A little over a year after the first birth Apple iPhone, as expected, the next generation of 3G iPhone has arrived with a design slightly adjusted and a lot of new features. With faster access to a 3G wireless network, Microsoft Exchange Server e-mail, and support an amazing array of third party software in the store App iPhone, the new phone is the iPhone we’ve been waiting for. Still lacks some basic features, but when compared with what the original model was last year, this device sets a new benchmark for the world mobile phone.
With 3G iPhone, Apple seems to have fixed some call quality performance issues we had with the previous model – in our initial tests, the volume is stronger with less background noise than before. Music and video quality were largely unchanged, but we have not had many complaints in that department to begin. We are concerned about battery life – some early reviews indicate that the iPhone 3G lasts only one day – but we will run the full evidence during the next couple of days and report our findings on this page.
Price may well remain our greatest concern. New AT & T and most of the current customers of AT & T customers can buy the 3G iPhone for $ 199 for 8 GB model and $ 299 for 16 GB model. If you do not qualify for that price – check your AT & T has to find out – you’ll pay $ 399 and $ 499 respectively. Either way, you have to pay $ 15 more per month ($ 74.99 total) for a plan comparable to the original iPhone ($ 59 per month). So while you’ll pay less outright purchase of equipment, what are you in the course of a standard two-year AT & T contract.
Therefore, you should buy a 3G iPhone? If you have not bought yet an iPhone, and have been holding out for a new model, now is the time. If you’re a current owner iPhone and you yearning for a cellular network faster, then you should take the step. But if you are the owner iPhone not going to use 3G (or can not, check their coverage to AT & T), then you should maintain its current model. The iPhone 2.0 software update provides support for the Exchange server, third party applications support, and many new features without the added cost.
Design
You distress to any notification of design differences in the front of 3G iPhone. The minor changes – the edge is thinner silver and silver mesh behind the speaker – are so minimal that have not been given them for a few hours after collecting the device. Turn the phone at his side, however, and you’ll see more changes. Apple has replaced aluminum silver back with a plastic face either white or black. The version in black (our review model) is attractive, but admit that miss the original silver, which shows fewer stains and fingerprints that shiny black version. The white model is not our cup of tea.
The iPhone 3G edges are slightly tapered to accommodate the hump, bringing the thinnest device around its perimeter than its predecessor, but a hair thicker (0.48 inches versus 0.46 inches) in the gut . Unfortunately, the hump makes the iPhone 3G Wobbler slightly if you use it while resting on a table – that quickly becomes annoying. The telephone number for the height and width measurements (5.5 inches by 2.4 inches) remain the same, even though it weighs only a little less (4.7 oz versus 4.8 ounces).
At 3.5 inches and 480×320 pixels, the screen is the same size as its predecessor, but it shows a little more dots per inch (163 vs.160), and still cranks of bright colors, sharp graphics and fluid movements. The presentation of the home screen is identical to that in the first version, but you’ll see two new icons from the beginning: An icon of contacts takes you directly to your telephone directory, and the store App icon opens the iTunes store App. The display of the glass surface, accelerometer function, touch interface, menus and secondary education remain the same.
The iPhone 3G checks reveal some changes, but none of them by surprise a current user’s iPhone. The Start button is located below the screen, while the volume rocker and timbre Muto rest of the left spine. The Power / sleep button rests at the top of the phone in his normal position. All controls are now silver instead of black. The SIM card slot has not progressed well, and Apple now includes a SIM removal tool in the box. The bottom of the iPhone houses the speaker, microphone, and the charger port, but also announced two small screws on both sides of the charger connector. Think you might be able to replace their own battery now? Fastidio: The battery is still not user-replaceable, so you try not recommend (though we hear the battery is no longer soldier below). We are very pleased that the iPhone 3G headset jack of 3.5 mm now sits flush with the surface of the phone that lets you use any of 3.5mm headset you like, you no longer limited to a handset that can fit in the previous phone inane Jack recess.
In the box you will find the sync cable, a screen cleaning cloth, a headset, user documentation, that removal tool SIM, and an electrical outlet plug. The supplement is pleasantly smaller than in the original iPhone, but is compatible with a standard USB cable. On the other hand, you do not get a synchronization dock. If you want one, you have to shell out $ 30 for that (boo!) And Apple said the iPhone 3G will not fit in the first spring of iPhone.
