iPhones: innovative, yet a financial hardship

By Cory Anotado
Collegian Staff
January 24, 2007

This past week, Apple introduced its latest attempt to put everyone who makes anything electronic out of business: the iPhone. Announced last Tuesday at the 2007 Macworld Conference, Apple CEO Steve Jobs hyped the gadget as a widescreen iPod with video, a state-of-the-art cell phone and a wireless portable Internet device all in one. A giant touch-screen engulfs the front of the iPhone. The iPhone comes with either a four or eight gigabyte hard drive where users can load up all their music and videos to watch on the go. WiFi allows users to surf the Internet where a wireless Internet signal can be found, while EDGE network support lets users surf the web where only a phone signal is present. A two megapixel camera allows users to take pictures, and the touch screen allows zooming and editing with the touch of two fingers.

The iPhone has a lot going for it, and it’s going to change the way cell phone manufacturers make their phones. A giant touch screen to input everything is revolutionary but simple to use: everyone knows how to touch things and the intuitive nature of the interface cuts down the learning curve of the phone’s sophisticated features. Running a version of the Mac operating system, OS X, the iPhone has a powerful, fast back end that puts current cell phones to shame.

Let’s face it: Apple makes some sexy stuff. Every part of the iPhone is luscious and shiny, from its screen to its case to even the contact list and the on-screen dial pad. Apple knows how to perfect surfing the web from its computers, so it’s no surprise that the iPhone has the same browser included with every Apple computer, Safari. Web sites look good, navigation is easy and everything is blazing fast, even for a cell phone.

Unfortunately, there are two deal-breakers to the iPhone that will make most people hesitant to buy it and possibly limit the market reach. First is the network: the iPhone is planned for use only on the Cingular/AT&T network. Since the iPhone is locked only to Cingular, slipping in any other SIM card (for, say, T-Mobile or Nextel) won’t do anything, and you’ll end up with a very shiny paperweight until you go on the Cingular network.

The second deal-breaker is financial. With a $499 price point after signing for a two-year contract for their bottom-line iPhone with four gigabytes of hard drive space, plus the expectedly pricey data plan that Cingular will charge for the Internet features and the first year of ownership, expect the iPhone to cost you close to $1,000.

The iPhone has the capability to change the way cell phone companies manufacture phones and cell phone users operate their phones, but the overwhelmingly giant hurdles that consumers have to go through to use this groundbreaking device is just too much to overlook. I cannot recommend purchasing the iPhone unless you have a spare grand in your pocket and a Cingular bill already in your mailbox.

anotadoc1@lasalle.edu