Is the iPhone really worth the expense? Can anyone give firsthand reports?

Check out the answers to this question, as a start:

http://www.fluther.com/disc/1498/has-anyone-snagged-an-iphone-if-so-what-are-your-thoughts/

i did and i am pretty impressed with. I am sort of using it as my only computer source. The web browser is awesome. And you can get all the features thta the iPhone doesnt have built in through its web apps like you can IM via a web application. The battery life is good and you get used yo the keyboard after a day or two.

The only drawback to me was att's network. WHen you are using att's edge broadband the speed is so bad. Plus att sometimes screws up your voicemail feature. Plus their customer support makes you wait for an hour for a imple yes or no question

I agree about the support situation (the reason i switched to verizon in the first place). But, being an iPhone developer, not getting any reception in my apartment (the reason i switched from verizon) and saving nearly $50 a month on my plan (!!), it was a no brainer.

Plus I finally have a phone that *works* with my mac. And meets all my needs without stretching out my suit pants.

I've found the iPhone to be like my first picture phone, or my first phone with workable internet... I never realized how useful the features are until I can use them in everyday life.

i love my iphone. after ten minutes playing with it, i realized that it will redefine cell phones the way the ipod redefined portable music players.

@samskusnetz - i love my iPhone but there is no way how the the IPhone is revolutionizing the cell phone industry. If you want to see actually cell phone revolutions, look at the phones in japan where you can use your cell phone as a credit/,metro card g,et 40mbps internet downloading, watch tv and make movies

@mirza... two words for you, my friend: visual voicemail. i just won't ever buy a phone in the future that doesn't do voicemail. the japanese phones of which you speak certainly do more, but the iphone, like the ipod and the macintosh, is built on the principle of doing less, but doing it better.

true - but this is my prediction of the iPhone
the iPhone will eventually lose because microsoft and all the other guys will steal ideas from the iPhone and launch a phone with similar features at a cheaper price. the bastards at microsoft will do the same thing they did with the mac

Well... granted, the cell phone market is a very crowded one.

I'd be worried about MS copying the iPhone as well, I mean, look at this Zune I have...oh, wait..

It's called competition. Do you really want the iPhone to be the only phone out there with those features? If there's more competition it will help us...the consumers?

Microsoft also has said they have NO plans to get into the cellphone business other than their Windows Mobile os.

Google has been said to be working on a phone also and for a long time.

I think my iphone is like something out of the Jetsons; music player, video player, phone, camera, browzer, etc. My iphone works great and since I live in L.A there always seems to be a free wifi laying about as I walk the city!

My iPhone truly is changing my life. I'm actually replying to personal emails again, instead of just "intending to do so" at some point. I no longer send email reminders to myself to run errands...I just make appointments in my iPhone. And the internet browsing experience is incredible. I'd say I'm doing 50% of my personal browsing on the iPhone. Similar to when I first got my Mac Powerbook, I find myself reaching for my iPhone in the mornings before I even reach for my glasses. Worth every penny.

My only real problem with the iphone is safari, it crashes (not a lot but enough to be annoying), no flash support (yet crosses fingers) and no streaming video other then qt.

Those are my only real complaints other then that the iphone does everything I need. I really love going on google typing the name of the a store and being able to both call and get directions by simply clicking a link.

You shouldn’t be worried about competition at this point. Microsoft has proven that they can’t handle hardware. I’d say that phone manufacturers are reeling from Apples SDK announcement. Apples on the offensive, it’ll be interesting to see what moves companies like RIM and Palm make.

My best friend loves hers and says it is worth every penny.