Newer, Faster, Cheaper iPhone 3G
Software and Online Store Will Widen Its Versatility, But There Are Hidden Costs
Apple Inc.’s iPhone has been the world’s most influential smart phone since its debut a year ago, widely hailed for its beauty and functionality. It was a true hand-held computer that raised the bar for all its competitors. But that first iPhone had two big drawbacks: It was expensive, and it couldn’t access the fastest cellular-phone networks.
On Friday, Apple (AAPL) is launching a second-generation iPhone, called the iPhone 3G, which addresses both of those problems, while retaining the look and feel of the first model’s hardware and software.
The base version of the new iPhone costs $199 — half the $399 price of its predecessor; the higher-capacity version is now $299, down from $499. Yet, this new iPhone is much, much faster at fetching data over cellphone networks because it uses a speedy cellular technology called 3G. And it now sports a GPS chip for better location sensing.
The company also is rolling out the second generation of its iPhone operating system, with some nice new features, including wireless synchronization with corporate email, calendars and address books. And there’s a new online store for third-party iPhone programs that Apple hopes will make the device usable for a wider variety of tasks, including gaming and productivity applications. This new software and store will also be available on older iPhones, through a free upgrade.
I’ve been testing the iPhone 3G for a couple of weeks, and have found that it mostly keeps its promises. In particular, I found that doing email and surfing the Internet typically was between three and five times as fast using AT&T’s 3G network as it was with the older AT&T network to which the first iPhone was limited.
Apple’s new iPhone operating system includes an ‘App store,’ where you can browse for, and download, third-party software.
The iPhone 3G is hardly the first phone to run on 3G networks, and it still costs more than some of its competitors. But overall, I found it to be a more capable version of an already excellent device. And now that it’s open to third-party programs, the iPhone has a chance to become a true computing platform with wide versatility.
There are two big hidden costs to the new iPhone’s faster speed and lower price tag. First, in my tests, the iPhone 3G’s battery was drained much more quickly in a typical day of use than the battery on the original iPhone, due to the higher power demands of 3G networks. This is an especially significant problem because, unlike most other smart phones, the iPhone has a sealed battery that can’t be replaced with a spare.
Second, Apple’s exclusive carrier in the U.S., AT&T Inc. (T), has effectively negated the iPhone’s up-front price cut by jacking up its monthly fee for unlimited data use by $10. Over the course of the two-year contract you must sign to get the lower hardware prices, that adds $240, overwhelming the $200 savings on the phone itself. If you want text messaging, the cost rises further. With the first iPhone, 200 text messages a month came free. Now, 200 messages will cost $5 a month, or another $120 over the two-year contract.
The iPhone 3G still has a couple of features that made the first version unpalatable to some potential buyers. It uses a virtual on-screen keyboard instead of a physical one. While I find the virtual keyboard easy and accurate, not everyone does. Also, in the U.S. and in many other countries, the iPhone is still tied to a single exclusive carrier, whose coverage or rate plans may be unacceptable to some.
Here is a rundown of the changes in the new model.
Design: The new iPhone looks almost exactly like the old one. It is the same length and width, has the same big, vivid screen, and has the same number and layout of buttons. The main difference is the back, which is now plastic instead of mostly metal and curved instead of flat. It’s very slightly thicker in the middle, with tapered edges, and weighs a tiny bit less.
The new iPhone 3G (left) delivers much higher Internet download speeds over cellular networks than the original iPhone (right).
Like its predecessor, the iPhone 3G comes in two models distinguished only by storage capacity: 8 gigabytes and 16 gigabytes. The top model is available in black or white.
Apple has greatly improved the audio on the new iPhone. I found the speaker was much louder, for music and for the speakerphone. But the new phone produced an echo when used with the built-in Bluetooth system in my car. Also, the headphone jack is now flush with the case instead of recessed as on the first model, so it can accept any standard stereo earphones.
The camera, however, is still bare-bones. It can’t record video and has a resolution of just two megapixels. The power adapter is now tiny, at least in the U.S., but Apple no longer includes a dock for charging, just a cable.
Software: The basic software is similar. The biggest addition for some users will be full compatibility with Microsoft’s (MSFT) widely used Exchange ActiveSync service, which many corporations use. In my tests, I was able to connect the iPhone 3G to my company’s Exchange servers in a few minutes, and my corporate email, calendar and contacts were replicated on the phone. Any changes I made on the iPhone were reflected almost instantly in Microsoft Outlook on my company PC, and vice versa. Email was pushed to the phone as soon as it was received on the company’s servers.
One drawback: While you can have both personal and Exchange email accounts on the new iPhone, if you synchronize with Exchange calendars and contacts, your personal calendar and contacts are erased.
The new iPhone and upgraded older iPhones also will be able to use a new Apple consumer service, MobileMe, which offers synchronized push email, calendars, photos and contacts.
There are other improvements. You can now delete multiple emails at once, set parental controls and search your contacts. You can also save photos in emails or from Web sites. You can also now open Microsoft PowerPoint files sent as attachments, though I found in my tests that opening larger PowerPoint files crashed the phone.
Some software features missing from the first iPhone are still AWOL on the new one. There’s no copy and paste function, no universal search, no instant messaging and no MMS for sending photos quickly between phones.
Network: Like the old iPhone, the new one can perform Internet tasks using either Wi-Fi wireless networking or the cellphone networks. But the addition of 3G cellular capability makes the new model more useful for Web surfing, email and other data tasks when you’re not in Wi-Fi range. In my tests, in Washington and New York, I got data speeds mostly ranging between 200 and 500 kilobits per second. By comparison, the original iPhone, tested in the same spots at the same time, mostly got cellular data speeds between 70 and 150 kbps on AT&T’s old EDGE network. The new iPhone typically was between three and five times as fast as the old one.
