Reviews - Reader comments

iPhone 3G review: Twice the hype, half the novelty

iPhone 3G review: Twice the hype, half the novelty - read the full textIt's finally here - the iPhone 3G. No, we mean that literally. It's finally at our office and boy, are we excited! GPS, HSDPA purring under the new iPhone hood with a hefty number of software enhancements. But all them software goodies...

 

i ph is only gd for US. my friend using unlock version in singapore. Its stunning at first sight due to excellent screen and UI. but it actually is useless. For those who can live without free services like mms and video call or Java app, then shouldn't be a problem. Anyway, not for me.

  • Reply
  • 2008-08-12 17:44
  • TIEh

> In reply to G @ 2008-08-12 13:30 from mc3tIt's quite clear why Apple didn't introduce FM radio support yet, though some iPods have it already. Probably they thought that if people will have FM included, the sales of MP3's from the iTunes store will decrease a little bit. The MMS wasn't a priority as it's not a popular service in the US. In fact I think I've sent no more than 3 MMS's over the last year. As about Java support, they are still negotiating with Sun Microsystems. They should have fixed the copy-paste, the voice command and bluetooth A2DP and file sharing.

To be continued. I hope! :)

  • Reply
  • 2008-08-12 17:31
  • mAMx

no video call or good camera.....

  • Reply
  • 2008-08-12 17:26
  • Y9Bk

Best handset in the market!!!!!!!

had this handset since day one at 7:02

jailbroken 2.0.1 endless fun :D

  • Reply
  • 2008-08-12 16:15
  • Mx@E

> In reply to Michael Alexander @ 2008-08-12 02:02 from mAMx"DvD-like quality or even High Definition, and watch them on your device or connect it to your LCD tv or plasma TV"

Are you kidding me? DVD-like quality on a 320 x 480 screen? And as the tv out can only do NTSC/PAL output it's quite a bit away from DVD quality either, not to mention HD!

As far as firmware updates are concerned a lot of other devices get firmware updates too, so there is nothing special about that. But it would be best if the device didn't need updates for functions the are standard nowadays. So in my oppinion the neccesarity of updates is rather a downside than an upside!
But apart from that what really matters is hardware and OS usability. There is no denying the excellent OS of the iPhone, but its hardware is really mediocre. The newer windows mobile devices are getting better fast and offer a lot more functionality. They are not quite there with the responsiveness of the OS yet but are far superior in other aspects (display, camera, 3rd party apps, freedom of choice for music/movie/app sources and provider,...). So apple will have to work hard to get it's hardware and functionality up to date with the next generation iPhone or they won't stand a chance soon.

  • Reply
  • 2008-08-12 15:58
  • n{Fn

> In reply to Michael Alexander @ 2008-08-12 13:25 from mAMxMakes me wonder too...it can't be hard to do the MMS and Bluetooth functionality. Considering the iPhone is supposed to be a music - orientated handset, A2DP should be top priority. I can't think of any music phones that don't have FM radios these days either. Sure you can stream radio channels off the internet, but for one thing WiFi isn't always available and doing it on 3G would mean huge data charges. FM is a must.

Until Apple sort out even these most basic issues, I will never get one.

  • Reply
  • 2008-08-12 13:30
  • mc3t

> In reply to G @ 2008-08-12 10:34 from mc3tAs I said in my comment below, except the camera, memory card slot and audio quality, everything can be fixed by future firmware updates. I you cannot live without java, flash, copy-paste, MMS or FM radio, you may buy another phone or wait until apple releases iPhone OS 3.0 or 4.0 or whatever.

I don't know why apple didn't fix at least some of these easy-to-solve problems with iPhone 2.0 platform. I guess they were too busy to make this phone more business-friendly. They added Microsoft exchange, Mobile Me, scientific calculator, contact search, additional languages, plus the possibility to delete all the data, using your computer, in case you lose your phone. I'm looking foreward to the 3.0 firmware already.

