The great iPhone death watch

[il d00d]

I get a lot of pleasure about pundits making wild predictions, and then being called on it later.  This is a giant, heaping plateful of crow for those who predicted the iPhone would be a categorical failure.

“Apple is slated to come out with a new phone… And it will largely fail."
Michael Kanellos, CNET, 7 December 2006

[Pedro-bot]

OK.

And in other news recent rumors from Bologna signal that Ducati is making a motard. 

[Kopfjäger]

I get a lot of pleasure about pundits making wild predictions, and then being called on it later.  

Untill Verizon pics it up, it will still be a failure where I live and work because AT&T sucks.

[Rev. Millertime]

and..

Unless they become the only phone available... I will not own one.

[il d00d]

Well, I guess my point was more like "look at this list of hilariously wrong predictions about the iPhone" and not so much "look how awesome it is".  I don't own one, but my wife may soon - I am trying to push her in the direction of the Droid on account of the network problems (not so much here in Houston) others have experienced.  That's kind of a gamble though - I am afraid that while Verizon can handle Droid traffic today, it may have trouble handling Droid and iPhone traffic with the same infrastructure.

[herm]

i think more important people have made more important predictions, and been equally wrong.

the weatherman does it all the time.

[cyrus buelton]

and..

Unless they become the only phone available... I will not own one.

+1

I am a 100% RIM supporter

[triangleforge]

Why so serious? Making fun of pundits -- especially internet/tech pundits who know that their every bleat is recorded for posterity and instantly Google-accessible -- is good fun & good sport. As a dedicated late-adopter, I'm still happy with a dumb phone that mostly just makes dumb calls, but even I can see that the iPhone is the one making the market right now, and that's pretty far from the "largely fail" prognostication...

And just because I found if funny, from http://xkcd.com/:

[DesmoReynoso]

I've been a apple macintosh user since I was a kid (thanks dad) and an iPhone owner since it came out and just like any other apple product I own I can't believe how I've lived my whole life without them.    The iPhone is an amazing innovation that once again has changed many things and created new markets. The droid looks really cool too def.

[nicrosato]

I'm with Cyrus on the Blackberry. It does what I need it to.

Re: Networks. I used to be a Nextel customer. After Sprint bough them, service began to degrade. I switched to Verizon and service has been very good in terms of coverage area, data rates, etc. The soothes my conscience a little about dealing with such a large bureaucracy. 

[DCXCV]

http://www.theonion.com/content/news/new_device_desirable_old_device

New Device Desirable, Old Device Undesirable - December 3, 2009 | Issue 45•49

SEATTLEâ€"With the holiday shopping season officially under way, millions of consumers proceeded to their nearest commercial centers this week in hopes of acquiring the latest, and therefore most desirable, personal device.
"The new device is an improvement over the old device, making it more attractive for purchase by all Americans," said Thomas Wakefield, a spokesperson for the large conglomerate that manufactures the new device. "The old device is no longer sufficient. Consumers should no longer have any use or longing for the old device."
Added Wakefield, "The new device will retail for $395."
Able to remain operational for longer periods of time and occupy a demonstrably smaller three-dimensional space, the new device is so advanced when compared to the old device that it makes the old device appear much older than it actually is. However, the new device is reportedly not so radically different as to cause confusion or unwanted anxiety among those familiar with the feel of the old device.
"Its higher price indicates to me that it is superior, and that not everyone will be able to afford it, which only makes me want to possess it more," said Tim Sturges, owner of the old device, which he obtained 18 months ago when it was still the new device. "I feel a strong urge to purchase the new device. Owning the new device will please me and improve my daily life."
"It's difficult to remember how I ever found enjoyment in my old device," Sturges continued. "It is no longer appealing to the eye."
In addition to aesthetic and technological enhancements, manufacturers claim the new device comes equipped with a wide range of desirable features, including fewer buttons for pressing down and holding; a new wire for connecting to larger, less-portable devices; and fewer device-related errors and frustrations.
The new device will also be available in blue.
"Not only will I be able to perform tasks faster than before, but my new device will also inform those around me that I am a successful individual who is up on the latest trends," said Rebecca Hodge, whose executive job allowed her to line up for several hours in the middle of the day in order to obtain the previously unavailable item. "Its attractiveness and considerable value are, by extension, my attractiveness and considerable value."
Consumer Robert Larson agreed.
"I'm going to take my new device wherever I go," said Larson, holding the expensive item directly in the eyeline of several reporters. "That way no one on the street, inside the elevator, or at my place of business will ever mistake me for the sort of individual who does not own the new device."
Added Larson, "The new device brings me satisfaction."
Despite the visible excitement among most consumers, some claimed to be exercising caution, choosing instead to sit back and wait for a newer version of the new device to be released before making a purchase.
"True, it appeals to my most basic insecurities, but this new device will ultimately be replaced by a newer device, rendering it completely undesirable and utterly repellent to my personal tastes," device-enthusiast Ryan Janosch said. "Also, I should start saving my money for the next latest device, which will replace the newer new device a couple months after that

[hbliam]

I broke the screen on my iphone yesterday. They want $200 to replace the phone.  The last few months my bill has been $150 and I don't talk on the phone that much. So I bought a Droid Eris and went back to Verizon. My phone bill for both my wifes phone and mine will be less then the iphone bill. The phone is a bit smaller too. I may go back to an iphone when verizon has them but never with ATT again.

[DesmoReynoso]

I broke the screen on my iphone yesterday. They want $200 to replace the phone.  The last few months my bill has been $150 and I don't talk on the phone that much. So I bought a Droid Eris and went back to Verizon. My phone bill for both my wifes phone and mine will be less then the iphone bill. The phone is a bit smaller too. I may go back to an iphone when verizon has them but never with ATT again.

there's a lot of great places online that sell iPhone parts and also offer repair servces most times waaay cheaper than buying a new one or replacing it.... Although sometimes worth paying the replacement cost if it'll bump you up a generation... As for the ATT bill, unlock & jailbreak it and you can use it with any carrier. I've had mine with Tmobile since it came out and it's great!

[DesmoReynoso]

PM me if you want some links and instructions on how to jailbreak and unlock iPhones. Everything is online, Everything you can download for free and everything you can do yourself in a Mac or PC probably in less than 35mins depending on how long it takes to backup your iPhone (how mny apps, etc).

[redxblack]

Until the iphone can work as a deluxe ipod touch w/ prepaid service, I'm out. I don't generally like people and rarely use my phone, so I roll prepaid. I pay $20 every three months and have about a hundred bucks balance on my phone because I don't want to talk to anyone.

I do have an ipod touch and use it a lot.