Should I get an Iphone?

[Disney Dad Canada]

I wasnt offended.

I was trying to figure out the difference between being biased and having an opinion.

Like I said, if you wanted an unbiased opinion of WDW, I wouldn't ask on the DISboards, as the majority of the people here are somewhat more appreciative of it than normal. To me, it appears the same goes for the iPhone.

 

[k5jm]

Like I said, if you wanted an unbiased opinion of WDW, I wouldn't ask on the DISboards, as the majority of the people here are somewhat more appreciative of it than normal. To me, it appears the same goes for the iPhone.

My objective opinion is this:

I have to help people at my company make this decision every day and this is what I tell them.

A cell phone is a personal decision. So is a smartphone decision. I find the iphone lacking in many areas for my use. But for my DW, the Iphone is perfect for her.

For me, I would prefer to carry a Blackberry Torch. It suites my needs. If the Iphone fits your needs, get it. If another device does the job, get it. But you do not buy a Lincoln Towncar when you need a Pick-up. They both get you from a to b, but each serves a specific purpose.

 

[Disney Dad Canada]

My objective opinion is this:

A cell phone is a personal decision. So is a smartphone decision. I find the iphone lacking in many areas for my use. But for my DW, the Iphone is perfect for her.

For me, I would prefer to carry a Blackberry Torch. It suites my needs. If the Iphone fits your needs, get it. If another device does the job, get it. But you do not buy a Lincoln Towncar when you need a Pick-up. They both get you from a to b, but each serves a specific purpose.

Another thing to consider is carrier coverage and reliability. In Canada this isn't an issue for the iPhone in particular, as all major carriers have it. But in the US, AT &T has exclusive rights. If AT &T does not work well in your area, then i would suggest looking elsewhere. Same goes for any carrier-exclusive phone.

 

[Disney Dad Canada]

I wasnt offended.

I was trying to figure out the difference between being biased and having an opinion.

If you want some insight into the group behavior I am referring to, I suggest reading "Predictably Irrational" by Dan Areily and/or "The Science of Fear: How the Culture of Fear Manipulates Your Brain" by Daniel Gardner.

To summarize, people tend to like people that enjoy the same things they do. Be it Disney, iPhones, a sports team, what have you. The more people that join that group, and the more people talk about that enjoyment, the more people of that group think that they are correct, and all others are false.

This is not "being brainwashed", this is merely how our brains work. It's hard wired into our systems, which may have been beneficial in cave man times, but may cause issues in modern day life.

Marketers are extremely aware of this effect. I spoke with Guy Kawasaki about this a couple months ago when he was visiting in Toronto.

"In 1995 I returned to Apple as an Apple fellow. At the time, according to the pundits, Apple was supposed to die again. (Apple should have died about ten times in the past twenty years according to the pundits.) My job on this tour of duty was to maintain and rejuvenate the Macintosh cult." (an excerpt from his bio page from his web site).

Again, this is not brought up to say that anyone liking an iPhone (or Disney for that matter) has been brainwashed, or that the iPhone (or Disney) is horrific, it's just an observation if you are looking for an unbiased opinion on either topic (in the OP case the iPhone) that this particular group of people may not be your best choice.

 

[safetymom]

I had a Blackberry that I loved. I didn't think there was anything better. Then work gave me an iPhone. I didn't like typing on it for the first few weeks. But you couldn't pry the iPhone away from me now. I don't know how I lived without it.

 

[bonnieappetit]

I thought about getting an iPhone for months. All I had was a plain cell phone that made calls. I went back and forth saying "all I really need is a working phone". And when I saw people doing other things on their iPhones I would look over their shoulders, ask questions, and was a little jealous that I wasn't doing it too. Well, I finally got one about 3 weeks ago and I love it! I am learning new things about it every day. It really is much more than a phone. It is more of a communicator/entertainer in your hand.

 

[disneysteve]

The main thing I keep going over is it seems silly for someone who uses under 100 mins a month to have a $200 phone!
Second, would the 200mb be enough data for me? I would addictive check E-ticket if I had access to it all the time!

Haven't read all the responses but here's my 2 cents.

The fact that you use under 100 minutes/month on your current phone is irrelevant. I don't use my phone to make calls much at all. My personal calls are typically made to other cell phones or after 9pm or on weekends all of which don't count against my minutes anyway. We have a family plan with 850 shared minutes and we never use them all between the 5 of us.

