The new iPhone

[southernbelle]

Okay I'll be the first to say that I am barely making ends meet so the LAST thing in the world I'm trying to do is buy one of these gadgets, but it's REALLY cool!!!! I salivate over the possiblility of owning one, but realize in the end it's just a phone.

I was a little miffed earlier this week when I read a blog that suggested that AT&T would require credit checks and require you activate it in the store before taking it home. What?? Can you imagine the chaos this new policy will create? The lines, the waiting, the hype.

We have a relatively new Apple store in my town and I asked one of the sales ladies about the new policies and she explained that when the iPhone was first released people were taking them home and unlocking them to be used with other carriers.

Also, they will only require a credit check if you are obtaining new service, but if you are an existing customer, apparently the credit check is not needed.

What madness!!! All of this over a PHONE!! I'm a huge teckkie, but I think July 11th will prove just how insane some people are to give their money away for the newest gadgets (cool as they may be).

[AngelinaCatHub]

It’s just another toy, ”southern”. When the newness wears off, you dropped big cash. I’m a techy also. From mainframes to micros. I use a Boost phone now mostly for two reasons, one is I can ‘peep’ my wife any ware she is, I hardly use it to call. Two is you must prepay it. No bills. I don’t even use the features on it. I’ve had all the toys and the latest stuff and it all seems to become the same. One reason I am in bk today. ‘Hub

[rfassett]

Nice diversion, Belle. Now get back to reality. I went through this same thought process just three weeks ago. My old phone gave up the ghost and it had been so long since I bought that one that I was like a kid in a candy store when I started looking at all the new style phones and everything they could do. The phone I wanted was going to set me back a couple of hundred dollars and the plan to make it work like I wanted it to was going to cost nearly $200 per month for two lines. This is compared to the $70 per month that I had been paying (out of contract) for two lines. I finally allowed reality to set in and asked myself the question why I needed that phone. The answer had nothing to do with need. The phone or the plan would not make my life any better or any easier. As as Hub indicated, once the novelty wore off, I would most likely revert to using it just as a phone and for text messaging. So I ended up with a phone that cost me 50 bucks that will do phone calls, voice mail, and unlimited text messaging for about what I was paying before on a monthly basis - and I am happy with that. For the record, between my business and my personal life, I pay for eleven phone lines, so finding areas to save money is a good idea. I have been able, over the years, to stay just behind the curve on most technological advances - and that has served me well. It is nice to dream, but unless you have a great deal of disposable income, trying to stay up with the technological advances is a futile activity. A wise person once told me that fantasies, most often, are best left fantasies.

[BK2008]

I went with a ppd T-mobil phone, 40 bucks for the phone, no camera....and $100 lasts me 4 months, and longer when i don't give out the number to people for BS calls. It is meant for emergencies only, and what time am I going to be home isn't an emergency.

[southernbelle]

I'm glad I'm not the only one that knows that in about a month, the next new gadget will be out and the new iPhone will have fallen by the waste side.

[Cali]

I thought all cell companies required a credit check, that is how they determine if you have to pay a deposit or not.

I had the original iPhone and wasn't impressed with it or AT&T.

[southernbelle]

I have coworkers that have the iPhone and most are not impressed at all. I think its mostly just hype and marketing.

[dragonnfly]

Me and hubby both have jobs that we are in vehicles all day and 3 kids, cell phones are our only sanity. I had a PDA phone forever and it really was only $50 when I got it and that was rebated back to me. I love my phone. I have my grocery list, our budget, bill pay reminders, and tons more. It is the one thing I could not give up. I would get rid of cable first. If I leave home and forget it (which only happened once) I turn around. Yes Im addicted. Dragonnfly

[FLBK7]

At work I'm required to carry a Blackberry, and I don't even have a job where I drive a lot. It's just because I'm a manager. Well, I consider this Blackberry to be one big intrusive pain in the rear. Now if I don't answer "urgent" emails immediately, I get called on the Blackberry asking why I haven't answered my email. I just plain HATE it, and I'm so happy when I can turn it off at the end of the day and throughout the weekend. Should there ever be an emergency I can be reached at my home phone number or at my personal cell.

My personal cell phone is a rather plain black Nokia that lets me do the basics: Make and receive calls, send and receive text messages, leave and receive voice mail, and take some pictures if needed. Although for my "real" picture-taking I use my 12 megapixel digal camera, a Canon.

I hope those of you who are getting the new IPhone will be happy with it.

[juniperGreen]

Went downtown today to pay my phone bill (not w/at&t luckily today). At 10 am (stores opened at 11 today)there were already folks lined up for the phone in front of the at&t stores.
I have to say, I don't get it. A brand new computer, yes. A phone. No.
I used to work for a company contracted to do customer service for sprint, they all do credit checks.
The customers varied of course. Some w/financial issues some not. One called in all upset and mad becouse the phone she received was not pink. Even though she could not pay their bills and use said phone.
It was my impression that in many cases they saw their phone as a status symbol w/their friend.
I am just glad mine works. Love my computer & the internet on the other hand.
But I whish you luck in eventually getting your perfect phone.

[BKOnce]

iPhone for kids, BK for adults.

[Scott50]

Apple sells One million I-Phones in three days... No matter how bad the economy is people still have the need to have the latest tech gadget..

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080714/ap_on_hi_te/tec_apple_iphone_sales

[HRx]

Wasting one's money on every new tech gaget that's released is like using Franklin notes as toilet paper...

[southernbelle]

iPhone for kids, BK for adults.

Now that's funny!!!! I love my run of the mill phone. It does everything I need it to do and I didn't have to pay an arm and a leg for it either. I can't do without my home internet, but I think I could do without a cell phone because I hate being "on-call" all of the time anyway.

[nkthen]

I'm one of those people who would rather wait for at least 6 months before buying it.

Let all the new users try it, test it, complain about it, fix it and re-release a version 2 or something like that.

Then, I'll buy.