iPhone 3G reduces pocket clutter
At 5:45 a.m. Friday, July 11, I was standing in a 17-person line at my local AT&T store. By 7:00 there were more than 100 people in line, and at 8:00 the line wrapped completely around the corner and down another block.
Being the seventeenth person in line had its advantages; I was able to purchase a 16 gig iPhone before the store ran out of merchandise. The process did not go smoothly, but by 4:15 that afternoon I had a fully functioning iPhone 3G in my pocket. The last time I upgraded my cell phone was four years ago and I think the word brick aptly describes what I had been toting around in my pocket before my conversion to the iPhone 3G.
Last summer, Jerry wrote a review about his experiences with the first generation iPhone. At the time, he didn’t see it as being a clutter-reducing device:
Because it’s a phone, a camera, an iPod, and an internet communicator, you’d think you could consolidate all of your devices. But as good as it is, it’s not going to replace a proper digital camera, a laptop, or even an iPod.
The new generation of the iPhone, however, eliminates most needs to carry an iPod or a laptop, and the camera is great for candid images. With 16 gigs of hard drive space, you can fit a great deal more of your iTunes music collection on the phone. The headphone jack was retooled between the first generation and this model, so it works now with all standard headsets. With the Airplane Mode, you can turn off wireless capabilities and watch a film on a flight. The camera is still just 2.0 megapixels, but allows for geotagging. The 3G network is significantly faster than the Edge network, and you can open Word, Excel, and Adobe PDF documents (you can’t alter these documents, but you can view them).
One of my personal favorite features is the GPS system that provides searching for area businesses and landmarks. Want to find the closest pet store? Search for “pet store,” and contact information and directions will appear for how to get from your current location to the store. It’s better than other handheld GPS device I’ve used, but since it doesn’t talk, it’s not as effective in the car. You can view turn-by-turn directions, but it won’t call them out to you as you drive:
I wish that it had a SSH client and the ability to edit Word and Excel documents, but overall it has significantly decreased the amount of items I take with me when I’m on the go. Tomorrow, I’ll review my favorite iPhone applications and how they further reduce the need to carry objects with you like a notebook, membership cards, and other pocket clutter. Are any of you new converts to the iPhone? What is your response to it and all of its hype?
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Posted by Erin on Jul 21, 2008 |
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31 comments posted
Posted by Dave - 07/21/2008
I’ve been using the 1stGen 16G iPhone since February. Since then life has been so much easier. I’m a student, so it helped alleviate some pocket stress as I walk around campus.
Something I noticed that hasn’t been brought up in any blogs or reviews of missing features from either iPhone, is integration of AT&T’s phone book listings. Being able to search someones name in Maps and then getting a street address and phone number would be an amazing addition to the iPhone!
Posted by TAC - 07/21/2008
I think that if people didn’t always have to have the latest and greatest, then they wouldn’t have so much to declutter in the first place.
Posted by Pete - 07/21/2008
The iphone itself is an extraordinary tool, especially for my business. I run a creative Digital Media Production business (www.reimagineit.com). I work with all Macs, and my iphone keeps my whole contact list tied together…on my phone, on my computer, and in general.
I use Bento to sort out all of my contacts, files, and past interactions. Between the two of these tools, not only is my information readily available, but it is backed up in numerous places.
http://yinvsyang.com/
Posted by Chris G. - 07/21/2008
I know the feeling. It wasn’t uncommon for me to have 2 or even 3 cell phones (for work reasons, not personal choice) 2 years ago, plus my iPod in my pocket. Then I would almost always have my laptop too. Talk about a mess.
Recently I narrowed it down to an iPod and cell phone, but that still was too much to carry around. Not to mention I occasionally had the nerve to try to carry an address book and a pocket calendar around. Nevermind those were never 100% accurate either, thanks to Gmail, my Mac, and my cell phone all being hopelessly out of sync.
