The lack of time management exemplified by these iPhone zealots is overshadowed by their blind faith in Apple's brand.  People who have donated thousands of dollars to Apple and AT&T during the past few years by upgrading their phone three times have only the preachings of their lord and savior Steve Jobs to drive them to the store.  Until recently, almost all of the software upgrades available for the iPhone 3G and iPhone 3GS were also available for the iPhone 2G.  The differences in hardware between the generations were few, and I could easily debate that spending hundreds of dollars per year for a crisper camera, an upgraded GPS or slightly faster networking is a questionable investment.  Still, these early adopters are happy to elbow their way to the Apple Store once again to pay another $300 for a camera on the front of their phone.  Seth Godin would be so proud of the "tribe" of unwavering followers that Apple has built.

At this point, my mobile phone ownership has reached a crossroad.  When the original 2G iPhone was released, I owned a Blackberry Pearl (which I reluctantly upgraded after more than two years on a Treo 650).  There was a significant leap between my incumbent phone and Apple's new release, so I was happy when my company bought me an iPhone.  I am still using that original "silverback" version today.  Since that purchase, I have considered other options, such as the 3G, 3GS and Android fleet, but I have not been swayed until now.  At this point, my antiquated camera, slow networking, and discontinued software upgrade potential (version 4.0 of the iPhone firmware is not available for first generation phones) are causing me to start shopping.

So, as a current iPhone owner, will I simply upgrade to their fourth generation product without considering alternatives?  As with any purchase, I think there are several factors to weigh, and each one is valued differently by each consumer.  For me, the main difference between Droids and iPhones is the quality of the network.  That's it, the rest is clever marketing (except, maybe, for Facetime, but since it only works on WiFi connections amongst iPhone 4 users, Droid will have ample time to catch up soon).  Need a good camera, a plethora of apps, the ability to manage messages and an integrated MP3 player?  Both products are within an arm's reach of each other in all of those areas, especially after Google Music is launched in September.  However, it doesn't matter how cool your phone is if you can't get online, and the AT&T network in the San Francisco Bay Area has become so oversubscribed that it is now a deterrent from marrying oneself to the carrier for another two years.  So, in my personal evaluation of the mobile phone market, the network is the most important differentiator, and Apple's inability to partner with more carriers might be the impetus for me to join the growing marketshare of Droid users.