iPhone 3G: What's the point?

[TheSpaz]

What is the iPhone 3G really much better than the 2G?

From what I can tell:

1. A lot of people are having problems with 3G reception
2. 3G isn't available yet in a lot of locations
3. A lot of people seem to be turning off 3G just to preserve battery life
4. The plastic back gets cracked?
5. iPhone 3G now has 2 sides that need to be wiped constantly. Fingerprints on back
6. GPS uses a TON of battery (I'm told) and the iPhone 2G's fake GPS works great on most occasions... how often do you need to know the exact pinpoint of where you are? Usually if I get the street... I'm fine... just to make sure I'm on the path.
7. 3G and GPS... Those are the only 2 new features of the iPhone 3G and I don't really consider the flush headphone jack to be a feature.... that's more of a fix.

As a side question:

As more and more people switch over to 3G... does that mean EDGE will go a little faster since less people will be accessing it?

Edit: I'm not trying to purposely bash the 3G iPhone. I was thinking about getting one, but I'm glad I got an original iPhone instead. I like them a lot better and I just couldn't justify the price difference of 3G and GPS. Also, I don't get 3G in NH and I know the 3G coverage isn't as much as EDGE... I've looked at the coverage map.

[Elven]

I doubt edge will go any quicker, the problem being the iPhone 3G will use EDGE still and has been shown thanks to the chip Apple used that it switches to EDGE sometimes even when a good 3G signal is out.

We can only wait for 2.1 to come out and see how we get on from there in hope of better 3G signal.

I myself use WIFI to help my 3G along when at home, and I seem to have good 3G Signal in Manchester when at work or study.

[sunfast]

1. Fine here (UK)
2. Plenty here (UK)
3. Haven't needed to
4. Not on my phone
5. It does get very fingerprinty but I have a case on mine so not an issue. Very irritating for naked phones though
6. I don't use GPS much but tracking in the car (with car charger plugged in) is very useful
7. The killer feature for me is I paid £45 for my 16GB. The first iPhone was approx £300. Better phone, much less cash. No brainer.

[johnnyjibbs]

Also, EDGE in the UK has much more limited coverage. I always have 3G turned on - and always have coverage - but generally if I've turned it off I've had to resort to GRPS about half the time.

I'm pleased with mine anyway - I prefer the black look to the square silver of old but I never had the first one either because of the sheer cost. The iPhone 3G is MUCH more affordable in the UK and much more in line with other phone prices also.

People in the UK are not used to paying an upfront cost for their phone if they are on a contract - that's the major reason why the first iPhone didn't take off much. Now you can get it for free.

I love it, but I must admit it would be a little disappointing as an upgrade from iPhone 1 becasue nearly all the features are the same as the previous phone. Still, I suspect they wanted to keep the hardware as similar as possible so that the new 3rd party apps would work across all (i.e. games console aproach rather than PC aproach). (That could cause problems with iPhone 3 though..)

That said, a better camera would have been nice.

[Small White Car]

1. A lot of people are having problems with 3G reception


And a lot aren't.


2. 3G isn't available yet in a lot of locations


It also *is* available in a lot of locations.


3. A lot of people seem to be turning off 3G just to preserve battery life


And some people turn off wi-fi to preserve battery life. These are all people who don't want to enjoy life. There's nothing we can do to help them.


4. The plastic back gets cracked?

And laptop batteries overheat and catch fire too! Guess I'd better avoid any product that has isolated problems, right?


5. iPhone 3G now has 2 sides that need to be wiped constantly. Fingerprints on back

I put my phone in my pocket. When I take it out, it's fine.


6. GPS uses a TON of battery (I'm told)

See #3


7. 3G and GPS... Those are the only 2 new features of the iPhone 3G

Uhm, thanks for the re-cap of your first 6 points! This is correct.

[TheSpaz]

Why is there such a big demand for OLD 1st Gen iPhones. A lot of people don't need 3G or GPS. GPS would be nice if I wanted to track myself walking, but I don't need to.

