Okay, can someone please tell me what exactly about the I-phone is so exciting?

[Tommy_Carcetti]

Here's the deal. Up until yesterday, I made do with your standard punch in the keypad dumbphone. Never used it much except to call. Rarely texted. And that was fine with me.

But the wife guilted me into buying an Iphone. (Not the Iphone5 or whatever the new one is out, but the prior version.) Didn't feel like I needed one, but I know they take good videos and pictures so I agreed.

And Day One into my Iphone expererience, I really have to wonder what the big hype is about. Why do people camp out for an entire day at the Apple Store whenever a new Iphone model is unveiled? Because I'm just not seeing it.

It's not a car. It's not a hyped up movie. It's a black plastic and metal rectangle phone that doubles as a computer. Is that really something over which you are willing to lose a day of sleep in your own bed?

As I said, the one good thing is that it takes better quality pictures and videos than your standard dumbphone. But I don't feel the need to play wordgames on it. I don't feel the need to constantly text everyone I know. I had it linked up to my email--that lasted about 15 minutes. It creeped me out. I don't need to have all my forms of communication consolidated into one machine. That, and when I step away from my computer, I want to step away from my computer. I don't want my email account to follow me around wherever I go.

Sorry for a bit of a rant, but I have to ask, am I missing something? Will I give in to the undeniable pull of the Iphone?

(And just in case one wonders, I'm not an aging technophobe. I'm a male in his early 30s. I should be the target demographic for this. Maybe there is something wrong with me?)

[LynneSin]

1. I like the idea of the internet available to me

But I've never been one to have to own the most current product. I'm just as happy with my Iphone 4 and will probably wait on getting a 5 when it's down in price. In fact if my Iphone4 died tomorrow I"d get an iphone 4s or hell just reactive my iphone 3 which still works perfectly.

[hlthe2b]

27. I waited forever to get an iphone 4--got a refurbished one (a return, but still brand new in the box

and it is as new today as it was when I got it so I have no need to consider upgrading.

It is reliable and does everything I could want it to do and more. Sure there are new bells and whistles on the iphone5, but while it has benefits, it doesn't really do anything I can't do now, if a bit less quickly.

I fought against buying the iphone for a long time because I didn't want to deal with AT&T, but once I finally did, I was immensely pleased with the phone, couldn't believe I'd waited so long, and my AT&T experience has not been bad at all--actually quite good. And yes, I've dealt with Sprint, Verizon, and T-mobile with phones in the past, so I do have something to compare.

But, no, I'll let them work some kinks out and let the $$ come down--or even wait for the next model after the 5. No need to replace something that still works and fills my needs so well.

[Lydia Leftcoast]

2. For me, it serves as a one-stop communication center

Like Lynne Sin, I don't need to buy the latest gadget as soon as it comes out. I have an 18-month-old iPhone4, and I'm happy to use it for the foreseeable future. But there are advantages to smartphones in general.

As a self-employed person, I need to be able to respond to clients' e-mails even when I'm away from home, or I may miss out on a job. That's one thing. I can check the weather radar if I'm out and it looks as if it may rain. If I miss a phone call, I can Google the number and find out whether it's a real phone call or "Rachel from card services." My entire music library is on it (over 4000 classical, folk, world, jazz, and pop titles), as are several dozen e-books, so if I'm stuck with some downtime, I can read, without having to carry a book around. I'm not a huge game fan, but there are a couple that I like, and they are on the phone. I can even stream Netflix and Hulu Plus if I'm near a strong wi-fi connection.

My camera began malfunctioning when I was in Cuba last year, and so I switched to taking pictures with my iPhone. The quality was good enough that I used it exclusively for taking pictures during my June trip to Japan. I can even take short video snippets with it.

I used to think that I would never need a smartphone, but now that I've had one for 18 months, I find it really convenient. (P.S. I don't even have a texting plan. I text only in unusual circumstances.)

[pipi_k]

3. Well I guess if

someone isn't really into doing all the stuff that can be done on an iPhone, it's really not going to be all that appealing.

