This Should Work

Ever since my iPod Touch cracked last month I’ve been trying to decide whether to just replace it with another iPod Touch or to take the plunge and get the new 3G iPhone. I have some very good reasons for taking the plunge:

• Need a new iPod, and want a new phone- which makes the iPhone a perfect choice. I hate having to keep track of two devices everywhere I go, and I’m more likely to forget my cell phone than my iPod. If I had an iPhone, I’d have both in one device.
• Access to the Internet anywhere- I can’t tell you how many times I’ve been in a restaurant or parking lot and wanted to look something up on the Internet. I was out at lunch with my wife the other day debating about some small fact and said to her “if I had an iPhone, I could look this up. But there’s no Wi-Fi here so my Touch doesn’t work”
• My brother-in-law helps every time he talks with my wife- At least two times since my iPod Touch broke has my brother asked if I’ve made a decision, reminding her that there’s a 30-day return policy on the AT&T network.

And yet, there are a reasons to not buy the iPhone and stick with the Touch:

• No 3G in my soon-to-be area- In Mt.Vernon, Ohio there is no 3G network, it’s the basic AT&T network. In fact, the nearest 3G network is an hour away (in Columbus). While my current carries, Verizon, has their 3G network up and running in the area. I got full EVDO strength in some very remote places. While AT&T’s other data network (EDGE) will work, part of the point of the new iPhone is that it works on 3G.
• iPhone pricing plans are horrible-It looks like the cheapest plan for the iPhone starts at $60 dollars a month with 500 minutes, unlimited data, but no Text messages. If you want text messages (and I do) there’s a $5 add on change for 200 messages or $20 for unlimited messages. So that’s $80 per month for a useful iPhone, and that’s before taxes and fees. This price also does not include the Exchange feature (push email and calendars), that’s an extra $15. And none of that includes the $36 one-time activation fee.
• My brother-in-law doesn’t help every time he talks with my wife-He’s on the AT&T network and every time they talk, the call inevitably drops at least once if not more. And he lives in the San Francisco Bay Area where there should be a solid network. Every time after she gets off the phone she says “I’m not sure about being on the AT&T network.” Me too.

If the iPhone were available on the Verizon network it would be a slam dunk. But it’s not. And I’m not sure if it’s worth the steep price to break our Verizon contract, switch to a different carrier, and pay an large monthly fee (one that almost rivals our price for two phones on Verizon) all just for one phone.

Plus I think my wife will pay for the 16GB version.

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