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• Apple iPhone 3G (16GB)
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Apple iPhone 3G (16GB)

By Joseph Hanlon on 14 July 2008

Parts of the iPhone 3G are superb -- Web browsing, email, App Store, GPS -- but these are met in equal measure by elements which are either absent or mediocre. When we use the iPhone 3G, we can't ignore the vast divide between what the iPhone is and what the iPhone really should be, and when we're being asked to pay a premium for this phone it seems unfair for Apple to not include important smartphone functionality.

Editor's rating:7.0 User rating:6.3

• 

  John gave 1/10 on 26/08/2008 19:27 Report abuse

  this 'smart phone' has some faults which are just plain stupid to not be included in one

• 

  noobist gave 9/10 on 20/08/2008 21:57 Report abuse

  I own a 16GB Black iPhone on the Virgin (Optus) network in South Australia. Having spent over 10 months with the original iPhone I knew almost exactly what I was getting into and have had a lot of time to explore all of the features of the 1.x software. A lot of people have been giving unfair reviews, IE. NOT HAVING BOUGHT THE PHONE. I would instead like to give an honest account.
  
  HARDWARE:
  While I have spent little under a week with the new model I can say the new model is simply stunning. It's gorgeous to look at, and fits very comfortably in the hand, although this is a fingerprint magnet! (using something like Zagg's excellent Invisible Shield can solve that problem, while protecting it from scratches, grubby fingerprints and being just a film preserves it's form and looks). Firstly, I get much better WiFi signal than the original iPhone, while still not as good as a laptop or desktop it does a great job for such a small device. 3G speeds can be quite fast, but generally don't approach the speeds advertised by Apple... you will wait for pages to load, but it seems to be closer to WiFi than any other phone I have used (N95, BlackBerry etc.). While the iPhone lacks a tactile keyboard, I see this as a blessing rather than a curse. It frees up the entire front of the device and allows the screen to dynamically and appropriately change between applications. The screen's quality is simply stunning, and even works beautifully in bright daylight under the sun! Almost no other phone's screen is legible under full sunlight, but thanks to a reflective material behind the iPhone's screen this is no longer a problem. Battery life is good, although can take a beating with lots of 3G internet browsing or calling through 3G. You'll find yourself needing to charge the phone after a good day's use. (Note that the iPhone has better 3G battery than any phone I have seen plus audio and video barely puts a dent in the battery [24hrs music, 7hr video!]). The touchscreen also works flawlessly as you have a large glass area to run your finger across, smoothly flicking through menus, pinching and tapping away. The audio problems of the original iPhone are gone (quiet speaker and fair call quality) now everything is much louder and crispier. Answering calls through your earphone's is one of the coolest experiences... your music fades out and you hear your ringtone. Squeeze the mic and you've answered the call. When your done squeeze again to hang up and your music resumes where you left it.
  
  SOFTWARE:
  Admittedly there are some bugs with the 2.0 release software, but as with the original iPhone these will be ironed out. Already Apple has released two software updates for the iPhone 3G (2.01 and 2.02) and a third update is promised for September (2.1) which should fix any problems people currently have. Installing these updates is a breeze (using iTunes it will automatically recognize, download and install new updates). Syncing your tunes, podcasts and movies is as simple as with an iPod, and with the new movie rental service and TV shows on iTunes it's seamless. All of Apple's apps on the iPhone are well polished and consistent. Switching between applications is a breeze and speedier than you might expect from other phone manufacturers. One thing you'll notice is that everything is simple. Nothing is more complex than it needs to be. Everything looks great. While it does miss some obvious features (copy & paste, MMS) much of this may have been done by choice. E-mailing images always brings out better quality (it doesn't get compressed as much as MMS plus only uses data) and copy and paste is apparently on the To-Do list for Apple. The App Store is the best of it's kind and offers some truly amazing applications which are a breeze to buy or download for free.
  
