i waited in line and got hubby an iphone. i think i'm going to wait for the next gen myself 'cause i don't see any reason for both of us having the same phone especially since i'm still under contract with mine. he activated it late friday nite 'cause we heard that the activation was slow during the day due to the influx of activity on the network with everyone trying to kick start their phone.
imho, if you don't already have a smartphone (like we didn't) it is absolutely worth it to buy the iphone. the physical design of the phone is just beautiful and the user interfaces are very intuitive. navigation through all the functionalities are easy and straightforward. the internet is a bit slow on the phone when compared to a computer, but i don't have a smartphone on a different carrier to say if it's consistent with other smartphones out there like the treo, blackberry or sidekick. it has all the functionalities one would need when on-the-go. google maps, internet, weather, push email, video/audio ipod, visual vmail, sms (no chat tho
), scratch-proof touchscreen, etc etc.
sure there are other smartphones, some cheaper, that can do the same things, but it's not really a matter of "what" it does but "how" it does it. afterall, what makes one buy a lexus rather than a ford escort? they both have 4 wheels and get you from point a to point b, but it's HOW it functions that makes it different and add to a product's value.
and i'm not quite understanding why some people are griping that the service plans are "outrageous". service plans for the iphone starts at $60 a month for unlimited data access and 450 anytime minutes, 5000 nights/weekends, free mobile-to-mobile. comparatively, verizon's plans start at $80/month for 450 anytime mins and i don't know if it's unlimited data access. sprint/nextel charges $50/month unlimited data acccess and minutes costs .20/min unless you have a talk plan along with it. so, it looks like the at&t plan is pretty competitive... or am i missing something?
all in all, if you already have a smartphone that you're happy with or if you just don't need a smartphone, i don't see the sense in spending $500-600 for a new one just because it's the newest cool kid on the block. but if you don't have one or are looking to buy a new one, i'd definitely go to the store and give the iphone a try. you'll fall in love with it.