There are rumors saying that the next iPhone will be named iPhone Sun, and will be able to recharge the battery using the sun light. It will also have a front camera for video calls. I tell you what, this phone is years ahead all the others in termns of design, user interface and software platform.

  • Reply
  • 2008-08-12 13:25
  • mAMx

i have been waiting for gsm arena to get a review up for the 3g b4 deciding to buy one and now im so glad i did the touch screen os is kool and fancy and the nerd in me wants it soooo bad but wtf apple forgot to install the phone to the touchscreen

the main disadvantages list reads like the advantages list of a $50 phone a phone thats cant record video never mind send it to you friends is worthless in todays world especially amongst teens and the likes and the phone lacks the top end to be a business phone so where exactly does this phone fit in todays world

my advice buy a ipod touch and a a POS black and white screened phone that cnt do anything but make basic calls tape them together and wait till someone does a decent touchscreen os phone

  • Reply
  • 2008-08-12 12:34
  • Rxd9

What about battery time. Didn't find any info about that in the review.

  • Reply
  • 2008-08-12 11:04
  • Sujc

Cr-Apple iPhone....if you own one as your primany decive its like telling the world you got ripped off and are dam proud, congrats Michael Alexander

  • Reply
  • 2008-08-12 10:38
  • 04%x

> In reply to Michael Alexander @ 2008-08-12 02:02 from mAMx"If you don't have any iPhone and you are a real fan of mobile devices, this one it's a must-have-stuff." Not really. I won't even consider buying a phone that can't do the most basic things like MMS and sending files over Bluetooth, that even the cheapest other phones can do these days.

  • Reply
  • 2008-08-12 10:34
  • mc3t

If I get my iphone unlocked so I can use it when I go to other countries using other sim cards, would I have a problem when I put back in its AT & T sim card when I return? Or, since Globe is an official carrier in the Philippines, would Globe sim card work on my At & T iphone?

  • Reply
  • 2008-08-12 10:23
  • 4TAp

> In reply to Michael Alexander @ 2008-08-12 02:02 from mAMxWhy can't they just add MMS in the 2.0 firmware?

  • Reply
  • 2008-08-12 08:01
  • uBEi

As a Symbian User I would say that the review has helped me a lot in deciding to buy this must-have gadget when it gets released in India on 22nd August. I can just say for now it has some pretty good features but for me it still needs a lot of firmware for me to upgrade to it from my Nokia 5700 XM. Just supreme audio quality won't do. But I hope another upgrade (software or hardware) would help. Till then Its S60 for me.

  • Reply
  • 2008-08-12 07:42
  • vG2S

"dramatically improved audio" my A*ss

  • Reply
  • 2008-08-12 07:29
  • 04%{

"a bit of a downer that you still can't turn predictive typing off"

you can turn predictive text off: smash the piece if crap iphone onto the floor and burn it...predictive text is turned off in the process, earler tests of blending the iphone have resulted in predictive text being turned off but we can't confirm this

  • Reply
  • 2008-08-12 07:24
  • 04%{

iPhone 3G.., why pay less when you can pay more and get double the crap

  • Reply
  • 2008-08-12 07:03
  • 04%{

You canīt do more things that you are able to do.

Whatīs the joke?

  • Reply
  • 2008-08-12 05:17
  • LIMV

im not sure if a lot of people know that this new 3g iphone back cover is made out of cheap material, because there are a lot of complains from many iphone 3g owners (especially the white one) there are many hair-line cracks forming all over the back and many users claim that they have never dropped their phone or put any pressure on it

heres some proof...

http://www.engadgetmobile.com/...gs-cracking/

  • Reply
  • 2008-08-12 04:15
  • 0aZ1

wooheee i'm gonna get fat sitting at Mcdonalds using the new iphones super duper internet wifi technology!!

  • Reply
  • 2008-08-12 02:54
  • 04%{

Note: Sponsored advertising links are in green.