While AT&T now has 3G networks in 280 U.S. cities, and aims to be in 350 by year end, it is converting its cellphone towers gradually, so not all areas of included cities have 3G coverage. The new iPhone falls back to EDGE speeds when 3G isn’t present.
One side benefit to 3G is that in some areas, voice coverage improves. At my neighborhood shopping center, where the first iPhone got little or no AT&T service, the iPhone 3G registered strong coverage. But I still found that calls regularly broke up on some major streets. In New York City, riding in a taxi along the Hudson, one important call was dropped three times on the new iPhone. Finally, I borrowed a cheap Verizon (VZ) phone and got perfect reception.
Battery life: Apple claims that over 3G, the new iPhone can get five hours of talk time, or five hours of Internet use. Talk time is twice as long on the older EDGE network, and Internet time is an hour better with Wi-Fi.
I ran my own battery tests using the phone’s 3G capability. Although I left the Wi-Fi function on, I didn’t connect it to a network, so the phone had to rely on 3G. In my test of voice calling, I got 4 hours and 27 minutes, short of Apple’s maximum claim and nearly three hours less than what I recorded in the same test last year on the original iPhone. In my test of Internet use over 3G, I got 5 hours and 49 minutes, better than Apple’s claim, but far short of the nine hours I got using Wi-Fi in last year’s tests.
More important, in daily use, I found the battery indicator on the new 3G model slipping below 20% by early afternoon or midafternoon on some days, and it entirely ran out of juice on one day. I overcame this problem by learning to use Wi-Fi instead of 3G whenever possible, turning down the screen brightness and even turning off 3G altogether, which the phone permits.
The iPhone 3G’s battery life is comparable to, or better than, that of some other 3G competitors. But they have replaceable batteries. The iPhone doesn’t.
Third-party software: If things go as Apple hopes, third-party software could be the biggest attraction to the new iPhone 3G, and to upgraded older iPhones. By some estimates, there will be hundreds of these programs, some free and some paid, almost immediately.
Apple didn’t supply me with programs for testing, but I managed to try several on older devices upgraded to the new operating system. I tested a game that used the phone’s motion sensors to control the action, and I tested several programs from America Online (TWX), including AOL Instant Messenger; AOL Radio, which streams music from the Internet; and AOL’s Truveo video search engine. All worked very well.
Among the programs Apple has publicly previewed were a sales automation program from Salesforce.com, a game called Super Monkey Ball from Sega and a program for bidding on eBay (EBAY). Also made public were a news reader from the Associated Press, a program for following live games from Major League Baseball and several programs for doctors, including the Epocrates drug reference.
Bottom line: If you’ve been waiting to buy an iPhone until it dropped in price, or ran on faster cell networks, you might want to take the plunge, if you can live with the higher service costs and the weaker battery life. The same goes for those with existing iPhones who love the device but crave faster cellular data speeds. But if you already own an iPhone, and can usually use Wi-Fi for data, you probably should hold off and get the free software upgrade before deciding whether it’s worth getting the new hardware.
Find all of Walt Mossberg’s columns and videos online, free, at the All Things Digital Web site, walt.allthingsd.com. Email him at mossberg@wsj.com.
Comments
hey, walt, thanks for your review
i just have a few questions:
how’s the reliability of the phone software compared to the previous versions?
namely, is IMAP email checking fixed (finally)?
is the speed of the browser itself faster at rendering pages regardless of the network speed?
do tabs in safari work any better?
it’s funny, because very small things like the new phone having a louder speaker hold much merit for me.
Posted by Joe Smith at July 8th, 2008 at 7:44 pmHow come no one is mentioning the fact that the $199 price for the iPhone is for new customers only existing AT&T customers have to pay $399 & $499 for the new models. AT&T is be way to greedy and once again I pass on the iphone, my Blackberry Curve was only $99 and does a better job.
Posted by Charlie Robinson at July 8th, 2008 at 7:50 pmFor crying out loud, Walt, could you at least have dinged Apple for not including any To Do/Task support on the iPhone?! Do you actually not use To Dos to organize your time? Does it not matter to you that the iPhone can’t sync its To Dos from your computer, even though just about every other phone can, AND even though Apple goes out of its way to encourage its own customers to use To Dos by building them into iCal and more recently Mail?
No wonder U.S. productivity is in the crapper. Clearly, I’m the only American who actually likes to write down the things I have to do in a day or week…
P.S. And while there may be third-party To Do apps on the way, the chances are they won’t be syncing with Apple’s desktop apps like iCal and Mail. This really is a simple feature that Apple should have supported after more than a year on the market! But you vindicate that kind of neglectful behavior by not even mentioning it in passing during your review. You mention no MMS support–like that matters to a Wall Street Journal reader–but totally pass over the lack of To Dos. Very disappointing…
P.S. On the other hand, I appreciated that you delved deep into battery performance. That’s something that other reviewers have glossed over so far…
Posted by Ellis Kendrick at July 8th, 2008 at 7:50 pm“a program for following live games from Major League Baseball”
this needs clarification: the program MLB will be offering allows you to watch clips from ongoing games, as they post them- it does not allow you to stream/watch the entire game live. I believe the clips are updated as the game proceeds.
Poor battery life via 3G is a problem all phone manufacturers face- I am confident that Apple’s power management will stack up well against anyone else’s.
3G is essential for Apple’s plans for overseas, not as much here- due to the laughably primitive state of our overpriced, under-delivering US wireless networks compared to elsewhere in the world. That said, it’s nice to have if you happen to live in a big US city.
