iPhone Review

My Sprint contract is up and it's time for a new phone. Of course I've been interested in the iPhone, especially now since the new version is out and it's less expensive.

I'm one to relentlessly investigate every option and wanted to make sure the iPhone was the best deal.

First I looked at Sprint. There's been much hype over the Sprint Instinct. I went to the Sprint store, played with it, then immediately went to Best Buy and played with the iPhone. No comparison - the iPhone is much more elegant. The screen is crisper, brighter and can best be described as watching a mini TV. The Instinct's web browser was slow and clunky, although it did render websites satisfactorily. The Sprint TV feature is cool but choppy - not breathtakingly, sharply beautiful like watching an iPhone YouTube clip over WiFi.

However, the Instinct is a nice phone, and several smartphone reviews place it 2nd, with iPhone being 1st. It's not a true smartphone - it doesn't have an operating system like the iPhone, but mimics smartphone capability with GPS, email and web browsing (tech guru Jason Calacanis has said he thinks of his iPhone as a mini laptop.)

Sprint has a great plan going for them: $99 for everything - unlimited text, voice calling and data. I've gotten used to the turn by turn GPS nav on my BlackBerry which the iPhone does not have and the Instinct does. I've also been with Sprint so long I can't remember NOT being with Sprint. Plus, the Instinct is about $70 cheaper than the iPhone.

So I decided on the Instinct. Circuit City had an Instinct special a few weeks ago - $99 for the phone (regularly $139.) I missed the sale but thought "well, I'm such a long-time, loyal Sprint customer, maybe they'll give me a deal."

I went to two Sprint stores. Neither would budge: $139 for the Instinct. So I called Sprint directly. Nope, wouldn't budge either - $139 and that's final. "But I just saw the Instinct on sale at Circuit City for $99!" Well, how about this, Sprint offered: we'll throw in free shipping! How generous.

Sprint's financial woes have been in the press lately and now I know why. If the Sprint customer service rep had said, "sure, we'll knock off $39 bucks and let you have the Instinct for $99 since you're such a great customer" I would have jumped. Aren't we in a recession or something? You'd think they'd be a little more willing to cut a deal.

With the Instinct option gone, I turned my attention to the Google phone. I'm a huge Google fan and since the release date was quickly approaching for the TMobile launch of Android, I started researching it. Reviews were mixed - some liked it, some didn't. One reviewer described it as "homely." It would be cool to have a new, talked-about phone not many people had, so I called a local TMobile store to find out more. Phone rang and rang, nobody answered. Called 2nd local store. No answer. Called 3rd local store. No answer. I turned to the Internet for info, which I'm finding should be my first choice for everything since customer service in all aspects of life is wretched.

Lo and behold, TMobile isn't even selling Android in South Carolina. I gave up, went straight to Best Buy and bought me an iPhone.

It's been one of the best purchases I've ever made.

First of all, the iPhone is now in its second generation. Bugs have been worked out with the hardware (for instance, the new iPhone can accept any headphone jack, the old iPhone wouldn't) and the operating system is being continually refined. Google and other smartphones are still in their first generation.

Basically I decided what's most important to me: web access. I'm a web guy and am constantly on the net for business and info. I don't care for the iPhone's Safari browser and wish it rendered flash, but it's still the best mobile browsing experience by leaps and bounds. On WiFi the browsing is even more zippy. Many smartphones, even the recently touted BlackBerry Storm as well as the Instinct, don't have WiFi capability.

People are complaining about 3G not being fast enough. 3G is the faster ATT network and is in most major metropolitan areas. Where there is no 3G there's the slower, older Edge network. I'm happy with 3G. I was on my way to Atlanta and was using the UrbanSpoon app to look for restaurants. I was in a dead Edge zone and the searches were sluggish. As I approached Atlanta I connected to 3G and the searches were noticeably faster.

Speaking of apps, the iPhone app store in itself provides lots of entertainment value. I love searching for new apps at the store and on the web. Many are free and most are under $5. My current faves are all free: Google search with voice, Flashlight (makes your iPhone screen shine as a decently bright flashlight if you need it), MiniPiano, GoogleEarth, Jott (talk into the iPhone and it transcribes your voice), TwitterFon and Twitterific. I think my first purchase will be AirSharing which turns the iPhone into a wireless USB storage device. I've also created links to USAToday, Gmail and PlanningCenterOnline which instantly open Safari to render app-like, custom iPhone views of these websites.

I hate to sound like an Apple fanboy (I'm a staunch Windows guy) but I consider the iPhone to be my most cherished possession. I was sold on Election Day. Stuck in the voting line for two hours, the iPhone kept me completely entertained the entire time. For somebody who hates being bored, I realized then and there I loved the device and I now keep it with me at all times.