iPhone Addict

Little did I know when I upgraded my phone to an iPhone 3Gs that I would be writing what I am telling you now.

My name is Chris Garrett and I am an iPhone addict.

Yes, it is true. Evidence, unfortunately, is slapping me in the face as I write this.

First I was distraught when I dropped my beloved iPhone in a mop bucket full of dirty water, drowning it so completely that it had to go to the iPhone hospital and be replaced with a refurb replacement (£150 at the Apple store). While the replacement is in theory identical, and should be good as new, I still miss my original (and worry about who has access to the data stored on it!).

Next, during my recent trip to Las Vegas, I clocked up £100 in roaming data fees in just a few short hours of pretty normal usage. The only thing that stopped that figure being way higher is the fact I am on Pay as You Go and they would not allow me to top up any more within a 30 day period. Yes, strange as it may seem, o2 phone network do not actually like you to send them more money. They would rather you be stuck in a foreign country with no way to make calls.

Now, lesson learned from USA, I am in another country, craving the use of my funky digital friend, but unable in case I use all my call time up Twittering, Flickring and generally messing around with the mobile interwebs. And it is driving. Me. Mad.

Fact is I need mobile data. There is not enough usable wifi (free or paid) to replace that always on 3G connection. Most useful travel functions (eg. Maps!) need some sort of data access, once you get past making calls. Even my music now comes down streamed. Even the internet connection in my hotel that I am writing this post via, well, plain sucks. Normally there is a time or a data limit. This connection has both. $0.68 per megabyte, 1GB transfer, and either two hours or 24 hour limits. That’s cheaper than the £3 per megabyte of roaming 3G data I have to pay, but not much better.

This shows two things to me:

  1. I need help with my iPhone addiction
  2. Apple need to sort out this expensive roaming data thing, it really sucks.

Posted on October 28, 2009 by Chris Garrett 
Filed Under IT

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