Features
The iPhone 3G hangs all the original features and iPhone launches some more, so we focus on what is new. Lucky for the first-gen iPhone owners, most of the impressive range of accessories – save 3G support and enhanced GPS – come together with the free software update 2.0. For more information about the characteristics of organizer, stocks and weather widgets, YouTube app, notes, text messages threaded, visual and voice, see our original iPhone review.
Support for the Exchange server
Bees workers around the world have awaited the iPhone 3G’s full support for Microsoft Exchange Server. In our tests, adding an Exchange account is ridiculously easy once we had the correct settings for our IT department – simply choose to add a new email account in the main setup menu, and it led to the standard list of available e-mail systems. "Microsoft Exchange" and "MobileMe" will appear at the top of the list right above the option to Gmail. He then asked to write e-mail, domain / user name, server and a password. The authentication process took only a couple of minutes. CNET installation of the safety certificate posed a bit of a challenge, but we managed by registered mail to ourselves through Yahoo Mail.
Once you’re ready to go, the iPhone will sync Outlook email, calendar and contacts. It warns that while the iPhone can withstand multiple POP3 accounts at once (two accounts at Yahoo, for example), is synchronized with a single Exchange server and, worse, with only a calendar or contact list at a time. If you have a personal agenda, your work schedule is going to replace once you start synchronization. (You’ll be notified before it happens.)
As an alternative, however, can synchronize email without synchronize their contacts and calendar. Also, you can keep work and personal email accounts open at the same time, but will have to switch between the two (as opposed to a BlackBerry). MobileMe is another way to work around this restriction, but talk of the afternoon.
When using Wi-Fi, e-mail synchronization was quickly. As new messages came to the iPhone recorded them almost immediately. It appeared to bog when we received a large clump of messages at once, however. In such cases, we had to manually update the phone. In one case, an update had a couple of minutes – enough time we thought that the phone had frozen. We also noticed that if the iPhone loses its Wi-Fi, synchronization is interrupted even if the phone has 3G service. Even with these caveats, however, the experience was satisfactory. The synchronization across 3G is so fast, if there was a difference not notice it.
When you delete a message to our phone, the same e-mail disappeared in our PC a couple of seconds later. They remove messages on the PC took more time to disappear from the phone normally, we had to make a manual update to see them ha ido. They remove messages on your phone will appear on your PC Recycle Bin and vice versa.
You can access all folders in your in-box and move messages from their in-box to a specific folder. Unable to find messages, but you can call a contact if they include your phone number in your e-mail. Worked opening attachments as promised, and we like the way they now can save the images attached directly to your photo gallery simply clicking the image. To e-mail photos, you’ll have to do it the traditional way by opening the photo, the selection of e-mail option, and that the choice of account you want to send.
Although in agreement with AT & T, using support for the Exchange server in the iPhone will require the 3G business plan data (which costs $ 45 per month), we are not sure how AT & T is going to enforce this rule . The iPhone is not for this restriction in any way.
MobileMe
The iPhone Apple MobileMe supports the new 3G service, which synchronizes Mac’s Mail, Address Book, iCal and applications: contacts, appointments in the calendar, e-mails, photos and browser bookmarks. One advantage of MobileMe is that lets you synchronize personal and work schedules and contacts. Take a look at our MobileMe consideration for a full analysis.
Ap store
When you select the iTunes Store, which has led to the store App main menu, something that resembles the mobile iTunes store in the design. You search applications by name and rank and can navigate through lists of applications or Featured Top 25. It is also a feature to see if their applications have acquired updates.
We bought a few applications for iPhone. Downloads over Wi-Fi are pretty fast, most applications took only a few seconds, but keep in mind that may vary by the size of the application. Although you can buy songs from iTunes only wirelessly via a Wi-Fi, you can download applications 10Mb or less along a 3G network and even over EDGE (3G if not available).
Downloads over 3G took almost simultaneously as they did over Wi-Fi, give or take a few seconds, but more applications are fairly pokey EDGE. We also purchased through the iTunes online applications (7.7) store. We downloaded Super Monkey Ball and then synchronize our phone – a new tab appears under the applications menu iPhone. The process was quick and painless. What is more, navigation through the online store applications is easy. After loading applications, the icons will appear on the Home screen.