I have an earlier model, bought nearly 2 years ago and I love it.

Face Time is awesome.

I play games on it.

No music stored on it (I have two other mp.3 players) but I can access You Tube.

I can watch movies and stuff via Netflix.

Locate businesses. Access the internet wherever. Sometimes I'm out and need/want some information. A few keystrokes and there it is.

Buy stuff from a few shopping sites.

Check on sports scores...watch game casts of football games.

Check the news.

Use the Nexrad Radar site to track/look at storms, even down to the street level.

If I don't have my Kindle handy, I can read books on it.

Oh, and coolest of all...I have surveillance cameras in my home and yard and can keep track of all 9 of them, plus one of my stepdaughters who lives in TX has the same cams in her home and yard and I can check hers too.


So much more as well...I have 124 Apps on my iPhone.

[TrogL]

4. Two words - "the apps"

Go into the app store and browse around. There are thousands of apps for things you never thought you might do on a phone. Many are free.

[bigwillq]

5. Everything I need all in one place.

That I can use at home, work or on-the-go.

Work e-mail, personal e-mail, twitter, facebook ... from which I receive notifications up-to-the-minute.

Very, very helpful with work.

Plus I use it for games, music, sports scores....all my interests are available through the apps I choose to download.

It's compatible with my car (I have a USB port in my car)...where I can plug it in and play the music I downloaded and it also charges the phone that way.

Lots of information available quickly...I can make dinner reservations, check on traffic, find places in an area I am unfamiliar with....all available through apps.

[NightWatcher]

6. like you said, an all-in-one

I'm still rocking my 3gs, but will be getting the 5 sometime next month. I will also be getting the biggest hard drive available for pictures, music and such

[Tommy_Carcetti]

7. I guess if that's what you like, it's good.

But I quickly came to the realization that I didn't want to have my email follow me wherever I go. That I can check Facebook when I want, and then leave it behind. That I don't need to be constantly notified about everything that goes on in cyber world.

I guess it's just a personal value thing. But I'm the kind of guy who treasures home time because it's not work time.

[yawnmaster]

8. you mentioned in there that it is not a car....

well, as cars, to some, are objects to fawn over, to admire, to lust after, etc.,
so it is to some, regarding technology.
It is new and shiny. It is something to show and talk about.
you can do your social networking on it.
oh and talk on the phone (although not as easily as older less technical phones, in my opinion).
It doesn't have a backseat.

[Tommy_Carcetti]

9. But cars have certain styles to them.

Even seemingly generic cars, i.e. your Toyota Camry and such, have little things that intrigue you or interest you when sitting inside of it.

An Iphone to me is just a black rectangle. With one version virtually indistinguishable from the last.

[yawnmaster]

15. ahhh...but that is from YOUR context frame! as leather seats are to a car lover...

so is the retina display on the iphones.
as a 500 hp engine might make one drool, so the A5 processor makes someone else drool.
top speed - high benchmarks
interior roomy, bucket seats - 2 gb ram

to the layman the iphones are indistinguishable, but to an aficionado (a fanatic), not so!
most humans like the new shiny things, what that thing is differs.

[MuseRider]

10. You ever been in the car on a trip with the spouse

and had an argument over something probably stupid, like the year a certain song came out? THAT is what a smartphone is for. Google it and instantly you are right, or if you are wrong you can pretend you were just checking your email and hopefully the spouse will forget about the argument

Not an iPhone user, love my Android but essentially they all do the same thing.

[GermanDem]

11. I think you don't have it long enough yet!

Disclaimer: I don't have an iPhone, just a regular pre-paid phone for the occasional call and text. But I do have an iPad - and I absolutely love it! Check out the app store! There are tons of apps out there that really do make your life easier. My favorites are:
Facebook, Twitter, Huffington Post, Zite (personalized magazine), several weather apps (important if you live in tornado alley like I do), Pinterest, Etsy, Ebay, Skype, Kindle, several note-taking apps, calendar to keep track of events/appointments. I don't take paper notes anymore in meetings, I do it all on the iPad now! I also have almost all my magazine subscriptions on the iPad. I also use it to listen to music and to podcasts. So convenient! Thinking about buying an iphone 4S now...

