Last Sunday, after all the massive lines had disappeared, I made my way to the local Apple Store. I wanted to see and touch the new iPhone 4 and get a feel for what it was like. To say the least, I was hooked. It is sleek and functional. I really liked the Facetime ability and can see where that would be useable if the other person has the same phone. The camera(s) are nice.
Later in the evening I talked to my friend. He is an Apple guy from way on back. Just recently, he was able to obtain the iPad for development work that he will be doing. I mentioned to him that I was hooked on the new iPhone and what he said has had me thinking since then.
Big O, as I will refer to him, said he was sticking with the iPad and going back to a small phone. The iPad did all he needed and, with the right case, is easy to carry. After he said that, I began to think about what I would do. Quite frankly, I am not sure what direction to pursue. What will I gain and what will I lose?
- Phone – with the iPad only, I would not have a smart phone. The biggest drawback I can think of is texting. I do not like the idea of a normal keyboard and texting. With a small or dumb phone, I can still call but all my contacts (in their current form) would be on the iPad. It is nice to only update contacts in one place.
- Camera – No camera on the iPad. The camera, and video, on the new iPhone is pretty impressive compared to my old 3G iPhone. If I need a camera, I guess I would have to be carrying one as most of the small phone cameras, to my knowledge, to not offer the same quality as the iPhone.
- Apps – No real drawback here. While not immediate, most apps will run on the iPad and iPhone.
- Access – The iPhone will allow me access from just about anywhere with my 3G/4G coverage. With the iPad, unless I want to pay for the continued 3G access, I am limited to access at a hotspot. When the iPad 4G comes out the current will be out of date??
- Visibility – The bigger iPad screen is definitely attractive. However, the new iPhone screen is very clear and crisp, but small.
- Functionality – It appears, like with the apps, most of things I would use on my Macbook are also available on both the iPhone and the iPad. Not sure this is important. Multitasking is something that has been needed for a long time and is now there on the iPhone.
Apple has now made it hard to decide. Cost set aside, the pros and cons are too close.
I don’t know what to do. What advise to you have?