Free Newsletter
iPhone 3G: Faster, cheaper but still not perfect
Free newsletter via e-mail
Tools
The handful of lucky reviewers to have early access to the iPhone 3G have revealed their analysis of the new device, which goes on sale Friday, July 11. The conclusion: the iPhone 3G is cheaper and faster (if you're lucky enough to be in one of AT&T's HSPA markets) but it still has some issues such as battery life (higher power demands from the 3G network cause the battery to drain quicker) and there's no Bluetooth or video capabilities. Here's a snapshot of the reviews:
- Walt Mossberg of the Wall Street Journal. Pro: The new iPhone is much, much faster at fetching data over cell phone networks because it uses a speedy cellular technology called 3G. And it now sports a GPS chip for better location sensing. Con: The iPhone 3G's battery was drained much more quickly in a typical day of use than the battery on the original iPhone, due to the higher power demands of 3G networks. This is an especially significant problem because, unlike most other smart phones, the iPhone has a sealed battery that can't be replaced with a spare. For more, read the article or watch this video of Mossberg's review.
- David Pogue of The New York Times. Pro: The audio quality of the iPhone 3G has taken a gigantic step forward. "You sound crystal clear to your callers, and they sound crystal clear to you. Few cell phones are this good." Plus, Pogue praises the iPhone App Store, which he says is a central, complete, drop-dead simple online catalog of new programs for the iPhone. Con: AT&T's 3G coverage is spotty. A coverage map reveals that in 16 states, only three cities or fewer are covered. In 10 states there is no coverage at all. For more, read the review here.
- Edward Baig of USA Today. Pro: Messages and calendar entries are "pushed" to the device, so they show up right away, just as they do on other computers. Set-up is a cinch. Con: You still cannot shoot video or take advantage of Bluetooth stereo or dial with a voice command. For more, see the full review.
Related articles:
See iPhone 3G Walkthrough Pictures
Chronicling the humiliation and anger induced by the iPhone 3G
Countdown to the iPhone 3G
Apple officially announces iPhone 3G, MobileMe
iPhone 3G revises AT&T data pricing
iPhone 3G vs. Instinct - July News Round Up
Comments
Posted by Anonymous | July 9, 2008 - 6:26pm
The comment in the opening paragraph that the new iPhone has "no Bluetooth" is misleading. Apple specs state that the iPhone includes "Bluetooth 2.0 + EDR." Not stereo, but there nonetheless.
Posted by Anonymous | July 10, 2008 - 10:32am
.
Are you kidding ?
.
.
Going from $499 to $199 is by no means "cheaper" and download speeds of 700kbps to 1mbps are by means "faster"......
.
Now that early enthusiasts have paid top dollars to purchase the iPhone, ATT has decided to drop the price (& take a loss) in the hopes of snaring & locking in subscribers for the long run..
This strategy is wishful at best.... while there are many other phones with same (or better) functions available out there......
For example,
Here is the comparison between Sprint Instinct and the "new/cheaper" 3G iPhone.
--------------------------
SPRINT INSTINCT
-----------------
Price: $129.99 with a two-year service contract and a $100 mail-in rebate
U.S. launch date: June 20
Creator: Samsung Mobile
Wireless carrier: Sprint Nextel Corp.
Download speed: As much as 3.1 Mbps
Size: 4.57 inches tall, 2.17 inches wide, 0.49 inches thick
Capacity: 2 GB, expandable to 8 GB
Features: Touch screen, Web browsing, e-mail access, multitasking capabilities, 2.0-megapixel camera with camcorder, multimedia capabilities, visual voice mail, music store, GPS-enabled audio and visual turn-by-turn driving directions, advanced stereo Bluetooth, live and on-demand TV programming, voice activation, commercial-free radio
--------------------------
The "CHEAPER" iPhone 3G
--------------------------
Price: $199 with a two-year service contract
U.S. launch date: July 11
Creator: Apple Inc.
Wireless carrier: AT&T Inc.
Download speed: As much as 1.4 Mbps on AT&T 3G mobile broadband networkSize: 4.5 inches tall, 2.4 inches wide, 0.48 inches thick
Capacity: 8 GB; 16 GB version available for $299
Features: Touch screen, Web browsing, e-mail access, multitasking capabilities, 2.0-megapixel camera, multimedia capabilities, visual voice mail, music store, GPS technology and real-time mapping, Wi-Fi support, Microsoft Exchange ActiveSync, wireless App Store to download applications, YouTube
BOTTOM LINE
-----------
"Cheaper" iPhone = $199 with upto 1.5 Mbps downloads and much less features than Instinct. (no bluetooth, no TV, no camcorder, no voice command etc.)
Regular Instinct = $29 (w/ $100 rebate) with upto 3.5 Mbps downloads and a lot more features than iPhone.
-----------------------------------------------
Cheaper, faster and better will ALWAYS beat expensive, slow and cultish ............
------------------------------------------------
Posted by cocowei | July 16, 2008 - 10:43pm
Sure the battery on iPhone 3G is not that great, but what can we do? We want small size phones, powerful features and lengthy battery life.
Just get a backup battery. I got mine from iPhoneck brands. Their new 3G backup battery is probably one of the better looking products in the market. Their website is www.iphoneck.com
Posted by Tim | August 4, 2008 - 8:53pm
Umm, going from $499 to $199 is by definition "cheaper." But I see what you're saying. Still, the better interface will always trump specialty features, as we continue to see.
Posted by Anonymous | October 23, 2008 - 3:32pm
ummm....the Instinct is $229 with a $100 mail in rebate making it $129. Not $129 with a $100 mail in rebate.
I know because I have one.
Posted by Ron | February 3, 2009 - 7:19pm
Where do I get a promo code or rebate for the iPhone 3G?
Thank you,
Comments (6) | Post a comment