Considering an iPhone or G1? Ask yourself these questions.
It’s been a few months since I picked up an iPhone 3G, and I only now feel qualified to weigh in on whether it’s a worthwhile purchase.
It’s a sharp little device for sure, one that can be a surprisingly helpful addition to your work life or social life.
But with the intense price tag and the impending arrival of next-generation phones built on Google’s Android platform, is it worth getting an iPhone? Or hell, is it worth getting a smart phone at all?
A few questions to ask yourself, with some thoughts after the jump:
1. Are you just overflowing with cash?
2. Do you travel a lot?
3. Do you love customization and open source?
4. Do you like shooting photos and video with your phone?
5. Are you patient?
1. Are you just overflowing with cash?
If so, then you’ve already gotten past the No. 1 obstacle for the iPhone 3G. Even if you get the much-advertised price of $199, you’re still looking at $30 a month for data and a gaggle of mandatory accessories. If you don’t meet the weird rules for the $199, you could end up paying $499 for the device itself.
(A brief disclosure: AT&T is a fantastic client of ours, and I'm trying not to let that color this write-up. But I will say that all of my beefs with the iPhone are on the Apple end, and I've been tremendously happy with the AT&T coverage and support. Everyone cool? OK, moving on...)
If you go the smart phone route, T-Mobile’s Google-powered G1 is the more frugal option, with a $179 phone pricetag and an overall savings of at least $380 over the course of a two-year contract.
The big drawback? So far, T-Mobile’s 3G coverage is only available in a few cities (and my hometown of Birmingham isn’t one of them). Meanwhile, AT&T's 3G network is available in almost every major city, and quite a few minor ones.
Oh, and yet another caveat: My thoughts here are based on features and tech alone, not on a hands-on trial of the G1 or any other smartphone. There are plenty of good side-by-side comparisons out there, like this one.
2. Do you travel a lot?
My iPhone spends most of the day being a stylish paperweight, because I’m almost always at a computer. But when I’m on the road, the thing shines and occasionally saves the day.
E-mail and Web access are obviously helpful, especially when you’re miles from the closest wireless hotspot. But this is also where the applications (built-in and downloaded tools alike) are really worth having. The Google Maps function is especially nice, which is probably why it’s not available in the less-expensive iPod Touch.
Considering how rarely I’m away from a computer, though, I’d say the iPhone still counts as a luxury more than a necessity. If it weren’t such a great research tool for marketing and application development, I probably wouldn’t have one.
3. Do you love customization and open source?
More than anything, the new smart phones are sandboxes for all the cool and useful applications being developed out there. Apple has kept a pretty tight lid on which developers it would let onto the iPhone, and that stance is ikely providing a boost to the open-source G1.
If you don’t know much or care much about open-source stuff, then you’ll probably lean to the iPhone for its polished and meticulously pruned applications. (Which, to be honest, have still been the buggiest part of my iPhone experience.) If you don’t care at all, then you probably don’t need to bother with a smart phone at all.
4. Do you like shooting photos and video with your phone?
If yes, don’t bother with the iPhone or G1. Neither is built to handle video, and both have less-than-stellar still cameras. If you want some top-of-the-line multimedia, look at other options like the $450-$750 Nokia N95. Or just go buy a separate device and save a ton of money.
5. Are you patient?
If so, it might be worth holding out for the many Google Android-powered phones expected to hit the market in 2009. In the meantime, you’re likely to see a price drop or two on the iPhone front.
In summary, I’d say:
• Get an iPhone 3G if you’ve got plenty of money, travel a bunch and generally love the Apple approach to technology. It seriously does replace about 90% of my need for a laptop and looks a lot less awkward when I shove it in my pocket.
• Get a T-Mobile G1 if you’re looking to save a few bucks, like having unrestrained access to new applications and want to poke Steve Jobs in the eye. But maybe wait until the 3G coverage is available in your area.
• Stick with what you’ve got if you’re short on cash or don't actually need the “smart” features of a smart phone. Use the thousands of dollars in savings to pay off your college debt or fill up the gas tank a few times.
In my opinion, the iPhone never has been and never will be about the technology. Something the tech people just can't seem to grasp. It costs what it costs because it "says" something about you. Aesthetics and elegance are part of that. But the iPhone is really about the zeitgeist. Pulling a G1 or N95 out at a party says something about you, too. But for those who don't care to delve into pixel comparisons and undecipherable data speed wars, it's really not the right thing.
Posted by: American Copywriter | October 20, 2008 at 02:50 PM
In your summary at the bottom, one thing I'm surprised you didn't mention was the iPhone's touchscreen keyboard vs the G1's tactile keyboard.
Posted by: Matt S. | October 21, 2008 at 02:29 PM