When I watched the first iPhone keynote, I was in awe. I was pumped it was coming out on my carrier.
I was getting one for sure.
There wasn’t much information about how to get one. So I ordered online. Others lined up, but I ordered. And then I tried talking to Cingular reps I knew in the days leading up to launch to make sure I got one.
I don’t concretely remember that day. But what I do know is I had only been dating my wife a couple of months, and she lived in Portland and would be driving up later that night to see me. I remember my car was in the shop (my car was always in the shop at that time). I remember the Apple website said August would be when I got my phone.
I remember that ship date being completely unacceptable to me.
I remember David Pogue’s review and how it made me lust for this bit of magic called iPhone.
I needed to get to the store, and to get an iPhone.
I called my wife (remember girlfriend then) and asked her a simple question: “hey, you close?”
She was 20 minutes away.
What happened next was one of the most awkward moments, I said: “so, how much do you l… uh, like me?”
Her: “Huh?”
“I mean when you get here would you mind driving me to the store so I could get an iPhone?”
“Really? Ok, I guess, but would you drive?”
I literally stood waiting for her at the end of the driveway. Recalling this now, it’s amazing my story with her goes on.
We first went to the local Cingular store, they knew me there, but no luck. I was on a business plan and thus couldn’t buy one for some asinine reason I’ve yet to comprehend, furthermore they were asses about it.
On a whim I drove to the Apple store, 35 minutes away on a Friday evening, while my girlfriend sat tired in the seat next to me after driving a long ways to see me for just a couple of days.
At the Apple Store I bought two iPhones, then went back in a bought a third (one for me, one for my dad, and another for a friend — none for my girlfriend, not smooth Ben).
Once home I quickly learned I couldn’t activate the iPhone (done through iTunes back then). I had a business account and Cingular wouldn’t allow it.
Fuck. Me.
I took a break to see my wife. (Smartest thing I did that night, but only after I slid the iPhone lock screen for emergency calls no less than 50 times.)
The next morning I called Cingular. They were up to speed and quickly moved the three iPhones I purchased from a business plan to a family plan. Jackpot. Activated.
I’ve owned every iPhone since then, and I still have them all. My original iPhone is gone, but we still have Erin’s original iPhone. All the iPhones still get used everyday except that old original phone. On a whim I pulled it out last night, charged it, and updated it.
It still works fine, and even though it is quite a bit slower than my current iPhone, it doesn’t really feel that much slower.
The camera though, oh boy are we lucky we still don’t have that clunker.
Original iPhone:
iPhone 5s:
Here’s to another seven years.
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