iPhone 3G Review
I know this is kinda late but it’s better late than never. I want to use the device for at least a month before I do a review. So here we are, a detailed review of the iPhone 3G Hardware and Software.
Apple has made a lot of changes on the iPhone since the release of the original iPhone in 2007. The original iPhone was only released by AT&T in the United States and was available in other countries unofficially.
First off, the Hardware.
The iPhone 3G has the following technical specifications:
- 115.5mm X 62.1mm X 12.3mm - a little thicker and wider than the original iPhone.
- 3.5″ LCD at 480×320 163ppi resolution - still the same as the original iPhone but the color tone is warmer and more yellowish than the bluish tone of the original iPhone.
- UMTS/HSDPA (850, 1900, 2100 MHz)
- GSM/EDGE (850, 900, 1800, 1900 MHz)
- Wi-Fi (802.11b/g)
- Bluetooth 2.0 + EDR
- 8GB and 16GB model - the 16GB model comes in White and Black colors.
- Plastic back cover - unlike the original iPhone, the iPhone 3G now has a plastic back cover. Apple made this change because radio signal reception is better with plastic than metal. Also the back cover is slightly tapered on the edges making the iPhone more comfortable to hold in your palm.
The volume control buttons, sleep button and silent button are still in their original places but this time it’s made of metal and no longer plastic.
The speaker and microphone are still at the bottom and now covered with fine wire mesh rather than plastic on the original iPhone. Also the speaker is louder which makes more useful as a speaker phone.
Another thing is the headset port which was recessed in the original iPhone. On the 3G it’s no longer recessed which makes it possible to use any headset with standard 3.5mm stereo jack.
The package includes the iPhone, USB Dock connector, Apple Stereo Headset with microphone, polishing/cleaning cloth and the SIM ejector tool. It no longer comes with a dock unlike the original iPhone. The iPhone 3G dock sells at $30 in most countries.
The battery is still not user-replaceable but is promised to have longer life. I compared the battery life of the original iPhone with the iPhone 3G and the 3G seems to have a weaker battery. It lasts me maximum of 24 hours with minimal use. Maybe around 30 mins phone call over 3G, 30 minutes web surfing via Wi-Fi and SMS sending.
Oh, and yes the iPhone is more smudge magnet than ever specially the black one. I have to carry a polishing cloth everytime to get rid of the smudges.
Now, the Software.
The Home Screen
Nothing’s changed on the home screen. It’s still the same thing as what’s on the original iPhone. The screenshot above is the home screen of my iPhone and the arrangement of the icons are already customized by me.
There’s still no way to change the SpringBoard’s background which I hope will be available in the next version of the iPhone OS. My iPhone runs on iPhone OS 2.1.
Calculator
The built-in calculator application is very useful. View it upright and you’ll get an ordinary calculator and turn your iPhone sideways and you’ll get a scientific calculator.
Maps
The built-in application Maps is very useful and has pinpoint accuracy through the help of the A-GPS hardware built-in to the iPhone 3G. The original iPhone relies on Wi-Fi and cellular towers to triangulate and find the location of the phone.
The Camera
The camera has geo-tagging feature which tags your photos with its geolocation. When you open the camera application it will ask if you would like to allow the camera to use your current location.
Everything else is the same as the original iPhone. Safari supports saving of images and also Mail. Just hold the image and a menu will popup giving you options to save the image to your camera roll.
I will update this post whenever I find something about the iPhone that isn’t included here yet.
i really want to have one of this…kso ang mahal….someday i gonna grab one! nice post!
@manu - yeah it’s kinda expensive here in the Philippines but it’s better to buy from the legitimate carrier