The biggest decision for me was the design of the 3G vs. Original iPhone... I much prefer the "Pro" feel of the old iPhone because it looks like an Apple Cinema display or a Mac Pro with the aluminum casing. The iPhone 3G looks more like a MacBook... eh... it's just not for me. Maybe if it was matte-black it might work better for me but, glossy black is a fingerprint magnet and plastic doesn't seem as solid to me as aluminum. Plus, the people WITHOUT cracks... how do you know it will stay that way... it's bound to get pressure cracks sooner or later if some of them are coming brand new with cracks. I can't wait to see what the 3G iPhone looks like a year from now. The 2G iPhones look almost brand new when they've been used for a year. I very lucky with my 2G iPhone though... I got it as a USED iPhone that was just recently replaced by warranty... so I pretty much got a brand new refurbished iPhone.... it also came with a full Invisible Shield on it (which I took off)... so, my used iPhone was in new condition.... I love it.

[liquidtrend]

The point is that if you are located in a 3g rich environment and are capable of using 3g to it's potential, then someone would want a 3g device.

It's like compairing a 33.6 to 56k modem back when. All those people kept wondering what the big deal was with a 56k release at first.

If you're not in an area with 3g or you don't care how your gps works...then don't get the 3g iphone. That's the deal.

[Toadkillerdog]

I have an old iphone and think the new version looks good. As soon as there is a 32gb model, I am going to have a hard time not upgrading. Still sticking with my old 16 gb version 1 though because there is no 3G in Green Bay, Wi and so no overriding reason to upgrade.

BTW, my friend here at work gets 1-2 bars in our heavily insulated building with his new 3G model when I get no signal at all. Can any one else comment on whether there is better Edge signal reception on the 3G model compare to version one or is this just a fluke?

[netdog]

Why is there such a big demand for OLD 1st Gen iPhones. A lot of people don't need 3G or GPS. GPS would be nice if I wanted to track myself walking, but I don't need to.

The silly price for gen1 iPhones is artificially inflated by foreign buyers who want an iPhone but can't get one, and much more so by people who want to buy an iPhone, but don't want an AT&T contract.

It generally isn't because they prefer a used gen1 iPhone to a new 3G.

[Small White Car]

Why is there such a big demand for OLD 1st Gen iPhones.

The in-store sign-up for the 3G phone makes it very hard to get one without a contract.

Thus, anyone who wants to unlock it for other networks needs to get a used original phone. THIS is what's driving demand for the old phone.

If you could buy the 3G phone the same as the old one, you'd see much less demand for the old phones. After all, you can turn 3G off if you're in a bad area for that. Thus, the only people who would want the old phone in that situation are those who prefer the old look.

Sure, they're out there, but they wouldn't be driving demand as high as it currently is.

[TheSpaz]

The in-store sign-up for the 3G phone makes it very hard to get one without a contract.

Thus, anyone who wants to unlock it for other networks needs to get a used original phone. THIS is what's driving demand for the old phone.

If you could buy the 3G phone the same as the old one, you'd see much less demand for the old phones. After all, you can turn 3G off if you're in a bad area for that. Thus, the only people who would want the old phone in that situation are those who prefer the old look.

Sure, they're out there, but they wouldn't be driving demand as high as it currently is.

I prefer the old look. It looks classy to me. The iPhone 3G looks like a toy to me.

[Mikey B]

I prefer the old look. It looks classy to me. The iPhone 3G looks like a toy to me.

i kind of feel the same way. when the 3G first came out i really didn't think i was going to upgrade, for a lot of the same reasons you stated. i do really like the form factor of the first phone, and i definitely haven't noticed any improvement in reception with the plastic back versus the aluminum. the al does seem to be a better choice of materials as far as durability goes.

but, the design of the white iPhone really grew on me. i love it's "retro iPod" look. i found myself going by the apple store more and more to try one out. and one day, i just had to have it. and i really don't regret it. its sleek, light, fits great in my hand, i love the white, i dunno. it's really grown on me.

and, though hardware wise it wasn't a huge upgrade, the GPS has proven to be quite accurate and useful and i really enjoy the 3G speeds.

what part of NH are you from?

