Innovative design and seamless integration between software and device propelled the first-generation iPhone to instant stardom. Its successor, the iPhone 3G, at once expands upon that innovation -- and delivers it at half the entry price of its predecessor. The result is a classy device whose abilities continue to make it a strong choice for smart phone shoppers who value form that supports function--but less of a must-have upgrade than you might think.
Up front, Apple largely delivers on its promises. iPhone 2.0 software supports, among other things, the newly launched and eagerly awaited iPhone App Store. (Owners of first-generation iPhones can download the software for free.) A faster wireless radio loads Web pages up to three times faster. An appealing lower price makes the iPhone more accessible to an audience beyond early adopters and gadget hounds ($299 for the 16GB version in either white or black or $199 for the 8GB version -- that's one-third the price of the original 4GB iPhone that shipped a year ago).
But in some ways, the iPhone 3G feels like an incremental upgrade at best -- one that does little to capitalize on Apple's already sizable jump on its competition. The list of details that remain overlooked or not included is sizable: no removable media, no Java or Flash support in Safari, no cut-and-paste. Most all of these are points that Apple could have easily fixed, which makes their omission all the more frustrating.
IPhone: The big news
The big news with iPhone 3G is given away by its name: If you live within AT&T's 3G Mobile Broadband network (which uses HSDPA technology), the new phone can provide up to three times the throughput of AT&T's EDGE network. The original iPhone's lack of 3G support was widely criticized when that model first launched last summer, with only AT&T's slower EDGE wireless data network.
AT&T says its third-generation mobile network is available in some 280 markets now; that number will grow to 350 by next year, according to the company.
How valuable 3G may be will depend entirely on AT&T's network coverage in your area. I tested the phone in suburban Long Island, N.Y., where AT&T shows 3G network support. At Inetworktest.com, the original iPhone's EDGE bandwidth was 174.8 kbps; the iPhone 3G's performance was just a little better, at 210.1 kbps.
In this corner of New York (at the Roosevelt Field shopping mall), Wi-Fi performance on the 3G iPhone blew all of those numbers out of the water: 1,360.3 kbps.
Another big addition: a GPS receiver. The first-generation iPhone could triangulate your location based on cell-phone towers and Wi-Fi signals. The iPhone 3G's Assisted-GPS receiver should refine those results, both for mapping directions and for location-based applications (such as finding the nearest pizza place or hotel). We'll report back on the GPS's accuracy after we've had a chance to put it through its paces.
One pleasant surprise with this upgrade: Talk quality is vastly improved. The initial calls I made on the 3G network had excellent audio quality and clarity; and, the volume button was very effective in adjusting the audio (I had issues with the first iPhone's loudness last time year).
Similar look, different feel
The new iPhone 3G has the same width and length as its predecessor, but it is 0.2-inch thicker. It has a curvier design on its underside, which makes the phone feel comfortable in your hand. The gorgeous, multitouch 3.5-inch screen is back; pinch, squeeze and glide gestures continue to make the iPhone one of the simplest -- and certainly the most fun -- cell phone to navigate.
Some of the iPhone 3G's design points have been switched up. Whereas before the back was metallic, now it's all molded plastic; and the buttons along the side -- previously made of hard plastic -- are now cast in solid metal (a subtle improvement). The plastic back helps account for the iPhone 3G's minutely lighter weight: 4.7 ounces to 4.8 ounces. But, it's very prone to fingerprints, and both looks and feels a bit chintzy, like stepping down from a Lexus to a Camry.
Thankfully, Apple integrated one very necessary and welcome hardware change: The headphone jack is now flush with the upper edge of the phone, so you can use any headphones with a standard 3.5mm jack you wish. This marks a notable improvement over the previous version, which required a kludgy plug to connect a headphone.
The charger is significantly smaller and less obtrusive. That's important considering you may need to take it with you more often. You can't replace the battery yourself (Apple charges $86 to do it), and if you use the 3G radio, you'll drain the battery up to twice as fast as you would without the 3G radio. The phone no longer comes with a charging dock; Apple now charges an extra $30 for that (the dock is slightly smaller now). Instead, like iPods, the iPhone 3G now comes with just a USB charging cable.
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content by :By Melissa J. Perenson, PC World
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