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Last year's iPhone model, now for a steal
- Wi-Fi capability
- Fast 3G HSDPA data network
- Gorgeous, 3.5-inch touch screen
- Thousands of free or low-cost apps
- 3G network not available everywhere
- Limited syncing abilities
- No document editing
- No voice dialing
- Short battery life
Editor's Note: The Apple iPhone 3G has been replaced by the faster iPhone 3GS (*Est. $200 and up with contract) and is our pick for best multimedia smartphone.
Reviewers agree that the Apple iPhone 3G -- successor to the popular iPhone -- is the best multimedia smartphone, with nothing else quite surpassing its sizzle and functionality. IPhone users can talk and browse the web simultaneously, and the fast-loading Safari browser (300 to 500 Kbps) displays web pages just like a computer. With exceptional visual rendering, the 3G's bright Multi-Touch display has an ambient sensor that automatically adjusts to light conditions. The 3.5-inch widescreen packs a 480-by-320-pixel resolution, along with an accelerometer that reorients the screen when you rotate the phone. And its standard earphone jack works with all headphones for listening to the 3G's top-rated MP3 player. These extras take a lot of power, however, and the iPhone 3G's inaccessible battery has an average five-hour lifespan.
The most noteworthy upgrades to the iPhone 3G are the faster 3G HSDPA network, Microsoft Exchange support and access to thousands of free or low-cost applications at Apple's new App Store. The 3G network, however, is not available everywhere. In dead zones, the phone reverts to the slower EDGE network, which can result in dropped calls. Another drawback is that the Apple's Mobile Me software can sync to only one server, calendar or contact list at a time, a major consideration for business users and an area in which BlackBerry smartphones have the edge in productivity. IPhone users, though, can sync business email, contacts and calendar using Microsoft Exchange ActiveSync, and reserve MobileMe for personal data. The iPhone 3G also lacks a copy/paste function for editing documents, voice dialing, multimedia messaging (MMS), stereo Bluetooth and a memory slot, and the GPS can't give turn-by-turn directions. Although critics are overwhelmingly enthusiastic about the upgrades, most say that owners of the original iPhone need not rush to buy the 3G. For Sprint subscribers, the touch-screen Samsung Instinct (*est. $130 with Sprint service contract) is worth a look.
Reviews abound for the iPhone 3G smartphone. Excellent detailed, standalone coverage is available from editors at CNET, MobileTechReview.com and PCMag.com. Consumer Reports tests and compares the Apple iPhone 3G with more than a dozen smartphones, while About.com pits the iPhone 3G against rival "iPhone killer" the Samsung Instinct. The New York Times and The Wall Street Journal offer a slightly different perspective, measuring the 3G's performance in everyday use rather than formal testing.
Our Sources
1. CNET
Reviewers Kent German and Donald Bell offer a lot of detail regarding the Apple iPhone 3G's performance in testing and include some casual comparisons to rival smartphones. Though some issues are noted, the iPhone 3G is called a "big improvement over the original model."
Review: Apple iPhone 3G - 16GB, Black (AT&T), Kent German and Donald Bell, Sept. 25, 2008
2. PCMag.com
Despite some shortfalls and hiccups, the Apple iPhone 3G gets an Editors' Choice award here. Positives include improved call quality, use of the 3G network for data and GPS functionality. The review is part of a feature called "Battle of the Touch-Screen Smartphones."
Review: Apple iPhone 3G, Sascha Segan and Tim Gideon, July 11, 2008
3. ConsumerReports.org
This update rates a lot of smartphones, including the Apple iPhone 3G. Testing meets Consumer Reports' typical rigorous standards. Discussion is far more detailed than in the past, and the Consumer Reports Electronics Blog covers the latest updates and industry buzz.
Review: Cell Phones and Smart Phones, Editors of ConsumerReports.org, Sept. 2008
4. About.com
About.com's guide to cell phones Adam Fendelman looks at price, battery life and Internet browsing in this comparative review. He concludes that the Samsung Instinct, while an excellent smartphone in its own right, simply can't best the Apple iPhone 3G in most regards. (Note: ConsumerSearch is owned by About.com, but the two don't share an editorial affiliation.)
Review: Samsung Instinct Review for Sprint vs. iPhone 3G for AT&T, Adam Fendelman
Although technology columnist David Pogue is impressed with some of the improvements in the Apple iPhone 3G, he sees few compelling reasons for owners of the original to switch. He adds that the biggest improvement is upgraded software, which is available for free to owners of the original iPhone.
Review: For iPhone, the 'New' Is Relative, David Pogue, July 9, 2008
Walter S. Mossberg reports that the Apple iPhone 3G "mostly keeps its promises." However, he adds that while the phone itself costs less, the monthly fees are much higher than for the first-generation phone.
Review: Newer, Faster, Cheaper iPhone 3G, Walter S. Mossberg, July 8, 2008
Anand Lal Shimpi looks at the differences between the original iPhone and the iPhone 3G and how the improvements stack up. Based on the limited 3G coverage, short battery life and increased data fees that offset the smartphone's lower price tag, he says the iPhone 3G "amounts to little more than an incremental improvement over the original phone."
Review: The iPhone 3G: Still Great & Still Imperfect, Anand Lal Shimpi, Oct. 2008
The Apple iPhone 3G is named an Editor's Choice here. Reviewer Lisa Gade says that the original iPhone is not meant for corporate use, but that the iPhone 3G has made some strides in this regard.
Review: iPhone 3G, Lisa Gade, July 14, 2008
