Battle Between iPhone 4 and Google's Android Nexus One Cracks Me Up
Confession: I don't have an iPhone. This will come as a surprise to those who know me as an Apple nerd. But something really weird happened today. Something that makes me believe in the supernatural powers of Steve Jobs and his global marketing campaign.
Today, June 24th, 2010, saw the launch of iPhone 4 in the UK. You don't need me to say a word about the religious zeal with which us Mac geeks worship at the altar of Jobsfulness. Just see this great cartoon strip. And I wouldn't dream of attempting a review of iPhone 4 when the Maestro Chief of Geek Kingdom himself Stephen Fry has done it so well, calling it "an object of rare beauty".
I had seen enough iPhones in the hands of everyone cool around me to make me want one. But earlier this year, just as I was about to place an order, two things happened. Word gets out that there's soon to be an iPhone 4, and at TED2010 Google goes and surprises us all by giving away an Android Nexus One. See my dilemma? Why get an iPhone 3G when you can get a free Nexus One.
So over the last few weeks I have been getting used to hanging out with the green Android - looks more like Kermit the Frog to me - and having people ask me "what's that?". Even though my filmmaker friendly network Orange offer the iPhone, I have resisted switching. So far.
Today I was cycling to a meeting in the London afternoon rush hour. I was also expecting a call back from a very important producer about my TED Senior Fellowship project. We've been playing phone tag for the last 4 weeks, and I was eager not to miss his call should it come through while I'm on the bike. So instead of putting the Nexus One in my jeans pocket where I wouldn't hear or feel it vibrate while pedaling, I put it in my shirt's breast pocket close to my heart. A symbol of how I feel about my film. The gridlock had left little room for maneuver. Running late, I did what any self respecting urban cyclist does; hop onto the pavement to bypass two double decker buses spewing their fumes at me.
I land onto the pavement but hear the unmistakable sound of metal hitting stone. Skid to a halt and look behind to see my Nexus One kissing the pavement. Its face cracked up, the Android looks back at me sorrowful scars all over. I gently stroke it clean and turn it on. It still works. Looking at the date, 24th June, I realize it's no ordinary date. 24th June has been splashed all over the web, papers and billboards. Of all the dates in the calendar on which I could have cracked up my Nexus One, why should it happen on the day Apple launches its iPhone 4? What powers are at play here? Is this a sign? Drop me a line if something terrible happened to your Google phone today.
Taghi Amirani
@tagz23
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