You don’t need me to convince you the iPhone is a good holiday gift. You’ve heard from Apple about the iPhone’s many supernatural capabilities. Some of them are TRUE — I know first-hand, I’m an iPhone owner. But be not fooled, the iPhone is not all fun & games.
Consider these 7 reasons NOT to buy an iPhone this holiday season:
- AT&T. Enough said. This is without a doubt the least-liked iPhone feature among iPhone owners. Bad connectivity, bad customer service, bad privacy policies define this communications giant in the minds of many iPhone owners. If you live in the US, AT&T is the #1 reason not to buy an iPhone.
- No hardware keyboard. This was the largest point of debate leading up to the iPhone’s release. The Wall Street Journal said the iPhone keyboard is a non-issue, but in my experience it can be an issue in some cases. Whereas you can type on hardware keyboards without looking at the keys, the iPhone’s flat touchscreen offers no tactile response, which requires you to look at the screen more often. The lacking keyboard can be dangerous while walking, or worse, driving.
- Strict App Store regulations. Apple has ridiculous App Store approval policies that are bad for developers, and bad for you. While developers may waste hours creating apps that are rejected for inane reasons, users will suffer by being denied innovative capabilities on their devices. For example, the Facebook app has been so scrutinized by Apple that it caused the Facebook app developer to quit, thus delaying improvement of the Facebook app, which needs many improvements.
- Apple = Proprietary. I use Linux on a PC and it annoys me to no end that Apple will not release an iTunes for Linux. It’s not because they can’t or because there’s no demand. It’s because they want you to buy a Mac and stay locked into the Apple circle. Think about it. Why does no other MP3 player work on iTunes? Yes, I understand, Apple can do whatever it wants with its products, but you don’t have to support them with your money.
- Privacy concerns. In August I named 6 iPhone privacy issues, among them the fact that you can’t password-protect individual apps, and the fact that AT&T has a history of violating user privacy.
- Google Android. Google is unleashing an army of Android phones that will offer a diversity of features, some more compelling than iPhone’s. What’s more, Google is not proprietary like Apple. In fact, Android is open source, so anyone can create apps and there is no ridiculous approval process like Apple’s.
- Peace of mind. Never has my mind been more crowded than in the time I’ve been an iPhone owner. Yes, the iPhone is a great productivity tool, but it can also be an on-demand distraction.
Buyer beware.
What Do You Think?
Is the iPhone all its cut out to be? Would you recommend it as a holiday gift? Let us know what you think.
I would never recommend any Apple products to anyone. I’ve personally had to work for the company indirectly, so I know the flaws and know how much of a dick the company is. The iPhone is a terrible product that breaks in four drops and doesn’t have good signal. Thankfully, iPhone carriers are more diverse in Canada, but it’s pretty much a choice between an independent carrier and Bell.
After working for them, I’m never giving a cent of my money to Apple again. If you currently have an iPhone, jailbreak it.
I have an iPhone and I am very happy with it. So far, iPhone is the only phone i need. I get to do my emails (work and personal) and internet browsing at convenience as Apple iPhone has the best web browser.
I am waiting for the new iPhone to be released and I will get one as soon as it is released.
iPhone is awesome, the keyboard is easier to use, I love touch typing on my iPhone. iPhone is the best for me.
How much did Google and Verizon pay you for this article?
I like my iphone i have a 3gs havent had any probs with it or the att service its the most dependable in my area i switched from Verizon.
Chris you need to go back to Metro PCS!
Touché.
I have had first, second, and third generation iphones and am a happy LOYAL AT&T customer since 1994. Yes, there are limits, but in good respect to the business of Apple and AT&T all of the elements that make up the iphone and its service have done me well, and are respected (by me). I use the iPhone (now 3gs 32 gig) every day in almost every aspect of my life. SO! THANK YOU AT&T AND THANK YOU APPLE FOR YOUR HARD WORK! Pay no attention to the bit**es that are whining. Does it really matter what they say to a multi-BILLION dollar company? You guys make the bilions and I dont sooooo you must me doing something right 🙂 I have no issues with my phone with an exception to a sim card getting kicked off the system, boo hoo it made my life inconvienent for the time it took to get to one of thier stores. The service there was AWESOME, the people there were all smiling and looked genuinely happy they were there doing their job. I got a new sim AT NO CHARGE! and I was off to continue my life! AT&T you’re number one in my book!
Just a couple of problems with what ou have said, itunes works with a lot of mp3 players now for a starter, and also a lot of newer music phones will work with itunes as standard, that is definitely the case here in the UK. Password protecting apps isn’t up to apple, it is up to the developer team to add that as a feature in, as some developers have decided to do. Lastly open source is all well and good, but the reason that the app store approval takes so long is to prevent viruses from reaching the phone, as soon as you bring open source into the equation hackers leap upon it! Look at the worm travelling round jailbroken iphones. That is simply because they have removed the strict protocols that apple set in place!
Yes I would recommend the iphone. I love mine. At&T is not perfect, but neither are the other carriers. No phone is perfect, but this is the closest one to perfect I have ever had. I hear that ATT is the only one that allows you to receive emails, etc. while using the phone at the same time (as the previous poster said better) while with the other carriers you have ot shut the phone off or stop using the phone to get your email. I’m not sure about this, but that is about what my husband read to me last night. The keyboard, I thought would be an issue, but it isn’t. I do well with the virtual keyboard, especially with the Maybe if new software which expands the size of the keyboard when the iphone is turned on its side. There are some innovated expansions going on with the verizon network in the future, and I do wish ATT had better coverage or that the I phone could be used with other carriers. My daughter in California could not get coverage with at&t where she lives, so she switched to verizon. I saw the new Google phone a friend has. It seemed okay, but at first glance I still like my I phone better. Maybe if I had a better look at it, I’d see it differently, but I liked the interface on the I phone better. There is one item I don’t like about the IPHONE, and that is the ease at which the glass can break and the cost to repair it and the lack of insurance coverage from Apple to cover it. I have found another place to replace mine at less than 1/2 of what Apple charges. As for apps, I don’t really care if Apple keeps a tight rein on them or not. There are more apps than I can possibly use and maybe less xrated ones than an open source policy could bring.
All great reason and especially the #1 one which is why I just got a Verizon Blackberry that I am VERY pleased with. MAybe if Apple wakes up I might update to an iPhone when it hits Verizon. I used to be obsessed with having one but now I’n not nearly as thrilled with it and the BB is doing all that I really NEED
There’s no compelling alternative as of yet IMHO. I agree that in the future there could and most likely will be devices of equal caliber to the iPhone, but thus far nothing matches it. I would say it’s still the thing to buy this holiday season. Next holiday…maybe you’re right. 🙂
Lack of a physical keyboard is a non-issue especially since landscape was implemented in 3.0. No other device lets you talk and work on your device simultaneously. Apple most likely will also unveil some sort of app multi-tasking capability in a future update, especially at least offering the ability to use two apps at a time.
The iPhone is so much easier to use than the Droid, especially for the novice. You end up using what was previously considered more niche features. They’ve become commonplace.
I agree that AT&T is their Achilles heel, but in spite of this the iPhone is still way ahead of the competition (at the present time).
The mobile space is a very fast-paced environment, so things can change quickly!