New iPhone 3G (AT&T) Review of Reviews

By Editor Wireless and Mobile News on July 10, 2008 12:24 PM

New iPhone 3G rated 4.5 out of 5 by Wireless and Mobile News Review of Reviews (Updated July 14, 2008)

The greatly anticipated iPhone 3G received favorable reviews for fast 3G access (where covered), GPS which worked well, better audio/call quality, push email, lower initial price, standard audio jack and the new iPhone App Store.

The plastic case gets better reception, but the 3G access causes battery drain which may require you to charge the battery more than once during a day. The Bluetooth does not always get the best reception.. iPhone 3G still lacks video capture, expandable memory, voice calling and ability to view web and common programs such as Flash. Copy cats will be disapointed because there is on copy and paste function. The battery is not removable.

The push e-mail was enjoyed by most reviewers and the phone handles easily. The touchscreen keyboard is pretty much the same as the previous version and may not be liked by all users (especially those with long finger nails or disabilities.)

iPhone 3G (8GB ) is $199 and iPhone 3G (16GB) is $299 with a two-year contract. Unlimited data plans for iPhone3G customers is $30/month while business users pay $45/month.

We believe that the iPhone 3G will be more popular and chic than its predecessor for its Pc-like web browsing which is always rated better than any other phone and 3G access. Although the Samsung Instinct is cheaper as well as has more more features (see chart) and the LG Dare come close, Apple's iPhone 3G offers more appeal and trendiness. For summaries of the reviews that were used to create this review continue reading.

Kent German at CNET rated the iPhone 3G 8.3 out of 10 for 3G access, 3rd party apps, expanded email, and improved call quality and is "a big improvement over the original model. The curved back makes the phone wobble a little. The battery is not user replaceable.MS Exchange was easy but while it syncs with multiple POP accounts, it cony syncs with the with one Exchange Server calendar.Downloads over Wi-Fi and 3G took about the same time. The GPS tracked locations in car and on foot. Music can only be downloaded directly to the iPhone via Wi-Fi. The camera has a slight improvement in video quality. A new liked feature is screen capture.

PCMag rated the iPhone 3G 4 out of 5, received Edtior's Choice and called it a new computing platform, the best iPod ever and a decent phone that addresses the slow web access and poor call quality of the previous model. It does have shorter battery life and paired with Bluetooth with no problems. Music and video features are improved. You can't use it as tethered modem for notebook computers. GPS and email sync worked well. The iPhone 3G "is powerful, easy, fun, and just really cool."

Walt Mossberg at the Wall Street Journal, notes that iPhone 3G is cheaper, much faster email and surfing due to 3G and the GPS chip for better location "sensing and mostly keeps its promises. The iPhone 3G suffers from battery drain because of the higher power demands of 3G networks and the battery can't be replaced. The audio is greatly improved over the previous model, however he experienced Bluetooth echo using the Bluetooth in his car, and it now accepts any audio jack. The camera is still fairly basic without video and there is no charging station just a wire. Although you can sync with MS Exchange if you have personal and exchange contacts the personal can be lost. There's no copy and paste function, no universal search, no instant messaging and no MMS for sending photos quickly between phones. He suggests that if Wi-Fi access is not readily available and you don't mind recharging during the day, the new price and network make the iPhone 3G worth buying

David Pogue in the New York Times, wrote that you can talk and web surf at the same time on iPhone 3G if you are in a 3G supported area and the monthly costs of the less expensive phone have increased. The audio quality is greatly improved. It now has a standard headphone jack, smaller charger cord, GPS (without turn by turn navigation), address search, parental controls and instant language change. It sill lacks voice dialing, video recording, copy/paste, memory slot, MMS or removable battery. The application store makes it go beyond a phone. He concludes that "it's not much better that it turns original iPhones into has-beens". The best part of the upgrade is the new app store available for both iPhones.

Edward C. Baig in USA Today wrote iPhone 3G is "worth the wait" and "this handheld marvel has no equal among consumer-oriented smartphones." He loved the email push "But not all of iPhone's early drawbacks have disappeared. You still cannot shoot video, take advantage of Bluetooth stereo or dial with a voice command." He notes the address book search, PowerPoint viewing, and multiple email delete/move. The non-metal case improves reception. The GPS was accurate. iPhone 3G doesn't play Adobe Flash, Windows Media Video or Java with no expandable memory. He gave it an enthusiastic thumbs up.