Now I have a 3G iPhone. Best purchase I have ever made. Everything is now on it. iPod, phone, calendar, address book, etc. All synced with my computer with no fuss at all. For the past week, my life has become so much less cluttered and much more simplified.
Well worth the money for the iPhone and the monthly plan
Posted by spark - 07/21/2008
At first I wanted to second TAC’s comment about not acquiring the latest and greatest gadget as a remedy to clutter, but then also seem to agree with Chris G.
If you truly have a need for this device then perhaps it does help with reducing clutter. However, if you don’t and you constantly change to keep up with technology, you will have a ton of clutter.
For a LOT of us, cheaper and simpler phones/devices will be more than adequate. So if you truly need it, I suppose get it. But if you don’t, don’t.
Posted by Beverly D - 07/21/2008
I think it’s all a matter of what’s going on in your life. If this works for you, then great. It wouldn’t work for me because I don’t have an ipod, I don’t use the camera feature on my cell, and I do use a PDA for everything else. Downloaded on my PDA are 15 medical textbooks, in addition to the usual contacts and calendar stuff, which I use at work on a daily basis. There’s a new phone coming out that will let you watch TV on it, won’t that be fun?
Posted by Battra92 - 07/21/2008
It’s kind of amusing watching people justify themselves for standing in line for a telephone. I mean, if it works for you I have no right to say anything but I highly doubt an iPhone would simplify my life.
Heck, I have the most basic phone Verizon offers and when my contract is up later this year and they offer me the new phone, I’m just going to try to find one with the best reception, not the one with all the do-dads.
Posted by kirsty - 07/21/2008
I think that if people didn’t always have to have the latest and greatest, then they wouldn’t have so much to declutter in the first place.
I know I’m practising a bit of self delusion here but one advantage of staying on the leading edge of gadgets is that it’s easy to get rid of the ones your replacing as they are still new enough for someone else to want them (friends, ebay, freecycle) rather than getting left gathering dust in a drawer. Gadgets aren’t what’s cluttering me up at any rate.
My iPhone (2G) has cleared the CDs out of my car, pretty much replaced my road atlas, and stopped me from printing things out to take out of the house with me “just in case I need the info”. That’s before I start on the new apps.
Posted by sue - 07/21/2008
I had to laugh when I saw the “One Year Ago” article this iPhone post followed: “Reader question: How to dispose of old electronics? The best ways to dispose of old electronics.”
If I was going to buy a new phone anyway, I would have considered the new iPhone. But how many people HAVE to have the latest and greatest—at least until the iPhone 3.0 gets released?
Posted by Nathania Johnson - 07/21/2008
The iPhone reduces clutter for me most of the time since I don’t need to carry my iPod separately anymore.
But if I want good pictures, I take my camera. And if I want video, I carry my Flip.
It will also be great if/when we could ever not have to carry a driver’s license and check/credit car.
The iPhone also needs an improved interface since all the new apps are cluttering up my iPhone!!!!!
Posted by Doreen - 07/21/2008
I use my iPod not only for myself, but I put some cartoons on it for my kids (ages 4 and 7). It comes in handy when one of them gets a bit ansy in the supermarket. There is no way I would let them carry around an expensive iPhone for that, but my little 3rd gen Nano with a rubber sleeve over it, certainly. It means I have an extra gadget, but it is worth it to me, so I don’t consider it clutter.
Posted by Dianne - 07/21/2008
I manage to survive without needing an iPod, a camera, or an Internet connection in my purse. I wouldn’t even carry the phone if it wasn’t for emergencies (and I keep it turned off unless I need to use it because nothing irritates me more than rude cell phone users). One of the basics of getting uncluttered is determining what is a need and what is a want. Showing off the newest darling of electronics is a want. I don’t need it and I’m not buying into the hype. There isn’t just physical clutter at work here…it is the clutter of a mind that thinks it has to be in constant contact and constantly recording every minute of the day, that thinks it is so important that it needs to respond to every phone call and email and text message immediately. I don’t get the obsession and I guess I never will. Go get it if you want it but no one can convince me anyone really needs an iPhone.
