Apple iPhone 3G

“We've had our fair share of the first-gen iPhone but, honestly, we weren't caught in the excitement last year until we saw it live. It was only after it arrived in our office that we really appreciated its sleek design and groundbreaking user interface.Now a year later, the excitement grew on us weeks before we even had a chance to play with the iPhone 3G. And once it arrived, the enthusiasm gradually fades away. What's the point in your new device looking just like your old device? What's the point of having a GPS receiver when there is no navigation software for it? Yeah, we heard rumors of various companies prepping some real GPS navigation software, but we've been hearing the same rumors for the copy/paste functionality for over a year now.Half the price, as the campaign motto goes, is not quite true either. A contract-free iPhone 3G is gonna cost you more than the iPhone 1G bought from US Apple store, imported and then (h)activated and unlocked the rogue way.OK, there's the 3G with HSDPA. Now HSDPA is way faster than EDGE we agree, and as far as we are concerned, that's the only selling point of the iPhone 3G.But there's the math - adding 3G to the iPhone will cost the price of a new 3G-enabled handset altogether. The price of one is basically the difference between your second-hand iPhone 1G and a spanking new unlocked iPhone 3G.Now, don't get us wrong - don't let our upgrader's point of view get in your way. We were impressed by the iPhone 1G and now it's even better. If you've never had one and the iPhone 3G is offered in your country - now that Apple's creation is finally on par with most other modern handsets specs-wise - it seems the right time to get yourself geared up.The Apple iPhone, be it 1G or 3G, still has the most impressive full touch user interface to-date, and with the concept of AppStore, it have just gotten better. The iPhone 3G is evidently more evolution than revolution, but it still packs quite a punch. And there's some unique features that you can hardly get in any other high-end gadgets.”

“There's much to love about Apple's new burner: GPS, 3G, Exchange support and an upgraded OS with hundreds of downloadable apps. Yet the camera still stinks, there's no cut and paste, and - because Apple didn't make voice-dialing a priority - it's completely unsafe to use an iPhone while driving. Then there's the battery: If you plan to use any of those new hardware features or processor-intensive apps, expect to charge up twice a day.But here's how far ahead the iPhone is: Even though the hardware upgrade is a massive disappointment, the intuitive software and trademark multitouch input wins it the best-in-its-class award.”

“For our money, you're going to have a hard time finding a better device for two hundred bucks -- or maybe even for any price. But that doesn't mean you ought to toss your original iPhone, either. With the release of iPhone 2.0, Apple's given early adopters every possible new feature for free, meaning the iPhone 3G's biggest roadblock to adoption in the US may be its still very worthy predecessor. But as Steve says, If anybody is going to cannibalize us, I want it to be us. As for the rest of the world? Things are about to get interesting.”

“Though the iPhone 3G still has flaws and lacks some crucial features, it offers significant improvements that make it worth the upgrade. The faster 3G browsing experience and the GPS support are nice. The application store, which is available on the original iPhone as well, is the cherry on top. Hopefully the future will bring MMS and video recording, as we continue to be surprised that a media-centric device lacks these features. Though it makes significant strides in the right direction, it's still not a BlackBerry, and business users may want to take a second look before they purchase.As an iPod and consumer device, the device is absolutely remarkable. As a phone, it offers some neat features, but lacks in some departments. As a web browser, it is stunning, thanks to the landscape option and 3G. Fortunately, for what it does incredibly well in, I was unable to find anything that it performed incredibly poorly in. The phone aggrivated me at times, but keeping it in perspective, every phone has one or more such issues. The iPhone comes quite close to what I desire in a device, and more importantly, what I expect from a revolutionary technology company like Apple.The iPhone 3G is a very respectable product and continues to penetrate the smartphone market, and we expect that the Exchange support and new improvements will continue to bode well for the company. I give the device a 'recommended' rating with the caveat to try it before you buy it.”