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Monday, June 25, 2007

I Need a New Phone

posted by on June 25 at 14:43 PM

So.

On Friday I had a drink with some of my co-workers at the new Cha Cha—the new, improved, massive, extremely beautiful, ruby red Cha Cha. It’s underneath the new Bimbo’s, and it’s so freaking otherworldly—there’s no other word for it.

But that’s not the point of this post: I set my phone on the table while I had a few drinks with my coworkers. I didn’t realize that my phone was sitting in a shallow depression on the table… which gradually filled up with the vodka, beer, and tequila sloshing over the tops of my coworkers glasses. By the time I picked up my phone to leave it was completely submerged in a puddle of booze. My phone was shorted out and died. And now it’s dead. Dead, dead, dead.

So… I need a new phone. The question now, of course, is do I go get a new Razr today or do I wait until Friday and get an iPhone? I don’t like change, so I’m voting for a new Razr. My boyfriend, an early adopter, wants me to get an iPhone. I’m torn—so let’s vote!

RSS icon Comments

1

If that's a poll, it's not displaying in Firefox.

Posted by Emily | June 25, 2007 2:45 PM
2

Get the Blackjack.

Posted by High-Rise | June 25, 2007 2:47 PM
3

As much as I love anything Apple, I would wait to get a new iPhone. Let them work out the glitches.

Posted by Vivian | June 25, 2007 2:51 PM
4

I say neither.

Posted by RAZR Hater | June 25, 2007 2:54 PM
5

Do you want it to fit comfortably in your front pocket? If the answer is yes, get a razor.

Posted by dirge | June 25, 2007 2:55 PM
6

Good god, of couse you should get the iPhone. We all want to hear about how it does or doesn't live up to the hype in this blog for the next aeon. Nobody gives a shit about the Razr anymore.

Posted by JW | June 25, 2007 2:56 PM
7

Razr... change = bad. ;)

That and the glitches issue... but mostly change = bad.

Posted by Phelix | June 25, 2007 2:57 PM
8

Seriously, gor for either the blackjack or at least a 700 series Palm Treo.

Posted by COMTE | June 25, 2007 2:58 PM
9

Must be nice to have $600 just burning a hole in your pocket.
Hmm. Pay the mortgage or see the dentist?
These are the decisions I'm faced with right now.

Posted by Bitter | June 25, 2007 3:05 PM
10

I got a nice rotary job mounted on the wall at home. Works pretty good.

Posted by Paulus | June 25, 2007 3:16 PM
11

I say get the iPhone so that in a few months when the battery explodes in your backpocket and catches your ass cheek on fire you can sue Steve Jobs for BUTT LOADS (pun intended) of cash.

Posted by Sam | June 25, 2007 3:16 PM
12

I just can't get into Apple's smooth, buttonless design. I like/need the tactile feel of raised buttons.

Posted by JC | June 25, 2007 3:16 PM
13

Yeah, how about you get a Razr now, and send the extra how-ever-many-hundred-dollar difference to me, for groceries or student loans?

Posted by Ben | June 25, 2007 3:16 PM
14

Seriously,

If you are a parent (supposedly a heavily involved one - on you claim that is much better than many of your het counterparts) what the hell are you doing out drinking, getting drunk, etc.? Cruising all the local bars takes time away from your kid that you have spent so much effort, trying to convince us, that you adopted because you wanted children.

More and more, you seem to be just a borish twat who adopted a kid to prove a point. That point? That you can be as self-centered and negelectfull as the breeders from the burbs that you hate. Having kids is NOT a political statement.

Posted by ecce homo | June 25, 2007 3:16 PM
15

I just can't get into Apple's smooth, buttonless design. I like/need the tactile feel of raised buttons.

Posted by JC | June 25, 2007 3:17 PM
16

Mmmm....getting pretty sick of hearing about the iPhone.

Guess the question is what you want from a cell phone. Personally? I don't want to watch a movie or a TV show on a tiny, tiny screen. Additionally, I don't want to write a speech on a cell phone's keypad. Phone + .mp3? OK, I guess. You wouldn't have to buy two different devices.

I've a feeling the iPhone is going to be huge with people under 20 and with people who walk around unashamedly with Bluetooth coming out of their ears. At any rate, it'll be a stroll through Apple's proprietary hell.