Posted by tod - 07/21/2008
fyi…a Windows Mobile Smartphone will do all of that and more. I’m not trying to be a company man (yes, I work at Microsft), but point out that your article doesn’t state any alternatives to the (expensive and hard-to find) iPhone for decluttering. A Blackberry would be another viable alternative for combining functions (although I’m not as familiar with them).
I just did a search of your site for “Smartphone” and didn’t get any results. A search for “Blackberry” yields one post, but it’s a quote from another site.
If you want to do this topic (decluttering with a multi-purpose cell phone) justice you should really do a little more homework. Right now, this post comes off more like an Apple advertisement.
Posted by Erin Doland - 07/21/2008
@Dianne — Since I can log on to my iPhone from anywhere to make sure that Unclutterer is online and working, it actually alleviates mental clutter for me. I used to spend a lot of time worrying about the site when I wasn’t near a computer, and now I don’t. It takes me 20 seconds to pull up a connection and the web page. In a little more than a week, the amount of worry in my life has decreased by leaps and bounds. So, for me, it has done wonders for solving the mental clutter you discussed.
Posted by Jay - 07/21/2008
I have to agree with the article. The iPhone is a great device. I don’t have one yet, but I’m can’t wait to get one. It is a de-clutterer. I usually just have a cell and an ipod. But it would be nice to be able to get on the net if I need too. Or be able to find out how to get where I need too. As a computer technician I agree that there are other smartphones out there, but the iPhone is unique in it’s ease of use. Sure you can sync info on a smartphone but it usually more work then it should. And isn’t that the point. Not just to de-clutter the amount of stuff we carry, but to make our lives easier in the process.
Posted by gharkness - 07/21/2008
I would really like to know what there is about the iPhone of ANY sort that would justify standing in line for one. Good grief – couldn’t you wait a day or two? Even a WEEK or a MONTH is irrelevant in the greater scheme of things.
Didn’t you feel even a bit foolish for making such a big deal over something that took hours to get working properly?
Posted by tod - 07/21/2008
Jay – I just wanted to mention Smartphones and Blackberry devices as viable alternatives to the iPhone. This article presents the iPhone as if it were the only option for the topic at hand (decluttering with a multi-purpose cell phone) and that’s just plain wrong.
Regarding your comment “make our lives easier” shouldn’t that be up to the individual? Maybe an iPhone makes your life easier, but mine harder (eg: no support for synchronizing Outlook appointments and tasks). Or maybe a Blackberry is better for someone else?
I really enjoy Unclutterer, so I’m just trying to give some constructive feedback. In the future, please give me all of the pertinent information so I can make an educated choice.
Posted by Dianne - 07/21/2008
Well, people here waiting starting getting in line at 3am to see the “Dark Knight.” I’m not saying it isn’t a good film, but why lose sleep over it? Because they had to be the first ones. Why do car drivers cut dangerously in front of other people in order to wait at a red light? Because they have to be first. We have this mindset that everyone has to be #1, and we’ll act dangerously (speeding, running stop signs, walking in front of traffic) in order to get that perceived advantage over someone else.
No one needed to have the iPhone first, and the few people that actually had a need instead of a want for the iPhone could have waited the few days (and just how did you function before the iPhone that makes the iPhone so essential to your life). But waiting meant then they wouldn’t have been the first in the neighborhood, couldn’t have shown off to their friends, couldn’t have had the false superiority of possessing a new toy before anyone else–in other words, they wouldn’t have “won” whatever game of possessions they are playing.
I still don’t get it. But, keep in mind, the only reason I got a new phone two years ago is because mine was lost on the bus. And I won’t replace this one until it dies or the technology becomes so obsolete it won’t work anymore (which is what happened to my brother.
I can, happily, guarantee I’ll never buy an iPhone. I have no need of it, and no want of it.
Each to their own.
And they weren’t counting on my business anyway.
