Why I Can’t Get Excited About the 3G iPhone

Mon, May 26, 2008 | by Jimmy Rogers

There is a stark difference, for me anyway, between this year’s iPhone announcement and last year’s. Last year I was frothing at the mouth, wearing a rather unbecoming Apple fanboy hat. I staked out to watch liveblogs and eventual feeds of "Mad Dog" Steve Jobs’s keynote. Why? Here’s a few reasons (in convenient list form):

The rumors were so strong that even cautious observers knew the iPhone was coming.
The rumors indicated the combination of the most powerful music player on the planet combining with another item that almost every carried around on a daily basis: a phone.
It would have a touchscreen - one of the most advanced touchscreens ever available to consumers.
It would probably have God on speed-dial (a representative of some rumors at that time).

The announcement last year heralded a new era for Apple and, specifically, for the ubiquitous iPod. Now that announcement has come and gone and in its wake it left packed stores, innovative web interfaces, speedy hackers, and modded headphone jacks. Anyone in the tech community could tell numerous stories of the iPhone aftermath.

This year things are different. What do we have to look forward to?

3G speed
iPhones optimized for corporate use
A possibly cool App Store
Possible GPS
Possible subsidization
The enigma of un-leaked features

Will this phone be better than v1.0? Yes.
Will it be game-changing? No.

The primary downer for me is that there is nothing compelling enough
in even the best rumors for me to switch to version 2. Also, with the
Zune, the Vu, the Voyager, and all the other "iPhone killers" out there
(which will unquestionably not kill the iPhone anytime soon), this new
phone is not bringing a trove of new ideas and technologies into the
marketplace. In fact, it’s largely adding the features that many other
phones already have.

Most analysts see this year as an evolutionary year for Apple, not a
revolutionary year. Unless Mad Dog unzips his skin and shows his
cyborg innards during the keynote, I think those analysts will be
proven right. All the same, I have already gotten my ill-fitting
fanboy hat out of the closet and I’m sure that, come June 9th, I’ll
have all but forgotten this post. Don’t let me down cyborg Steve!

[Steve Image/Terminator Image]

5 Comments For This Post

OldDocThedan Says:
May 28th, 2008 at 3:42 pm

No way will I be exited about the new phone.
After the price drop on iPhone V1 I felt like a chump. Each time that phone of mine does some oddball little glitch all by itself, I feel more like a chump. When I plug in my headphones, purchased w/ my early buyer credit, (I love them and am thankful that they offer that $100) I am reminded of feeling like a chump.
Yup iPhone V2 will be great, nope I’m not jumping through that hoop.

Ravi Says:
June 6th, 2008 at 4:59 pm

I think the upgrades will be very exciting from a developer standpoint — 3G and GPS will be perfect resources for apps in the App Store to rely on. We’re looking at the first mass-market, highly popular, GPS-enabled portable device that developers can code social applications for. The iPhone is moving from portable device to portable platform and, as a consumer, the possibilities of what could be created is incredibly compelling.

Not to mention you can sell your 1G iPhone on eBay right now for retail cost (or more), which will more than pay for a new one, if you’re willing to go a week or two with your old phone.

Jimmy Rogers Says:
June 6th, 2008 at 5:20 pm

This is true, Ravi. Developers will probably be far more excited about this rev than last year’s initial launch. I was coming at it more from Joe iPhone User’s perspective. Also, I think the GPS capabilities could be really remarkable or they could be kind of an add-on, depending on how tightly they tie up the functionality. I feel this happened with the Google Maps app, in that it didn’t reach its full potential, even after the update.

I think I’m holding onto my old one for now…probably won’t upgrade unless they do some amazing deal for current users (like over in Europe).

James Scherber Says:
June 7th, 2008 at 12:53 am

I’m very excited. For one reason. Software, software, software.

I couldn’t get very excited about a completely closed system, Now I’m thrilled to see what is going to be written to put this hardware sytem through it’s paces.

Thrilled enough to seriously consider abandoning my Blackberry.

Jimmy Rogers Says:
June 7th, 2008 at 3:44 am

Wow, James! Them’s fightin’ words in the smartphone world. I think that is, again, one of the big points for the iPhone this year, development of software. I’m sure another thing that might affect you as a Blackberry user is the lack of Exchange support. Even if you don’t use it, a LOT of people out there are waiting for that development.

OldDocThedan Says:
May 28th, 2008 at 3:42 pm
No way will I be exited about the new phone.
After the price drop on iPhone V1 I felt like a chump. Each time that phone of mine does some oddball little glitch all by itself, I feel more like a chump. When I plug in my headphones, purchased w/ my early buyer credit, (I love them and am thankful that they offer that $100) I am reminded of feeling like a chump.
Yup iPhone V2 will be great, nope I’m not jumping through that hoop.
Ravi Says:
June 6th, 2008 at 4:59 pm
I think the upgrades will be very exciting from a developer standpoint — 3G and GPS will be perfect resources for apps in the App Store to rely on. We’re looking at the first mass-market, highly popular, GPS-enabled portable device that developers can code social applications for. The iPhone is moving from portable device to portable platform and, as a consumer, the possibilities of what could be created is incredibly compelling.

Not to mention you can sell your 1G iPhone on eBay right now for retail cost (or more), which will more than pay for a new one, if you’re willing to go a week or two with your old phone.
Jimmy Rogers Says:
June 6th, 2008 at 5:20 pm
This is true, Ravi. Developers will probably be far more excited about this rev than last year’s initial launch. I was coming at it more from Joe iPhone User’s perspective. Also, I think the GPS capabilities could be really remarkable or they could be kind of an add-on, depending on how tightly they tie up the functionality. I feel this happened with the Google Maps app, in that it didn’t reach its full potential, even after the update.

I think I’m holding onto my old one for now…probably won’t upgrade unless they do some amazing deal for current users (like over in Europe).
James Scherber Says:
June 7th, 2008 at 12:53 am
I’m very excited. For one reason. Software, software, software.

I couldn’t get very excited about a completely closed system, Now I’m thrilled to see what is going to be written to put this hardware sytem through it’s paces.

Thrilled enough to seriously consider abandoning my Blackberry.
Jimmy Rogers Says:
June 7th, 2008 at 3:44 am
Wow, James! Them’s fightin’ words in the smartphone world. I think that is, again, one of the big points for the iPhone this year, development of software. I’m sure another thing that might affect you as a Blackberry user is the lack of Exchange support. Even if you don’t use it, a LOT of people out there are waiting for that development.