To iPhone or not to iPhone?

Obviously, the dominant story this summer is Apple’s release of the new 3G iPhone.  While there exist plenty of reasons why this remains the must-have gadget of 2008, there are certainly no shortage of reasons to consider waiting for one more model release before making the jump.

Lest we here at technewsmadesimple.com be accused of slanting the playing field in favor of Apple, here are a few tidbits to consider when making the decision on whether or not to switch to the iPhone.  To break it down to the Cliff’s Notes version, there are seven features that are either lacking or perhaps not up to the level that most consumers are going to want from their new toy:

–       Price.  Duh – it’s pretty expensive.  If I’m paying $300+ for a cell phone, it damn well better do exactly what I need it to do.  Not to mention the extra added fees from AT&T on the required contracts.

–       Laptop Access.  Most 3G phones now let users plug the phone into a laptop via a USB cord and use the phone like it’s a mobile network access card.  Not the iPhone.  Not allowed.  So if you goto AT&T for cell service, don’t forget to add in an additional $50+ a month if you want 3G laptop access.

–       The 2 Mega-Pixel Camera.  This one doesn’t bother me much.  I’m a photographer, so if I’m looking to take an important, high quality photo, I’ll use my normal camera rather than reach for my cell phone.

–       The “GPS”.  It’s not a GPS in today’s sense of the technology.  When GPS was first introduced, just being able to see where you were on a map was enough.  Not today.  Today, we require our technology to not only show us where we are, but also call out turn-by-turn directions to wherever we’re going.  Face it – we’re just too lazy.

–       The other issues – no Flash player, no interchangeable batteries, no SD or xD Memory card slot, no Cut & Paste for text – are minor inconveniences, but issues nonetheless.

The final major problem with the iPhone development has been something that we mentioned here a couple weeks ago – Apple’s longstanding policy to keep so much information locked tight within the Apple vaults.  It seems that with the new iPhone, they’ve taken the same approach.  They’ve locked developers out from making their own applications for the device without first vetting their programs through Apple.  This leads to a very long wait for new apps for your iPhone, and even when they come out, they might still be full of bugs & glitches.  Not good times.

Essentially, I’ll be waiting until at least the next release before I consider making the switch.  I mean, the opening day activation disaster wasn’t exactly the best of omens for this iteration of the iPhone.  Maybe the Thunder will have come down in price a little by then…