Posted by Bauhaus | June 25, 2007 3:17 PM
17

Well, if you already have an iPod why get a phone that has minimal memory to play any music? I would be impressed with the iPhone if it was ultra-slim and had 20 or 30 Gig in memory.

Posted by Just Me | June 25, 2007 3:17 PM
18

Go to amazon and see all the free phones.

Posted by Angry Andrew | June 25, 2007 3:18 PM
19

I hate my Razr. Goddamn slick marketing.

Posted by Carollani | June 25, 2007 3:18 PM
20

Must be nice to have a mortgage to pay. Hmm.. pay the rent or buy food for the next week. These are the decisions I'm faced with right now.

Posted by sniggles | June 25, 2007 3:19 PM
21

My razr just went thru the washing machine. I looked up wet cellphones in google and found that if I took out the battery and let it dry for three days (or until you don't see any evidence of moisture) that it might work again. I tried it an presto my phone works fine. You might want to submerge yours in rubbing alcohol if it got soda pop or other sugar type drinks on it. Also I put mine on my cable box for a constant source of low heat to help dry it out. Better than a $500 iphone, a free dry phone.

Posted by mthead | June 25, 2007 3:22 PM
22

Dear Ecce,

My son and his other dad were in Spokane, Washington, visiting family. I had to stay home and work. I hope it's okay with you that I went out and grabbed a drink after work while they were away.

I have it on good authority, however, that sometimes parents even go get a drink when they're kids are in town. Hell, I'm taking my kid to the Ms game tonight and I'm going to have a drink right in front of him.

And sometimes it's actually in a kid's own best interest for the parents to get out every once in a while, have a drink, see adult friends. I don't know what you know about parenting, Ecce, but it's nothing like house arrest. You do get to walk into bars now and then, just like other adults.

Posted by Dan Savage | June 25, 2007 3:29 PM
23

Please don't get an iPhone, Dan. We hear from you enough already.

Posted by Tech Lab | June 25, 2007 3:29 PM
24


If there was ever a time to be an early adopter, I'd say this is the time. I've heard great things about the iPhone as an actual PHONE, which is great.

Of course, there is the expense so you may want to wait until the price comes down and make the Razr your in-between phone.

I need to get a new phone and would love the iPhone, but I can't swing it yet.

Posted by okay | June 25, 2007 3:31 PM
25

Get the iPhone.

I need to hear people complain about it so I don't blow however many hundreds of dollars it will cost, because damn it, I want one! Save my finances.

Nice one, 14. You know kids sleep at night, right? Which would be when Dan was out.

Posted by Rebecca | June 25, 2007 3:31 PM
26

Dear Ecce,

My son and his other dad were in Spokane, Washington, visiting family. I had to stay home and work. I hope it's okay with you that I went out and grabbed a drink after work while they were away.

I have it on good authority, however, that sometimes parents even go get a drink when they're kids are in town. Hell, I'm taking my kid to the Ms game tonight and I'm going to have a drink right in front of him.

And sometimes it's actually in a kid's own best interest for the parents to get out every once in a while, have a drink, see adult friends. I don't know what you know about parenting, Ecce, but it's nothing like house arrest. You do get to walk into bars now and then, just like other adults.

Posted by Dan Savage | June 25, 2007 3:31 PM
27

Just don't, for the love of god, buy a Chocolate. I was a sucker for the shiny, touch sensitive, slider thing. First of all, shiny smooth things lose both of those attributes after a month or two in your pocket, even if you're careful. Secondly, the user interface and sound quality are both crap.

If your RAZR worked, get another one. I thought I was upgrading when I got the new fancy phone, now I reminisce about being able to hear the other person while using my phone.

Posted by so long as it isn't a chocolate | June 25, 2007 3:37 PM
28

I want an iPhone, therefore, I want you to get one and review it before I drop the $500-$600. Also, my best friend got a Razr, replaced it because of poor reception, and the new one is exactly the same. She's now had it for a while, and apparently her acquaintances who have one have similar complaints. It's not an every time thing, but often enough to be annoying.

Oh, and 'their' kids.

Posted by anonymous | June 25, 2007 3:45 PM
29

Doesn't Cha Cha have a pay phone?

