What is the whole buzz about the new iPhone 4? It has been out since last year!

People are excited for Feb. 10, the date when all existing Verizon Wireless customers will finally get the chance to invest in the latest iPhone.

But why should there be so much excitement for a stupid phone? Without the extra new features, the iPhone 4 really is just a phone. It can make calls, it allows texting, and it has a camera with video recording. What else could you possibly want?

As long as I have a phone that can make a call anywhere in the world, I am fine. I don’t need “FaceTime,” one of the new unnecessary features of the iPhone 4. FaceTime allows an individual to see the face of the person with whom he or she is speaking. What do you think the webcam was created for? The sole purpose is allowing you to see your family or friends’ faces occasionally, not every time you call them.

Nai Saeteurn, junior liberal arts major, thinks otherwise.

“FaceTime lets me keep in touch with my family even though they live two hours away from me,” Saeteurn said.

FaceTime on the latest iPhone may work for some like Saeteurn; however, I don’t need FaceTime when I can use my $40 webcam instead.

Other features of the iPhone 4 are video editing and recording. Unless you are a YouTube fanatic, being able to edit your videos is really pointless. You have a laptop or desktop computer for the very same reason.

Ahmed Shaher, junior accounting major, also does not understand the excitement for the new Verizon iPhone 4.

“I really don’t care that the iPhone 4 is coming to Verizon, because it has been out for six months,” Shaher said.

Verizon and AT&T are the nation’s largest wireless carriers, with more than 180 million wireless customers combined. So what’s the big deal? It’s just a phone.

Those who have an iPhone with AT&T see a difference in cost.

Adam Gardizi, a Sac State alumnus and nurse anesthetist, said he would change phone companies but felt AT&T was cheaper than Verizon.

“My friend has Verizon and he pays a lot more than I do,” Gardizi said.

Even though I think the iPhone 4 has unnecessary features, some features may work to the advantage of some business professionals.

“I can do almost everything with it; I can upload my medical journals and PDF files, and calculate my medical dosages,” Gardizi said.

In short, all the excitement created for the Verizon iPhone 4 is pointless. I don’t think so much excitement should be created for a phone. As long as I have a simple one with simple features, I am satisfied. Of course, the buzz for the iPhone 4 is still strong, unless the day comes when Apple stops manufacturing smartphones.

Nadiah Niazi can be reached at [email protected].