I hate the mobile phone carriers. I think they are bleeding us dry with their exorbinate data and voice rates especially when AT&T said they would throttle unlimited users for too much data, that just sounds dumb. Why would a business offer a service only to punish their most loyal customers? I think the moment someone finds a way to distribute data at high speeds wirelessly for a reasonable price will be the day everyone will celebrate.
This leads me to the upcoming iPhone release which is expected in the next month or two. I hope Apple has something big up it's sleeve, I mean something more than a faster processor and better camera. I hope they will open up their device to more carriers and introduce more competition. I'm also holding my breath for a 3G iPod Touch. I know there are so many reasons why Apple would never do this, but I can think of one big reason why they would - To stick it to the carriers.
Apple (Namely Steve Jobs) loves to have control, and lots of it. Depending on the carriers must eat on him every day, especially when AT&T plan to make his famed device unusable via throttling. I know he would love to give AT&T less power and divide it among other companies that could share more of Apple's vision.
Whatever Apple's next move is I'm planning for it to be a game changer. The time is right for someone to make a big splash in a way no other company would dare to, I have my money on Apple.
First of all I was annoyed by having to constantly unlock the screen. Most of the time I wanted to pause the audio or play back the last few seconds of a podcast that I missed. I realize I could have changed the default settings to increase the time before the screen would automatically lock, but then I would be compromising too much battery life.
The second problem was the lack of 3G connectivity. I knew going in the device only had Wifi, but I didn't realized it was going to be as big of a problem as it was. The only place I could use it was at home, which I'd rather be using a regular computer with a faster Internet connection instead of an iPod touch.
Third was the low quality camera. I know Apple says it can record HD video, but the quality was terrible. I don't know very much about video recording and playback, but I do know bit rate is important. The video I saw was pixelated and grainy. The only good thing about working with video was the iMovie app. I found it simple and effective. Unfortunately that one app was not enough for me to keep the iPod.
Since returning the iPod I'm happy to be back to using my iPod classic. I thought the new version would be bigger and better, but in the end all I care about is listening to music and podcasts. Now I'm thinking maybe I want something like an iPhone, but there is no way I'm ever going to pay the outrageous fees for mobile Internet service or hundreds of dollars for the premium Apple product.
My other idea is to get a feature phone that only requires at $15/month data plan. I currently have an LG phone from AT&T, but I have no option to attach photos to Tweets or Facebook status updates. The interface is also clunky and I have no way of syncing my Google contacts with my phone. So now I'm on the hunt for the phone that will all do this without breaking the bank. I always love a good challenge.
It seems every day a new rumor surrounding Apple and Google products surfaces to mainstream media. While I find the news exciting, I'm also exhausted with trying to figure out which product to buy. So far I've held strong against the urge to buy any of these new mobile gadgets, I have to admit I'm gearing up for a purchase soon.
Before I go on I want to give a nod to Annie Leonard's "Story of Stuff". In it she explains the perils of buying into this gadget market and how if effects the people and climate of our world. Here is her flagship film that got everything started. When you're done watching the video, I suggest buying the book. The chapters outlining electronics and how they're disposed of got me to hold onto my iPod a little longer. When I'm done with it I plan to sell it or send it to Gazelle for responsible recycling.
Now back to buying new gadgets...
First I'll say I use my iPod every day. I listen to audio books and podcasts all the time. I listen to it while I'm working out, driving to and from work, and even during those honey-do chores on the weekends. For me the iPod enables me to learn while taking care of daily chores that require little thought. Using those moments allows me to read more books and gain new skills I would otherwise never get to. So when I make my next purchase, I have to consider the device's ability to deliver the same content as I've come to expect from my current iPod.
The second criteria for a new device is the ability to utilize apps. I find myself constantly using my wife's iPhone 3G when I want to surf the Internet and every computer is being used in the house. I'm also picking it up to finish a level of Angry Birds (that is such a fun game). Sometimes I'll take a photo and upload it to Flickr or Picasa, or mess around with the Map app and find the closest book store. I find the device to be incredibly useful for productive as well as entertaining uses.
At this point you might think I'm in the market for a new iPhone - well, you guesses wrong. Since my son destroyed two of my wife's iPhones by dropping them in the toilet when he was 3, we used up our upgrading options until next year, which means I would have to pay $500 for a new iPhone which is not happening.
In addition to the high cost of a new phone, I'm a little weary of committing to a new phone plan. As it is I barely use my phone at all and I can't imagine changing my habits anytime soon. I was actually thinking of getting an iPod touch instead. I'm hoping the next generation will have all the same features as the iPhone 4 minus the phone, then I would use Skype to make my calls. I realize I would have to find a Wifi hotspot, but I think I can manage. It would be like the days when we had to find a pay phone in order to make a call.
I guess now I have to mention the rumored Google tablet (Since it was in the title of the blog post) that's supposed to come out November 2010. While the specs look good, I don't see myself buying one. I don't see myself carrying around a tablet, I don't need the Internet that large at my fingertips all the time, I think I'm perfectly happy with stuffing it in my pocket. Plus the idea of having a small device would make it easier to create blog posts on the fly as cool thing happen while I'm out and about, not stuck in from of a computer. I could include videos and photos of my excursions a lot easier with a pocket device instead of a larger tablet, which might be why there is a new rumored smaller iPad in the works later this year too.
. The chapters outlining electronics and how they're disposed of got me to hold onto my iPod a little longer. When I'm done with it I plan to sell it or send it to Gazelle for responsible recycling.