The 3G iPhone: First Impressions

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The new iPhone 3G is still not available to the public, but some were given access to it, like Walt Mossberg of Wall Street Journal. He said he will give a detailed review very soon but he offered the following first impressions of the new iPhone 3G.

Pluses:

1.) Speed: The previous iPhone version had a slower network (EDGE), whereas the new phone has a faster 3G network with speeds nearly four times faster than the previous one. Instead of using the Wi-Fi network to get faster access, users can now use the 3G network to surf the Web.

2.) Price: When the original iPhones were introduced last year in June, the price was $599 and then it dropped to $399 for an 8GB model. Now the prices for the new iPhones will be $199 for an 8GB version and $299 for a 16GB version.

3.) Third party applications: Users will now have a wide variety of applications custom built for iPhones instead of just the standard applications. This will make iPhones more advanced than other smartphones available in the market such as the Windows Mobile, BlackBerry and Palm phones.

The new iPhones have a better battery life, come in two colors (black and white) for 16GB version and black color only in 8GB version. And the MobileMe service will make synching data a piece of cake and more.

Courtesy Apple Apple's iPhone 3G is faster than its debut model, Wall Street Journal's Walt Mossberg reported. image:40860:1::0

The Minuses:

1.) Restricted to one carrier: Apple will again release the new iPhones through AT&T only in the U.S. This will make it frustrating for users having preference for other carriers. Also, AT&T doesn’t have full national coverage, so if you buy the new iPhone and don’t have the coverage, you will be caught in a dead end. Also, many don’t like to have AT&T as their communication provider.

2.) Still missing some features: There is no “cut and paste” option or to save edited “files”. There is no MMS capability to send media files over the phone, and this is possible only through emails. Also, no instant messaging programs are available, but third party programs may become available in the future.

3.) Wimpy Camera: Walt Mossberg says the camera is not properly integrated with the computer photo software, and he says it could be better. The new phone has a 5 megapixel camera. Also, the camera could have been placed in the front to make video communication possible in the future.

Overall I think the new iPhone is a good one for beginners and the price is a bargain. Other smartphone companies have a lot of work to do if they want their products to be considered the best. If they are just happy with second and third place, they will make a profit but won’t see big sales.