Posted by Dave Shepard at July 8th, 2008 at 8:16 pmCharlie:
Existing AT&T customers *CAN INDEED* get the iPhone 3G at $199. It just depends on when you signed up for AT&T’s service, and whether you accepted a subsidized phone from AT&T.
For instance: If you bought your Blackberry Curve from AT&T for $99, AT&T subsidized a big chunk of its *real* price (far higher than $99) in return for 2 years of a service contract. 6 months later, it would be unreasonable for AT&T to again give you a big discount on a new phone, when it’s still trying to earn its money back on your first phone. On the other hand, you could have bought a third party phone without subsidies from a third party retailer, and simply signed up for AT&T service. If that was the case, AT&T would gladly give you a $199 iPhone now. You could also get a $199 iPhone if you’ve been an AT&T customer for some length of time–1.5 years or 2, I forget.
Posted by Ellis Kendrick at July 8th, 2008 at 8:39 pmA few missing points, and some comments to add to your excellent review:
- While 3G cellular is faster than EDGE, WiFI is faster still. Your referenced inetworktest.com site shows the all-time average WiFI speed as 677 kbps (and EDGE at 209).
- the iPhone has bluetooth, but it STILL won’t allow you to use the Apple wireless keyboard. Not everyone wants to peck on the screen like a demented chicken, so adding this capability via a firmware update would be greatly appreciated by any business user that wants to compose an email of more than a paragraph or two. Even creating this comment would be laborious in the extreme on the iPhone, but painless with the bluetooth keyboard.
- your handy comparison table says “n/a” for GPS on the iPod Touch, but it does have an assisted GPS that uses WiFi networks to pinpoint itself. I’ve found it to be eerily accurate. And, Google Maps does work on the iPod Touch. (There’s even an off-line version available that will allow you to save your maps and then refer to them when out of WiFi coverage).
- you’ve pointed out that the iPhone 3G will cost only slightly more to own and operate than the original version over the life of the 2-year contract. In Canada, the new phone will cost $600-$1200 more to operate than in the US (even if you don’t run up overage charges on the non-unlimited data plan), due to the world-beatingly lengthy 3-year contract being foisted on over-eager Canadian buyers by the monopoly GSM provider Rogers.
Posted by Stewart Midwinter at July 8th, 2008 at 8:45 pmThanks for the review! I still want iPhone 3G on my palm. I can’t wait until it becomes available in our country and you guys are very lucky that your so near to that place so that you can experience the new iPhone 3G (good or bad experience).
Posted by Felixberto Baguyo at July 8th, 2008 at 9:38 pmHow does the new Iphone compare to the new Instinct? If anyone has answers please email me at Christo13@hotmail.com. Looking for answers
Posted by Christo watson at July 8th, 2008 at 9:52 pmCheck your facts Walter.
Posted by Nik Levy at July 8th, 2008 at 9:53 pmThe 3G iPhone is wider, thicker and longer than the original.
Apple made it appear thinner
by slimming the edges, just like the MAC Air.
What if I just renewed my contract and got new phones 2 months but I’ve been a costumer for more than 7 years, can I still get the iPhone for the $2oo price????
Posted by Arely Rosas at July 8th, 2008 at 10:00 pmHey Ellis, you are wrong. I just got off the phone with At&T, and they will NOT give you the 199.00 price if you are a long time customer. I have been a customer for 10 plus years ( YUP, AT&T, Cinguar, then AT&T). I have 4 months left before I can get a new phone…they tell me any OTHER phone then the IPhone they will give you the discount rate. AT&T says it is APPLE that set the “rules”, however I don’t believe that. It is AT&T once again screwing the customers that they already have, and only wanting to be greedy and wanting NEW customers. They don’t care about current customers. AT&T step up, and stop blaming it on Apple! When Jobs said the price was $199.00 there should of been an asterisk behind the price. The ONLY people that will get that price are NEW AT&T customers.
Posted by Tammy Turner at July 8th, 2008 at 10:12 pmIphone 3G will indeed be more costly than the regular Iphone. The Iphone 3G will only be $199-299, but you also have to pay $30-45 a month for the Iphone Data Plans Compared to the $20 Monthly fee you had to pay for the regular Iphone. Therefor it adds up.
Another thing, the regular Iphone can indeed be Unlocked and Jailbreaked with the origional 1.1.4 software. Can the Iphone 3G be jailbreaked and Unlocked if you take the 2.0 software off, and add the 1.1.4 software on?? Please EMAIL Me The Answer At SHORTASCANBE13@YAHOO.COM Thank you
Posted by matt pulliam at July 8th, 2008 at 10:14 pmThanks for the review Walt ! I just got Iphone last may 2008 and i was thinking if I made the right decision ,instead of waiting . When will they give us the free update and how ?
Posted by yvette Ong at July 8th, 2008 at 10:23 pmPeople….. why can’t we bring up the Instinct by Sprint? It’s really quite simple, forget the hidden cost junk with the i-phone, Sprint has the Simply Everything for 99.99 and that is EVERYTHING for 99.99. Now I was a little leery about it because cell phone companies always have some kind of trick under their sleeve but this is the real deal, it works fantastic with the Instinct because the Instinct can do what the i-phone does, the only draw back on that phone is that the calender for outlook does not load with the Instinct. One of their technicians has already informed me that it is on the way, oh and by the way when the phone launched it was only available to EXISTING customers only. Yes I know Sprint has had a bad rep when it comes to customer service but I have been with this company from good to horrible and this new CEO is changing the face of this company. Guys don’t follow the hype, Walter here just said “If you don’t mind the low battery life and the extra cost than go for it” really people?? Who the heck wants that? So what they are telling me is that you have to pay extra every month and oh by the way your battery life sucks and finally you can’t add insurance on the phone. I’m not taking that junk that’s for sure, at least with the Instinct I can add insurance for 7.00 a month rather than the taking a chance idea. Sprint is selling the Instinct for 129.99 and you don’t have to be a new customer to buy it.
