iPhone 3G

Apple iPhone 3G is the highly anticipated new model of a groundbreaking multimedia device introduced last year.

Intro:
iPhone 3G became so fashionable and desired by so many Apple fans that for a long time the only things to be found in the Internet about the device were words of pride and satisfaction from finally getting one. So I decided to wait a bit and from a longer time perspective write an (at least attempted) objective review as the Apple iPhone 3G has not only pros but also cons.


iPhone 3G pros:
+ 3.5-inch 16-M color display
+ 8 or 16 GB of built-in memory
+ 2 megapixel camera
+ Excellent Internet experience
+ TV-out port
+ Neat design
+ Push email with MS exchange support
+ AppStore
+ Built-in GPS receiver

iPhone 3G cons:
- No copy/paste
- No office document editor
- No MMS
- Built in camera has no settings whatsoever


The design:
iPhone 3G looks very much like the first generation iPhone, yet there are some minor differences. iPhone 3G measures 115.5 x 62.1 x 12.3 mm and weights 133 grams. The front of the phone is dominated by the 3.5” touchscreen. Below the screen is the home button whereas above it the earpiece with a silver grill. There are no buttons or controls on the right side of the iPhone 3G. On the left are the Volume up/down and Ring/silent buttons. On the top of the iPhone 3G you will find the 3.5mm audio jack, the SIM card tray and the on/off key. The back panel is now curved and made of plastic. You will find the camera lens there and the Apple logo.

Performance:
iPhone 3G is a lot more than just a phone. It is also an iPod and a powerful Internet device offering browsing experience just like your Mac or PC. Now with the built-in GPS receiver and improved business functions it is even more interesting than the first iPhone. iPhone 3G browses the Internet twice as fast as the first generation iPhone, but it seems that it is true only for the more elaborate websites. Sites with little graphics load almost as fast as they used to. The loudspeaker in the iPhone 3G has been improved, but still it is nothing impressive. But fortunately thanks to the standard 3.5 mm jack now you can use whatever headphones you want. And when it comes to the headphone audio quality it is truly iPod-like so there are no complaints here.
You can preview, but unfortunately not edit DOC, XLS, PPT and PDF files. Of course, the screen rotation works fine here and you can zoom in and out. Now, the iPhone 3G has also support for push email and MS exchange so the iPhone 3G might indeed become just the right phone for businessmen. Although you cannot send MMS messages with the iPhone 3G you can always send files via email, but be warned - the photos are always downsized to 800 x 600 pixels.
The quoted battery life is up to 10 hour of talktime, video playback up to 7 hours and audio playback up to 24 hours.

Menus / ease of use:
As always with Apple devices the menu system is very user friendly. Everything here is clear cut and easy to follow so after just a few minutes with the iPhone 3G you should always know what to do. Along with the iPhone 3G Apple started the AppStroe thanks to which you can download hundreds of free, and plenty of paid applications to make the phone a gaming platform, or a study aid.
Along with the iPhone 3G in the box you get:
▪    Stereo Headset with mic
▪    Dock Connector to USB Cable
▪    USB Power Adapter
▪    Documentation
▪    Cleaning/polishing cloth
▪    SIM eject tool

Selected iPhone 3G specifications:
Data services
SMS, E-Mail, Voice mail
Service provider
AT&T
Cellular enhancement protocol
EDGE
GENERAL
Built-in devices
Camera
Cellular technology
WCDMA (UMTS) / GSM
Dimensions (W x D x H)
2.4 in x 0.5 in x 4.6 in
Band / mode
WCDMA (UMTS) / GSM 850/900/1800/1900
Weight
4.7 oz
Wireless Interface
IEEE 802.11b, IEEE 802.11g, Bluetooth 2.0 EDR
Color
Black
Combined with
With digital camera / digital player
OPERATING SYSTEM / SOFTWARE
OS provided
Apple MacOS X
Software included
iTunes 7.7 or later
MEMORY
Flash memory installed
8 or 16 GB
PHONE
Speakerphone
Yes
Polyphonic Ringer
Yes
Additional Features
AGPS
PDA FEATURES
Flash memory installed
16 GB
MESSAGING / DATA SERVICES
Voice Mail Capability
Yes
Short Messaging Service (SMS)
Yes
Internet Browser
Yes
GPRS (General Packet Radio Service)
Yes
Mobile Email
Yes
Supported Email Protocols
POP3, IMAP4
Messaging / Data Features
PDF support, Microsoft Word support, Microsoft Excel support
AUDIO
Audio input type
Microphone
Audio output type
Speaker
DIGITAL PLAYER / RECORDER
Digital player supported digital audio standards
AAC, MP3, WAV, AIFF, Apple Lossless
DISPLAY
Display type
3.5 in
Max resolution
480 x 320
POWER
Battery installed ( max )
Lithium ion
Max supported batteries
1
Talk time
Up to 600 min
Audible Battery Alert
Yes
EXPANSION / CONNECTIVITY
Wireless connectivity
Bluetooth 2.0
CELLULAR
Phone style
Candy bar
Automatic Redial
Yes
Call Divert
Yes
Call Hold
Yes
Call Timer
Yes
Caller ID
Yes
Call Waiting
Yes
Volume Control
Yes
Ringer Control
Yes
Conference Call Capability
Yes
Computer Link
Yes
Call Transfer
Yes