14 DAY TRIAL // Recent reports suggest that Apple isn't making any real effort in dropping the price on the new iPhone 3G. By leaving out the Dock that used to ship with the first-gen iPhone, Apple has managed to reduce the cost of the device by as much as $50. However, some believe Apple is leaving out an important accessory this time around.
One thing worth mentioning first is that Apple didn't reduce the price of the iPhone by just 50 dollars, but by around a hundred bucks when Steve Jobs confirmed the new device at WWDC '08 this month. Sure, they're getting a nice profit from deals signed with AT&T in the US, O2 in Europe and, of course, from accessory sales that, yes, include the new iPhone Dock. But who says Apple has to break a sweat over everyone who wants an iPhone 3G? Do you necessarily want to see someone suffering when their actions are beneficial for you, even if that's not their intention?
Had the device actually depended on its Dock to sync with a computer or recharge its battery, the argument would have been more than appropriate. But most folks really just care about the device itself. Some are such iPhone geek-brain fanatics that once they get their hands on it they'll probably go for the most expensive data plan to make sure they won't miss a thing, as far as new software goes.
Take the App Store for instance. Once that thing is up and running with free apps coming from all sides of the world, who will care about a lousy Dock (which you don't even take with you unless you go on vacation or something)? The iPhone is a portable device, meant to be used anywhere, but its USB Power Adapter is a drag on the go.
In conclusion, since it's only fair to assume some folks just don't want their iPhone lying flat on the table, scratching its glossy plastic back cover and having an ugly, irregularly shaped wire sticking out of it, do you think it's such a big deal that Apple's iPhone 3G doesn't ship with its own Dock?
Note that it is only obvious Apple will make an extra buck or two for not including the iPhone 3G Dock in the box, while first-gen iPhone docks (and other accessories) don't match the new device.