iPhone...because I'm worth it.

I got an iPhone from the US for less than its currently on sale for here (£199) I might just point out having previously owned variously a N95 (UGGGly, poor build-quality slow, poor battery life, GPS not as useful as it might be) , TYTN2 (Quite good, nice KB, notionally capable but functionally rubbish and fiddly OS, TYTN (Ditto) and Blackberry 8800 (My previous favorite, it looks sleeeek, although the keyboard is sometimes a bit too teeny tiny for its own good and the hang up call buttons chrome rubs off) before.

In MY opinion and for what I use it for the iPhone beats them all hands down in terms of looks which is primarily what I want it for, being a phone, browsing the web over wifi (I have never used 3g more than a handful of times) google maps/youtube etc. The fact that I no longer need to carry my iPod touch with me as well is a bonus as although thin, they do - combined, ruin the crease of my suit. I want a phone to look beautiful, stylish and easy to use. As you have already seen with the 'Viewty' (Nice but a poor man's iPhone really :) and Nokia's upcoming touch phones, many will try to immitate this, but not even HTC has accomplished this to the same effect as Apple so far and credit where credit's due. Despite the people on heres' cynicism only one person i've shown it to in my group of friends has not gone out and bought either a iPod Touch or an iPhone once they've had a demo and I was generally impressed with its execution. One of them just had to see the way the screen flips when you turn it horizontally and he (predictably a he, eh ladies?) was rabidly clamouring for one.

I'm guessing that you aren't the target market if you are happy with your N95 or your windows smartphone or indeed if you are counting your pennies, the price alone should tell you that. Unlike my previous windows phones where several of the features just didn't work, e.g. the Wifi just works on it. It also represents good value if you were going to buy an iPod touch as well as a decent phone (i.e. not a free one) The snide comments are more about sad envy than anything else. Its alright to admit that it works, looks like a million $ and is revolutionary in at least one aspect nothing bad will happen to you.

Some people never learn

The Steve Jobs Devil is purely because I don't like the guy, not anything about hating Apple as a company. He does nothing but put on a show, pretend to innovate and be the consumers champion when in reality he does what most companies do, steal other peoples ideas and tries to milk as much money out of you as he can. These days thanks to him, Apple products are more about hype and being a fashion statement than actual performance or features. When you take away the hype from Apple products and compare them against equivalent products, they look second rate and sorely lacking.

RE Regarding the camera

As I said, most people want these devices to replace a few. If you just want your phone to be a phone and nothing else, then what is the point of buying anything more than a basic one that just does voice and sms?

Trying to compare a professional video camera with a phone is just a silly comparison. The pro cameras would beat any standard home use dedicated video camera never mind a phone but the N95 is capable of SDTV resolution at 30fps meaning it can be played back on a standard CRT TV with no loss of quality or it looking jumpy because of a poor framerate. It doesn't even need to be transferred thanks to the handy TV-out making it extremely portable. It may not be good enough for studios, but many artists have been making use of the camera and the video.

My original point still stands and so far you haven't been able to come up with a decent counter argument. If you are being charged for top of the range - shouldn't you expect top of the range? How can Apple justify over £700 for their product when it is so limited? It may be a good, high quality product but the fact it it so limited in function means it really isn't worth more than £200-£250

Ponderous

As to whether i can be bothered to respond....

But i shall:

Regarding the camera, as i said i have no interest in taking pictures on my phone, i have a small portable camera i'd take out with me if i were going to a club, which is likely to take better pictures than any camera phone...

DVD quality, 640x480.... that's why all studios shoot their feature films on a camera phones then i assume? There is not a cat in hells chance that a camera on a phone, or the hardware in the phone for that matter can record at anything like DVD quality, typically 8Mbps of data transfer. Correct the iPhone can't record, i was on about the quality of the video on it, use handbrake to rip your films and play them back, the quality of the screen on the iPhone destroys that of the N95.

Built in stereo speakers, oh joy so i too can be like the chavs walking down the street playing tinny music with no bass, stereo speakers doesn't make them good... the reference to the itunes store being better was that is the one the phone takes you to by default to buy music, compare it to the one the Nokia does and there is a big difference, sure you can buy them from anywhere and transfer them no question. iTunes would sell everything DRM free for the same price if they could, they have no interest in that area, they make money from the sale of iPods not really the media that goes on them... ever wondered why they even put messages on telling you that when you check for artwork it won't send information about songs in your library - Apple don't care where your music came from, the more MP3's you listen to, the more likely you are to buy the market leading MP3 player....

