- I'm not that thrilled with AT&T, so I don't want to renew my contract. It's expensive and the service isn't that great
- I wasn't impressed with the iPhone 3G or the 3GS
- iPhones are pricey - there's a lot I could spend $199 plus tax on instead
- I don't really need a new iPhone - mine works just fine...well, close enough
Sure, I think the iPhone 4 is absolutely amazing and I can think of a lot of reasons to get one:
- Faster
- FaceTime
- Better camera with flash (perfect for spur of the moment blog photos)
- HD video (perfect for spur of the moment reviews)
- GPS, customizable text tones...
But I don't need any of that.
From an environmental standpoint, it's so silly to upgrade to new technology more often then we need to. As much as I love Apple, I wish they weren't so good at making their loyal customers think of their products as disposable. I can't tell you how many people I know buy every new Apple gadget and new generation of something they already have. And I don't want to think about how many old products get tossed in the trash instead of being sold or recycled.
The iPhone is apparently kinda bad for the environment, especially the first generation. It's made up of all sorts of materials, including plastic, and contains chemicals like PCB, lead, mercury, nickel, cadmium, phthalates, and cholorine. Not to mention the radiation that all cell phones give off... However, some research has shown that the newer iPhones are more eco-friendly.
I was pretty convinced I was going to make the switch to the new iPhone as soon as Verizon got it, but after the announcement yesterday I realized that my phone works just fine for now. Perhaps I'll wait it out for the iPhone 5 (coming in June perhaps?), or until my current one finally kicks the bucket and is laid to rest in a proper recycling bin.