Posted by KENTUCKY KERNEL OF TRUTH | June 25, 2007 3:51 PM
30

If you want to walk around with a $600 brick in your pocket that you'd be afraid you'd break just by sitting down ... and then if you want to discover in a few months that your $600 brick is obviously and embarrassingly obsolete and it doesn't even work with the next generation of computers, get the iPhone.

I had the same experience with the first-generation iPod. Best $400 lesson in early adoption I've ever gotten.

Posted by Jake | June 25, 2007 3:52 PM
31

Don't get an iPhone. Even if all the hype about it magically isn't completely overblown, you'll end up getting it wet in 3 months and be out $600, stuck in a 2 year contract. Go with the Razr if you just need something basic, or step up to the Blackjack if that's too boring.

Posted by Brian | June 25, 2007 3:55 PM
32

I can't bring myself to get an iPhone, but holy shit, can't you? The chance to report on opening-day sales madness, a blow-by-blow report on what it's like to learn to use the keyboard interface to make Slog posts, periodic glitch news, outrage, joy...sounds like a Slog blockbuster in the making.

Posted by tomasyalba | June 25, 2007 4:01 PM
33

get a samsung u740, you can sync all your music and its smaller than an iphone. it has a crazy swivel action to access a full keyboard. i also have a moto q, you can also listen to music, stream kexp (if you have an internet access package) and its far more versatile than an iphone except for watching video. if you must watch video on your phone, iphone may be the one but if your objective is music and a phone, i'd go samsung.

Posted by josh | June 25, 2007 4:07 PM
34

Get a really cheap phone so you won't be out much next time it gets left in a pool of tequila, vomit, and blood.

Posted by cdc | June 25, 2007 4:10 PM
35

I voted for the iphone for a single reason. I'd love to read/hear you do a tech review of it. Come on give the tech savvy at-risk youth a chance at slashdot/digg/boingboing fame.

Posted by Kevin Lyda | June 25, 2007 4:10 PM
36

I gotta agree with #4. I've been effectively warned off the Razr by a friend who used to work for Nextel tech support, not to mention by watching every Razr-owning friend and relative I've got having to replace the things inside a few months.

On the other hand, buying an iPhone, particularly the second they become available, sounds like a Really Bad Idea to me...

Posted by Darcy | June 25, 2007 4:13 PM
37

dump the razr. The current free phones are as powerful and easier to use than the razr. Get the iphone if you also need an ipod. If you already have a good ipod the iphone is just too expensive.

Posted by bryan | June 25, 2007 4:13 PM
38

razr's are a piece of shit. they look good and that's about it.

Posted by moxie | June 25, 2007 4:15 PM
39

get a samsung u740, you can sync all your music and its smaller than an iphone. it has a crazy swivel action to access a full keyboard. i also have a moto q, you can also listen to music, stream kexp (if you have an internet access package) and its far more versatile than an iphone except for watching video. if you must watch video on your phone, iphone may be the one but if your objective is music and a phone, i'd go samsung.

Posted by josh | June 25, 2007 4:15 PM
40

razr's are a piece of shit. they look good and that's about it.

Posted by moxie | June 25, 2007 4:16 PM
41

Ecce @ 14:

Dude, how miserable are you? If I couldn't go out and get a drink every once in a while, sometimes with my kids' mom, and sometimes just with friends, I can guarantee you I, and therefore my kids, would be just as bitter and unhappy as you seem to be. I love my kids and I love being a Dad, but it's also fucking hard work. Every parent needs a break and some adult time every once in a while.

Oh, and Dan, go for the iphone. As a bike commuter, you'll appreciate that you can be listening to your tunes and then when a call comes in you, the music automatically fades and you can take your call with the combo ear buds/mic without even touching the phone.

Posted by Bill LaBorde | June 25, 2007 4:17 PM
42

Reuse a phone from some [s]ucker that got a razr or iPhone.

Posted by Otter | June 25, 2007 4:19 PM
43

get some sticks and a blanket for starting fires and sending smoke signals, or a piece of string with paper cups on either end, or a megaphone, or hell just start throwing shoes at people if you want to get their attention--ANYthing but another f*ckin' Razr.