Posted by anthony alexander at July 8th, 2008 at 10:26 pmOn some level, the big SO WHAT begins when third party developer applications built using iPhone SDK start rolling out, and consumers experience the AHA moment of making an impulse buy wirelessly via AppStore.
For a detailed analysis on why the iPhone SDK and app/developer ecosystem is a big deal, check out:
iPhone SDK: Mobile Reasons for Optimism
http://thenetworkgarden.com/we.....asons.html
Mark
Posted by Mark Sigal at July 8th, 2008 at 10:36 pmPeople seem to forget that it is an IPOD! Other phones just don’t cut it when is comes to this. Many things are made for IPOD’s, not Instinct, HTC Touch, etc.. Iphone still has the richest screen and amazing photo viewing. That alone to me makes it worth it. I do worry about AT&T’s coverage though….
Posted by sean cox at July 8th, 2008 at 10:42 pmbig bummer on no video support but companies like Qik and Flixwagon will be able to create an app like they’ve demo’ed already on their respective web sites.
Posted by Randy Ksar at July 8th, 2008 at 11:11 pmAnthony wrote, “People….. why can’t we bring up the Instinct by Sprint?”
Posted by Chip Winter at July 8th, 2008 at 11:18 pmWell, maybe because you have a bias toward Sprint as one its store managers.
Walt’s not beholden to anyone, and I trust him. Also, have you used the iPhone?
It is an engineering marvel and art piece and computer in one.
The Instinct … is a phone.
Just for verification.
In a nutshell, if you already have a standing at&t acct. && you’re “upgrade eligible” (check your account online), you’ll be able to buy the new iPhone for the discounted price of $199 for the 8GB version or $299 for the 16GB model. They also charge you an $18 upgrade fee along with the new phone.
If you’re not eligible for the discount, then you will be paying $399 for the 8GB iPhone 3G or $499 for the 16GB model, with the signing of a two-year contract. Not $199 or $299 for new customers like some claimed.
The iphone 3G will soon be available without the signing of any contract. A.k.a “no-commitment plan”. $599 for the 8GB version and or $699 for the 16GB handset.
More pricey, but no contract.
With the new iphone you will also have to activate it in the store. No itunes activation this time. So expect longer waits in line on launch day.
Textin will either costs you $5 for 200, $15 for 1500 or $20 for unlimited. If you have a family plan it’s $30 for the unlimited texting plan. it will still be around $70-$90 a month for a data plan if you’re not on a family plan. If you have a family plan it will be around $45 a month for each phone, versus the $30 data plan for the original iphone.
The entire thing will end up costing more in the future whether you are upgrading or gettin a new contract. But as i see it it’s way more than worth it.
But then again it may be smart to hold off a few months until they launch the 32GB model of the iphone 3G ya know?
Just my opinion.
Posted by Jamelle Prunty at July 8th, 2008 at 11:22 pmThanks for the review. I can now only wait until many other third party software applications are able to be used. I would love to see an Opera browser on this.
Posted by William Hoffman at July 8th, 2008 at 11:38 pmif you are a current iphone user and wish to upgrade to the newer iphone 3g you can get one for the 199 and 299 prices but you have to sign a new two year contract with at&t even if you have just recently bought the older iphone, your contract will not be extended to 2 or more years. if you have the older model all you will pay extra to at&t is an $18 upgrade fee. also if you bought the older iphone after may 27th you can upgrade to iphone 3g. also if you are mid contract on a at&t phone and wish to get the iphone and do not want to pay the 499 and 499 prices because you are not an existing or new customer, wait until your contract expires and buy iphone 3g for the 199 and 299 prices. also when you purchase the iphone you must activate it in the store.
and who would want to get the instinct on sprint. the only thing good about it is the hot chick in the commercial
Posted by zack metzner at July 9th, 2008 at 12:17 amThanks for the review, but why no mention of the GPS facility on the iPhone, probably the main reason for me to change given I do not live in a 3G region.
Posted by jon hills at July 9th, 2008 at 12:56 amEven with the fancy screen and the vivid colors the Treo still blows the Iphone away. video, music, email, calendar, 3rd party apps, games, etc.. the palm does it all.
I must say though, Palm dropped the ball and I would venture to say that they probably have until the 1st quarter of 2009 to catch up or we palm users will be sadly making a switch.
Posted by Wayne Howard at July 9th, 2008 at 3:31 amOf all the things mentioned, I am most concerned about the echo encountered while using the iPhone in the car through Bluetooth. I would like more specifics on this problem. Which car? All cars? Can anything be done to eliminate the echo?
This problem would prevent me from upgrading to the iPhone 3G, since I mostly use my iPhone in the car.
Tristan
Posted by tristan banfi at July 9th, 2008 at 5:05 amAs its name implies, the main function of this device is a cell phone. The usefulness of the iPhone is limited by the reliability of the carrier. As Walt mentioned, AT&T has some reception issues in some parts of the country. Anyone considering an iPhone should perform some due diligence on carrier reception before buying. An alternative is the iPod Touch, which has many of the iPhone features without the cell phone contract.
Posted by Steven Messer at July 9th, 2008 at 5:32 amNik in a comment above says Apple makes the iPhone “appear thinner by slimming the edges, just like the MAC Air”.
What?! The thickest part of the Air is thinner than every serious notebook on the market. Also, I believe in cramming in a slightly larger battery (to offset 3G’s increased battery use) + the 3G modem itself and a GPS chipset a .7mm increase in thickness is probably something that millions of users will gladly live with and never notice.