[TwilightGardener]

12. I got the older version a couple months ago, so same as yours.

I got it to text my son when he went off to college, since that's how the kids all communicate now--I had no keypad on my old dumb phone, made it really hard to text. It's nice to have my music with me, instead of carrying around both my old iPod (circa 2006) and a phone--so I don't see going back, but I don't use any "apps" or anything like that that haven't already come with the phone.

[Xithras]

13. Smartphones, in general, are only as interesting as your uses for them.

If you only need a phone for making calls, then smartphones aren't interesting at all. It's when you expand beyond that feature that smartphones become interesting.

My wife resisted the smartphone thing for quite a while. She called a lot, texted a bit, and that was about it. When she finally had to replace her old phone this past summer, she really didn't want to get a smartphone because she didn't see the point. Still, the deals on the smartphones were too good to pass up, so she ended up with one anyway.

She spent the first three weeks talking about how pointless they were. And then, slowly, she began to find apps that fit into her lifestyle. A classrooom scheduler to keep her on track throughout the day with her students. An app for her schools online attendance manager that saved her from having to boot up her 7 year old classroom computer every morning. Cloud photo galleries that allowed her to take classroom photos and share them with her students parents with a click of a button. Slowly, she found the apps that contributed to HER life. Not silly video games or Twitter, but tools that contribute to her day to day activities. Nowadays she can't live without the thing.

As for the campers...they're just wierd. We're an Android household, but I've never met an iPhone user who actually camped out, and every iPhone user I've met considers those people to be a bit unhinged. It ranks right up there with camping out in front of Best Buy on Thanksgiving to nail a doorbuster on Black Friday. You can, but what's the point? I've always just shown up at 9AM on Black Friday, and can't remember a single time that I didn't get that same doorbuster deal. Some people just take their enjoyment of the "experience" to extremes.

[LWolf]

22. All those apps cost extra $?

[pipi_k]

23. Many of them

are free.

Many more that aren't free are only 99 cents.

Some are $1.99, and some are more than that

I have never bought an app that was more than $1.99

The free apps are every bit as good as their paid counterparts, just a little annoying at times with advertising. I've tried the free ones first, and then if I liked them, I bought the ad-free version.

Sometimes you even get some extra features.

[LWolf]

24. 99 cents, or

99 cents a month?

I remember, way back when I considered a smart phone, thinking that the apps I wanted cost, and I didn't want to increase my bill every month.

Yes, I'm cheap.

Or struggling to keep everything together in this economy.

[HipChick]

14. It's good for flirting...a guy leaned in to look at mine yesterday

We got talking, and I got a dinner date for tomorrow night..lmao!

[Blue_Tires]

16. here you go:

[HopeHoops]

17. It's shiny and has an Apple logo on it. What else is there to know?

[Kablooie]

19. It's much better than out of date magazines in a waiting room.

I am addicted to reading news and this damned web site all the time.
It feeds that addiction admirably.

[av8rdave]

20. While I don't understand the lines at the Apple Store (you can buy it online)...

The phone itself is very functional, depending on your needs and the apps you use. In my profession, it's a valuable tool for setting up and managing scheduling, contacting those involved on the fly and synchronizing everything on my personal calendar. I also use the weather apps a lot, as well as news feeds. I LOVE that voice mail is stored on the device itself. You can look at a picture of who called and when, and you can listen to voicemail without having to be on any network.

I also like the size and durability. Mine resides in my pocket most of the day, along with pens, comb, change, keys, etc. It's practically indestructible. Since it's protected with a Zagg cover, it even works as a drink coaster in a pinch. Not to mention a level, ruler, flashlight, language translator, currency convertor,music player, etc., etc.

The real secret to using one IMO is periodically reviewing what you use, how often and when. If you focus on that and ditch the stuff you don't often use, you wind up with a fast and user friendly device.

