3g iphone price cut a mistake

Part of the charm of the original iPhone was it’s price. Only people who had money, or where were really into technology and would get the most out of the iPhone actually bought it. Even after the original had the price cut, it was still a special thing, only certain people were crazy or dedicated enough to spend $400+ on a cell phone.

I can remember being out with some friends after I bought my iPhone, I hadn’t put it down in the 48 hours since I bought it. Across the way, I spotted a girl with an iPhone, soon she spotted me, and we had a conversation about how awesome it was.

Our friends stood there, amazed or appalled that we were talking about this contraption. Happy with their Razr phones, they gawked at us. But Amanda and I were chatting for at least 45 minutes on this device, it was like a special club. That’s when I realized that the iPhone was a special thing.

I remember standing in line for lunch in the city, I made the mistake of going to lunch at noon when the lines are longest. Luckily, I had my headphones and my iphone. I popped on an episode of GeekBrief and watched it in line. Someone noticed me, and tapped me on the shoulder. “Is that, that iPhoner thing?” “Yes” I replied. “I never understood how you could spend $400 on a phone.” he says. I said to him, “Do you have a cell phone?” “Yes” He says. I ask, “Do you have an MP3 player?” “Sure” he says. Finally I ask, “Do you have a device that you can hold in your hand and check your emails, box scores, text, get directions, watch video and Google?” “No” he replies. I say, “How much do you think a device that was a cell phone an mp3 player, a video player, an internet device, as well as email and text?” He looks at my for about 5 seconds and says, “Oh it was ONLY $400″

People who don’t get why we would spend $400 for this thing, don’t understand what you can do on it. When I can check my work email, my personal email and all of my client email accounts from one device, it’s a time saver.

I must also mention I have a black berry for work, I simply listen for it to go off, then I check my email on my iPhone.

The last story I’ll tell recently happened. A friend of mine bought an iPhone, she didn’t get one before because she didn’t want to pay the price. But through months of badgering, and telling her what she was missing, finally she caved. She got it, she loves it, she doesn’t quite understand it… And the first thing she asks me is, “When is the next meeting?” The lure of the iPhone was its gadgets, the caveat was if you didn’t use them was it really worth it? So many people didn’t buy it because they didn’t know if it was worth it. But as soon as you drank the iPhone koolaid, you were hooked. You wanted to come to the meetings and become a nerd.

With iPhone becoming the price of a blackberry so many people are going to opt to buy them. The club will become overcrowded, the meetings will be full and standing room only and the coffee won’t last. No longer will I walk around the mall with my iPhone in hand and get stopped and admired for it. I’ll miss that, maybe I’m a little vain(ok more than a little) but half the damn draw on the original iPhone was that it was so damned expensive you had to make a nice chunk of coin to have one… From the original purchase to all the months of service, my iPhone will have cost me $1600 this year.

I like having the money I have, and I like flaunting it. That’s why I only buy designer clothes, it’s why my car cost me $25K and I got the special rims and all the bells and whistles, I bought the exact car I always wanted, and I was only 24 when I got it. It’s why my TV is high def and I have all the damned cable channels, it’s why I opt for fillet Mignon instead of rump roast and it’s why I purchased the iPhone instead of another fucking razor or black berry.

But now everyone will have one, and the club won’t be as special. It’s no longer a status symbol. Call me shallow who cares. Guess I have to get a diamond encrusted case so I’m special again. And to all those who can now justify spending $200 on a phone and $105 on a cell phone plan, welcome to the club, take a number we are standing room only and at capacity.