Watch “The Lost Room”….the idea of possessing objects that give the owner the perception of having superiority over someone else is explored in a fascinating way (at least in the pilot; I haven’t seen the series).
As far as I’m concerned, it’s just one more thing that will become junk in a year or two.
Posted by Chris G. - 07/21/2008
Plus with the iPhone, I realized I had to do something about my e-mail situation. I unsubscribed from a ton of e-mail lists, cleaned up all of my folders, etc so using my e-mail on my iPhone would be as quick as possible.
Keep in mind, I do not own another phone. My iPhone is my sole phone. So in that aspect, I have even less clutter to worry about. Only 1 phone number to give out, only 1 device to charge in my apartment (instead of several cordless phones), it is something I can carry everywhere with me at any time, and is even better then a landline given all of my contacts are in it.
Posted by mr. Obsession - 07/21/2008
Wow…just the name “iPhone” (and especially the idea of waiting to get one) always seems to set off vitriolic anger in some people. I’m committed to decluttering my life and consider the iPhone to be one of my cornerstones. I used to carry:
- iPod (which replaced a larger, extremely battery-hungry portable CD player and “wallet” of CDs)
- Beater (read: cheap) digital camera for candids/memories
- Garmin GPS unit
- Small pad and pen
- A cell phone/PDA
Now, all of these essential items (to MY life, at least) get compacted into one piece of hardware that weighs less than the old iPod with a lot less energy expended. Plus, the old cell/iPod/etc went on Ebay and helped cover a large part of the iPhone’s cost.
…and waiting in line for ninety minutes to get it? Hey, that’s a group activity I like to participate in. The same way I’ll bet a lot of people have waited in line (with other like-minded folks) to get tickets for their favorite band, see a Broadway show, get World Series tickets, eat at a popular restaurant, get into a hot club, buy their child that perfect Christmas gift…Heck, people line up at the Costco by my house for half an hour before opening! It just depends on the value you place on the destination you’re waiting for. IMO, it takes a lot of nerve to tell other people how they should be spending THEIR time.
To see other folks who reduced their clutter with an iPhone, check out the “Things We Carry” group at Flickr: http://www.flickr.com/groups/theitemswecarry/
Posted by supersocco - 07/21/2008
I have no cell phone. Feels like I am always on vacation.
ahhhhhmmm.
Posted by Shannon - 07/21/2008
Am I the only one that has this horrible fear I’ll lose the phone(or it will get stolen) and everything on it…music, contacts, etc. If I use the iPhone for everything, it’s like putting all my cash in one wallet on vacation. I’m just not ready to do that yet…
Posted by onesnap - 07/21/2008
Got my iPhone in Dec ‘07. It has been great for my vacation home in Maine when I don’t want to lug my laptop (but still want Internet, music, and e-mail).
My favorite apps from the 2.0 upgrade are:
Pandora- hands down the best ap ever!
AOL Radio- fun to listen to radio in other cities
TripAdvisor- a service I can’t live without
New York Times- because sitting in a coffee shop reading the paper on your phone looks cool.
Urban Spoon- the slot machine and location finder is great. It’s a fun way to find a place to eat.
Posted by Tania - 07/21/2008
Tod mentioned what I was going to say… I agree with the basic point of the post, but it’s not just iPhones that do this. I have a BB Curve because – while I’m a Mac user and I do like the iPhone – there are features I need that are missing AND I refused to be forced to change carriers. My BB does everything I need and I absolutely adore this phone (no the browser isn’t as cool as the iPhones browser, but it’s good enough and I’ll live).
I think the real point is smartphone vs. traditional cell phone (or vs. nothing if you don’t need a cell). For me, ever since I got a Sidekick 4 years ago, I can imagine my life without a Smartphone. It’s definitely a need not a want and it’s a BIG Unclutterer for moi.
@ Shannon – that’s why you need to regularly back up your Smartphone same as you would your laptop/computer/whatever.
Posted by Tania - 07/21/2008
^^^ needless to say I meant to say “I canNOT imagine my life without a Smartphone…” sorry…
Posted by H20 - 07/21/2008
@supersocco : welcome to the club!!