They aren’t trying to fool you, it just happens that buy shaving off unused space in the corners it looks and feels better. And it’s still much thinner than most smartphones I’ve ever seen.
Posted by Scott Lewis at July 9th, 2008 at 5:47 amThis all sounds exciting … even though the iPhone 3G has drawbacks I still want one and I’ll go and wait in line Friday morning at the Apple Store and finally get one and dump my Treo!
Thanks for the info!
Posted by Seb Jarakian at July 9th, 2008 at 6:41 amWalt, my wife is cheating on me with the mailman because he has a an iPhone. What should I do?
Posted by John Bosa at July 9th, 2008 at 6:49 amAs a Apple enthusiast I’d like to call to your attention that, in all fairness to Apple, you failed to mention some important factors with regards to the drawbacks (hidden costs) you pointed out on this new device.
1. The battery: As with any other 3G device (I also have the Moto q9, and I’ve tested other comparable devices), the battery lasts substantially less when compared to 2.5G devices. But in my experience the iPhone 3G lasts the longest when compared to other 3G devices. To handle your battery life, the iPhone allows you to switch off 3G, a tweak not readily available on other devices, but one that could extend the battery life beyond what the original iPhone could do in 2.5G. I think that switching off 3G is a better alternative than remembering to buy/charge/carry another battery. If the user is inclined to carry more things in his/her briefcase, then might as well carry the redesigned power adapter that is significantly smaller than most other mobile device power adapters.
2. Data Plan: AT&T raised the prices in all their data plans for all their smartphones, not just that of the iPhone. You can’t expect to pay the same for a 3G service with up to 1Mbps (soon to be higher) downlink speed, as you paid before for a 2.5G service that averaged 70Kbps, with a technical maximum of 240Kbps. Though AT&T’s 3G network has been tested to be superior, their data plans are competitive when compared to other carriers. Apple’s objective is luring new customers, not necessarily for those existing iPhone users to upgrade (upgrading the OS is a much better path for them). All potential new customers entering the USA smartphone segment, not just the iPhone, will be faced with these new pricing conditions from AT&T.
Posted by Fabrizio Acquaviva at July 9th, 2008 at 7:42 amAs much as I like new technology and high tech toys the biggest issue I have with the iPhone is the virtual keyboard. No matter how hard I’ve tried it just can’t seem to get what I type. If I type really, really, really slow it’s about 90% accurate at capturing my text. I currently have a Nokia E62 with full QWERTY and it works flawlessly. I will be getting the Blackberry Bold as soon as it’s avail, too bad since I do like the iPhone…just doesn’t work for me and I do text an awful lot.
Posted by Anthony Medina at July 9th, 2008 at 9:15 amI bought the iPhone about three months after it originally came out after the price lowered the first time. I have had it for a year. I have had to replace it once. It is a wonderful phone but I have to say that I am so angry at Apple and at ATT that I would like to send them my iPhone in a million pieces and tell them I am switching to Sprint! What other company can get away with: no removable battery; no incentive for loyal customers to upgrade to the new technology; if your phone dies, you have to make an appointment at an Apple store with the genius bar (could wait two days to get in); no multimedia text messaging (!); and just having a generally elitist attitude? Hey, it’s just a phone, not a cure for cancer! And ATT hosing their loyal customers (first I was ATT, then Cingular, now ATT again). My phone bill with my iPhone and my daughter’s iPhone is about $175 a month. That’s a big chunk of change over a year and we flat out bought our phones. No discount, no corporate discount on the iPhone although my company has one with ATT. It is a ripoff and I am waiting to see who else gives Apple a run for the money and then I am switching just on general principle.
Posted by Kelly Wagner at July 9th, 2008 at 9:17 amCan you send picture mail messages without having to use your email?
Posted by Nestor Zaragoza at July 9th, 2008 at 9:29 amMy friend has the iPhone while I have the Instinct. We did a side by side comparison for features and how easy it would be to navigate around.
Posted by John Quintero at July 9th, 2008 at 9:38 amRight of the bat there was an important feature that the iPhone lacks, and that is a back button. How can you not have a back button?
I understand that the new iPhone now has GPS, but I dont care about where I am, I want to know where I’m going and I like the fact that the Instinct has a navigation system.
The extra battery that the Instinct comes with is a nice plus and easily can be changed.
About instant messaging, I like the fact that I dont have to login and use a password just to view picture mail. I can forward messages, which all lacks with the iPhone.
Addition things that the iPhone lacks is no video recording, no TV. The Instinct comes with a ton of channels.
Oh and 1 last thing that I like about the Instinct, you can actually feel when your scrolling around or just touching the screen. A good example is when you scrolling thru a list, you can actually feel the scrolling in your palm and feel the speed in which the scrolling is happening.
About the plan and service, $129 for the phone and $99 for the everything plan. And that means “EVERYTHING”. Unlimited data, voice, text, TV, ect.
I know I am biased to the Instinct, cuz I am.
Do a side by side comparison, you will be amazed on how the Instinct from Sprint is better.
Samsung did a hell of a job on this phone for Sprint.
Chip Winter wrote:
Anthony wrote, “People….. why can’t we bring up the Instinct by Sprint?”
Well, maybe because you have a bias toward Sprint as one its store managers.
Walt’s not beholden to anyone, and I trust him. Also, have you used the iPhone?
It is an engineering marvel and art piece and computer in one.
The Instinct … is a phone.
