Getting iPhone tomorrow - am I nuts?

[peterm10]

I have been going back and forth many times about getting the iPhone, and am finally going to get it tomorrow unless someone here talks me out of it.

My main hesitation are the phone bills I will be getting. Right now I am on a family plan with my wife on Verizon - we pay $65 for two lines. I can cancel my number and save $10 a month (I wouldn't have to pay a cancellation fee since I would be keeping my wife's number) , but will be paying $60 a month for AT&T, so my phone bill will almost be doubling. She recently got a new phone and renewed for two years so we have another 1.5 years with Verizon for her line.

I am using the Razr I got over two years ago and it works, but I am not crazy about it either.

I recently lost my 16GB iPod Touch on an airplane and am getting most of it back in insurance money. I still have a 5G video iPod (60GB) to hold my whole collection of music, but it is not as responsive as it once was and I realized with the Touch that I don't need to carry around that much music and video with me for the relatively short trips I take on occasion.

I have a .mac account and love how easy it would be for me to sync everything with my Mac. To be honest, I don't use my cell phone a whole lot (on average several minutes a day), but I would use the iPhone for stuff like email, web surfing, photos, a calendar, etc. I could get another Touch and hack it to do email and some other stuff, although I would like to always be online wherever I am and not have to worry about finding a wifi hotspot.

So I guess what i am trying to figure out is whether the iPhone is so good that it is worth going with AT&T even though I will still have to keep my Verizon service for my wife's phone...

Any thoughts would be appreciated. Is anyone else keeping phones on separate carriers?

Thanks,

Peter

 

[FleurDuMal]

I have been going back and forth many times about getting the iPhone, and am finally going to get it tomorrow unless someone here talks me out of it.

My main hesitation are the phone bills I will be getting. Right now I am on a family plan with my wife on Verizon - we pay $65 for two lines. I can cancel my number and save $10 a month (I wouldn't have to pay a cancellation fee since I would be keeping my wife's number) , but will be paying $60 a month for AT&T, so my phone bill will almost be doubling. She recently got a new phone and renewed for two years so we have another 1.5 years with Verizon for her line.

I am using the Razr I got over two years ago and it works, but I am not crazy about it either.

I recently lost my 16GB iPod Touch on an airplane and am getting most of it back in insurance money. I still have a 5G video iPod (60GB) to hold my whole collection of music, but it is not as responsive as it once was and I realized with the Touch that I don't need to carry around that much music and video with me for the relatively short trips I take on occasion.

I have a .mac account and love how easy it would be for me to sync everything with my Mac. To be honest, I don't use my cell phone a whole lot (on average several minutes a day), but I would use the iPhone for stuff like email, web surfing, photos, a calendar, etc. I could get another Touch and hack it to do email and some other stuff, although I would like to always be online wherever I am and not have to worry about finding a wifi hotspot.

So I guess what i am trying to figure out is whether the iPhone is so good that it is worth going with AT&T even though I will still have to keep my Verizon service for my wife's phone...

Any thoughts would be appreciated. Is anyone else keeping phones on separate carriers?

Thanks,

Peter

Sounds like your thinking of the iPhone instead of the Touch based on ability to get on the internet anywhere alone. I guess the question is, is the price of the AT&T contract worth that (and if your really comparing like for like, the difference between the 8GB Touch and iPhone)?

 

[Phil A.]

I have been going back and forth many times about getting the iPhone, and am finally going to get it tomorrow unless someone here talks me out of it.

My main hesitation are the phone bills I will be getting. Right now I am on a family plan with my wife on Verizon - we pay $65 for two lines. I can cancel my number and save $10 a month (I wouldn't have to pay a cancellation fee since I would be keeping my wife's number) , but will be paying $60 a month for AT&T, so my phone bill will almost be doubling. She recently got a new phone and renewed for two years so we have another 1.5 years with Verizon for her line.

I am using the Razr I got over two years ago and it works, but I am not crazy about it either.