What is most remarkable about the online store applications is the great breadth of titles available, many of whom take full advantage of the accelerometer. As of this writing, there are 27 pages available in a wide range of categories. If there is one thing on which the iPhone for love, is the store App – although not all applications are keepers and Apple maintains strict control over those in. Of course, Apple is not the first company to build a phone that have third party applications, but like the iPhone itself, the store App is not unique for what it does, but by how it does. The process is so easy that we can not imagine having the same experience in a Windows Mobile device. Of course, before you get carried away, remember that some applications are free, but others will cost.
3G
The iPhone 3G support AT & T Wireless UMTS / HSDPA wireless network banda ancha comes too late for the original iPhone buyers who grew frustrated with the slow Web-surfing speeds exceeding the 2.5 G EDGE network, but that makes a much more satisfactory second- generation devices. Safari issued a constant speed of around 300Kbps to 500Kbps and sometimes even faster in our tests. That is a quantum leap in the typical EDGE speeds of less than 100kbps. Web pages that used to take minutes only seconds to download via 3G.
In preliminary tests, the iPhone 3G flew away from his predecessor. When using the 3G network, WorldofWarcraft.com (a width of banda heavy website) charged as fast as 38 seconds and as slowly as 47 seconds. By contrast, the same place charged anywhere from 2 minutes to 2 minutes and 45 seconds on the original iPhone using EDGE. He also tried to gain access to WorldofWarcraft.com in 3G iPhone using EDGE. His fastest speed also was 2 minutes, but the slower speed was a painful 3 minutes 30 seconds. The mobile site CNET.com charged in just 12 seconds into the 3G network, but up to 23 seconds using EDGE. For further information about speed Internet, check out this Prizefighter.
Of course, experience 3G is all relative. His experience will depend on many factors, including 3G coverage in your area, the number of people on the network at any given time, and type of pages you are trying to access – usually occupied pages load more slowly. It is also absolutely essential that you test 3G coverage in your area using another AT & T 3G phone before buying the new iPhone. AT & T can give you guidance, but there is no substitute for the real world. Outside the United States, the iPhone’s tri-banda (850/1900/2100) UMTS / HSDPA will support 3G coverage around the world. One final point is that 3G sucking juice from your phone, so you should consider that the change outside (there is an option in the Settings menu) when not in use. At that time, the handset will default to EDGE.
GPS
While the current location iPhone services find their position near triangulation between cell phone towers and satellites, the 3G iPhone uses Assisted GPS complemented by satellites, which better identifies its location. It also offers live tracking so you can monitor their progress while driving (or foot) along. We tested the GPS functionality in a car and on foot. When on foot, the service satellite tracking is quite accurate. It was pointed out our place almost exactly, and the small blue dot that represents our location as we have moved further along. What is more, not lose the connection while walking among tall buildings or under a flyover. Naturally, the satellite connection as we have entered into abandoned buildings, but is automatically commuted to find the nearest cell phone tower or hot spot. This method is not as accurate – sometimes could only show a circle that covers several blocks – but you get the general idea of where it resides. There were occasions when we had to ask the iPhone to determine our situation again, especially when it left the buildings and changed back to a satellite connection. When travelling in a car, the GPS was not so specific. The blue dot tends to jump from block to block, or as we arrived at traffic lights.
Even with these additions, however, GPS features of the iPhone can not compete with autonomous GPS devices. Google Maps offers point-to-point directions 3G iPhone, but the phone does not support step-by-step directions in real time, and it is unclear whether this capability will be introduced later than third-party applications. Apple prohibits SDK based services "designed or marketed in real time via guidance," but that does not mean they will never see.
The iPhone iPod
We can not blame for leaving the Apple iPod iPhone functions unchanged. In the year since the original iPhone, no competitor has been able to match the iPhone’s aptitude as music and video player. Of course, it does not hurt that Apple’s iTunes online store continues to reign as a leading destination for music, video, and podcast downloads.
As with the first generation of iPhone, the iPod icon in the iPhone 3G the main menu displays a submenu of any content transferred from your computer iTunes library media, including music, videos and podcasts. The iPhone is extremely sensitive and intuitive touch screen navigation allows you to quickly scroll through long lists of song paused or browse through your music collection in an attractive Cover Flow. By default, the iPod menu includes icons direct access to reproduction, Artists, Songs, and video, however, these accesses can be easily changed to other options that may be more useful to you as podcasts, Albums, Audiobooks, compilations, Composers, or genres.
