I almost bought an iPhone today. I already have an iPod Touch which according to Apple specs has Web Browsing, iTunes, Calendar, Contacts, Clock and YouTube.

No Mail. No Mail? Ok, it’s an iPod so that means it’s aimed at a totally different market than the iPhone. Though, essentially apple have stripped out the phone component, removed some applications and simply sold it as the iPod Touch. If you were to go delving into the iPod’s filesystem (which I have) there are so many references to the iPhone in random places it seems they did a very rush job. There’s even references to the bluetooth system in the iPod and there isn’t the hardware to support it! In terms of marketability, is crippling the iPod Touch a means to sell more iPhones?

Hacking the iPod Touch to add Mail, Instant Messaging, and various games (not critical of course) has made me turn away from the iPhone. Customising the interface was just an added bonus which they should have allowed in any case.   After the customisation and re-adding of the needed applications to the iPod Touch then, I had to consider the iPhone purely on its merits as a phone, without all the wow factor of the new interface which of course by now I’m well used to.

Not looking too good is it? I have an N95 already which is an excellent phone barring the battery life. It’s a great phone with great reception. According to many users the iPhone reception and volume are not what they should be. Excellent5Megapixel camera on the N95 versus 2Megapixel camera on the iPhone coupled with no zoom or flash.

In the UK also Apple has an exclusive arrangement with O2 which means we all have to get shiny new O2 contracts to go with that shiny new phone. £35 a month minimum with an 18 month term, that’s £279 for the phone plus £630. It may be a nice phone with a revolutionary interface but it’s not worth over £900 in the first year that’s for certain.

In the iPod Touch, properly equipped with applications I’ll call it now,  I have all the wow factor of the new touch system without the heavy contract to go with it. I have to carry around 2 devices now but that’s what pockets were invented for if I’m not mistaken.

This entry was posted on Friday, November 9th, 2007 at 5:33 pm and is filed under Technology Stuff. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.