So the new iPhone is coming out this Friday, July 11th. I’m sure morons across the nation will be lining up early in the morning. I have no intention of joining them, but I do have this sort of irrational urge to purchase one myself sometime in the not-so-distant future (like, a week or two from now when I can just walk into the store and buy one). But I’m conflicted. Do I really need to trade in my prepaid, sub-$40, ratty and dog-chewed Nokia brick? I doubt the iPhone will be as durable in my dog’s mouth. But it’s pretty sexy. (…the phone, not my dog’s mouth.) The feature set is great, and more than that, the GUI and overall package is leagues ahead of the competition.

What particularly attracts me to the new iPhone is the much more reasonable $199 price tag (for the 8GB model) and the 3G compatibility. To this day, there are no alternatives to dial-up where I live - other than satellite, which is both expensive and lousy. But I actually get reception via AT&T / Cingular, and I’d be very interested in using the iPhone as a router for the home computer and laptop. My neighborhood isn’t 3G, but it is EDGE, which would still be quicker than 24kbps by all acounts. (Going down the road a mile, I’d probably pick up 3G too.)

Sounds like a plan? But consider that I currently pay about $100 a year with my current AT&T GoPhone prepaid account. I just don’t use a cellphone that much, and even the cheapest plan (what, $69 a month?) would be a lot more than what I currently pay.

Could I use the same prepay account and SIM card? I don’t know. There are plenty of people out there doing it, but with varying results. Would it be cheaper than just going with the $69/month plan? How long could I get away with using the phone for internet at home? I’ve read of “unlimited” data turning out to be a misnomer, at least for heavy users.

How well would it even work? Would it work at all?? *SHRUG*

Apparently AT&T has taken advantage of the new cheaper price by increasing their plan rates. But that aside, I think this redesigned iPhone is definitely a case of where being a “late adopter” has paid off. But just how late should I be to this party? Hmm..