Bluetooth file transfer - never used it so can't comment

Apple aren't my precious either, i have no doubt the company aren't the best in the world, i question the issue on the products, they take great areas of many things and package all together very well, with an excellent GUI and market the product well.... this appeals to me. I will consider any and every option if i wish to buy something, something many people don't and many slate the iPhone unreservedly without having ever used it - however not all of my comments were aimed at you, but you seem to have the antithesis viewpoint of that you suggest i do.. so who's worse? The Steve Jobs Devil icon says plenty....

@Scott

Whoah there boy, why the personal flaming?

'just because you've tried it doesn't mean your view is correct'

I did go on to say that other people do, if you bothered reading it. What makes your view correct?

'Flash for the camera - hold me back, wow....'

Try taking a picture with an iphone in low light conditions. Say you want to take a pic of your mates in a club, you'll need the flash then unless you often go out taking your phone, camera etc. These devices are supposed to make life easier and mean you have to carry less. Doesn't seem like much for Apple to have added to the measly 2megapixel camera

'DVD Quality Video - the iPhone has the N95 well and truly licked here'

What are you talking about, the ibrick can't even record video. The N95 records at 640x480 ie DVD quality

'The iPhone is a far better audio player, the iTunes store is far superior'

Another cultist of the Church of Jobs. Its an ipod. The interface is a matter of preference, it's the sound quality that matters. Both are of a good standard but at least the N95 has built in stereo speakers so you don't need headphones if you don't want them. Another feature lacking from the iphone and personally I prefer Nokias interface. I really don't care if other people think differently. As for the iTunes store being far superior, I don't care where I buy my music from as long as it is good quality, and iTunes is known for not selling music at the best bitrate, oh and charging extra for having a better bitrate and not having them DRMd.

'Bluetooth with several devices - Err, and the point here is? '

The point is Apple have crippled the bluetooth funcionality for no good reason. You can't even use it to transfer a file to the PC or vice versa, which is a function a lot of people use regularly.

'Maybe it's jealousy or poorly paid jobs that people feel the ability and need to slate people who spend their hard earned as they please... who knows!?'

I think you sound in a far better position to answer that than I am. I wasn't slating anybody or trying to tell them what to do with their cash. the point I was making was that for a top of the range price you should expect it to be all singing, all dancing which the iphone falls far short of achieving

So please Scott, enough of the fan boy screaming when someone insults your precious Apple. The company and their products are not the greatest in the world. If you think differently, that's your choice. I really don't care. You however, seem to have a problem with people who don't conform to your view. Bend over and be shafted by Jobs like a good boy.

@Danny

And just because you've tried it doesn't mean your view is correct.

The last time i checked we lived in a free society where you can choose to do what the hell you like with your own money. I personally find the N95 a cumbersome, slow, temperamental beast.... whereas the iPhone is refreshing to use in it's simplicity.

Sure i'll miss the GPS on my current SPV M700 but that's about it... TomTom Go V3 with Europe maps is probably a bit better anyway and only £99 in Halfords.

Your argument contains lots of stunning facts, but how meaningful are they really....

Flash for the camera - hold me back, wow....

Superior Resolution - again, woo.... (you may be spotting a theme here, in our world of freedom, people prefer different things, for me a camera on a phone is pretty useless)

Bluetooth with several devices - Err, and the point here is? The iPhone works with most bluetooth headsets that are much cop, the Parrot kits in the company vehicles, the Macbook Pro i use... can't really think of anything else i need.

DVD Quality Video - the iPhone has the N95 well and truly licked here. Oh and btw DVD quality on anything but a DVD isn't going to happen, it's not physically possible, the clue is in the name. It's a bit like CD quality in an MP3, again... not really going to happen.

GPS - That's the one that i'd miss.

The iPhone is a far better audio player, the iTunes store is far superior, the WiFi interface is easier and quicker and far more reliable.

So for the difference of £100 between an N95 from Expansys and an iPhone really isn't that substantial at that price point to be honest, and i know which i'd get.

Sadly, after all that, it's a work phone i have, in contract until May and on Orange... so for me, if i wanted an iPhone (which i do) i do have to look at the options such as unlocking them and whilst i can't justify £700 personally, many can and will.

Maybe it's jealousy or poorly paid jobs that people feel the ability and need to slate people who spend their hard earned as they please... who knows!?