Why I bought an iPhone ...

Last week I bought my first iPhone. After years of resistance, what was it that made me go with Apple?

I've been an iPod touch users now almost since the launch of the device - the device was launched in September of 2007 and I picked one up in November - and over the years I've grown very attached to it. Even though it was a first-generation device, I've managed to keep the OS up to date by applying (after paying for) the various releases. I've served me well, being almost flawless over that time (oddly enough, the worst time it locked up on me and had to be coaxed back to life was the day before my iPhone arrived). After nearly two and a half years of service the device still works well, the battery is still serviceable (OK, not as good as it was initially, but still ample), and barring a few superficial scratches on the case, the device looks like new  despite hitting the deck on countless occasions (I put the longevity of it down partly to it spending most of its time living in a flip case).

My handset of choice before has been my Nokia E71. Again, this device has served me pretty well over the years, but it's far from perfect. The screen is too small, the processor is too slow, some of the features (such as the non-standard 2.5mm audio jack) are ill thought out, and the range of applications for the OS is limited. Increasingly, when I've been in areas with WiFi coverage I've been turning to my iPod touch rather than my E71 for keeping in touch, via email, IM and social networks.

So why did I go with the iPhone?

Well, first, my iPod touch is a first-generation device, which means that OS 4.0 represents the end of the road for it. I will be able to load the new OS onto it, but some features (such as multitasking) won't every be available. While personally, I don't think I'll need this feature (yet), I'm interested in seeing how it works. That means that I've been contemplating buying a new iPod touch ... or an iPhone.

Another think I want is a decent camera with me when I'm out and about. The E71 can shoot stills and video, but the quality is ... not very good. Now that the iPhone has a camera that can do stills and video, it seems like a better buy than the iPod touch.

Then there are the apps. I've got an array of apps installed on my iPod touch, ranging from blogging tools, social network tools, reference tools and games. Increasingly, these apps have become "essentials" that I can only leverage when I'm in a WiFi-enabled zone. This apps are a "killer" feature.

Also, let's acknowledge that the iPhone has come along a lot since the first-generation "2G" device. Not only does it now have basic features such as cut/copy/paste and MMS, but it now is a pretty well-rounded device.

Here's another issue. If I didn't go for an iPhone, what handset would I go for? The Nokia E72 just isn't a big enough leap forward from the E71, I keep hearing bad things about Blackberry, Windows Mobile 6.5 is a dead end and Windows Phone 7 is not only months away, but it's a massive box of unknowns.

You might be wondering why I didn't wait for the new iPhone that'll probably be out in June. The reason is simple ... there's been plenty of time for Apple to shake most of the bugs out of the iPhone 3GS. I'd rather reliability over cutting-edge. The gadget-lusty geek in me might regret making the purchase now come June, the user in me probably won't.