To iPhone or Not to iPhone?

So about a month ago my little BlackBerry Pearl finally died. I got a constant blank screen and after multiple battery switches the screen would scroll and never stop. I took that as a sign that it was finally time to get a new phone. My struggles with the Pearl are documented, but this was the last straw. Since then I’ve been using an old cell that was graciously donated to me by The Taj and texting has become a ridiculous chore rather than an efficient communication experience. I had been using a full keyboard for a few years prior so to go back to a numeric keypad felt like falling back into colonial times.

iPhone 3GS

Well, the time has come to fix the situation and I’m in the midst of deciding whether or not to finally grab an iPhone. I’m one of the last people I know who has yet to get one because, well – I really didn’t find a need for it. I’m not exactly an important person so emailing, surfing the net and buying Apps is never really on the top of my priority list while I’m not in front of a computer. But this decision that I’m going to make is partly based on timing. The iPhone 3GS is coming out in about a week and if I was going to get one, there’s no reason why I shouldn’t get the best one. I went into a Roger’s store the other day to scope out the tech and learned a few things:

Right now, if you’re wanting to buy a 16 gig iPhone, it’ll cost you less that than an 8 gig. The stores are clearing out the 3G 16 gigs to make room for the 3GS. I’ve been with Roger’s for over 10 years and because of this they will give…. zero discount based on my tenure. Instead I will be eligible to get a total of $100 off of the regular price if I change my plan – a deal they are offering everyone. I think this is kind of crap especially after hearing that a friend of mine got his iPhone for free through Fido because he cashed in all of his “Fido Dollars.” Nobody has ever heard of Roger’s Dollars so I think I’m out of luck on that one.

So, the obvious question – why not just go with Fido? Honestly, I really just can’t be bothered. If Fido could offer me a completely free 3GS then I would consider it, but because I wouldn’t be able to get any more of a discount, there really isn’t a point. So, as we get closer to the release date of the 3GS, I’ll make a more definitive decision, but until then I’ll just have to keep pondering…