I recently lost my 16GB iPod Touch on an airplane and am getting most of it back in insurance money. I still have a 5G video iPod (60GB) to hold my whole collection of music, but it is not as responsive as it once was and I realized with the Touch that I don't need to carry around that much music and video with me for the relatively short trips I take on occasion.

I have a .mac account and love how easy it would be for me to sync everything with my Mac. To be honest, I don't use my cell phone a whole lot (on average several minutes a day), but I would use the iPhone for stuff like email, web surfing, photos, a calendar, etc. I could get another Touch and hack it to do email and some other stuff, although I would like to always be online wherever I am and not have to worry about finding a wifi hotspot.

So I guess what i am trying to figure out is whether the iPhone is so good that it is worth going with AT&T even though I will still have to keep my Verizon service for my wife's phone...

Any thoughts would be appreciated. Is anyone else keeping phones on separate carriers?

Thanks,

Peter

I was in a similar to position to you - I'm only 6 months into an 18 month Orange contract and last Tuesday I bought an iPhone: As far as I'm concerned it's the best thing I ever did
I initially signed up for the lowest tariff, thinking that I'd only use the iPhone for data and music. That idea lasted all of two days and I've now upgraded to the top tariff - after using it I couldn't face using another phone at all, even one I'm already paying for!
On paper, the iPhone is a fair way behind other phones on the market, but in use it's streets ahead of anything else: It's a perfect blend of iPod, phone and e-mail / internet access on the go and is, quite simply, the best gadget I've ever owned, bar none.
I was concerned about the lack of 3G and whilst it would be welcome so I could access the internet and make calls at the same time (with EDGE, and incoming call temporarily suspends internet access), the speed is absolutely fine.
I'll freely admit I was one of the biggest skeptics about the iPhone, and fell into the trap of concentrating on the technical specs in isolation (and have made several posts on here saying I wasn't going to get one), but one weeks ownership has completely changed my opinion
Is the iPhone perfect? No
Is the iPhone the best phone you can buy? In my opinion it is and the benefits far outweigh the minor issues

My advise would be to buy the iPhone and enjoy it

 

[d wade]

best purchase i ever made. i left verizon for at&t too

 

[SRSound]

I was going to walk into the apple store this past week and buy one... until I saw the news about the 3G. I know its stupid but I cant bring myself to buy the device until I know at least some more about what will be offered next. Hopefully macworld will have some more info, or whenever the SDK is released in Feb...

 

[aviddk]

I have had my iPhone for three weeks. Just got back from a 10 day trip. The iPhone is an incredible tool, right now. In many places, hotels, airports, coffee shops you can connect to free Wi-Fi. In other places you use Edge. Sometimes, I would guess based on proximity of towers, Edge is pretty damn fast. I have had several iterations of web phones including the first AT&T text only web phone six or seven years ago, IIRC, and decided that web surfing on a cell phone was useless. The iPhone is truly remarkable as the buzz implies. Web surfing is really amazing and completely useful. I am getting much better at typing and can actually write an email while someone else drives. I wouldn't want to compose a new novel solely on my iPhone.

Give up and buy one. I wished I wouldn't have waited.

 

[GTiPhone]

Why not just stay on Verizon and get an iPhone "killer?"

J/k, they voyager is terrible.

The iPhone is the best. Just get it.

(I left Verizon for it too.)

 

[mrtune]

The first thing I would do is talk to friends and find out what att service is like in your area. Paying all that extra money for internet on go is only worth it if the coverage where YOU would use the phone is excellent.

I notice a huge difference in internet speed when the phone is showing 4 bars versus 1 bar.

I switched from verizon to att to get this phone. In my area and more importantly, where I use it, verizon had better coverage. ATT is good, but not great. The ease if use, and other features, like the ipod, make it worth it to me. I also have wifi at home and work, so that helps too.

ATT offers a 14 day trial period. I recommend trying out their network with a new phone and number for 2 weeks and see if it's feasable for you. That way you don't jump into a 2 year contract and regret your decision.

 

[knoxtown]

I will also be getting an iPhone tomorrow, but had a different question... Does anyone here have their phone insured? How did you get it? Who did you go through?

