iPhone 3G – one week later


There are lots of people that are still hoping to get their hands on an iPhone 3G, but for those of us that were lucky (and patient) enough to get them have now had almost a full week to try them out.

Sure, you can write a review about something after having had it for a day or two, but he longer you have it, the more you get to know the device, and the more you start to see what makes it great…and what needs to be fixed.

Many of you have expressed a little frustration with the iPhone 2.0 software, primarily because of some lag issues that seem to be haunting the contacts, and a few other places. The MobileMe disaster continue to struggle on as well. I would imagine there have been some long nights at Apple HQ for the past week. (Rumor has it that the iPhone 2.0.1 update is already in the works – so we can expect some tweaks to this soon.)

Still, I think most everyone will agree that even with these small problems, the iPhone 2.0 software is a triumph. Primarily because of the App Store. I’ve already become seriously addicted to it, and I can’t wait to see what new offerings it has each day. There are so many ways this device can be used beyond simply being a phone, and discovering the new ways people have thought to use it is fascinating t me.

I still don’t think the iPhone 3G is an essential upgrade from the original iPhone for previous owners, but those of you still waiting in line, or on a waiting list still hoping to get your phone…trust me, it will be worth the wait.

What do you think?


Kokou Adzo

Kokou Adzo is a stalwart in the tech journalism community, has been chronicling the ever-evolving world of Apple products and innovations for over a decade. As a Senior Author at Apple Gazette, Kokou combines a deep passion for technology with an innate ability to translate complex tech jargon into relatable insights for everyday users.

4 Comments

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  1. It’s amazing!

    I waited a year for the 3G model before I bought my 1st iPhone and it was worth the wait. A few gripes, and we’ve heard them all before. No MMS. MobileMe is slooooow on the web interface. 15 min sync on the desktop. Contacts hangs for a few second before multitouch kicks in. Some 3rd pary apps crash the iPhone; and I’m not convinced it’s poor code on the programmers part. But all in all, the iPhone is everything and more than I thought it would be!

  2. I’ve always loved these devices for the 3rd party apps. I did it illegally the first time around but right now I’m all legal, and I do love paying these developers for their great programs, especially the ones I’ve been using via Installer for the past year. Most of them are under $10 so its not a big deal to me, but I have noticed I’ve already spent close to $80 on apps alone. Like you said Michael, I’m seriously addicted too, so many amazing ones. I’m actually going to start developing my own with a few friends, as from the number of downloads most are getting this is going to be very profitable.

    I have a few issues with the new iPhone, mostly if not all directly related to the software. Lagging like you said, sometimes the home button will refuse to wake the device and I need to use the top hold button, but for the most part its worked as it should. One thing that annoys the hell out of me with the App Store is if you buy a program and hit the back button it brings you back to the top of the list!, then I need to scroll through 30 or so apps until I can get to where I was before. Hopefully someone address’ that as its really annoying.

    Also my concerns with battery life are pretty much over once I switched from charging via my Mac to charging via the wall adapter. Everyones told me its better to do it from the wall and I did and I must say the difference is significant. I haven’t charged mine in over 24 hours and I’m still at about 50% battery life, and thats with calls, games, and watching movies, and of course using those interwebs 🙂

  3. My initial concerns over battery life have been a bit relieved as well. Over last weekend, I could not make it through the whole day without recharging at some point. The last couple of days I’ve gotten better performance. I think a lot of that has to do with getting past the “new shiny toy” phase of ownership. Last weekend I was using my iPhone constantly checking our performance on 3G network, checking APP Store, playing with the great new APPs I downloaded, etc. Since Tuesday I’m more into a normal usage pattern.

    I also made some changes that were suggested by the Geniuses – namely turning my non-MobileMe email accounts down to being checked every hour, instead of every 15 minutes. Since those are usually the accounts I received non-essential emails on, an hourly check for new spam doesn’t seem to be a problem. Especially since the MobileMe mail is being pushed to the iPhone when received.

    I’m finding the new 3G to be NOT as slippery as the Aluminum iPhone was. I’m not sure why, but I haven’t fumbled this iPhone yet (knocks on wood).

    My only major complaint with the 3G is the accessories – namely lack of, or incompatibility with. My local Apple Stores did not have the 3G docks in stock last Friday. They didn’t get them in until Tuesday. It’s impossible to find the Universal Dock Adapters – unless I want to pay an extra $4 in shipping to get them from Apple.com. And finally, my iHome iP99 Clock Radio that I got for Father’s Day was popping up the “Not Built for iPhone” message every time it was docked, and worse yet would fail to play any music when the alarm went off (I woke up late 2 mornings this week because of that). Luckily the local Apple Store agreed to let me return the iHome, even though it was well past their return policy date. I picked up the cheaper Sony iPhone Clock Radio – which I would recommend highly! The Sony supports the iPhone MUCH better than the iHome – no worries of snapping off the dock connector with the Sony model!

    All in all, it;s been a GREAT week with my new 3G! I’m already in for about $60 at the APP Store, and looking forward to more great APPs to spend my money on!

  4. Went to a GAA game on Sunday with iphone 3G in tow. Used it a LOT – video, music, web, SMS, calls etc. Fully charged at 1.40 pm and ran out of battery at 6.40.

    Not bad.