iSqueal

In my ongoing efforts to stick it to the men of telecom, I was actually looking forward to the iPhone and to see a device manufacturer get to the top of the mobile food chain. But after visiting an AT&T store this weekend on another matter, when I asked what the iPhone would cost - between $ 500 and 800 plus two years of AT&T voice and data plans, the expression "gang tackle" came to mind.

It would take a quantum leap in form/function for the price for me to be an early adopter of the iPhone. I don't see it. YouTube downloads on the 2.5G AT&T network? More like only at home on a WI-FI connection. Which makes it a glorified laptop. I also want to see the battery last 8 hours when I am using a bluetooth speaker phone, switching to music when not on phone, while also navigating on its GPS.

I expect Nokia and Blackberry will continue to innovate on the form/function side. On the cost side, a hurting Motorola and Samsung (and other Asians) will continue to put pressure. I expect the iPhone will need to be repriced significantly in this crowded device market.

Steve Jobs has his fans (including my daughter who cannot wait to get rid of what she calls her "ghetto phone") and he will do ok. My family though expects to save bucks for the other wizard. At least 3 copies of the book, and who knows how many movie tickets and popcorns. It will take his help and that of the bluetooth fairy to turn my 8125 into iPhone anytime soon.

Does not help that the iPhone takes away a 8125 feature I have gotten used to - paperweight -)

Update: David Pogue of NY Times reports on 2 weeks of iPhone usage. He confirms my points about WI-FI and battery life above. And, frankly, it would be regressive to so many things I can already do today with the 8125. But as David says it is one heck of a status symbol. Yea, would be great for my sourcing adviser reputation. In a couple of years - may be. When the price drops in half.