AT&T doesn't offer any insurance, and Apple only offers the repair package.

Help please?!

 

[rayward]

I will also be getting an iPhone tomorrow, but had a different question... Does anyone here have their phone insured? How did you get it? Who did you go through?

AT&T doesn't offer any insurance, and Apple only offers the repair package.

Help please?!

You can insure it on a personal effects policy, which covers it for theft, being dropped and other such "fortuities".

 

[tjcampbell]

Wirelessly posted (Mozilla/5.0 (iPhone; U; CPU like Mac OS X; en) AppleWebKit/420.1 (KHTML, like Gecko) Version/3.0 Mobile/3B48a Safari/419.3)

I love my iPhone. I'm posting this from it while on the Picadilly Tube line! Its a remarkable device.

 

[Avatar74]

Question I would ask is... Do you need constant access to email, web, etc. or is that more of a luxury that you want?

Reason I ask: If the purchase has a rational need backing it, then we can talk about cost justification in a real sense. If the purchase is just something you want, then you don't need to cost justify it... just buy it and satisfy your gadget urge regardless of what it costs.

I know you're wondering if you can afford it but...

a) You know your finances better than we do.

b) If you could afford to spend $400 on a gadget without blinking you wouldn't be grappling with whether or not to buy it.

So maybe the question is... do you want to spend money you might not have on something you don't need, and can you do so without your wife killing you?

Only you know the answer to that.

 

[BanjoBanker]

I love my iPhone. I bought mine on Day 1, and I have not regretted the decision one bit. EDGE is pretty decent when you have four bars, not so hot when you have only one. E-mail in your pocket is almost worth the price of admission. Text messaging is easier too, a keyboard! I have excellent AT&T coverage where I live so I have not had some of the problems others have. I agree with the poster who suggested trying AT&T's coverage in your area. Ask around, I am sure you know someone with AT&T, ask them about coverage. If you have good coverage where you will be using it, I say go for it. You will not be sorry.

 

[peterm10]

Well, I went ahead and bought it this afternoon at the Apple store across from my office (it's dangerous having one so close by .

Even after reading about it and owning the Touch, I can't believe how many things this gadget can do, and do well. If the reception in my area turn out to be good (I am in Fairfield county CT), it will definitely be a keeper....

Thanks for your thoughts,

Peter

 

[VenomousSVT]

I am really glad i have lurked on here for so long....This is my first post but it definitely not the first time I have read these forums.

I actually dont need a cell phone bill, my work provides my BlackBerry (as I am the blackberry manager) and my service for any use that I need. However my service is through Nextel, otherwise I would hack an iphone and use another sim. I have been wanting an iphone for months now but havent bit the bullet yet. I currently have an 80gb zune and have decided only after reading this thread to return it at CC and visit the apple store tomorrow.

I love my zune, however I have a finger print inside the screen that drives me nuts. I wasnt sure if I could do without having all my music with me all the time, but a big part of me thinks that by dropping down what I have "on the go" it will be easier to decide what I want to listen to. I have a 4g 20cg ipod as well that I think I will store the majority of my music on from here on out.

 

[gkarris]

I love my zune, however I have a finger print inside the screen that drives me nuts...

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[VenomousSVT]

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no doubt!!! somehow, when it was being put together, someone touched the lcd inside the glass and didnt notice it... i saw it at first but with everyone local here being out of stock on them I wasnt stressing over it too bad... then I went into the sun one day and saw how bad it really was!! LOL

 

[PBG4 Dude]

You can insure it on a personal effects policy, which covers it for theft, being dropped and other such "fortuities".

You might want to check www.safeware.com as well. This is a branch of an insurance company dedicated to tech insurance. I insured my Titanium PowerBook G4 with them in '01 so I know they've been around a bit. Didn't file any claims so I don't know if it's a hassle getting reimbursed or not.

 

[kimguroo]

Well, I went ahead and bought it this afternoon at the Apple store across from my office (it's dangerous having one so close by .