If the hunger for new music, but lack the patience to download songs at home, the iPhone’s iTunes store Wi-Fi lets you browse and download new music purchases directly to your phone. As the name implies, the iTunes Music Store Wi-Fi unfortunately works only over its iPhone Wi-Fi Internet connection, which is surprising, considering that discharges through 3G strengthen the appeal of iPhone as in-demand music player.
The advent of third-party applications for iPhone has embarked on several new music-related capabilities, including some free music applications that we consider essential. For example, a radio amateur can take advantage of AOL Radio and Pandora to stream music directly to the iPhone for so Wi-Fi and 3G connections. — A house under Apple Remote, transforming its iPhone in a remote to control your computer’s iTunes music library or a system of Apple TV.
The iPhone 3G makes an admirable job supporting MP3, AAC, Audible, Apple Lossless, WAV, AIFF and audio files and MPEG-4 or H.264 video files. Predictably, the iPhone is not compatible with Windows Media file types such as WMA audio or video WMV, boutique or more formats like DivX, FLAC, Ogg Vorbis o.
With the exception of songs downloaded directly to the phone via Wi-Fi iTunes music store, download audio and video content on 3G iPhone Apple’s iTunes software required. Unlike the initial version of the first generation of iPhone, now you can manually synchronize music files to your iPhone, if you prefer not to have automatically loads the contents of your iTunes library. The iPhone 3G sound quality improvement and EQ features are indistinguishable from the first generation version, and certainly good enough to make your existing MP3 player redundant. The iPhone 3G loudspeaker built crank out significantly higher – but still musically unacceptable – sound. To squeeze the most from the iPhone sound quality, we recommend investing in a pair of headphones or higher-quality headphones that come with the device.
The iPhone almost perfect storm of 3G video features iTunes movie includes the rental of compatibility, excellent video podcast support, a dedicated player YouTube, autobookmarking full-screen, resizing, and support for embedded and closed the chapter titles favorites. The iPhone criticism as a shortcoming of Web-enabled portable video player is its lack of support for the ubiquitous Internet Flash video content. Smaller video complaints include our aversion to the iPhone screen and reflecting the lack of a flip-out kickstand. The iPhone 3G quality video offers no surprises, showing crisp and colorful video on its 3.5-inch 480×320 screen. The phone negative tends toward blacks and low-contrast to see the iPhone 3G off angles, but overall the video experience is one of the best found on a mobile phone.
With all the iPhone’s cool new 3G radio and audio applications, it is disappointing that Apple has been unable to find a way to roll wireless Bluetooth A2DP stereo streaming audio on the device. Over time, we expect third-party manufacturers to find a way to help users stream music from their iPhones to their Bluetooth-enabled speakers, stereo headphones and car.
House
We were hoping that the iPhone will launch 3G in a better camera, but we got the same 2-megapixel shooter as in the original model, though with a slight improvement in image quality. Colors seemed natural, there was little noise image, and the interior shots had enough light. The camera white balance can not handle the bright sunlight, but that’s not unusual for a camera phone. See our 3G iPhone camera slide show for a complete photo gallery. House also incorporates remain minimal, and the glaring lack of multimedia messaging and video recording to further rub us the wrong way.
Contacts search
A search bar is now over your contacts list. Typing in any part of the name will take you immediately to that person.
iWork documents and PowerPoint
We have not tried iWork documents, but we have seen a PowerPoint e-mail attachments. The attachment is quite large (1.3MB), but did not take long to download. Note that as with other Office documents, the iPhone does not allow you to edit attachments.
Bulk delete and move
This works your e-mail boxes only. In his in-box, you’ll see a small "edit" button in the upper right corner. When you press the button, a small circle will appear next to each e-mail. Tap the circle to highlight as many messages as you like, then select the "delete" or "movement" options.
Scientific Calculator
As Steve Jobs said in his speech WWDC, you now get a scientific calculator when you turn the phone on its side. You see a lot more buttons that will set a mathematician’s heart aflutter.
Parental Controls
You will now find a "restrictions" for selecting the General tab of the main menu adjustments. You can not restrict access to the Safari browser, explicit songs, YouTube and iTunes and iTunes stores App. You can select as many restrictions as you like.
