Apple Iphone – Just big hype or a real hi tech phone

Apple launched iphone this year with the hopes of repeating ipod history. But will history repeat itself or the iphone will just be hyped launch and nothing else apart from a reason for apple’s losses. I think it will not live up to the hype it has created. According to me and a few public polls it has not lived up to the expectations of the people. True, it is first day sales where spectacular, but where they due to the hype or was it due to the phone itself. Only time can tell that. But according to me it will not live up to its hype. I can tell you why. Here are the reasons:

• Price: This is the most important factor that will lead to its downfall, unless apple does something about it. With the 4 GB priced at $499 and the 8 GB at 599$ with a 2 year contract, it is expensive then most smart phones available out there. The mass market is not willing to pay that much for a phone which incidentally also has a binding 2 year contract.

• Public need: The average person doesn’t even use a WAP phone let alone a full fledged phone loaded with OSX applications. The average person does not need all those hi tech applications. What the average person needs it is a phone and that’s it. Besides masses are not willing to pay for what they don’t need. Extra applications just make the phone more difficult to use for those who don’t want them.

• Battery Life: The phone has OSX. This is great for a laptop or pc. But does your phone really needs it? The answer is no. The battery life of iphone is 5 hours talk time (as announced).With all those applications loaded in the phone, how long will your battery last? I bet not long. What happens to your phone after the battery is finished? It is dead. No one can call you. You are not paying so much to be disconnected from the world.

• Additional Applications: It is a featured phone and not a smart phone. You are at apples mercy to make your phone experience enjoyable or a bad time for you. I mean how popular would the ipod be if the only songs you could download and hear that were selected by apple. Got my point? When you are paying so much you should have options. But apple seems to have cut all your options off.

• Sim lock: The apple is providing the iphone with only one service provider (AT&T).What do those people do who don’t want to buy AT&T. They simply don’t buy the phone. Yes, that is the only solution. What if you don’t want to get a new connection/number and want to continue with the old one? You simply can’t do that with the iphone. That is why so many people have kept themselves away from the iphone. If apple is going to follow the same pattern world wide, it will greatly affect their sales and may eventually lead to the iphones downfall. Due to the sim locks these phones are now called as ibricks. Apple is very protective about these locks and is banning people who have unlocked their iphones from making or receiving any calls.

• Too complex: Apple has simply forgotten about simplicity with the iphone. It has put in some many features that the normal user who just has to use the phone for making a call is all confused in its large number of features.

• The missing Keypad: I agree that the large screen has enhanced the user experience. But the normal man will miss the keypad he has been using for so long. Also some things need to be kept as they are. They are not meant to be changed and keypad in mobiles is one of those. People will get tired from seeing the screen at all the times. This will be another reason why the user experience will be bad.

So should you buy the iphone? I don’t think so. With all those flaws and the sky high price,it does not merit that you do. But the decision is to be taken by you. Are you willing to compromise on so many things to be at apple’s mercy? I am not. But still if you are thinking of buying the iphone choice is yours and good luck.