After watching the WWDC keynote, and hearing Steve Jobs boast about about the new iPhone (and its lower cost), I was surely going to buy one. However, after doing some research, I came to a rather different conclusion.

Boy, Is This Great?

First, the real reason I wanted the 3G iPhone was because of all this great GPS “stuff” they were adding. I even went out and sold my Magellen GPS unit (which I loved) to get ready for the iPhone. I figured that Apple would include some fancy turn-by-turn GPS software built-in, since they have been working with Google and Google Maps. What I learned later was that the best they could do was offer some blue dot that follows your general location as you move. This was hardly what I expected, and my plans for upgrading were forever dashed.

Then I found out what I would really be paying for the phone. Did $199.99 sound too good? Yup, it sure did. I would later find out that the 3G phone would cost more over the course of the new 2 year contract than my current phone. Some of the “benefits” of a new 3G phone would be a $10.00 bump in monthly cost for data plan, and $5.00 a month more for 200 text messages, which I get now for free. Basically, I’d be paying $74.99 for what I have now, the base package, and that’s not including taxes.

So what is so special about the new phone that I would be willing to pay hundreds more just to own it? I’ll be damned if I know! The best part about the new phone, for me, is the iPhone 2.0 firmware– and I get that free with my current iPhone. After that, the new iPhone is all hype. 3G isn’t even available in many markets, so some are just wasting their money.

I’m just happy I can use my iPhone as a remote control for my Apple TV and iTunes. 3G service? I think I’ll pass. I’m not rich enough to talk on it.