[harmonicon]

21. I think you answered your own question.

It's not for you. I'm also a guy in his 30's, and when I bought my last phone (when I was just a guy in his late 20's), I asked for "an old man phone." I specifically requested one that didn't have a camera and wouldn't play mp3s. I use my phone for calling and texting. Sometimes I'd sure like to have the GPS or google maps that a smart-phone would offer, but that's not very often - that "old man phone" had some sort of web-browser, but I never used it. I didn't want to pay for data.

[JackNotJill]

25. Never seen the appeal of the iPhone in particular, especially not

continually chasing the latest release. But having a smartphone has made it SO much easier for me to get around in an unfamiliar city. for that reason alone, I love my android and google maps!

[HappyMe]

26. Rounded corners!!1

And you will be accepted by the 'cool' kids!1

[Iggo]

28. It's not about the phone. It's about the people camping out.

What was so great about those Star Wars prequels? Nothing, right?

But the people who camped out are the people who camp out for shit like that, the people who need to be "First!"

The iPhone is a really good smart phone, nothing more.

[ghostsofgiants]

29. I love the shit out of my iPhone but at the same time, anyone who camps out for a phone is a moron.

[Myrina]

30. ... it costs a shit-ton, call quality sucks and ios6 burns battery in record time ...

and I guess I can pretend I'm cool messing with it when I'm sitting alone at a coffee house or some other yuppie hangout ... other than that ... uhh ... nothing.

Sometimes I wish I had my little Virgin Mobile 'pre-paid' phone back, it was much smaller and more practical & portable.

[krispos42]

31. Apple puts a tiny drop of Steve Jobs' soul in each one, I think.

This holds for all iNouns.

[mrmpa]

32. I have the Iphone 4......really dislike it

it's heavy, battery power sucks, font size sucks (yes you can enlarge it) but it still sucks. I will revert to a different smart phone in the future.

[Flaxbee]

33. If there had been a government mandate that all citizens carry a device with them that continually

records their location, their email, texts, shopping preferences, purchases, reading preferences, music preferences, contact list, etc... we'd have never gone for it.

But as it is, that device has been turned into a highly desirable personal gadget. You willingly carry your own personal GPS around with you.

Now, I have a smart phone, but I do understand that I"m carrying a little homing beacon with me wherever I go.

Not that I really care, but I do NOT like to have a lot of personal items on the phone. I just make calls, check Google news, take a few photos and text my nieces who communicate no other way.

I do like being able to access the Internet. I rarely check email; if it's urgent, people will text.

I have never explored the App universe. I'm more interested in creating than consuming, to be honest. But I'll probably quit being cranky about apps one of these days and check some out.

I think the fanaticism about iPhones and other smart phones is ridiculous. The functionality can be useful, but it's just a thing. It's just a thing. Like a toaster. Maybe a toaster oven. Maybe we should start the cult of the toaster oven.

[Incitatus]

34. Here you go:

[LeftyMom]

35. It's a handy little thing.

I'm terrible about thinking to myself that when I'm home/at work/in front of a computer I need to look up/order/whatever some damned thing, and promptly forgetting whatever that is. With my iphone I can usually do whatever it is right then, while I've got the idea, instead of consigning it to the tame black hole where I keep my good intentions.

I'm in the car a lot and radio sucks, so I subscribe to podcasts about things I find interesting. I also sometimes stream music via Pandora. I don't keep a lot of music on my phone because it's an older model without much storage. I use a running app to keep track of my progress, and I listen to music or baseball or catch up on podcasts while I run. I can look up directions anywhere. I read Yelp reviews to figure out the best place to eat when I'm traveling. I check that recipe I want to try while I'm standing in front of the spice display at the store to make sure I grabbed everything I need.

What I don't do is answer every message I get the second I get it. I wouldn't do that if I were sitting on my couch with my laptop, why would I do it while running errands and carrying around my phone? I'm not a transplant surgeon, nobody's messaging me about anything that can't wait and my phone works for me, not the other way around.

It's also nice having a backup method of accessing the internet because inevitably my home service goes out at the worst possible moment.

[Tommy_Carcetti]

36. Okay, five plus months later.

Still not impressed.