Chip, yes you are correct, I am a store manager for Sprint but I look at facts, have I used the i-phone? To answer your question YES, since you know so much about me than you would know that it is our job to know our competitors products. Also you would know that the Instinct is not just a phone it also serves the same purpose as the i-phone so I ask you Chip…. have you used the Instinct? What’s there to argue about SIMPLY EVERYTHING because if I’m not mistaken that is EVERYTHING Sprint has to offer. You can go to a Sprint Store the same day and find out what the issue is instead of making an appointment to see someone in two days or so. Am I being bias? Well you may want to rethink that simply because you can’t argue FACTS. I say again, THE INSTINCT WAS AVAILABLE ONLY TO EXISTING CUSTOMERS WHEN IT LAUNCHED. The i-phone is only available to who?? Oh that’s right new customers, let me make it simple CHIP, we care about our existing customer that’s what keeps our company going our loyal existing customers. You have a nice day sir.
Posted by anthony alexander at July 9th, 2008 at 9:49 amI am a current iPhone user and an Apple lover, so I am probably a little biased. They have made the Instinct sound so great….but it’s not. The screen flip they advertise on the commercial is not “on demand” as the iPhone is. It is strictly based on the software imbedded. The only time I can’t flip the screen is in email but I can zoom in on that…can the Instinct zoom? As for your beloved Palm and Blackberry, my keyboard is intelligent and if I misspell a word my phone corrects it. Does your phone do that…didn’t think so. The only time you can’t get a landscape keyboard is in email…any other time if you are in landscape then you get a landscape keyboard. I agree that no “to do” list is slightly annoying, but there are always updates via iTunes! I am not rushing to the Apple store to get a 3G iPhone as I am happy with my 1st Generation.
Apple never half-does anything as they showed with the original iPhone. If you have been waiting on the 3G version…buy it, I highly doubt you will be disappointed.
Posted by Amy Lineberry at July 9th, 2008 at 9:56 amI’m waiting till they come out with a flip keyboard for the iPhone. I need my keys to type long e-mails. I have tried the iphone and hate typing. I’ll just get the Blackberry bold until they come out with the flip keyboard for the iPhone.
Posted by Clark Smith at July 9th, 2008 at 10:02 amThanks for the review, Walt!
I have been reading a lot of reviews and feedback from iPhone users for a bit over a year now. And finally, the iPhone 3G will be available internationally. Just want to update everyone about the situations outside the States.
I now live in Hong Kong where only 500 iPhones will be for sale on Friday 11 July. Since it’s the first day that the iPhone 3G is officially for sale, 3 (the carrier) is hosting a ‘iPhone 3G First Day Sale Gala’ to pump up the hype! Hong Kong residents were required to register their interests online at http://iphone.three.com.hk . Two days ago, 3 announced the list of the first 500 lucky people who gets the chance to purchase their iPhone 3G on the first day.
I wasn’t lucky enough to be drawn but will be anxiously waiting for my chance. Unlike in the States where it’s first come first serve, there’s no point for fans to even camp outside 3 stores. So for the mean time, I can only wait for 3 Customer Service to give me a call and advise me that it’s now my turn to purchase my iPhone 3G.
Anyways, thank you so much for the review! It was great to know in advance the pros & cons about the iPhone 3G.
Regards,
Posted by Patrick Lai at July 9th, 2008 at 10:12 amPatrick Lai
Oh, and I forgot. For all those Apple enthusiasts in love with the iPod, let’s not forget that iTunes makes you have all of your music files resident on your mac or pc in order to re-sync…so essentially they take up all that room on both your ipod and your computer. And Apple converts the mp3s. Not very economical.
Posted by Kelly Wagner at July 9th, 2008 at 10:43 amzack says:
>if you are a current iphone user and wish to upgrade to the newer iphone 3g you can get one for the 199 and 299 prices but you have to sign a new two year contract with at&t even if you have just recently bought the older iphone,
Not true. If you have just bought an iPhone you will NOT be upgrade eligible.
Posted by Marco Papa at July 9th, 2008 at 10:49 amzack says:
>t you have to sign a new two year contract with at&t even if you have just recently bought the older iphone,
Not true. If you have just bought an iPhone you will NOT be upgrade eligible.
Posted by Marco Papa at July 9th, 2008 at 10:49 amTristan says “Of all the things mentioned, I am most concerned about the echo encountered while using the iPhone in the car through Bluetooth.”
I am using the current iPhone with BlueAnt SuperTOOTH 3 handsfree (http://www.myblueant.com/s3_handsfree.htm) and it works perfectly: no echo, high volume, loads all 250 iPhone phonebook entries, it has text-to-speech and choice of 6 languages.
Posted by Marco Papa at July 9th, 2008 at 10:54 amWalt, what should I buy? An iPhone or Viagra?
Posted by John Bosa at July 9th, 2008 at 10:55 amNestor asks “Can you send picture mail messages without having to use your email?”
The answer is NO.
Posted by Marco Papa at July 9th, 2008 at 10:58 amExcellent review.
One question; the old Iphone was easily hacked to use ANY simcard anywhere in the world to use it. Is the new one the same or because of the changes, one has to wait for a new hacker program to avoid AT&T?
Sorry, this is a thorny question ))
Posted by Andy Far at July 9th, 2008 at 11:01 amClark says “I’m waiting till they come out with a flip keyboard for the iPhone.”
Forget it. It will NEVER happen.
