iPhone 3G Review
After waiting in line for over 2 hours last Friday at the Apple Store at The Grove, I finally have my 16GB Black 3G iPhone. Was it worth the wait? Let’s find out.
Exterior Design
The first major thing you’ll notice is the one piece plastic housing. Some will scoff at this and say Apple cheaped-out but I think it’s an improvement over the metal/platic backing from iPhone 1.0. Gone is the slippery satin metal finish and annoying plastic bottom, which on my iPhone never quite had a good fit. Also eradicated is the stupid recessed headphone jack.
The backing is a tapered, convex design that makes gripping the iPhone easier. Apple also did a better job of integrating the chrome bezel into the rest of the casing. They put the bezel on a diet and made a smoother transition to the plastic backing. Overall, I’m in favor of this design.
The screen has taken on a warmer cast. Many have complained about this. Apple has gone on to say this was done intentionally in order to more accurately represent colors and black levels. I find this warming is very similar during those times when I hardware color calibrated one of the monitors. It looks warm at first but you eventually get used to it.
3G
Is it faster? Yes. In head to head competition with a 1st gen iPhone, the 3G version is noticeably faster. With that said, I still find noticeably slower than Wi-Fi. Perhaps with a further 3G network build-out, we’ll see better speeds.
I also found 3G reception to be lacking. Typically, I got 1 – 2 bars. Again, I assume the 3G network is still in its infancy and we’ll see improvements in the future.
GPS
Google maps position location has a taken a huge jump with GPS. Previously, with cell tower triangulation, Google maps was able to put you within a circle that covered several city blocks. With Wi-Fi triangulation, it could locate the block you’re on.
With GPS, it can now locate what part of the block you’re on. At it’s best, the pretty dead-on accurate. At it’s worst, it’s off by around 40 feet.
Until we start seeing some killer applications that take advantage of location feature, it’s more of a fun novelty for me.
Third Party Apps
This feature is the true star of the show. Combine the convenience of the iTunes store with the power third party developers. There are already a several free and commercial apps I look forward to checking out.
Thankfully, for 1st gen iPhoners, you can download the free iPhone 2.0 software and have full access to these apps. I look forward to seeing what the iPhone development can come up with in the coming months. I think the folks at Windows Mobile, Nokia, and BlackBerry have something to worry about.
Things of Note
The 3G iPhone no longer includes a charging cradle. They also went with a smaller AC adapter. I’m not sure if it’s for the better since you can’t retract the metal prongs.
While I’m satisfied by the quality of the materials used in making the 3G iPhone, the build quality is sketchy. My iPhone’s screen on the right side is slightly lower, dipping below the bezel while the left side rises above the bezel.
Due to a flaky vibrate motor, I exchanged my first 3G iPhone. The replacement model also had this same exact screen issue. Not a huge deal, but I find it annoying that a 500 dollar device has the type of build inconsistencies that I’ll never find on a 50 dollar Casio G-Shock.
Closing Thoughts
I think Apple put in enough incremental improvements to make the iPhone 3G worthwhile. One major area where Apple failed is the inclusion of the same crappy camera from the 1st gen iPhone. An increase in mega-pixels and more importantly, an improved imaging sensor and optics would have been a welcomed addition.
But overall, Apple did a good job of giving people the improvements they were screaming for: faster data access, GPS, and 3rd party apps. The future remains bright for the iPhone platform.
[Photo from Apple.com]
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