  AUSSIE CARRIERS:
  Just be careful that you choose a plan with adequate data and keep an eye on our usage (it's easy to chew through your data) as we have no unlimited data plans in Australia. Virgin's plans are the best value for money and use Optus's network plus termination fees are as easy as paying off the rest of the phone. Optus's plans are reasonable and the $79 plan offers unlimited SMS's. Do not even consider Vodafone or Telstra due to their ridiculous data prices (unless you can afford it).
  
  SUMMARY:
  There is so much I can go into, but in all honestly if you want to see what the fuss is about, drop into your local carrier's store and check out a demo model. I'm sure you'll be convinced. It's simply a joy to use.

  • Good: - Stunningly Beautiful (Hardware and Software)
    - Location aware services (GPS Google maps)
    - Easy to use
    - Faster than almost any other phone
    - AppStore
    - Simply in a class of its own (go try one!)
  • Bad: - 3G Battery life (although better than most other phones for 3G)
    - Slightly buggy software ATM (if you're dependent of your phone for work hold off until the September software update as some people are experiencing call drops)
• 

  JustlOVE-iit gave 10/10 on 14/08/2008 22:50 Report abuse

  Awesome Phone. Love the Calling, Photos, Video, iPod, ABSOLUTELY EVERYTHIng.

  • Good: *Everything
  • Bad: *Nothing
• 

  Tom gave 6/10 on 14/08/2008 19:36 Report abuse

  Not bad, some really great features and a nice phone to use. Sound quality is pretty good.

  • Good: Great interface
    Generally user friendly
    Nice looking unit
    Good selection of Apps
  • Bad: Awful 3G speeds - only works well when connected to WiFi
    A lot of missing features - MMS, full bluetooth, keyboard size adjustment
    Texting can be painful
    
• 

  M. gave 10/10 on 11/08/2008 21:37 Report abuse

  Feel sorry for Nokia because they make some of the worst quality phones today. From a company who used to make the best and most reliable, build quality and quality control is ridiculously low, and customer support is terrible. Along with old-fashioned designs (mostly) and bulky interfaces, no iPhone owner would ever go back to Nokia.

• 

  de gave 1/10 on 09/08/2008 23:58 Report abuse

  Why feel sorry for Nokia?

• 

  Sean gave 9/10 on 09/08/2008 14:00 Report abuse

  This is a spectacular phone that will change the marketplace and have other phone manufacturers scrambling to redesign their archaic phones. I feel sorry for Nokia.

  • Good: - Seamless integration with iTunes
    - GPS that actually works
    - Multimedia features
    - Full access to internet
    - High quality large LCD screen
    - Onscreen touch keyboard
  • Bad: - It's a fingerprint magnet
    - Poor battery life
    - Needs 3rd party protective covers for screen and case
• 

  pbird gave 1/10 on 07/08/2008 23:47 Report abuse

  More of a toy than a real business phone. At least compared to the performance and features of Nokia E71. That costs soo much less....

• 

  thought through gave 10/10 on 07/08/2008 17:29 Report abuse

  best phone i have ever had. I now own 3 (1x8GB and 2x16GB) they are just great!

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  woodstar gave 10/10 on 07/08/2008 15:08 Report abuse

  Had this phone for a few weeks now and have not been disappointed. The email set up and synch was quick and painless compared with my previous Palm Treo 750, and the phone call clarity and interface are the best in any phone I have ever had.
  Plus its got a 16 gig iPod built in with a free remote application to control my entire music library from anywhere around my house over the wifi connection - Brilliant!

  • Good: Phone call clarity and no drop outs.
    GPS works really well, nice and fast as well as accurate. Opens up a whole new set of possabilities for a handheld device.
    Beautiful easy to use interface
    hundreds of cool new apps, more every day.
    Synchs my work emails and calendar perfectly.
    Gets idiot haters like Mandingo all fired up!
  • Bad: Havent found 1, I even rate the camera (for a mobile phone)