Posted by Marco Papa at July 9th, 2008 at 11:03 amEasy people… You’re right, its not a cure for cancer, its a phone. First off… I’m in STL. and I’ve been a loyal paying customer of AT&T since the Iphone has come out. I switched from verizon and could tell the difference, because verizon used to nickel and dime the hell out of me for online use, AT&T does not and I get better coverage. I have had to replace my phone once. They did seem to be alittle ho-hum about the exchange but after I got on them about it, they subsided and gave me a replacement. Anyways, I’m stoked about the new 3G and I plan on replacing old for new. That being said, I have checked online with AT&T about eligability and talked to a AT&T rep and I am going to get my New 3G for $299. So maybe your talking to the wrong person or maybe they don’t know, but if you’re in good standing with your account and have had your phone for longer than a few months, your still good to go, but you’ll have to re-up for 2yrs. Now – FOR SPRINT… NOT IMPRESSED !!! A PLASTIC SCREEN, I mean comeon… you do everything through it and for it to be plastic. You’ll be needing to replace the screen more than the battery. Yes, it has MMS and also better price point, but it has no WI-FI and has super slow web transfer, but like all things… everyone has something, and theres something for everyone. If you want to check out more on your favorite gadgets check out G4tv.com Peace
Posted by Dirk Bolles at July 9th, 2008 at 11:04 amyou guys should check out the plan prices for the iphone in Mexico you could pay 3,000 us for download a movie
http://blogvecindad.com/no-a-l.....2008/07/09
Posted by Luis Ibarra at July 9th, 2008 at 11:08 amIve had my iPhone for about a year and had to replace it once when i dropped it at a cost of $250.. I have asked that the “recent calls” list to be able to delete individual calls from the list. Currently can only delete all, missed on none at all.. All other phones has this feature. Do any other users find this as a nusiance.. It isnt fixed on the new phone or Iphone 2.0 software…
Posted by Julian Wall at July 9th, 2008 at 11:26 amI really don’t see what the fuss is with the iPhones, other than it being a ‘cool gadget” surrounded by media-hype and oh so clever marketing buzz. It’s over-priced, quirky and limited in key functionality, as well as having its fair share of design flaws. There is much better technology out there in the marketplace, if one does the homework and knows where to look. A person can get better performance, better design, better everything, for a small fraction of the price of an iPhone. Same is true of the iPods IMO. Apple is all about trendiness, hype and marketing.
Posted by Benson Stein at July 9th, 2008 at 1:04 pm“I have asked that the “recent calls” list to be able to delete individual calls from the list. Currently can only delete all, missed on none at all.. All other phones has this feature.”
Posted by Julian Wall at July 9th, 2008 at 11:26 am
Stop cheating on your girlfriend (or boyfriend) and you wont have to worry about only deleting ONE call off the log – HAHA!
Posted by Mike Lowell at July 9th, 2008 at 1:25 pmJust like with macs, I love all the folks jumping on the iPhone bashing bandwagon. I’m sure the ATT exclusive was an initial catalyst, and the others, like Sprint (who was notorious for fees and expensive complicated service plans all of a sudden come up with full unlimited usage for $99) had to jump through hoops by slashing their phone prices proving what a racket this business really is. And then it’s the G3 network, and the video and megapixels (really?), and this will go on and on.
What no one knows is the truth about the ease of use and how this thing really will change your life. I don’t even need my GPS anymore that I paid 5 bills for! And this is on the original phone. And if you’re in a WiFi zone, you’re smokin’ fast no metter which iPhone you get.
Just like I told my PC friends (that converted to macs once they truly tried one) “You can keep on criticizing the iPhone until your blue in the face and still trying to find something buried in your complicated user interface, and I’ll have already left the building to go play a round, because my business is done. And at $199 plus the new software release . . . it’s a no brainer. But until you try it, you’ll only criticize based on what you’ve read.
Posted by Michael Guthrie at July 9th, 2008 at 1:53 pmIf you can buy a phone for $699, what is preventing you from unlocking it and using it on another plan, such as Verizon?
Posted by Doug Preston at July 9th, 2008 at 2:41 pmHere’s a question for you Walt…
Posted by kenny chong at July 9th, 2008 at 3:30 pmDoes this version of the iPhone Stop or at least reduce the communication “squeal” when the iPhone is talking to the towers?
I have no problem with the first generation iPhone bluetooth in my car, and no echo. (Marco Papa, are you using the new iPhone 3G or the first generation phone?) The phone book loads in my BMW and is voice activated.
I wish Mr. Mossberg had given more specifics about the echo problem, as this could be a potential deal breaker for many people.
Posted by tristan banfi at July 9th, 2008 at 6:52 pmTo: anthony alexander
“Well you may want to rethink that simply because you can’t argue FACTS. I say again, THE INSTINCT WAS AVAILABLE ONLY TO EXISTING CUSTOMERS WHEN IT LAUNCHED. The i-phone is only available to who?? Oh that’s right new customers, let me make it simple CHIP, we care about our existing customer that’s what keeps our company going our loyal existing customers.”
Are you crazy? The iPhone is not only available to new customers. As a current customer and current iPhone owner, I have many options. If you’re not eligible for an upgrade, you can pay the unsubsidized price. (My roommate has an Instinct, was not eligible for an upgrade and paid $449 for his Instinct! You failed to mention that…but you would probably mention that to your customer at the register) If you’re a current iPhone owner, Apple is looking out for you as they have negotiated with AT&T to make early iPhone adopters automatically upgrade eligible for an iPhone 3G purchase. (Engadget is the source for that statement…they are usually spot on) Finally, if you have an upgrade available, you can purchase an iPhone at the subsidized price. All with 2-year contracts of course. The only benefit new AT&T customers have is they are guaranteed to get the iPhone 3G at the subsidized price. Since you know everything about competitor’s products, maybe you should learn about the policies of product purchase before you make false statements. GET YOUR FACTS STRAIGHT CHIP!!
Posted by Anthony Zepeda at July 9th, 2008 at 7:14 pmNow, since I have an iPhone and my roommate has an Instinct. Let me point out that the Instinct is an impressive device. Let me also note though, that there is so much iPhone in the Instinct…it leads me to believe that Samsung had the iPhone on the product development table and branched off the clever ideas of the iPhone. My point is that the Instinct is what it is because of the iPhone. As Apple has done many times, their genius has helped us all, by raising the bar and forcing other companies to step their game up.
