First-Gen iPhones Getting Better with Time

So, in July, how many of the original attendees of the Nerdstock iPhone festival in 2007 will abandon that platform and opt for Blackberry, Samsung, Nokia, Android, Palm, Motorola or other labels? The bet here: very, very few.

Apple has consistently added so much great, new functionality (for free) to the First-Gen iPhones that the devices continue to increase in value every time there's a software update. Geo-triangulation and mapping, iTunes access on the device, integration with Microsoft Exchange and the Genius music feature are all add-ons since the first iPhones went on sale. In addition, the launch of the iTunes App Store has been an off-the-charts success.

The only two bummers, in terms of the iPhone ecosystem, have been the continued spotty coverage by AT&T in entire regions of the U.S. (like New England), and the disaster of the iPhone-focused product called MobileMe.

Otherwise, the iPhone (original and 3G) remains the most wildly popular tech product over the past year and a half. In Apple's most recent quarter, the company reported 88 percent growth in iPhone unit shipments compared to the previous year. And to say the last quarter was an economic and business challenge would be an understatement.

Already, we're starting to see what purport to be early photos of the next iteration of Apple's iPhone. (Although those photos don't really show an awful lot.)

For me? Unless my First-Gen iPhone bursts into flames in the next six months, I'll stick with what I've been using for the past year and a half.

Update: Christopher Spencer writes: