Time to check out the 3GS, my friend.

My biggest reason is the monthly cost. Do people really swing the $90/month for a single phone? I just can't swallow that at all. That's over $1000/year for a device. I could buy a netbook, a brand-new GPS with traffic (a requirement, IMHO), a new Zune HD (when they come out) and still save money.

You could get an Ipod Touch and sell it on ebay when you're done with it. Of course you'd have to have Wifi access to get online and it wouldn't have a real GPS system, but if you can get around those issues it may be worth it.

After a time, you may find that having a thing is not so pleasurable as wanting it. It is not logical, but it is often true.

Your blog made me think of this bit:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jETv3NURwLc

Gives you some perspective. Does it really matter if you have the latest gadget?

My phone replacement policy is get a new one when the old one breaks. To me it's a tool for communication, nothing more. I have an iTouch which servers me well and that's about as close as I'll get to owning an iPhone.

The next phone I'll buy will need to have VoIP, I don't care if that means using a WiFi and not 3G. The days of paying for long distance is over in my world. I, IM most people now and don't use a phone, it's been pretty much relegated to a tool for business.

Wait for the new iPod. It does everything the iPhone does (except... phone), for less $$$. Plus no monthly fees. I have my $0 cheapass phone with a cheapass plan + iPod Touch and couldn't be happier.

I finally broke down and got an iPhone for myself earlier this year. I picked up a used 1g iPhone from a co-worker (do contract employees have co-workers if they're the only contract employee among the masses of salaried and hourly employees at a company? I'm not sure how to define the relationship except for 'me and them') who'd upgraded to a 3g. It's a decent phone, but I still grit my teeth at the monthly cost of phone + data. Granted, I gritted my teeth over the phone + data with my hated Blackberry, so that's nothing new. I was already inured against trauma from using EDGE, since that was what I had with the BB as well.
It's pretty damned handy, and for the most part I enjoy it. I don't sit gabbing on a phone all day with one of those retarded spock-style bluetooth earpieces, so I am probably not the best source for determining call quality, but it is good enough for me. I actually prefer the email client on the iPhone over the BB, but I don't use my email like an IM client, so YMMV.
I dunno. I like it well enough to smash the Blackberry with a hammer (as I'd always threatened it, but could never do), but I use it more as a mobile internet device than as a phone, so who knows whether you'd feel the same way.

Being a luddite, I still don't have a cell. But if Apple were to offer the iPhone without AT&T&A, I would have to seriously consider getting one.

I have apparently been reading this site for some time, because the first thing to come to mind was:

"Less AT&T&A, more AT&T&L"

winging it to southern California (motto: Spare a Quarter? A Nickel? Fine! Screw You, Buddy!)
Don't get your hopes up; I doubt you'll encounter anyone QUITE that eloquent.

This blog post: Yet another fine reason why TR is 63% better for you than the next leading review site.