As is the general rule with Apple, the iPhone 3G is the next step forward in evolution for the iPhone series, improving upon the previous model’s imperfections and building on its strengths. However, when you bring in new technologies there’s always the chance of encountering new errors. Microsoft Exchange and MobileMe support are welcome additions, but the iPhone 3G needs improvements on its GPS and battery life.
The iPhone 3G is Apple’s second generation mobile phone, sitting in the middle of the evolutionary cycle between the original iPhone and the third-generation iPhone 3GS. As far as smartphones go in general, the iPhone 3G has standard hardware you’d expect from a top-level device. You get Tri-band 3G HSDPA and Assisted GPS (A-GPS), but for some reason there’s only a basic 2-megapixel camera, which of course was updated to 3-megapixels in the newer iPhone 3GS.
When it comes to Apple, you know design is the major focus, and in this area the iPhone 3G has seen several improvements. The handset’s casing now has a more curved and professional feel, which makes it easier to hold than its predecessor. The phone’s rear side has seen a change from aluminium to plastic, but this newer surface has proven to be great at resisting fingerprints and scratches. The iPhone 3G’s glass display is quite tough; it won’t scratch easily, but it does get dirty after a while.
The large display’s 480x320 pixel resolution doesn’t compare with a Sony Ericsson mobile’s VGA resolution, but it does have a great range of colours, and it’s very bright. Photos and images are exceptionally clear for pleasurable viewing, but there is a slight yellow shade encompassing the entire screen. Apple has stated this was a deliberate design choice to create more ‘natural’ looking colours. This isn’t a big issue, but you may like a crisper, cleaner colour scheme.
The OS X–based operating system on the iPhone 3G is excellent, and it responds well to touchscreen finger-taps. Apple’s Safari browser is widely known as being the best in the world for mobile phones as it can display website pages in full, and in their original layout design.
Of course if you are a fan of actual QWERTY keyboards, Apple doesn’t deliver, but the virtual keyboard here is one of the best you’ll come across. There’s no landscape mode for the text message function though, which would have been a nice touch.
Named aptly, the iPhone 3G now has 3G HSDPA capabilities, and it’s a great step up from the previous model. You get access to tri-band 3G radio with HSDPA bandwidth, but there’s still GSM baseband to back you up if all fails. Calls and signal quality are both much better than on the original iPhone. Surfing the web has also improved with speeds now being at a respectable level.
The 3G’s A-GPS is an awesome feature, but tracking could be smoother when you’re travelling at slower speeds. Still, you’ll know exactly where you are within ten seconds of turning the application on. Google Maps is a pretty good system, but it isn’t integrated with the A-GPS module as well as it could be. You don’t get turn-by-turn navigation, and the map doesn’t move automatically to track your GPS signal, which means you have to manually follow it on your own. This can be a hassle when your blue dot representing the signal suddenly leaves the screen after making a Google Map-directed turn. A true dedicated GPS is still the best option, but it’s better than nothing, and you can’t fit a proper GPS into your pocket!
Apple’s utilisation of both Microsoft Exchange and ActiveSync mean you can now synchronise your calendar, contact list and email with Exchange servers, but tasks have been left out. These all work well on the iPhone 3G’s interface, and look exactly the same as when in their normal settings.
MobileMe, Apple’s self-designed synchronisation service works very similarly. Apple calls MobileMe the 'Exchange for everyone else', and it offers people easy access to all of their email, contacts, calendars and documents. It’s simple to set up, and having all of your bookmarks, email, calendars and contacts synchronised between the iPhone 3G, Mac and PC works like a dream come true. However, this dream lacks a silver lining as you can’t access MobileMe's iDisk storage service from the phone, which means you aren’t able to listen to shared music or view other people’s files when you’re on the move.
The best thing about Apple's MobileMe service when compared with other services like Gmail is its push e-mail feature. Like Blackberry and Microsoft Exchange, MobileMe will push email towards the iPhone 3G instead of the phone having to go the server itself. You can do this on the iPhone 3G with Yahoo! Mail, Gmail and basic POP3 services as well.
Apple says the iPhone 3G’s battery life isn’t great because of design and engineering delays that added another year to the rollout process, but they also say they’ve managed the problem, at least to a certain degree. If you work the device heavily by using a lot of email, web searching and YouTube 3G data, with the location settings and 3G radio turned on (but leaving Wi-Fi and Bluetooth turned off), the mobile will last around four hours. This is sadly one hour less than the previous model, but it’s not the end of the world if you have ready access to charging facilities.
This is not a perfect iPhone, but it’s a great work-in-progress. With improved web browsing as well as a GPS, you get a user-friendly mobile phone with awesome features, and with either 8GB or 16GB of memory.
Pros:
- There’s no better user interface in the world
- Multi-touch navigation
- 3G with HSDPA high-speed mobile broadband
Connectivity
- Exchange and MobileMe are supported
- Access to Apple’s incredible App Store
- Built-in A-GPS satellite navigation
Cons:
- Battery life is even worse than the original iPhone
- Camera is basic when compared to competitors’
- No MMS or video recording
- GPS integration with Google Maps needs work
- Some will miss a physical keyboard
- Plastic case doesn’t feel as tough as aluminium