First Look :
The iPhone 3G is basically the same old iPhone in a new shell with 3G and A-GPS thrown in. Apple hasn’t addressed the demand for features like Video Recording, a better Cam, Flash support in Safari and setting songs as ringtones yet. However it now comes with the much faster 3G network support. Apple has also bundled in A-GPS for all the GPS lovers. The 3G iPhone is available in 8GB and 16GB versions, available for $199 and $299 with contracts and $599 and $699 for the contract free versions respectively. The iPhone 3G also comes with the new iPhone v2.0 firmware. It supports downloading softwares and games from the App Store for a fee.
Apple iPhone 3G Specifications:
- Dimensions : 115.5 x 62.1 x 12.3 mm
- Weight : 133 g
- Display : 3.5″ Touchscreen with MultiTouch, 16M colors
- Resolution : 320 x 480 pixels
- Connectivity : GPRS, EDGE, 3G, HSDPA, WLAN 802.11 b/g, Bluetooth 2.0
- Internal Memory : 8 GB / 16 GB.
- Camera : 2MP Cam, 1600*1200 pixels
- Price : $199 / $299 (with contract) & $599 / $699 (w/o contract).
Design :
The iPhone 3G, as like any Apple product, is slim and beautiful. It has more or less the same design as the iPhone. The iPhone 3G has sloping edges unlike the original iPhone and is a bit thinker at the center. It is slightly lighter than the older iPhone. The back of the phone is now made of black plastic instead of the silver aluminium original. The 8 GB iPhone 3G is out in only black, while the 16 GB will be available in black and white. The screen is the same as the old iPhone. The other ports and keys show no changes. One other change is that you no longer get the Dock bundled with the iPhone. It has to be purchased separately for $30. Not that it matters much, because you do get a small and cute charger with the iPhone 3G now.
3G and GPS :
The iPhone supports 3 major UMTS bands making it compatible with 3G networks all around the globe. The 3G support greatly increases the surfing speed in Safari, providing a much better browsing experience. The iPhone 3G also supports A-GPS (Assisted GPS) which traces your position using satellites and nearby cell phone towers. It also supports Live tracking to track you on the move as well as Geotagging to tag images and other media with geographic locations. The A-GPS works perfectly with the bundled Google Maps application.
Applications :
The iPhone 3G also offers support for 3rd party Apps and Games via the newly launched App Store. Users can purchase and download many Apps over Wi-Fi or over a data connection using their iTunes account. The App Store currently features many cool apps like eBay, Loopt, Facebook etc. It includes support for office documents and also offers Microsoft Exchange support - Push email, Contacts, Calendar etc. It also supports the POP3 and IMAP mail protocols (for popular mail services like Gmail, Yahoo Mail, Hot Mail etc) like its predecessor. Apple’s new service - Mobile Me, offering features like Push Email, Contacts, Calendar, Data backup, Online storage, is also fully compatible with the iPhone 3G. Safari is better than ever and changes its orientation with the help of the accelerometer according to angle at which the phone is held. MultiTouch gestures are used when browsing to navigate, zoom just like the older iPhone. However, it still doesn’t support Flash. The onscreen virtual QWERTY keyboard autocorrects any mistakes as you type, but still it is a bit difficult typing on it without any tactile feedback. Also there is no cut-paste support yet. It is as if Apple has simply ignored all the demands of the First Gen iPhone users.
Multimedia :
The iPhone has great sound quality, living up to its iPod lineage. Coverflow looks great on the iPhone 3G. It has excellent video playback, with transparent video controls available with just a tap. The 3.5″ screen offers much more screen real estate then other phones and is ideal for watching movies. One welcome addition for music lovers is the inclusion of a new flush headphone jack instead of the recessed jack in the older version, allowing you to use any standard 3.5mm headphones with it. The device syncs perfectly with iTunes on a PC or Mac. The iPhone 3G still has the old 2MP cam with no Autofocus or Flash. It still doesn’t have FM or video recording. It doesn’t support sending files over Bluetooth and no A2DP.
Other Features :
The iPhone 3G seems to have significantly better call reception quality than the original iPhone. It has an improved battery life lasting about 4.5 hours with 3G and Wi-Fi usage and offers 10 hours of talktime. You can also turn off 3G from the settings to squeeze even more juice out of the battery. It also has better Wi-Fi reception than the older version.
Pros :
- Great Design
- MultiTouch Screen
- Superb Audio and Video playback
- 3G and A-GPS support
- 3rd Party Applications - App Store
- Good browsing experience
- Better battery life
Cons :
- Network Locked
- Expensive
- No mechanical QWERTY Keypad
- Mediocre 2MP Cam with no AF/Flash/Video recording
Final Thoughts :
The iPhone 3G, though expensive, is still a good buy considering its great features. Its MultiTouch interface is a major plus point. Apple hasn’t ironed out many of its much complained about creases from the iPhone. It doesn’t exactly trump its competitors but does carve out its own place. It offers a superb multimedia and web browsing experience. It may also turn out to be a decent gaming device with the new Games churned out by the App Store, some of them making brilliant use of the Accelerometer and other sensors. We definitely give it a “Recommended” rating. However existing iPhone users don’t actually need to upgrade if they don’t require the faster 3G connection or GPS as they don’t have any other new noteworthy features.
Our rating : 7/10
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