Apple iPhone 3G Cell Phone Review
By Alfredo Padilla
Reviewed.com Editorial Staff
Published on July 11, 2008
The iPhone 3G is the second generation of Apple's iconic cellular phone. One year ago Apple stormed the wireless industry by introducing their touch screen based device, and just over a year later they have released an updated version that adds support for 3G data, GPS and comes with a significant software upgrade. The iPhone 3G looks much like its predecessor from the front, but turn it around and you see that it has a new plastic back and is a bit thicker. The idea is the same, however, you interact with the interfacing using your finger and the large 3.5 inch display.
The iPhone 2.0 software the iPhone 3G ships with is also available as an update for the original iPhone. This software adds several new features, the most consequential of which are the iPhone application store and support for Microsoft Exchange server. The addition of the application store allows iPhone users to download and install third party applications, the store launched with slightly more than five hundred applications. They can be downloaded directly to your phone or bought via iTunes on your computer and synchronized over.
Exchange support allows the iPhone to receive push email from Exchange servers, as well as supporting over the air synchronization of contacts and calendar appointments. This is an important addition for business users where Exchange servers are prevalent. For those who don't have access to an Exchange server Apple has created a service called Mobile Me that provides similar functionality for $99 per year.
The iPhone 3G is as much a multimedia powerhouse as its predecessor. Not much has changed in the iPod portion of the iPhone, the interface is beautiful and easy to use for both music and video. For productivity hounds there are several minor but helpful updates to the Calendar and Contacts applications. The former now supports multiple calendars, allowing you to more easily manage a busy schedule. In Contacts you can now search by first name, last name or company, a much requested feature. The iPhone 3G is still missing a tasks application, however. Email has also received a minor update to allow bulk move and delete, but the interface is still a bit clunky compared to a BlackBerry. Safari is still one of the best mobile web browsers we've seen on any phone.
On the hardware front the two new major additions are support for high speed third generation (3G) networks and GPS functionality. The iPhone 3G is capable of speeds up to 1.4 megabits per second, as fast as a DSL connection, over the cellular network. The GPS functionality integrates smoothly with Google Maps to help you get around, but the iPhone 3G does not include voice guided turn by turn directions as many expect from a GPS device.
Performance (read in-depth lab performance data at WirelessInfo.com)
We ran several tests on the iPhone 3G in our labs. Our tests of its two megapixel camera revealed that the quality of photos taken are slightly worse than the original iPhone in terms of color accuracy and resolution. It's still better than many cell phone cameras, but not as good as even an inexpensive point and shoot and nowhere near as good as high end cell phones with auto-focus cameras like Nokia's N95. Video recording is still not supported on the iPhone 3G.
Our audio tests did show a significant improvement in the iPhone 3G's audio quality. This should be good news to many who have complained about the audio quality of the original iPhone. Both the audio sent and received by the phone were improved, and side tone, the small amount of your own voice that is piped back into your ear so you can judge how loud you are speaking, is right where we want it.
As of this writing we have only received preliminary results of our battery tests, we will update this review with full results shortly. Our preliminary results indicate that, despite packing a larger battery, the iPhone 3G has significantly worse talk time than the original iPhone, a consequence of using the power hungry 3G network. Music playback time is still excellent.
Comparisons (read in-depth comparisons at WirelessInfo.com)
The iPhone has seen many competitors arise over the course of the past year and this means the iPhone 3G enters a world with more choice of touch screen driven devices than the original iPhone did. Two of the strongest competitors to the iPhone are the Samsung Instinct from Sprint and the LG Dare from Verizon. Both of these phones have easy to use touch screen interfaces and include many of the same features as the iPhone 3G, including high speed data and GPS. The Dare is the stronger of these two phones as it has a 3.2 megapixel auto-focus camera that is significantly better than the iPhone's and also sports better battery life. All three of these devices have similar total cost of ownership and we recommend that consumers take the time to put hands on each in a store before making a decision.
If you're looking for an alternative to the iPhone at a bargain we recommend looking at a old standby like the BlackBerry Curve. And if money is no object and you want a much better camera the Nokia N95 is always an option. The iPhone 3G can stand toe to toe with any of these devices, however. And remember, don't be fooled by the talk of getting the iPhone at half the price. Due to increases in AT&T's monthly rates you'll actually end up paying more for the iPhone 3G than you would have for a first generation iPhone over the course of a two-year contract.For a more in-depth review, visit the Apple iPhone 3G Review at our partner WirelessInfo.com
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