I got my iPhone in February and love it. I use it all the time. I'd say 80% of the time, I use it in WiFi mode. We have WiFi at home and at my office so I don't need to use the 3G network time in either of those places. I have the unlimited data plan so it doesn't really matter, but if you do your best to stick to using it when you have WiFi, you should be able to manage with the data plan. So many places from McDonald's to bookstores to malls to hotels offer free WiFi now that it isn't hard to find a place to get online and not use up your limited data time.

I use my iPhone for so many different things including personal stuff, note keeping, texting, work-related apps, surveys (that actually earn me more than having the phone costs me), games, picture-taking and more. I say go for it.

 

[disneysteve]

Sit down and figure out what you WILL use your phone for. Not MAY use, but WILL use.

I fully believe that this is an impossible assignment. If you would have asked me to do this before I got my iPhone, I would have listed virtually none of the things I actually do use my phone for. First, knowing all of the apps that are out there and how they fit in your life is pretty tough even once you have the phone and is even tougher when you don't. Second, apps that I now use on a daily basis didn't yet exist when I got my phone just 6 months ago so I certainly wouldn't have listed them as anticipated uses. Third, even something as basic as text messaging is different. With my previous phones, I hated texting and almost never did it, maybe sending 2 or 3 texts/month. With the iPhone, it is so much easier that I now text on a more regular basis. Last month, I sent 33 and received 43 texts. I never would have predicted that prior to getting the iPhone.

This reminds me of the discussions I've had with people who didn't have home computers or internet access. "What do I need it for?" they would always ask. Some of you may have been the same way, but look at us now. I can't imagine going back to the pre-internet days (and I'm old enough to remember them quite well). In 5 years when virtually everyone has some type of smart phone, I think we'll look back in the same way.

 

[*NikkiBell*]

Asking on this forum about whether you should get an iPhone is essentially the same as asking if you should go to WDW. It's not exactly an unbiased group to ask.

Sit down and figure out what you WILL use your phone for. Not MAY use, but WILL use. Realize that buying ANY smart phone requires a data plan, usually in the range of $40 to $60 per month extra (at least here in Canada). Also, most data plans are 2 or 3 year contracts, so you are committing yourself to an extra $1,000 to $3,000 over the life of your contract.

For me, my last phone was a Motorola Razr, and i was perfectly fine with it. after doing some research, i decided on buying an Android based phone (LG Eve), mainly do to it being an open platform (I don't like the fact that His Highness Jobbs has to "approve" what I want on MY phone), but again, the ultimate choice is whether the extra $$ spent on a smart phone will be worth it for you, and only you can determine that.

I had a Razr before purchasing my iPhone. I never realized all an iPhone could offer me and would not be able to think about what the possibilities were.

If you want some insight into the group behavior I am referring to, I suggest reading "Predictably Irrational" by Dan Areily and/or "The Science of Fear: How the Culture of Fear Manipulates Your Brain" by Daniel Gardner.

To summarize, people tend to like people that enjoy the same things they do. Be it Disney, iPhones, a sports team, what have you. The more people that join that group, and the more people talk about that enjoyment, the more people of that group think that they are correct, and all others are false.

This is not "being brainwashed", this is merely how our brains work. It's hard wired into our systems, which may have been beneficial in cave man times, but may cause issues in modern day life.

Marketers are extremely aware of this effect. I spoke with Guy Kawasaki about this a couple months ago when he was visiting in Toronto.

"In 1995 I returned to Apple as an Apple fellow. At the time, according to the pundits, Apple was supposed to die again. (Apple should have died about ten times in the past twenty years according to the pundits.) My job on this tour of duty was to maintain and rejuvenate the Macintosh cult." (an excerpt from his bio page from his web site).

Again, this is not brought up to say that anyone liking an iPhone (or Disney for that matter) has been brainwashed, or that the iPhone (or Disney) is horrific, it's just an observation if you are looking for an unbiased opinion on either topic (in the OP case the iPhone) that this particular group of people may not be your best choice.

I don't agree. There are many, many people on here who do not like certain things or prefer the polar opposite. They help balance what is an unbiased point of view.

