ZDNet's iPhone 4S Great Debate; I win, I win, I win

Earlier this week Jason Perlow and I participated in the iPhone 4S Great Debate here on ZDNet and I tried to play the positive side as much as possible. Jason actually gave me the win even though voting was overwhelmingly for Jason and a big No on the iPhone 4S. Like many phone enthusiasts, I wasn't blown away at first and was lukewarm to the news. However, I never bought the iPhone 4 and think there is actually quite a bit in the iPhone 4S so I just pre-ordered myself a 32GB white iPhone 4S for Verizon.

Yes, I paid the staggering $749 (actually ended up being $812.99 with tax) for this since I was not eligible for any upgrade subsidy. I was debating moving to Sprint and saving some money on the purchase, but I am grandfathered into the unlimited data plan on Verizon, pay $10 less per month (no "premium" fee), and get much better coverage with Verizon. I also figured I could add another device that attracts my attention in the next few months and keep my unlimited data or even upgrade to a 4G LTE iPhone in 2012. TiPB has a good breakdown of the pricing between the three US wireless carriers that will have the iPhone 4S.

In enjoyed the debate with Jason and he made some very valid points. The iPhone 4S will sell millions and do very well, but those phone fans who like to push the limits with super fast data (and subsequent poor battery life) and big screens won't be picking one up and that is just fine. As I always write, everyone has different needs and preferences and there is no one phone that satisfies us all. That said, I am quite excited to play with my new iPhone 4S and give iOS 5 a try on the device next week when it arrives.

BTW, if you are a Modern Family TV show fan you hopefully got a chuckle from my headline.