iPhone mania, or simply maniac?

My best friend has been bugging me about iPhone 3G which is being released all over the world these few days, asking me how much they cost here and there, how much it costs here in Germany. I said I wouldn't know but I can check. I still don't know the true price, but I am pretty sure there are lots of hidden prices, and in Germany you need to sign a contract with T-Mobile, which is almost like a signing a death warrant.

So the big question is that, do you REALLY need an iPhone?

Okay, it's a pretty phone. Has loads of functions, Wi-fi and applications, plays MP3 and videos, with camera and PDA functions and what not. It's almost like a mini computer which would turn heads as soon as you whip it out and start 'touching' away with its touchscreen interface. Sounds very inviting, almost irresistable to some, you'd want one! But...my friend, do you really need it?

So I asked Jason, one of my good friends who has been using his company issued iPhone for months, how useful it is. He said it's a cool looking phone, and you can use the Wi-Fi services in hotspots such as in shopping malls, and can check email and chat with friends too. Other than that, it's just another phone that looks cool.

So I asked him again, would he buy it if he has to fork out his hard-earned cash himself to get one(because he got it absolutely free from the company which he's working for now), and his answer was as straightforward NO. He said it's not very useful, just looks cool, people would go "WOW!" and that's all.

My bestfriend was earlier saying that the features are so great in this little package, and that I wouldn't know how to appreciate it at all. I told him that I appreciate all that's in a Ferrari, but still you won't see me jumping around into getting one because First, it's very expensive. Secondly, it's not practical and useful for everyday and which comes to Third, YOU ABSOLUTELY DON'T NEED IT! Just like the iPhone.

Unless your job requires an iPhone, meaning you're a product tester, or an Apple employee, a promoter, or maybe you are just so rich and have so much money to waste... otherwise, you don't need it. When you go shopping, you go shopping lah, why bother go online and chat with people or check emails or even play games? You can do that at home mar, way cheaper. If you want to listen to MP3, get an MP3 player lor... nowadays it's so cheap and easily available almost everywhere.

But of course, that's just my humble opinion, and I totally agree with Jason. I wouldn't get one unless my company is getting me one. At least when I drop the phone by accident, or have scratches here and there on the beautiful touchscreen, I won't get any heart-attack.