[July 11, 2008]

Suffering from iPhone envy?: 3G look-alikes provide similar features for less

(Victoria Advocate (TX) (KRT) Via Acquire Media NewsEdge) Jul. 11--Several touchscreen phones on the market are as user-friendly and application-oriented as the iPhone 3G.

But thousands of people, some staying all night, waited outside stores nationwide to be the first person on their block, street or town to own them.

The new iPhone 3G went on sale at AT&T stores nationwide today.

While not as much excitement surrounds just any phone on the market, what is it that makes the iPhone so great?

Features

Apple's intent with the original iPhone was to create a phone to change all phones, CEO Steve Jobs said a year ago before the original's initial launch.

Since then, other touchscreen phones have copied the success Apple saw after the original iPhone's release, selling six million in the United States before shelves went empty in May.

The LG Dare, Verizon, and Samsung Instinct, Sprint, have a lower price with many of the same key features and a cheaper bill at the end of the month.

The Dare and Instinct have Internet, GPS, e-mail, instant messenger, camera, music player, calendar and games.

They can even record video on the fly, something the iPhone cannot do.

But their biggest draw may be the money they save you.

Cost

To use Web applications, like instant messaging and e-mail, a phone must have the appropriate messaging and data plans.

Since the Dare and Instinct are not smartphones, a word used to describe mobile phones that are mini-computers also, so their voice plans are less expensive.

The iPhone will be at least $89.99 per month to include unlimited text and data.

Verizon offers the same plan for $79.99, and Sprint lowers the bar even further with their Everything Plan, starting at $69.99.

The $20 extra may not seem like much, but that is an added $240 every year.

In addition to monthly costs, the buyer has an increased cost upfront, the Instinct is the cheapest, $129 after a $100 mail-in rebate and signing or renewing a two-year service agreement.

The 8 gigabyte iPhone and the Dare cost the same, $199 after signing or renewing a two-year service agreement.

So, you could save $320 by buying a Samsung Instinct on Sprint's Everything plan.

What do these savings mean to you?

Enough to pay for 80 gallons of gasoline.

Brandon L. Leonard is a reporter for the Advocate. Contact him at 361-574-1286 or bleonard@vicad.com.

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