Well, i actually do use a handphone, but not as a handphone, as i use my E90 (nokia) to go here (unclutterer) and checking mails (I have only one, [1] , mind you, active email correspondent)….so i always call my device as ”voiceless handphone” i.e. Handphone that cannot receive or make calls at all…and as substitute to laptop,camera etc
The fact is, iPhones, be it 1stgen nor current model, are not allowed to enter our country’s market
Posted by julia - 07/22/2008
I am still using my Treo 650 that I’ve had nearly 3 years now. From day one it was able to play mp3’s and movies. My husband even converted some of my favorite shows from the Tivo into a format where I can store and watch them on my Treo. The Treo offers memory card slots so I have never been limited on storage space as you can be with an ipod or iphone. You can buy software and a small keychain device to turn your Treo into a GPS navigator. And it DOES tell you turn by turn directions by voice. In fact, you can change what voice it uses. By going to a car audio place, my husband and I have had connectors installed in our car that will connect to a Treo (or an iPod), and with the Treo, those turn-by-turn directions or mp3s being played can be played through audio speakers.
You can download new music with it, check email, websites, Google maps, etc. I’ve also started reading a lot more because of it due to eReader. (I hear eReader *just* came out for the iPhone… It’s been out for palm devices for many many years.) Now I almost always check to see if there is an ebook out rather than a physical book. It also has an SSH client. My husband can access the unix machines at work through VPN and SSH via his Treo. I know I can view Word/Excel/PDF documents, but I am not sure about editing. I’ve just used my laptop if I needed to edit one.
Treos can connect to my laptop via cord or bluetooth and I can use the phone’s internet connection as a connection for my laptop. I’m not sure that the iPhone can do that, and certainly not for the last 3 years… it hasn’t been out that long.
Additional bonuses are cut & paste! Also, I’m free to use a number of services without expensive data plans. The battery lasts a long time, but if I have to go a long time without being able to recharge it, I can swap out a spare battery.
Yes, I think the iPhone is nicely designed, but it’s a lot LOT of hype and extremely expensive if you look at the data plan you’re forced to be in for 2 years. For me, buying a top of the line Treo 3 years ago, making sure it was a device I could upgrade and use for years, and not feeling like I needed the latest and “greatest” (which would have been a downgrade with the previous iPhone for sure), I have reduced gadget clutter in my life. I also highly recommend regular backups of your smartphone. I have an application that does that multiple times a day over the Internet automatically, so I don’t have to worry about getting it wrong.
Please don’t turn this blog into a big advertisement for iPhones. There are a lot more effective ways to reduce clutter in ones life than by buying more gadgets that one will feel inclined to upgrade as soon as the next model comes out.
Posted by Erin Doland - 07/22/2008
@julia — Don’t worry, only this post and the July 22 post on iPhone apps are on the schedule.
Posted by tod - 07/22/2008
Erin – Julia’s comment is an excellent summary of how smartphones (Treo, Windows Mobile, Blackberry, etc.) have been doing for years what the iPhone just now implemented. You really should highlight the alternatives and I only hope as eloquently and correctly as Julia.
I enjoy Unclutterer, but sometimes the authors’ seem to have a brand specific (just iPhone) perspective versus product category (all smartphones).
Posted by Erin Doland - 07/22/2008
@tod — I’ve never had a smartphone other than the iPhone 3G, so I can’t accurately or authentically report on it. Matt has written about other smartphone products in the past that he has had experience with and reported about them on the site. At Unclutterer, we believe in authentic reporting instead of talking about products and services we have no experience with or on which we haven’t conducted any research.
Posted by Greg - 07/24/2008
I need a good voice recoring application that will sync to a desktop app so I can get rid of my Olympus WS-110. I absolutely love Jott but it takes to long to upload the data (you must leave the app open while sending). I have seen several voice apps but none that let me transfer the files to my MacBook Pro.
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