Since moving to Israel in 2004, I’ve purchased two new mobile phones. The first was a Sony Ericsson T630 that I bought from a shop on Jerusalem’s Ben Yehuda Street in early 2005. The second was a first generation iPhone that I bought in America in early 2008.
My reason for buying the first phone locally, instead of getting an unlocked GSM phone in a Costco or on Ebay, was that I needed a phone with an operating system capable of displaying Hebrew, and a keypad with Hebrew letters for typing in Hebrew. For the privilege of getting a phone that would be suitable for someone who lives in Israel, I paid roughly a 50% premium over the American retail price.
My reason for buying the second phone internationally was that technology had advanced sufficiently in the next three years that I was able to overcome the operating system language and keypad language barriers. Question: how did this happen? Answer: the keypad became part of the operating system.
The original iPhone was the first phone I ever encountered that was genuinely as much a pocket computer as it was a phone. Computers get periodic software updates, so it’s natural for the iPhone to get them also. Therefore Apple planned ahead and built a system for computer owners to update their iPhones through their computers (I wish it hadn’t been through iTunes, but hey). And, because Apple gave iPhone users an easy way to update their phones, they also gave iPhone users an easy way to modify the updates, which meant people in places like Russia and Israel, two countries that didn’t have access to iPhones with support for their languages, could add support.
In that way, Apple’s iPhone, with its touchscreen keypad and system for firmware updates, became the first truly international phone.
At the beginning of the iPhone era, jailbreaking and unlocking an iPhone was a bit of a terrifying process. The modification was run on the phone itself, so if something went wrong, the phone could be busted permanently (nowadays, the software is modified by a program on the user’s computer and then, once it’s done and correct, it’s uploaded to the phone as part of a restore). The first time I installed the Hebrew hack – that is, giving my iPhone the ability to display Hebrew characters and enter them via a Hebrew keypad – I learned that it was actually a hack on the Russian hack. There was a confusing process to follow, at the end of which I had to go somewhere on the phone and turn on the option for Russian, after which I could select an international menu and Hebrew letters would appear. Does that sound terrifying to you? It definitely was to me (nowadays, iPhones are finally sold in Israel and Hebrew support is native).
A lot of people won’t buy an iPhone, or won’t buy another one, because they hate the touchscreen keypad and demand physical keys that they can have the feeling of punching. Undeniably, having that tactile-textual experience is awesome, but after seeing the iPhone’s great ability to switch out an infinite number of keyboards, I know that I’ll be using this type of phone for a long time.
By the way, which phone do you think cost more?
If you guessed the iPhone, you were absolutely wrong. In fact, the two phones cost about the same. Buying phones in Israel is for suckers.
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iphones are definitely well-known all over the world but they’re mostly popular in the US, however. For instance, in Russia it’s expensive to buy one and only quite rich people own these phones. Although, it goes without saying that they’re like mini computers which is so convenient.
… So how bad it really is to buy a phone in Israel?
I don’t want Windows Mobile or iPhone (ideology), i don’t want Symbian (horrible usability), so the only thing left for me is to try Android. I tried comparing prices on Orange.co.il and on Amazon.com and they looked quite close – plus, in Orange i would get refunds and warranty.
So, am i missing something?
I haven’t gotten to use Android phones much, but I’m looking forward to trying out Android 2.2 next month when I’m in America. Even though I’ve been a big Apple fan for almost my entire life, and I love my aging first generation iPhone and I’m totally happy with it, I will definitely consider an Android phone in the next couple months to replace it.
I think the openness of Android is awesome and admirable, but for me, openness really isn’t helpful on a mobile phone that needs to be operational 24/7 (I need to make and receive important phone calls, so I’ll never install anything really interesting or risky on there), or even on a primary computer that needs to be functional on a daily basis (I need it for work, so again, I’ll never install anything really interesting or risky on there). I’m also concerned about what exactly Google is doing in the mobile phone operating system market, which is just commoditizing the complement and which is why they have no long term incentive to make amazing phones or even to keep their awesome phones amazing in the future with amazing operating system upgrades.
For me, the decision will mainly come down to price. Apple has essentially priced me out of the market – buying an iPhone here under contract is insane, and buying one unlocked abroad is about as expensive as buying another computer. But I’m not at all thrilled about having to deal with whatever bullshit I’ll face with Android – the Hebrew, the slow release cycle, etc.
By the way, what you’re missing about buying a phone in Israel versus buying it abroad is that, when you buy it here, you’re buying it from Israelis. They have every incentive to screw you over. Don’t forget: in America, the customer is always right; in Israel, the customer must be proven wrong.
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