This is difficult for me to admit, but I have 6 months left on my iPhone 3GS contract and I’m ditching my iPhone. It’s not that I am upgrading to a new plan or an iPhone 4, no, I am ditching my iPhone completely and have already bought an unlocked Sony Ericsson T700 to replace it and to use up the remaining 6 months on my contract.
This could be viewed as extreme. If you know me, you will be thinking I have lost the [Apple] faith, my mind, or both. As it happens, I have lost neither faith or mind, but simply come to the conclusion that I do not need an iPhone in my life. All the new pricing plans for smart phones have jumped up in total cost of ownership, whilst reducing the services you get. There is no way I will spend £170 ($255) for an iPhone 4 and then continue to pay £45 ($70) a month for TWO YEARS, for a service providing less than I am getting right now. I don’t see why I should pay out a large upfront cost for my phone and then get locked in for an unreasonable period of time.
That’s why I’m not going to renew my price plan or get a new smart phone, but it doesn’t explain why I am ditching my iPhone and ditching it early. Here’s why.
The information that my iPhone holds, or has access to through the cloud, mirrors my main computer far too much. Loose the iPhone and you could be stuffed. Don’t worry, I have mobile me, I can remote wipe it, or locate it and I have setup a password. However, the password only locks the phone after a set time and if your phone is picked up before the lock has engaged, you are toast. Guess what, this has happened to me and caused all sorts of problems. That’s not the worst thing about the iPhone, the single worst thing is the popup display announcing you have received a text message. Last summer, we talked about this at the meeting, but the best we could do was to find a setting that hides the beginning text of the message and only show the senders name/number. In all honesty, not a good solution and one that can cause just as many problems as no solution at all.
That popup display, be it just the sender or the beginning of the message, can destroy relationships. Go on, you tell me that you haven’t been put in an awkward position because if this? When a primetime UK sitcom has a plot line where the relationship is ended due to the iPhone popping up a message at the wrong time from an ex-girlfriend, followed by a very funny rant about how “Mr Jobs insists that a bloody text message has to popup on the screen”, then I know I’m not the only one feeling the pain. It happened to me and caused all sorts of trouble. I know of an incident where a female friend sent a text message that was inappropriate to all but the girlfriend receiving the message. The popup was seen by her husband, who went ballistic as he now thought his wife was having an affair and this nearly broke the marriage, it might still. I really wish I was exaggerating, in-fact, I’ve toned the incidents down. So, it might appear to be trivial, but the text message popup has to go, and Mr Jobs has had four iterations of the iPhone hardware and countless software updates top do it and has not. Life is too short and I don’t want it wrecked because of something as ridiculous as a popup text message.
That was a bit of a rant, but there are other reasons too. Tethering. No way am I going to pay £15 (£23) a month ON TOP OF £45 for the pleasure of doing something that most 3G phones do for free. My new T700 turns into a modem, via USB or Bluetooth.
Whilst we are on the subject, how about a full Bluetooth stack Apple? Why can’t I get stereo Bluetooth headphones, or sync via Bluetooth or wifi? Why can’t I send/receive data via Bluetooth like every other phone in Christendom? Why can’t I attach my keyboard, microphone or remote file system? On the subject of data, why can’t I send/receive a vCard via SMS or bluetooth? Why can’t I download a podcast just because you say it is too big?
This is stupid Apple, you have been at this for a while now. I forgave you for taking years to give me MMS, but now there is no excuse. Instead of the headline grabbing things, just fix the basics will you? Also, I’m spending a fair bit on apps and accessories. Why should I have to buy case protectors and screen protectors? I know Apple say we don’t need them, but really?
So, to the final straw, the reason that made me reach the tipping point. My 3G enabled iPad. It does everything my iPhone does and more, with a bigger screen and faster processor. It’s even a comedy oversized phone when using Skype over 3G!
Seriously, I don’t need to duplicate functionality. If I have my iPad with me (and it is a lot of the time), the iPhone brings nothing to the party except a phone.
With that as a given, why not get a lightweight, slimline phone that in emergencies can check email, browse the web, play games, play music etc? I get to replace the lump of a phone in my pocket and I avoid all the little niggle downsides as mentioned above.
Has the iPhone jumped the shark? In my world, it certainly has.
Yes, the iPhone is cool, yes it is sexy and yes I would love to have an iPhone 4. But… To use an analogy, the iPhone is the hot model girlfriend that wants you to keep buying her lots of presents, to pay for all your dates, wants nice holidays and is jealously guarding you. My new T700 is the girl next door that is equally hot, but doesn’t flaunt it. She doesn’t demand accessories or presents, she isn’t paranoid and does a lot more without ever having to ask. Most of all, to break from the analogy, my T700 does one thing extremely well above all else, it makes great phone calls.
Seamus Waldron, the UK arm of BOSPDAUG. PS. Written on my iPad using Pages.
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