The Prospect of a New Phone

My cell phone is rapidly deteriorating. The phone crashes occasionally, has enough paint chipped away that you can see the interior guts in places, and, worst of all, gets a screwy keyboard issue where the second row of buttons turns into the first (press S, get a W...press W, get a W.) It makes doing most anything nearly impossible. But my contract has finally expired, and I can't wait to exercise my right as an American to lock myself into another two-year contract in exchange for a moderate discount on a new cell phone.

Unfortunately it's not going to be an iPhone. It's still tethered to AT&T, and I can't wait long enough for its emancipation. So I'm going for either some flavor of Google Android phone, or a Palm Pre (leaning toward the Android phones now.) Both options are pretty strong contenders against Apple's offerings, so I won't feel too deprived.

I can't wait. My "need a phone that works" and my "want a fun, new gadget" itches both need scratching. The biennial ritual of getting a new cell phone is a great excuse to spend money on a slick new gadget even when there isn't a good reason to upgrade. I'm just glad I can still afford it, because I just can't live without a good cell anymore. That's one of the reasons I never bought an iPod.