I hate mine; it's an energy pig and it's fussy and it thinks cloudless days are the best days to drop calls.

F*ckin' thing. Menh.

Posted by northbound | June 25, 2007 4:20 PM
44

#1 Try IE7. All web pages work with it. Use firefox or safari if you love self imposed torture.

Get the razr. Apple has been on greenpeace's shitlist for a decade. Their products don't have a long life expectancy, they refuse to recycle their own products, upgrades are sadly limited and they lie about not using PVC in their products. All the other major computer makers have made at least some effort.

While your at it, dump all your apple products, if you care for the environment.
Apple=environmental hater

Posted by mattro2.0 | June 25, 2007 4:20 PM
45

get some sticks and a blanket for starting fires and sending smoke signals, or a piece of string with paper cups on either end, or a megaphone, or hell just start throwing shoes at people if you want to get their attention--ANYthing but another f*ckin' Razr.

I hate mine; it's an energy pig and it's fussy and it thinks cloudless days are the best days to drop calls.

F*ckin' thing. Menh.

Posted by northbound | June 25, 2007 4:20 PM
46

I vote that Slog bans Ecce Homo. What a contrarian ass-troll.

Posted by elm | June 25, 2007 4:24 PM
47

Dan,
I don't know who your current cell service provider is, but your decision about the iPhone should also factor in AT&T's customer service track record.

--satisfied T-Mobile customer (looking at the Rizr for an upgrade)

Posted by mmbb | June 25, 2007 4:24 PM
48

31 - I'm also on the five-year iPod plan, but mine continues to work great. People see it and they assume that a) from the size, it must hold 160 GB, and b) that the physically rotating scroll wheel is some kind of cutting-edge feature. I paid $500, the same price as the 4GB iPhone.

Posted by Nat | June 25, 2007 4:26 PM
49

Razr. the iphone is a burn in my opinion. Wait a few years and you will be able to get the same thing without all the restrictions for less money.

Posted by Nic | June 25, 2007 4:26 PM
50

Ecce, I for one would have had a much HAPPIER childhood if my step-father had just stayed out all night drinking, instead of coming home after work, pounding down a sixer, then pounding on my mom for a couple of hours a night - mainly over his frustration with suddenly being saddled with four kids he hadn't spawned.

Of course, it was probably the whole "getting shit-faced drunk at home" that compelled his first wife to divorce him and take the four kids he DID spawn.

Lucky them.

Posted by COMTE | June 25, 2007 4:40 PM
51

RE: Iphone...
you can get a razr THEN an iphone several months later for the cost of an iphone now.

Posted by Bellevue Ave | June 25, 2007 4:48 PM
52

Apple=hater of the environment. Greenpeace has had a campaign against them for 10 years. Their products have a short life, are difficult to upgrade (why don't you buy another?), they refuse to recycle their products, and they lie about the usage of pvc in their products. A dollar for Apple is a dollar for toxic sludge in your backyard. Buy anything else. Don't buy apple.

Check out greenpeace's "green your apple" campaign. It's nicer than I am.

Posted by mattro2.0 | June 25, 2007 4:52 PM
53

Get the iPhone.

But get insurance in case it gets wet or scratched.

And buy a hot pink cover for it.

Posted by Will in Seattle | June 25, 2007 4:53 PM
54

Whatever you get, don't get the RAZR. I have one and I'm not very pleased with it. It's always having problems. So, if you're worried about glitches you might as well get the phone that will have them, but will work them out. Whereas the RAZR has glitches and they never seemed to work them out.

Posted by Nay | June 25, 2007 4:59 PM
55

@ will in Seattle: word is the iPhone will have free insurance and other security features. Neato.

@ Savage: Hey Dan, I'm a fucking expert on shit like this. iPhone is alright, but the RAZR sucks in the bad way. If you like the RAZR because you're used to it, I'd recommend the KRZR, which is Motorola's update to the RAZR.

It's smaller, slimmer, does more, and looks cooler, and there's the added benefit of not being another douche with a RAZR.


Alternatively, since you're a busy guy, you might wanna look at a smartphone. A Treo 680 is fairly inexpensive and does a whole lot. I keep a copy of the Karma Sutra on mine, and it's good for playing Yahtzee! at the bar. So there.

