Price didn't matter to him, so he picked the phone that he liked the most, the same way you might buy a rolex because you like it, not because it offers better features than a $10 watch.
If reports around here are any indication, though, a $150 Nokia phone will work better (e.g., better sound quality) for making phone calls than an iPhone.
I've not heard complaints from iPhone-using friends about that, all complaints are about aspects that my father won't use, so when he asked my advice I didn't steer him away from it, and he hasn't had any issues with it.
And again, it comes down to "what would be better, a nice looking rolex or a military grade watch that guarantees to keep time a fraction of a second better than the rolex" - if he doesn't need the product that's technically best in the aspects he cares about, and doesn't care whether he spends $70 or $700, why not get the shiniest one that he'll enjoy the most.
But it's not marketed anywhere near as well - certainly it's not seen as the cool thing to have.
I used to work in AppleCare; the number of people who told me they bought iPhones because their friends told them to, but who were surprised there was an app store, or a music playing app, was amazing.