Examples...

mainegal and HydroFlasks
me and the iPhone (before I purchased it)
DISers on the Universal forum who hate Universal
DISers who are anti Le Cellier
DISers who prefer one resort over another
Teresa and her trip challenge - She wasn't anti-Disney, but was not as familiar with how things worked either...definitely an unbiased opinion there

And many, many more.

I think the DIS provides an unbiased place to get information. Granted, I do realize from time to time you see threads get heated because someone questions or criticizes something Disney-related. However, I feel those are not the norm. The motto of the podcast mentions their being "unbiased." How many times have we heard Pete or Kevin criticize something Disney does? If they were biased towards Disney, this would never happen.

I fully believe that this is an impossible assignment. If you would have asked me to do this before I got my iPhone, I would have listed virtually none of the things I actually do use my phone for. First, knowing all of the apps that are out there and how they fit in your life is pretty tough even once you have the phone and is even tougher when you don't. Second, apps that I now use on a daily basis didn't yet exist when I got my phone just 6 months ago so I certainly wouldn't have listed them as anticipated uses. Third, even something as basic as text messaging is different. With my previous phones, I hated texting and almost never did it, maybe sending 2 or 3 texts/month. With the iPhone, it is so much easier that I now text on a more regular basis. Last month, I sent 33 and received 43 texts. I never would have predicted that prior to getting the iPhone.

This reminds me of the discussions I've had with people who didn't have home computers or internet access. "What do I need it for?" they would always ask. Some of you may have been the same way, but look at us now. I can't imagine going back to the pre-internet days (and I'm old enough to remember them quite well). In 5 years when virtually everyone has some type of smart phone, I think we'll look back in the same way.

I agree 100%. The argument that you need to see what you'd use an iPhone for irk me. I could never even imagine what this little piece of technology could do before having one. You need to experience it to realize how much it can do.

 

[DisneyKevin]

If you want some insight into the group behavior I am referring to, I suggest reading "Predictably Irrational" by Dan Areily and/or "The Science of Fear: How the Culture of Fear Manipulates Your Brain" by Daniel Gardner.

To summarize, people tend to like people that enjoy the same things they do. Be it Disney, iPhones, a sports team, what have you. The more people that join that group, and the more people talk about that enjoyment, the more people of that group think that they are correct, and all others are false.

This is not "being brainwashed", this is merely how our brains work. It's hard wired into our systems, which may have been beneficial in cave man times, but may cause issues in modern day life.

Marketers are extremely aware of this effect. I spoke with Guy Kawasaki about this a couple months ago when he was visiting in Toronto.

"In 1995 I returned to Apple as an Apple fellow. At the time, according to the pundits, Apple was supposed to die again. (Apple should have died about ten times in the past twenty years according to the pundits.) My job on this tour of duty was to maintain and rejuvenate the Macintosh cult." (an excerpt from his bio page from his web site).

Again, this is not brought up to say that anyone liking an iPhone (or Disney for that matter) has been brainwashed, or that the iPhone (or Disney) is horrific, it's just an observation if you are looking for an unbiased opinion on either topic (in the OP case the iPhone) that this particular group of people may not be your best choice.

This all may be relevant if you were asking something important. Who should we pick as our leader? Which heart surgeon is best? Should we declare war?

But we arent talking about something important.

We are talking about cell phones.

I've said this before. I dont care what brand of cell phone you choose. I actually dont care if you have a cell phone of if you dont. I'd like you to do whatever makes you happy and makes sense for you.

I'm happy with my iPhone and if asked, I'll tell you I'm happy with it. If your choice is a droid or a blackberry or a tracfone or to forgo a phone all together.....great.

 

[Mrs D]

Woo! How did my silly little question get so...intense!

I knew coming in that this group has lots of experience with Iphones. That was part of the plus in asking-get opinions from ppl who use the phones regularly.

I agree with the others that you have no idea what all you can use it for until you have it. I already feel my itouch is indispensable but would prefer not to just rely on wifi.

I think I'm going to order an iphone today! I'll keep you posted!

Thanks for the input!

 

[*NikkiBell*]

Cool!

 

[Disney Dad Canada]

This all may be relevant if you were asking something important. Who should we pick as our leader? Which heart surgeon is best? Should we declare war?

But we arent talking about something important.

We are talking about cell phones.

I've said this before. I dont care what brand of cell phone you choose. I actually dont care if you have a cell phone of if you dont. I'd like you to do whatever makes you happy and makes sense for you.

I'm happy with my iPhone and if asked, I'll tell you I'm happy with it. If your choice is a droid or a blackberry or a tracfone or to forgo a phone all together.....great.

I wasn't referring you to these books merely because of a decision on a phone, I just personally find the topic discussed in these books interesting and thought you might as well.

 

[Disney Dad Canada]

Getting back to the OP question, most if not all arguments used her to praise the virtues of the iPhone can be made for all other smart phones, they just don't have the marketing and advertising budgets that Apple has.

If you truly believe that you can afford the extra costs that a smart phone involves, then go for it. If you "just want a phone", then the extra expense will be a waste.

 

[DisneyKevin]

Getting back to the OP question, most if not all arguments used her to praise the virtues of the iPhone can be made for all other smart phones, they just don't have the marketing and advertising budgets that Apple has.

Again...I hate to be a stickler, but this sentence makes it sound like everyone who has an iphone fell for some advertising / marketing scheme.

Doesnt sound like you are giving any of us credit for making an informed decision.

I waited a year to get my first iphone and based my decision on the research I did.

 

[stitchlover]

Doesnt sound like you are giving any of us credit for making an informed decision.

I do agree with Kevin here. I had a Blackberry for the two years before I got my iPhone. The iPhone was out almost a year before I finally switched. I bought an iPhone because I played with one at the Apple store and preferred the features that the iPhone had versus the features of the Blackberry. I feel my iPhone is much more user friendly and also more useful in a variety of ways that the Blackberry just wasn't.

As I mentioned in my previous post I am mostly a stay at home, as is the OP, and I get a lot of use out of my iPhone on a daily basis. It is nice to be able to pull up a map, pull up a phone number quickly if you need to check times at a restaurant, etc., I have my personal email right there handy. I have my Kindle application in case I get stuck somewhere unexpectedly. In the past few weeks I have added the Netflix app and will watch a bit of a movie or TV show while I wait in the carpool line. I also have my Weight Watchers point calculator on there for when I'm at the grocery store. Those are just the things I use my iPhone for on a daily basis that I can think of off the top of my head.

I'm sure there are plenty of other smart phones out there that have these features. I don't have one of those so I can only speak to my experience with the Blackberry and the iPhone. In my experience, the Blackberry is not equal to the iPhone. Plus the OP didn't ask about all those other smart phones. She asked about the iPhone.

 

[disneysteve]

I waited a year to get my first iphone and based my decision on the research I did.

Same here. I waited at least a year. I was too cheap to spend the $30/month and wanted to be totally sure I'd get my money's worth. I asked a lot of questions online and in person and tried out friends' phones before making my decision.

After I got mine, DW spent a few months trying mine and considering her needs before getting her iPhone. DD considered her needs and likes and decided not to get an iPhone.

 

[Disney Dad Canada]

Again...I hate to be a stickler, but this sentence makes it sound like everyone who has an iphone fell for some advertising / marketing scheme.

Doesnt sound like you are giving any of us credit for making an informed decision.

I waited a year to get my first iphone and based my decision on the research I did.

I'm not saying everyone that buys an iPhone fell for an advertising scheme, but let's face it, no one's lining up overnight to buy a Motorola Droid.

Helping the OP make an informed decision, one that is a very costly one in the end, was my reason for posting here. Considering all of the choices then ultimately making the decision that's right for you is a personal one that should not be criticized.

 

[safetymom]

I am pretty sure the reason everyone else posted here is to offer their opinion. We have had Droid discussions on this board also. There are plenty that are happy with their smart phones. Anyone that has a smart phone was free to jump into this discussion.

Apple had to prove themselves to me before I got an iPhone. They have a great phone and I love it. This is no different than the Ford vs Chevy debate. If someone is happy with another model of phone I am happy for them. For me the iPhone is the perfect phone.

 

[*NikkiBell*]

I'm not saying everyone that buys an iPhone fell for an advertising scheme, but let's face it, no one's lining up overnight to buy a Motorola Droid.

Helping the OP make an informed decision, one that is a very costly one in the end, was my reason for posting here. Considering all of the choices then ultimately making the decision that's right for you is a personal one that should not be criticized.

Yes, because the Droid cannot do what an iPhone does or even come close to it, in my opinion.