Author: Chris Harrison

Two years ago, I wrote a post detailing many of the reasons why I wasn’t going to buy an iPhone. Needless to say, things have changed since then.

First, a little backstory: I had planned to keep my old phone and number with Alltel/Verizon. I had made arrangements with my previous employer to transfer everything into my name. I was trying to avoid getting stuck in a contract. Everything was going smoothly until Verizon got involved. Because I had Alltel hardware, I couldn’t just switch things over to my own account. They insisted that I had to get a Verizon phone, which would have locked me into a 1-2 year contract. Since I was going to get locked into a contract, I decided I’d get the phone I wanted instead of settling elsewhere.

So I went with the iPhone 3G. It’s everything my first-gen 8Gb iPod touch was and more. I’m kinda disappointed in that I didn’t go for the 3GS, but I couldn’t pass up the $99 deal – especially since I was buying two iPhones at the time.

1. It’s a mature platform. Sure, it still has some quirks – many of which are due to AT&T’s “issues”, but it’s very solid in general.
2. I’m addicted to always on data. Paying the extra every month for an always-on connection was a no-brainer. My wife and I regularly use the GPS features built-in, and I’m as app-addicted as ever.
3. 8Gb *is* enough. After two years with the iPod touch I quickly learned that I didn’t need to have all of my multimedia with me all of the time. I only listen to a fraction of what’s on my computer, why dump all of it on a mobile device? Sure, more capacity would be nice, but with smart rationing, it’s easy to get a few GBs of music/videos loaded for hours of enjoyment.

Looking back, my resistance to the iPhone was more than a little ridiculous. I justified carrying multiple devices daily, while missing out on the convenience the iPhone now affords me.

Some things I learned while getting the iPhone:

• If you’re not in a hurry to get an iPhone and want to save a few bucks, order online or over the phone.
• Having said that: Ordering online or over the phone is absolutely worthless. Go to an AT&T Store (or better yet, an Apple Store). They’ll take care of you. Otherwise, it’ll take 2-3 weeks before you get the phone. And that’s after waiting several days to get an email asking you to accept the terms and conditions of the iPhone – before they’ll ship one to you.
• If you have an iPod touch and you’ve bought apps through iTunes, they can be installed on other devices you own. I was able to transfer my purchases to both my wife’s iPhone and my own without any issues.
• Your first bill is going to surprise you. You might see a pro-rated amount + what you expected to pay. You might get double-charged. This is where it’s absolutely important you visit a store and establish a connection with one of the store reps. They can and will help you. My first bill was just shy of $300 for two iPhones (700 shared minutes, 2 data plans, 2 – 200 text messages). After visiting my local rep, my bill was knocked down by half.