It was hot outside, the media a buzz and the lines were starting to wrap around Apple's retail stores. Ah, the launch of the original iPhone. I covered the whole shebang just a year ago and I clung to my Verizon BlackBerry the whole time.
But this year will be different right? The Apple iPhone's price has been drastically lowered to $199, and its got GPS and 3G connectivity baked in now. And even better there is added support for enterprise and loads of impressive applications available through the App Store. And it comes in white!
I know all these factors should close the gap between the iPhone and RIM's BlackBerry. But, as tempted as I have been in the past year to snag an iPhone and switch teams, come launch day part-two it will still be me and my BlackBerry. Why? Because I learned a few things about the iPhone the first time around.
The iPhone design is stunning and Steve Jobs believes the iPhone to be an 'object' instead of a gadget. Nice idea but when my friend cracked her iPhone's screen earlier this year, I felt really bad for her while at the same time was thinking "I told you so." Hundreds of iPhones have cracked and have had to be replaced because of the glass screen. I am rough on my phone. I have dropped my BlackBerry on my wooden floor more times than I can count and throw it in a purse full of crap every day. The iPhone won't survive as my mobile companion.
Then there is the battery issue. When I travel I always carry a second battery with me in case I don't have the time or the place to plug in. And given what Mossberg of the Wall Street Journal is saying about the iPhone 3G's battery life, iPhone users should do the same. But they can't because it lacks a replaceable battery. Sure they can pick themselves up an external extended battery but this is nothing but a BandAid on a very large wound.
The keyboard is also a drawback, though I have gotten used to using the virtual keyboard from playing around with the phone. Nevertheless, I can type extremely fast on my BlackBerry Curve without looking down at the keys. I am not sure I could ever do that on an iPhone.
Lastly there is the fact that the iPhone is still tied to the AT&T network. I have been with Verizon for as long as I can remember and have impeccable service in both my apartment and office. Frankly I have service wherever I go. On top of that all my friends, including my boyfriend who has jokingly threatened to break up with me if I go over to AT&T, are all on Verizon. I can talk and text with them as much as I want. I can't leave my network for a "phone;" after all making quality phone calls is what phones are about.
So as much as I am in awe of the awesome Safari mobile Web browser and the new applications (and that iPhone owners will get to turn their phones into lightsabers), I will be cuddling with my BlackBerry Curve this weekend . Will you?