Thoughts regarding Apple's 3G phone

Well, I've successfully avoided the subject of the new 3G iPhone so far. Most of the folks who read this already know I'm not the biggest iPhone fan, and unless you've been living under a rock, chances are you already know everything about the new one.

I did have a conversation with some other Mobile Technology enthusiasts recently, and felt like sharing a thought I had.

The original iPhone had many pros and cons, the cons usually involving missing features considered "standard" on most phones, especially ones at this price point.

An editorial column on Forbes.com has posted a bluntly truthful writeup about all things wrong with the new iPhone, and it basically reads as a list of things that are still not fixed from the original.

Some of the items that many of us will recognize are:

• No support for Video recording


• No support for MMS


• No support for Stereo Bluetooth (the quintessential music phone doesn't have this?!)


• Non-removable battery


• Lack of expandable storage


• Lack of any kind of Voice Command (Can anyone recommend a touch screen while driving?)

That top of that list used to be 3G. It looks like they addressed that biggest complaint with a new model, but what about the rest of these features? Most of them can already be found on phones that come free with a new plan, so how can Apple have overlooked them?

People used to say that these are all things Apple will fix in the next version, and I'm still hearing that now.
The problem is, this IS the next version! They've only addressed ONE complaint.

To me, this looks like the work of a sinister (if not brilliant) marketing strategy. Look how many people bought the iPhone at its full price despite the fact that it lacked the 3G that was already standard for high end phones.
Now, look at how many people are going ga-ga over the NEW 3G model, and are willing to drop all that money again.

What if a year from now, we see Apple saying "You want expandable storage? Here's a NEW iphone! Come spend your money AGAIN!" and then a year after that "The first iPhone with video recording capability! Come, sign a new contract!".

I'm interested in hearing what you all think. Is this part of a brilliantly deceiving Apple marketing strategy, or did they have some other reason to leave out those features? Or do you think Apple didn't do it on purpose at all, and it was merely an oversight?