iPhone Hype

What's the big deal about the iPhone 3G, anyway? I can name at least two of my friends that had their entire contact list erased by AT&T as soon as they went to activate their new phone. Most would say this is a problem with the service provider, not the actual phone. However, such a loss would not have happened if my friends did not purchase the new iPhone in the first place. Sure, the new accessories for the phone may be cool but what is the added functionality?

So the new iPhone is cheaper, alright--we get it; "twice as fast and half the price".  But, what Apple fails to mention is that the service plan for the new iPhone will set customers back a few dollars more than if they had just purchased the more expensive gadget. Oh, yes, the new iPhone also comes in two new colors--black and white. How tech-chic. It's all about aesthetic value in the technology market nowadays. If it wasn't, then there would be no place for things like this.

When it comes down to it, technology should be more about functionality than appearance. If a company can successfully combine these two elements, then they can expect to gain a large following. Apple has managed to achieve this very feat for a while now. Sadly, Apple has a problem of releasing new products without proper development and field testing. As many know, purchasing a new Apple product, particularly the iPod, isn't worthwhile until the third or fourth generation. Luckily, Apple has a great technical support and exchange policy to account for these glitches.

What Apple has been good at, however, is tricking the masses into believing they can't live without its latest device. This created use-value has even managed to convert me, a PC fluent, walkman-loving, Nokia phone-using student into one that doesn't spend a day without using either her MacBook, PowerBook, iPod mini, or 60GB iPod. Yes, I'm a Mac. But, I'll never understand why someone would want an iPhone...A Blackberry is so much more fun!