Could this be love?

I made it. Normally an early adopter, this time I resisted the urge for about a year. Just when I thought I couldn’t possibly stand it another day without an iPhone, Steve Jobs held a press conference to lure me in. “Jill... it’s time,” he said.

Well, he kind of said that. He might have actually said something more along the lines of “more affordable, GPS, faster, blah, blah,” it doesn’t matter. I’m in. But, is the iPhone really the best? Or do I want one  because it’s, well… just really cool?

Are iPhones so popular because of rationality and a straight up comparison of features with iPhone competitors, or is it an emotional decision people are making? I'll admit it, my iPhonelust is purely emotional. But what about the rest of us -- is it true love or rationality? Maybe a little bit of both.

Let’s look at the original iPhone. Our data shows that people who bought the first generation iPhone wanted to protect it more than people who bought other phones that cost the same. This could simply mean that people view the devices as more fragile than other devices, but it could also mean that the gadgets have a higher perceived value as compared to a device of comparable retail price.

               

Model	% Electing ADH Coverage
Apple iPhone	72%
Blackberry Curve	60%
Other Models in Price Range	42%

Buy a $200 Treo and stuff it in your purse or pocket. Addicting? Yes. Moving? Not so much. Buy a $200 iPhone 3G and I’ll bet you’ll find yourself checking up on it just to see how it’s doing in there. Sounds like rational love to me.

In case you’re one of those people (like me) who plans on waiting in line on July 11^th, keep in mind that SquareTrade is the only warranty service that intends to offer Accidental Damage from Handling (ADH) coverage on the new iPhone 3G.  Not even Apple or AT&T are offering it.  Check out the details of ADH here.  And you can sign up right from your shiny new iPhone as you walk away with it, eliminating all the risk when you do your little uncoordinated victory dance in the parking lot.