A Cloud in the Sky: iPhone Complaints

The Apple iPhone set records on the day of its releasing; the entire first shipment sold out before it even touched store shelves. Hopeful customers waited in lines for days, and online pre-sales were uncontestable. Backed by the advertising and marketing prowess of Apple, the iPhone became the must-have electronic device of 2007, even for those who did not truly need it. But was the hype deserved? While most buyers were happy with their iPhones, over time, the excitement began to fade.

Users quickly became aware of certain quirks and drawbacks to the iPhone system, and while they did not necessarily regret their decisions, they began to second-guess the quickness with which they dove into the iPhone craze. A large spectrum of iPhone complaints have plagued the popularity of the Apple device, and while the iPhone remains a symbol of status, new consumers are more hesitant to buy it, not wanting to buy into the initial hype that burned a lot of individuals.

The Sucker Punch

What many consumers were not aware of during the initial iPhone hype were the underlying agreements between Apple and AT&T. The iPhone could not be used without a cell phone contract, and the iPhone could only work on the AT&T network. Put bluntly, users would need to choose AT&T as their provider if they wanted to be able to use their iPhones. This created a storm of iPhone complaints; consumers with pre-existing cell phone plans did not want to have to pay fees to opt out of their contracts in order to select a new contract with AT&T. And for those without contracts, the AT&T plans were a lot more costly than they expected. A lot of iPhone complaints centered on the extreme cost of the iPhone itself, but the AT&T service plans were even more extreme.

The iPhone needs more than a simple cell phone plan; it needs a multimedia plan. In other words, while many cell phone plans include minutes and a certain amount of data transfers, the perks of the iPhone are completely multimedia related. These plans included minutes and text messages, but also had additional costs for internet browsing minutes, downloads, data transfers and multimedia attachments. These costs quickly added up, and the additional fees for doing over these limits spawned even more iPhone complaints. Due to the iPhone being locked onto the AT&T system, AT&T reserved the right to charge whatever it wanted; it had no competition. Thankfully, hackers have recently unlocked the iPhone, allowing it to operate under other cell phone providers. Hopefully this will create a healthy environment of competition, and with companies fighting for contracts, the prices of the plans will decrease. Still, iPhone complaints come and go, yet the iPhone remains a must-have device for anyone seeking social status.