Adding to the Noise: iPhone

Apple FINALLY released the iPhone today and it’s pretty. I’m currently a Sidekick 3 user so I’m definitely intrigued. So far, from what i’ve read about, I can see a few issues that would prevent me from converting.

First off, I’m stuck in a ridiculously long contract with about 19 months left on it. To get out of it, it would cost me $200. Add $500 to that for the phone and that’s a pretty pricey gadget. Then I’m stuck with another two-year contract (quick rant: its bogus that they can lock you into contracts that long with devices that barely “live” that long…if you want to tie me up for two years, at least support the device the length of the contract). If Apple makes the device carrier-independent (which they can’t because of the integration with the network for things like “Visual Voicemail”), I’d be all over it in a heartbeat. While I wanted a lower price for the device, my current equivalents (SK3 & iPod 20GB Color) ran me about $550 combined so it’s right in the neighborhood. As my buddy Jeff (a fellow SK user and Apple fan)� pointed out, by the time our contracts run out we’ll be able to afford the phone. They will probably have released a few revisions and worked out the initial bugs by then, so this isn’t all bad. Especially considering…

No iChat?!?! Are you kidding me? Giving SMS an iChat interface just doesn’t do it for me. The device needs instant messaging. This is the killer feature for my Sidekick. Only providing SMS for real-time messaging is inadequate. Without presence management and contact with external networks (i.e. anyone you want to chat with not using a cell phone), the iPhone is incomplete. Considering the data network they need to have for web browsing and such is already in place,� this seems like a gross oversight to me.

I’m also not sold on the touchscreen keyboard. I have heard through a friend of a friend that works at Apple that you have to see it to believe it (remember, we were all skeptical of the iPod’s scroll wheel interface when it was launched). So until I do, I’ll reserve judgement. I would have loved to have seen it as a slider, but again I could be wrong.

OK, despite those few hang ups, the iPhone looks wicked awesome. I’d kill to be able to get down to one device for phone, IM/email/web and� music. The form factor is unbelievable. Downright sexy. The touchscreen interface is genius. The software looks� spectacular. Without ever using it I’m going to say the web browser is already the best browser on a mobile device. The email app looks solid as well. There are endless good things to say about it. And probably best of all, every phone maker is going to have to try to compete, which only bodes well for all of us gadget lovers.