The Instinct has its flaws though…the browser is piss poor as it is not easy to navigate through in any manner. (my roommate who claims the Instinct is better despises the browser) They need an update to completely revamp it IMO. The data transfer rate is horribly slow… which leads me to believe that the poor development of the browser does not take advantage of a good EVDO Rev A network. Let’s also point out that Instinct’s screen is plastic compared to the glass screen on the iPhone. I’ve had my iPhone since launch day and the screen still looks amazingly perfect. I’d bet a year’s salary that Instinct owners will not be able to say the same after a year’s ownership. No WiFi? That’s a terrible exclusion in my opinion seeing how much I use WiFi on my iPhone. An 8gb SD card would have been much more appropriate IMO.
To end on a positive, it’s cool that you get an extra battery and the Instinct has the BEST GPS system on a phone that I have used to date. Very innovative development from Samsung…but I guess they had a lot of time on their hands since they stole the majority of the Instinct’s features from the iPhone! lol
Excellent and very informative article.Here is my problem though.
Posted by chris el at July 9th, 2008 at 9:05 pmI do not like the restriction of choice to one carrier (AT&T).
If all of you have noticed, all carriers have become more expensive in their “plans”, as they offer less minutes for the money.
Most of the people get excited owning a new gadget and ignore the total cost v utility.I couldn’t ever see a device like this as a vanity/cool item, to me is a tool not a toy.I do not see me forking out a penny until is offered by other carriers.No toy is worth holding one hostage.
For an interesting article about the iPhone 3G and its origins, check out:
http://therelevantelephant.com.....roduction#
Posted by Nathan Mallonee at July 10th, 2008 at 6:46 pmmr. Zepeda:
please comment on Sprint’s inability to account for why sprint customers (specifically treowx) invariably receive text, voice and missed calls up to 4-5 days after they are transmitted? Forget the hardware, it’s about the service.
Posted by mike od at July 10th, 2008 at 9:31 pmi am a little dissapointed with exchange activesync for iphone. namely, the fact that you cannot synch tasks and that you cannot simultaneously synch enterprise and individual info. id rather stick with webapps like HyperOffice which allow uncomplicated access and synching with outlook info through the Safari browser.
Posted by Sunil Sharma at July 13th, 2008 at 3:00 amI have had a different experience with exchange and personal calendars and address book. Maybe it’s because I did Exchange first, but I am happily able to use my exchange calendar and address book, as well as mobile me calendars & address book, at the same time.
Posted by Ken Anderson at July 15th, 2008 at 5:13 amFor me, the lack of a tasks/todo application that is synchronizable with Outlook is a critical shortcoming. It is one of my most used applications on a handheld, and one I cannot do without. I can live without a “Notes” application, but not without “Tasks”.
Posted by jose urena at July 20th, 2008 at 12:45 pmA few comments to add on the poor performing iPhone 3G. This phone is not for use by anyone with intensive business use as it’s functionality doesn’t compare with the Palm or Blackberry. I use a Treo and Blackberry for work, but recently the Treo screen cracked. I wanted to upgrade, but there aren’t any great new devices to upgrade to. So I bought an iPhone 3G. What a mistake. The iPhone doesn’t have a robust search feature. You can’t search all entries in Contracts or in Calendar. With thousands of contacts, I can’t always remember the name of the person I need to call, but can remember the city, but can’t search for the city.
You can view excel and word files, but can’t make any changes or updates. And there isn’t anywhere to keep those files other than in an email.
There isn’t any way to access the memo’s on my iMac, so you have to manually enter any data you want to carry with you.
With over 3,000 contacts, when you search for a name by typing in the first letter, the iPhone locks up until its isolated all contacts with that first letter.
And why have 3G or WiFi when the battery can support it? I just turned both off all the time in order to have decent battery life.
Now here is the real disappointment. Good luck trying to figure out how to return the iPhone if you purchase from the Apple store. Sure, they’ll take it back, but no one seems to know what process to follow. I had five or more people running around asking what the process is. I erased all my data on the phone as they were ready to take it back without doing so. NO ONE knew how to reactivate my service with AT&T back to the Treo. Turns out you have to return the phone, then drive to an AT&T store to reactivate service. I went to an AT&T store first to transfer my service to my Treo, and they refused without me first returning the iPhone. I can’t imagine what someone would do if they were past the return date, but no longer wanted to use the iPhone.
Luckily, I was able to replace my cracked Treo screen. While its heavy, its made for a heavy user for business. The iPhone just isn’t ready for anything but a casual user.
Posted by Mike Butler at August 12th, 2008 at 7:09 amHow I wish that it’s available in my country, too bad we can’t have a hand on it til early next year :-(
Posted by Zaldy Dalisay at October 19th, 2008 at 8:26 pmI had the new 3G Iphone, the battery didn’t last that long. Exspecially if you listen to music or play games which the iPhone is the best cell phone for. I recently purchase the Blackberry Bold from At&t when it came out. I love the phone! It’s more for business and less for fun. The iphone at first was neat to play with and I loved it for photo slideshows. The Bold has actually a better resolution because the screen is smaller. If MAC had their own servers like blackberry maybe the battery wouldn’t die so fast.
Posted by Skip Jarvis at December 16th, 2008 at 2:44 pmThe 3G Iphone is pretty good! The network has surely improved.
Posted by Work at Home Make Money Online at February 12th, 2010 at 11:18 pmOld but classic. Right now, Apple released a new iPhone 3GS.
Posted by Milk Thistle Liver Detox at April 1st, 2010 at 7:30 amIPhone is the best.
Love Apple.
Jobs is genius.
-Xina
Posted by electronic cigarettes at April 5th, 2010 at 11:09 pm