Apple iPhone 3G review
I’ve got one! The Apple iPhone 3G has been prodded by me for a few hours now. What’s it like? Well, to be fair, it’s ok. Not the world changing device you’d expect based on the pre-launch hype but it’s still pretty bloody good.
The first to note is this: all men, if not already a techie, are closet techies - so who needs an instruction manual??? Err, I did. Yes, the iPhone is pretty easy to use out of the box but you’ll still need to check the manual for some of the finer points. Trust me, it’s well worth it once you’re up and running with your snappy new Apple iPhone 3G. That said, a number of sites out on the web are already offering free help if you get really stuck.
Design
As you would expect, the iPhone 3G is a very attractive piece of hardware - it make the original iPhone look dated. The rear of chassis is curved making the iPhone 3G comfortable to hold. Further improvements can been seen in the ringer switch, volume buttons, and the sleep/wake button which all have a metallic chrome finish. The only problem with this layout is the ringer switch which is a little stiff when the handset is fresh out of the box. A really good piece of news is the change to the headphone jack - no more adaptors needed as the jack is now flush with the case. The 3G and WiFi features in the new iPhone make it more than worthwhile to upgrade (I did have some problems with 3G connectivity initially but this seems to be ok now).
The GPS capability is fantastic - a huge improvement over the old ‘Locate Me’ application which used WiFi (what good is a GPS feature that gives your location to the nearest x000 metres?). Using AGPS makes the iPhone 3G very accurate. A nice touch here is the display; when you’re ‘found’ you the circle will pulsate, followed by a blue pinpoint indicating your location. After a brief pause, arrow closes in on your location.
The screen seems clearer than the last iPhone but that could just be me being loved up with the iPhone 3G. There is a slight tint to the screen but this makes the display easier to view (a bit like those shooting glasses everyone used to have).
Call quality is simply amazing - crisp, audible tones even on 3G. Nothing more to say here!
Email support has seen a massive improvement with the ability to connect to Microsoft Exchange server which will make the iPhone 3G very appealing to companies using MS products.
App Store is effectively a suite of applications available to all iPhone users. Simply browse the store for applications, read the user reviews, install (you’ll be billed for this) and continue to use - nice and easy.
The camera is a bit of a let down - it’s only 2Mpxs. Some people have reported crisper images in the camera but I didn’t really notice the difference - come on Apple, you can do better than that.
Battery life has been improved. You’ll get about 8 - 10 hours life when using EDGE but be warned; 3G eats batteries so turn off 3G when you don’t need it.
The iPhone 3G comes with a range of other features that will appeal to both businesses and day to day users such as support for PowerPoint, Numbers, Keynote, and Pages attachments (you can only look at these docs, not edit them).
Conclusion
I love the iPhone 3G. Ok, there are a few things that Apple could do to improve the device but, on the whole, I’m very impressed.
Downside
It’s only available with an O2 contract, there’s no Flash or Java. Finally, the most annoying point - you can’t replace the battery yourself! Ah well, can’t have it all.
If you’re looking for more reviews on the iPhone 3G, you could try looking over at Test Freaks.
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