Language Support
The iPhone 3G also offers language support keyboards and writing in French, Canadian French, UK English, German, Japanese (Australia and Kana), Dutch, Italian, Spanish, Portuguese, Brazilian Portuguese, Danish, Finnish, Norwegian, Swedish, Korean, Simplified Chinese, Traditional Chinese, Russian and Polish. You can select as many languages desired by opening the "International" for selecting the General tab of the main menu adjustments. For Chinese, you choose from dictionaries, or a graffiti-style application for writing characters. Upon entering the characters, the suggestions that appear on the right. To toggle between menus, choosing from the small globe icon next to the spacebar.
What else is new?
The iPhone 3G offers a number of new additional features, from the notable for the trivial. For the company, there is a remote clean (to erase data if lost or stolen phone) and integration with Cisco IPSec VPN remote access network. You will also find the natural colors and a new interface to enter passwords. (Now the display temporarily the last character that has introduced so you can verify that there is a mistake.) We found the new ability to take screen shots (keep pressing the Start button and power / sleep key) particularly useful. Images end up in the chamber Photo Gallery.
What is missing?
We have already mentioned that Apple has left out stubbornly multimedia messaging, Bluetooth stereo, and video recording. But we also want that it had received a landscape keyboard messaging, cutting and pasting, voice dialing, Flash support for the Web browser, tactile feedback from the touch screen and a memory card (or at least a 32 GB model). Perhaps these additions will come in time. We also like the ability to send excerpts from the address book and an easier way to transfer files to iPhone. Because there is no way to transfer them through iTunes, you’ll have to e-mail files to access them in the iPhone. And even then, is not accessible mass storage of files.
The call quality
When you look at the original iPhone, which retain our Editors’ Choice Award largely on the quality of the so-called average because of low volume and a slight buzz in the background. The iPhone 3G corrects these problems – our tests showed the highest volume and clearer audio. We also noticed that we were able to learn more about a variety of angles, while the former had an iPhone sensitive sweet spot. Moreover, while it is difficult to hear the original iPhone in noisy environments, we have had better luck with this model. The reception did not vary between GSM and HSDPA calls.
3G iPhone also improves speaker calls. The external speaker phone creates higher output, and said callers can listen better. The voices do not sound so natural, but that is typical of a loudspeaker. Automated calling systems could understand us through newspapers or calls loudspeaker. It also showed the iPhone 3G with the Aliph Jawbone 2 and enjoy a good quality audio. What’s more, the Jawbone auricle autopairs with 2 so that does not require an passode. As mentioned earlier, the lack of 3G iPhone a profile stereo Bluetooth is disappointing. The AT & T signal remained strong although the connection 3G wavered in buildings. In addition, as of this writing we have not tested outside an urban area. According to FCC radiation tests, the iPhone 3G highest digital SAR is 1.38 watts per kilogram.
Battery life
Apple iPhone rates of 3G in the battery of 5 hours of talk time over 3G and 10 times over AT & T’s standard cellular network; 6 hours in Wi-Fi, or 5 hours over 3G, 7 hours of video playback, 24 hours of music playback, and a standby time of 12.5 days. In our first round of tests to 4.95 hours of talk time 3G and 8.75 hours of talk time on EDGE. We will continue to carry out further tests in the coming days.
Despite our officers laboratory tests are not bad so far, the real world use will be a better judge of 3G iPhone resistance. And on that front, we have realized that the iPhone 3G battery seems to decline faster than the original model, particularly when using the 3G network or GPS. That is to be hoped, but we have noticed that, after a couple of hours of use, battery life was reduced by about 30 percent. The large color screens like the iPhone tend to be battery Drainers and should therefore be expected to use more juice when you’re constantly switching between applications.
Actives
Unlike the original iPhone, one can not activate the iPhone 3G through iTunes. Instead, you need to activate a phone and sign his new contract in any of AT & T or an Apple Store. While we understand the motivation behind this movement – AT & T is trying to ensure all sold iPhone is activated in its own network – experience is not as pleasant as sitting in the comfort of your home. Once you have your phone in the store, you’ll have to synchronize with your iTunes account after first downloading the latest update of iTunes 7.7 (download for Windows or Mac) in the first place. That took us a long time in the 3G iPhone the first day of sale, but hopefully the problems that diminish in the coming days. If you are replacing an original iPhone, be sure to back up their data from the former iPhone first, then you can transfer it to his new team. As before, you can synchronize multiple iPhones to a single iTunes account.
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This is absolutely wonderful
Thankyou for putting this online 