Waiting for Iphone 6? Here Are Reasons to Love and Hate Apple and the Iphone

As consumers we are constantly living in a technological wave pool, one of the biggest fish in this pool is the tech innovator Apple. Even now, Iphone 6 rumors and new technology speculation runs rampant. We are always getting new products as constant waves of electronics and gizmos enter the marketplace. I have been using the Iphone ever since the original model was released, wayyy back in the prehistoric age that was 2007. I have figured out some of the best ways to use an Iphone, and as I follow Iphone 6 rumors and keep an eye on the Apple rumor mill, I have to wonder if it has been worth it to follow this new tech wave. I have been able to enjoy life altering moments like my first episode of angry birds, but it has not all been rosy. Here are five reasons why I love, and five reasons why I hate my Iphone.

1. Portable tools - The Iphone allows anyone to become the techie equivalent of a high school janitor. Except instead of an archaic ring of keys, we can join in social apps, play games, and be useful if there is time left over with numerous business or productivity apps.
2. Portable entertainment - When the original Ipod was released, I was impressed that portable music did not require a CD case or formatting music files. When Ipod video was released, I was impressed that I was now able to replace the miniature over-the-air television with a device that allowed me to choose my programming. Now I can do everything from play a miniature "Call of Duty: Zombies" to stream thousands of songs and videos. This has created an entertainment tool that makes many other entertainment options look like a ball in a cup.
3. The environment - Services such as Itunes and the Apple App store are the soil which have allowed the iphone and other Apple devices to bloom into a beautiful technology garden. This adds a great amount of value to the Iphone with apps added everyday that expand the capabilities of an already advanced device.
4. Synergy - I am not an Apple fanboy (which you'll find out first hand very shortly), but I cannot deny that many other big time services and events are enhanced with the Iphone. I would likely not be as involved as I am with Facebook and Twitter if the Iphone did not allow me to do some pocket posts. Additionally, I can nearly run an Ebay business from the new mobile platform.
5. Consistency - If I want to get a hamburger that tastes exactly the same the world over, I go to McDonald's. If I am looking to buy cheap socks every day of the year, I go to Walmart. And if I want to find a smartphone that I know has numerous apps, and a platform with a ridiculous amount of support and potential content, I buy an Iphone. Apple has managed to keep the Iphone consistent with a strong base, but they keep it fresh with new features, and constant innovation.

1. It's expensive - In a future hub, I will explain how you can get a free Iphone as far as hardware costs go, but there are a ton of costs relating to Iphone usage. In addition to the initial price tag, there are the highly debated contract costs from the mobile carrier. The worst of these can be data usage, since unlimited plans have nearly disappeared from the mobile landscape. This means that you must cling to wi-fi spots like an oasis in the desert, or you worry about having an LOL email become a :( experience.
2. Wasted time - While it might be nice to watch an entire season of Game of Thrones on my phone before I jump into a 40 minute gaming session, the addition of taking all of my entertainment options mobile in my life has led to plenty of wasted time. While the Iphone can be useful, it can very easily become a finely tuned time wasting machine.
3. The nickel and dime effect - When you buy an Iphone, you aren't just buying an Iphone. You are creating nearly required purchases for extra cables, cases to match your favorite shirt, screen protectors, a new speaker system, and of course the essential apps like Angry Birds and the fart generator. All of these little costs add up, and since Apple decided to add in-app purchases to the arsenal of potential charges, an uninformed consumer can end up making some dumb purchases on a smart phone.
4. Throat shoving - Alright I get it. Apple is one of the premier services when it comes to music services and the smartphone in general. However, that does not mean that I need them having a say in what ring tones I am allowed to use, what internet content services are compatible (like flash), and what I want displayed on my phone's home screen. Apple likes to provide some options, but give mandates when it comes to how some of their services are used. This means that users have to grin and bear losing some of their mobile rights, jailbreak their phone which can be a tedious process, or choose another device.
5. The attitude: Speculation is always fun when it comes to new technology, but I do not need a Sportscenter style weekly update for how many millimeters are being shaved off of the upcoming Iphone's bottom side. This is as much the media's fault as Apple's, but no company is going to quell a rumor mill that brings them into the public eye. Apple likes to throw up a giant curtain and then slowly pull it off with supposed product leaks, lost test devices, and other marketing stunts that keep Apple lovers drooling. However, this was almost enough to make me stop giving the company my business during the Iphone 4S release. I was waiting to get the coveted new device last year. After sitting in line and waiting for the great unveiling, we were told that the delivery truck was delayed. My first question should have been, "Why weren't the phones here before us?" I decided to wait, and nearly two hours later, the Fedex guy brought in a small brown box containing the phones. I would bet money that Apple planned this to create an "ooh and ahh" effect from shoppers who were seeing the devices coming "fresh from the company", but it only served to delay and annoy me. This type of showmanship has it's place in sales, but it does not always need to be shoved in the buyer's face like Apple tends to do.

Whether your favorite fruit is the apple because of your phone, or you prefer to let the doctor get to you each and every day, there are plenty of positives and negatives to Apple's premier product. I am willing to deal with the bad to enjoy the good, maybe you feel differently. Leave a comment about your favorite Iphone feature or why you choose to avoid it.