reduced price is worth breaking an existing cell phone contract.
The improvements to the iPhone are nice: 3G is certainly faster than EDGE (although, as I found on a recent trip to South Texas, 3G is not available everywhere you might roam). No one can argue with the improvements in the software due out in July, collectively dubbed “iPhone 2.0” in the Steve Jobs keynote. And the new iPhone will have improved battery life, a slimmer design and a cheaper price tag.
But.
While Jobs delivered the expected new version of the product and made the goodies sound pretty good, was it good enough? Many were expecting that video chat would be made available on the new iPhone and that there might even be a new camera (a front-facing one) that would compete with Nokia’s increasingly popular N95 phone.
(Shirtless Internet grouch Loren Feldman amusingly makes his case for unlocking the iPhone’s video capabilities in this not-quite-safe-for-work video, which we can’t embed here.)
As we’ve known for months, the iPhone is capable of recording video with some hacking. It just hasn’t been made an official capability.
The camera functions haven’t been improved (nor has the resolution) on the new iPhone. GPS is nice, but it’s increasingly becoming a standard feature on a lot of phones. (And stand-alone GPS units are under $100. It’s no longer a gee-whiz technology, really.)
What else is missing? How about iChat? It’s been a year. Where’s iChat, Steve Jobs? Why do we have to rely on third-party software to get a feature that’s available on the cheapie free phones you buy at 7-11?
Some people also grumbled that there was no 32-gigabyte version of the iPhone announced. I hear ya. It would be nice.
But in trying to keep the price of the phone down to reach a wider market, Apple seems to be scrimping on making a leading-edge product. Certainly all of these things could be part of the new iPhone, but the name of the game right now is pushing as many iPhones out the door to make the company’s targeted 10 million units sales goal this year. The goal no longer seems to be making the iPhone the most untouchably advanced cell phone. That was last year’s goal.
Many people will get the 3G iPhone for $199 and $299, believing they’re getting a huge bargain. They won’t even consider that they’ll be paying $10 more a month for 3G data service than what customers of the first iPhone paid for unlimited EDGE service. As some have pointed out online, you have to wonder about that extra $120 you’ll be paying a year to have an iPhone 3G. The minimum cell phone bill you’ll be paying per month will be $70 ($40 calling plan plus the $30 data plan), plus fees and taxes.
AT&T says that the requirement that buyers sign on for a new two-year commitment (it resets your two-year contract even if you already own an iPhone) is what’s subsidizing the low price of the phone. But I think it’s the increased data network fees. And a less prominent announcement from yesterday — that you’ll no longer be able to activate an iPhone yourself — means Apple and AT&T are trying to crack down on people buying phones and unlocking them or exporting them to other countries. You won’t be able to walk out of an Apple or AT&T store with an iPhone anymore without that two-year contract.
Those things taken together, I’m feeling a little less euphoric about the iPhone 3G. It’ll be smartly designed, beautiful to behold and a joy to use. But one year later, the bloom is off the rose. Apple’s evolutionary enhancements may not be enough as rivals catch up and customers like me think twice about those extra fees.
Will I upgrade? I don’t really know. I bought my iPhone in January and don’t feel compelled to go stand in line in July 11, just as I didn’t feel compelled to buy an iPhone last year when it was $600.
For me, the improvements don’t feel particularly compelling to me. I use the Web browser quite a bit, but I’ve learned to live with EDGE and mostly browse sites that load speedily and don’t need a lot of bandwidth. I already have a GPS device. And I keep a charger around in case my iPhone runs out of juice.
Do I really want to commit to another two years, pay an extra $120 a year for data and pay $200 or $300 for a new phone when my current iPhone will be receiving the new software updates and still runs like a champ?
For the first time in a while, I’m feeling like a flagship product from Apple just isn’t enough.
Permalink | Comments (3) | Post your comment Categories: Gadgets, Internet, Phones, Shopping
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By staff
June 16, 2008 10:39 PM | Link to this
Well, that was kind of my point -- that the price along is going to make it a hot seller, but for those of us who already bought one, there wasn't enough "Wow" in the 3G to make us upgrade. The excitement over 3G speeds is tempered by paying an extra $120 a year and the rest of the improvements are largely cosmetic. (Who among us iPhone owners hasn't already bought an adapter to clear the recessed headphone jack issue?)
Even a 32-Gig version would have been enough to make some of us upgrade. I think a year is plenty of time for Apple to have made a significant 2.0 hardware leap and other than the new firmware that all iPhone owners are going to get, I don't think they quite did it.
By Brocktoon
June 16, 2008 5:39 PM | Link to this
You make it sound like Apple failed because your original iPhone is still so amazing. Do you replace your laptop every time a new model comes out? Your desktop? Why should your phone be any different? I don't think the 3G iPhone is specifically targeted to upgraders. There will be plenty, no doubt, but Apple seems to be going after those who have not yet purchased an iPhone. I have an iPod Touch and a cheap, pay-as-you go cell-phone. Like your current iPhone, that combo meets my needs and I have no reason to upgrade to an iPhone of any generation. Apple doesn't need either of us to upgrade to reach their sales goal. These things will sell faster than they can make them (which is a separate problem).
By Julie Gomoll
June 10, 2008 6:32 PM | Link to this
Will I upgrade? Yes, no doubt. And I'm happy about many of the new features, but I'm not as excited about it as I'd hoped. I wanted:
* at least 32 Gig. I didn't need thinner... couldn't we have more storage with the same size?
* a *much* better speakerphone - I hear "better audio" but nothing that explicitly says better speaker, which makes me leery.
* voice recording
* video
* better "new appointment" UI