The iPhone 3G
The iPhone 3G is the second generation of Apple’s convergence device that melds its successful line of music players and a cellphone with a touch screen interface. In typical Apple fashion, the device is aesthetically pleasing, with svelte curves that feel good to hold.
The new iPhone 3G differs in appearence only slighly from the original. The iPhone 3G is technically 2.5mm slimmer than its predecessor, which enable Apple to tout as being thinner; however you would be hard pressed to tell without close examination. The iPhone 3G employs a plastic back (in white or black) versus the original aluminum. While I do not have an original iPhone to compare WiFi reception, it has been reported that the improvments affored by the plastic backing are quite noticeable. The plastic backing also helped Apple shave off an ounce or so of the iPhone’s weight, which when combined with the new curvier frame makes it fit in your hand better. Some people feel that it also makes the device seem slightly cheeper as well; however, I like the look of the plastic back. I also feel that the plastic back will hold up better against scratches.
Apple also listened to the many complaints about its flush headphone port which prohibited you from using standard headphone without an adaptor and zapped it out of the design. This is great and all, but the device mutes its microphone when you have headphones attached, so unless you are using the supplied Apple headphones you will have to uplug them with making a call. And personally, I do not like the supplied Apple headphones. They feel cheeper than the ones they usually supply with their iPod in that the cord is quite thin. I happen to have a pair of the Bose TriPort headphone and love them – they fit much better in my ears. Hopefully Apple will patch the OS and make the muting of the internal mic and option, but until then you will have to unplug any non-Apple headphones if you receive a phone call with them plugged in.
The most exciting changes for the iPhone 3G happen on the inside with the inclusion of Infineon’s PMB 2525 Hammerhead II, a GPS chip accurate to within 10 feet, and PMB 6820, which provides cell data access from EDGE up to 3G and HSDPA. While there is no turn-by-turn navigation software available, TeleNav has confirms an in-car navigation app. This of course does not limit the usefulness of having a GPS built into the phone. Many of the newly released iPhone social networking app such as: Loopt and Twitterific employ its use. And even though Google maps doesn’t support turn-by-turn, the combination of its map overlay and its ability to find your location make it a highly effective navigation tool.
As for the 3G functions of the iPhone, they’re really dependant upon your coverage area. While I was in the city (New York City for those living someplace crazy), I was getting 3G reception everywhere. While I was on AT&T’s 3G network, downloads were “fast” with an average of 235 kbps. However, while home, in Westchester, where the iPhone routinly switched from 3G to EDGE, I was only getting around 120 kbps. Check ATT&T’s 3G coverage before you buy an iPhone, because if you are in a predominatly EDGE network, you are stil going to be paying a $10 premium per month for 3G service!
Perhaps the most important feature when talk about a phone is its battery life. Because, what use is a dead phone when you need to make a phone call. This being my first smart phone I was little shocked about how often I will need to charge this thing. With my last phone I could go about 3 days without charging before my phone would die on me, with the iPhone I need to charge every single night. Apple report 5 hours of talk time using 3G and around the same of web usage. Gizmodo also has a round-up of nine independent battery life tests as reported on various sites around the net. Of course being a new phone, I am playing with a lot of its new features which is significantly shortening the battery life. However, I feel that once the novelty wears off I should be able to get about 1.5 days without a charge. This is acceptable, but not great. But since my phone is my iPod (and I never forget to charge that thing) I will be twice as likely to remember to charge the phone, so in the end it’s probably a mute point.
With each rendition of the iPod, apple includes less and less accessories. I remember my first iPod (2G) came with a dock, headphones, carrying case, and remote. This trend continues with the iPhone. Although it still includes the USB power adapter (which has been redesigned to be much slimmer but less curvy), the iPhone 3G drops the dock that its first-gen brother included. It is now a $30 accessory, but I think it is worth the cost for the recharge reminder alone. I also like that it prevents me from reseting my iPhone down, reducing the chance of me scratching it. The headphones that come with the iPhone 3G are nearly identical to the previous versions, except for a 1" increase in length. The headphones sport a microphone/clicker that enable you to control the iPod feature of the phone and receive calls. This is a really great feature, but I just find the headphone to be too flimsy. The iPhone also comes with a tool to help eject your SIM card and a small microfiber cleaning cloth that you will lose in one day. If you are going to obsess about keeping you iPhone clean I recommend iKlear. In reality though, it is best to not worry about it, as it is a touch screen and smudges are a fact of life with the device.
Apart from the battery issues and a few minor issues with the iPhone 2.0 software, I really love this phone. And with the inclusion of the App Store, it will only get more and more powerful. It has by far the best cell phone web browser and with apps like Twitterific and Facebook, it makes staying it touch (or stalking) even easier. If you don’t have AT&T, and your still in contract I would wait until its over. I don’t think in its current state it’s worth having to pay the early termination fee. The software still has a few bugs and most of the apps offered are still only beta quality. However, in about 4 months time there will be a 32 GB version, a significant update to the software with support for PUSH services, and much more stable third-party applications.
Michael Petnuch is a graduate math student who enjoys walking on his hands, drinking diet coke, solving math problems, and being silly!
