iWant

I never thought I’d be thankful for the iron clad inescapable contracts that cell phone companies make us sign, yet here I sit thanking my lucky stars that I’m locked into Verizon for the next year and a half. Why am I so content to be stuck in a devil’s pact with this Jekyll and Hyde company? Simple, it prevents me from jumping ship to AT&T so I can get my greasy little fingers on the iPhone.

When the iPhone was unveiled by Steve Jobs I was excited and awed. These feelings subsided though as the cost and functionality of the iPhone brought me back to Earth. Sure the specs seemed cool. Internet, email, photos, music, video all in one device but then again my current cell can do most of that and at a fifth of the cost. I don’t even use the music functions as I’m quite content to leave all those functions to my trusty iPod. All in all I was impressed but the consumer in me was not raging, until now.

The iPhone hits the market in just over a week and they hype is reaching a crescendo. Ads seem to be everywhere and most news outlets are covering the device’s debut as if it were the release of a flying car. Apple is adding to the hype by announcing some last minute improvements to make it the most perfectly awesome god-like handheld device ever. They’ve gone ahead and extended the battery for longer talk time and the glass screen is more scratch resistant. As I’ve taken all this in I’ve come to one conclusion…I want it, I want it, I want it!!!!!! Sorry, just needed to get that out of my system. Truth is no one should really want this edition. As much as I love Apple, like all tech companies, it takes them some time to work out the kinks in their new products. Many argue that the iPod didn’t reach its potential until the video editions came out. My great hope is that in another year and a half we’ll be talking about the iPhone Verizon edition that has unlimited battery life, high speed wireless internet, and a cappuccino maker. In the meantime, despite all the above rational about the cost, bugs, and performance, the consumer in me will rock back and forth in the fetal position longing for the coolest new gadget in years.