Even after reading about it and owning the Touch, I can't believe how many things this gadget can do, and do well. If the reception in my area turn out to be good (I am in Fairfield county CT), it will definitely be a keeper....

Thanks for your thoughts,

Peter

Enjoy your iphone
Don't let your wife use your iphone. even play with it. otherwise, you will need to get another one (I just got another iphone for my wife)

 

[pedroistheman]

GET IT!

I was an existing AT&T customer, so I really have not experienced the hardships of the full plan but I can give you a good insight comparing the iPhone to the touch.

in my personal experience, I have found the iphone to be most useful on edge because the only wifi I use is at home, and when I'm home I use my computer. although i must say that i have come to use my iphone more and more than my computer, especially when it comes to reading email.

just look at the apps and what you really need on-the-go. That is the real difference between the touch and iphone. i guess it depends on one's individual lifestyle.

another factor to put into mind is having your phone built in to your touch. I know the apple promo is a bit ridiculous, but it does feel great to have your ipod, computer, and phone all together in one sleek device.

one last note: if you do end up purchasing either device, i reccomend the crystal film as well as a decent case such as the iskin evo.


good luck making your decision.

 

[kimguroo]

GET IT!

I was an existing AT&T customer, so I really have not experienced the hardships of the full plan but I can give you a good insight comparing the iPhone to the touch.

in my personal experience, I have found the iphone to be most useful on edge because the only wifi I use is at home, and when I'm home I use my computer. although i must say that i have come to use my iphone more and more than my computer, especially when it comes to reading email.

just look at the apps and what you really need on-the-go. That is the real difference between the touch and iphone. i guess it depends on one's individual lifestyle.

another factor to put into mind is having your phone built in to your touch. I know the apple promo is a bit ridiculous, but it does feel great to have your ipod, computer, and phone all together in one sleek device.

one last note: if you do end up purchasing either device, i reccomend the crystal film as well as a decent case such as the iskin evo.


good luck making your decision.

OP already got his Iphone today.

also agree with pedroistheman. get a protector!
I have best skin protector. I like it so far (used about 3 weeks) and ordered another kit for my wife's new iphone. my brother did not put any protector in his iphone (bought it about 4 months ago) and it's already looks like 2-3 years old phone (but touch screen does not have any scratch though)

 

[peterm10]

OP here...

In response to one poster who said not to let my wife play with it, I actually want to get her one so we can both be on the same network. It would then be so easy to text each other, email photos to each other for free, etc.

I got a screen protector which works great and now I am deciding on a case. Basically my iPhone will be used in my car most of the time so most cases will not allow the iPhone to sit in the cradle I have. I will probably get a case that can come off and on easily so I can use it in the car without a case.

The reception seems to be quite good in my area so far. I love how it fades out the volume and interrupts the song I am listening to in order for me to answer the phone (I listen pretty to pretty loud music and previously would miss calls on ocassion).

It is also saving me time at home - rather than go downstairs to check my email on my computer I can check on my iPhone quickly. The Google maps feature is amazing using the satellite button to see a close up photo of property anywhere in the world.

Peter

 

[quidire]

My girlfriend and I just bought ourselves one each, yesterday. We have no regrets.

 

[twaseverthus]

You will miss Verizon

I just got my AT&T home phone disconnected. Getting help with their customer service is the worst. Verizon has always been so easy to deal with. I was almost going to get a iphone then I dealt with AT&T again. I am going to wait. It is a shame that the iphone is only with them. I will never use ATT again. I have been thinking about the itouch ipod. If it had email it would be the perfect alternative.
Just make sure that you want to do business with AT&T. Just try getting through to each companies customers service. Verizon still has the best customer service.

 

[rayward]

Enjoy your iphone
Don't let your wife use your iphone. even play with it. otherwise, you will need to get another one (I just got another iphone for my wife)

My wife and I agreed that I'd get an iPhone, and then maybe she'd get one a little later (cash flow, y'know). But I made the mistake of taking her with me to the Apple Store, and she gave me the Puss in Boots treatment...