Posted by Matt Fuckin' Hickey | June 25, 2007 5:03 PM
56

My vote is for the 8525.

Posted by Tiffany | June 25, 2007 5:27 PM
57

Cup and string. Cell phones are for douchebags.

Posted by Fnarf | June 25, 2007 5:39 PM
58

I voted for the iPhone. I'm now on my second Razr and will NOT do it again.

Posted by Steve | June 25, 2007 5:44 PM
59

@ Fnarf: You do realize it's 2007, right? Just checking. heh.

Posted by Matt Fuckin' Hickey | June 25, 2007 5:46 PM
60

#14 ecce dude: stop being such a goo-goo goody two shoes.
It's okay to have a drink and to get drunk sometimes.
Parents, non parents, whatever.
It's okay to laugh and yell and cry and shout.
It's okay for a 19 year old to have a beer esp. in a home no matter what the law says. It is O. K.

People like you want to make this town a Calvinist puritanical wet rag nannyistic theocracy in which everything fun and authentic and diverting and spirited is bottled up, restrained, banned, scorned and verboten. Loosen up!

Posted by Calvin | June 25, 2007 5:58 PM
61

The first release of Apple products always suck. Your important Dan, you need a phone that works, don't be an Apple Beta Tester.

Posted by tarminian | June 25, 2007 5:59 PM
62

(Monday afternoon) Perez Hilton reports that there's already a line starting outside The Apple Store in NYC for Friday's release and sale of the iPhone.

Posted by Bauhaus | June 25, 2007 6:28 PM
63

I love my RAZR--okay, I don't really "love" it, but I've had mine for two years with no problems whatsoever. It looks very worn and scratched, but the screen is still bright and clean and it fits easily in my pocket.

God knows I covet the iPhone--but I'm with most of the others on this post: wait and let everybody else work through the kinks of the first generation.

Posted by Boomer in NYC | June 25, 2007 7:39 PM
64

Posting with my BlackBerry Pearl. I used a Treo 650 before and the Pearl is the best phone/PDA I've used.

Posted by ZacMatic | June 25, 2007 7:47 PM
65

Nokia E70. Best all-around phone on the market. You have to buy it privately, the cell operators won't offer it because it has so many network-bypass features. Has every damn feature of the cultfone, and is much smaller. Does internet telephony perfectly.

Posted by Gno Kia | June 25, 2007 9:55 PM
66

I had a razr and now I have a "smart phone" which is shorthand for squeeze all the problems you have with your computer into your phone. I never had to reboot the razr because it got hung making a call.

Posted by DJSauvage | June 25, 2007 9:56 PM
67

Ecce, don't be such an asswipe. Having (or adopting) a kid does not mean you can never set foot in a bar for the entirety of their childhood. That's what uncles are for. I'm an uncle, and love to babysit my nephews so my brother and his wife can get out occasionally. I have a great time playing with the kids, the kids have a blast with their crazy homo uncle, and my brother and his wife get a much needed break and some adult time to themselves. Everyone's a winner.

Posted by SDA in SEA | June 25, 2007 10:37 PM
68

I was an early adopter of cell phones. I've had one since 1990. My first portable phone weighed 7 pounds and had a battery the size of a car battery, which only lasted 2 hours on a charge!

But since then I've fallen behind on the whole thing. I just use my cell phone for, you know, talking on the phone to people. I've never learned how to text message. Whenever someone sends me a text message, I call them back. I don't even know how to program numbers into my phone.

I do use a Palm to keep my schedule and all my contact info. But I'd rather keep that on a separate device. The idea of having all that in my cell phone scares me.

I have avoided getting a crackberry. I spend way too much time fooling around on the internet already. If I had a blackberry, I'd descend into full on OCD. It wouldn't be pretty.

If you ignore the marketing hype, the iPhone doesn't make much sense. You can get a regular cell phone for free, or for very cheap. An iPod Nano costs $150. Or you can combine them both into one devise for $600? I don't think so. It's sort of like those cheap machines at Office Depot that are supposed to be a combination copier/fax machine/scanner. Yes, it can perform all those functions, but doesn't do any of them well. Sometimes you are better off with separate machines that actually work right.

So as much as the iPhone looks like a nifty gizmo, I don't think it's for me. From what little I've been able to discern of your personality from reading your articles and books, Dan, I suspect the iPhone isn't for you either. Here's a solution: buy your guy the iPhone, if he's the one that's into it. Then buy yourself a regular cell phone. Then you'll both be happy.

Posted by SDA in SEA | June 25, 2007 10:58 PM
69

Dan, I dont think you understand what's going on with the iPhone right now. Unless Terry is willing to camp outside the apple store up around the university and piss into 2 liter soda bottles or give sexual favors to the apple geniuses, you probably ain't gonna get one.

The Helio Ocean seems like a good alternative that does all kinds of stuff, has a keyboard, and is easy to use, though. If you just want a phone that is just a fucking phone, the razr will do (just don't expect it to be easy to send text messages, program the address book, use bluetooth headsets, or send photo messages).

Posted by brandon | June 26, 2007 12:22 AM
70

NONE!!! get a nokia........

Posted by girl in spain | June 26, 2007 2:29 AM
71

@1, I don't want to explain, but when you are the first post, the poll doesn't exist. Stay with Firefox. My IE7 graphics SUCK!!!

Posted by lawrence clark | June 26, 2007 3:46 AM
72

No opinion on the new phone, but I'd like to share:

My cell phone went through the fucking WASHING MACHINE and survived. It's probably too late for yours, but all it took for me was blasting it for 20 minutes with a hair dryer and giving it a few days to dry out. Pantech c300. Works like the day I bought it.

Posted by Iris | June 26, 2007 6:46 AM
73

The Razr is a POS. Everyone I know that has one has had tons of problems. Crap battery charge, easily breaks, hard to use, etc.

Posted by Aexia | June 26, 2007 7:01 AM
74

I can think of little with greater entertainment potential than Dan owning and hating the iphone and writing about it at length on this blog.

OTOH, I can think of little more boring than reading about Dan's love of the item if it should please him.

As he is a noted contratian, I bet he even thinks it might be fun to own and hate and, um, Savage the device in public.

Finally, I must note that as the device has come to be called the 'God phone' or the 'Jesus phone,' and taking into account Dan's continuing critical engagement with religion, there's even a hook for personal reflection about religion, God, and communication with said hypothetical entity.

iPhone!

Posted by mike | June 26, 2007 8:22 AM
75

Actually, Apple products are really easy to upgrade, and I've got an acncient (in tech years) iPod and iMac that don't show any signs of quitting. Still, I'd wait for the second generation iPhone. Judging by the iPod's history, you'll get a better product for possibly less money.

Posted by A-Train | June 26, 2007 8:32 AM
76

http://actforchange.workingassets.com/campaign/iphone

From the web site:

Apple could use its influence to set an example and open up the wireless market. If Apple leads, we would all benefit from competition and reduced rates. Instead, Apple has chosen to lock iPhone customers in with AT&T -- a corporation whose practices seem to run counter to everything Apple stands for.

This is, of course, the same AT&T that enabled warrantless wiretapping and turned over consumers' phone records to the Bush Administration's National Security Agency. The same AT&T that is doing its very best to destroy net neutrality and create a "slow lane" Internet for the rest of us. And the same AT&T whose new Chairman's political donations are almost entirely to conservative Republicans.

Posted by wf | June 26, 2007 9:05 AM
77

NEITHER!

Posted by investigatory journalist | June 26, 2007 9:16 AM
78

I was actually stuck making this same decision last week. I went to an AT&T store and asked about the iphone. Their advice...wait until Apple works out the bugs, then buy one. I don't know if you have ever used a touch screen computer Dan but they have to be calibrated constantly because the sensors go out. It's pretty annoying. There may be problems with the phone turning on, unlocking or dialing accidentally because of the touch screen too. BTW, I didn't buy the razr either. I bought a krzr because well, it was blue and pretty. I'll buy an iphone later. Best advice...wait.

Posted by CJ | June 26, 2007 9:31 AM
79

Well, I'll be buying my iPhone in Nelson, BC, where there won't even be a line ...

Posted by Will in Seattle | June 26, 2007 10:05 AM
80

i can't speak for the iphone, but don't get the razr!

Posted by dottie | June 26, 2007 3:40 PM

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