[aristobrat]

6. GPS uses a TON of battery (I'm told) and the iPhone 2G's fake GPS works great on most occasions... how often do you need to know the exact pinpoint of where you are? Usually if I get the street... I'm fine... just to make sure I'm on the path.
Do you travel a lot? There's a ton of App Store apps that come in handy if you're navigating around an area you're unfamiliar with. "fake GPS" on the iPhone 2G doesn't come close to cutting it when you're driving around looking for an address you've never been to, at least in my area.

As a side question:

As more and more people switch over to 3G... does that mean EDGE will go a little faster since less people will be accessing it?
In my area, each AT&T tower has one data connection that it shares with both EDGE and 3G users. Users moving from EDGE to 3G cause more of a strain on that data connection, so I wouldn't expect EDGE to move more quickly. (Although as AT&T ups the data connection speed to its towers, both EDGE and 3G will feel faster during busy times).

As for the old design, ... the new design gets more bars of EDGE around my house (2-3) than the old design did (1), so for me, I'll take the more functional one (that'd be the new design).

[TheSpaz]

what part of NH are you from?

About 30 minutes North of Portsmouth

[aristobrat]

About 30 minutes North of Portsmouth
Using Google Maps to view that area, I can see why GPS wouldn't be a big deal for you.

[TheSpaz]

Using Google Maps to view that area, I can see why GPS wouldn't be a big deal for you.

Yeah... roads are long and winding here... not too many crazy traffic patterns.

[Mikey B]

About 30 minutes North of Portsmouth

ahh nice. I miss NE so much. Originally a M*******, now I'm trapped in Michigan.

GPS could definitely come in handy when trolling around the NH woods. As long as your battery is still working... ;)

[daneoni]

What is the iPhone 3G really much better than the 2G?

From what I can tell:

1. A lot of people are having problems with 3G reception
2. 3G isn't available yet in a lot of locations
3. A lot of people seem to be turning off 3G just to preserve battery life
4. The plastic back gets cracked?
5. iPhone 3G now has 2 sides that need to be wiped constantly. Fingerprints on back
6. GPS uses a TON of battery (I'm told) and the iPhone 2G's fake GPS works great on most occasions... how often do you need to know the exact pinpoint of where you are? Usually if I get the street... I'm fine... just to make sure I'm on the path.
7. 3G and GPS... Those are the only 2 new features of the iPhone 3G and I don't really consider the flush headphone jack to be a feature.... that's more of a fix.

As a side question:

As more and more people switch over to 3G... does that mean EDGE will go a little faster since less people will be accessing it?

Edit: I'm not trying to purposely bash the 3G iPhone. I was thinking about getting one, but I'm glad I got an original iPhone instead. I like them a lot better and I just couldn't justify the price difference of 3G and GPS. Also, I don't get 3G in NH and I know the 3G coverage isn't as much as EDGE... I've looked at the coverage map.

Amen. I love my 16GB V1 running 1.1.4. I've mulled the 3G plenty of times but each time i arrive at the same conclusion: Its not really worth it

[hexonxonx]

What is the iPhone 3G really much better than the 2G?

From what I can tell:

1. A lot of people are having problems with 3G reception
2. 3G isn't available yet in a lot of locations
3. A lot of people seem to be turning off 3G just to preserve battery life
4. The plastic back gets cracked?
5. iPhone 3G now has 2 sides that need to be wiped constantly. Fingerprints on back
6. GPS uses a TON of battery (I'm told) and the iPhone 2G's fake GPS works great on most occasions... how often do you need to know the exact pinpoint of where you are? Usually if I get the street... I'm fine... just to make sure I'm on the path.
7. 3G and GPS... Those are the only 2 new features of the iPhone 3G and I don't really consider the flush headphone jack to be a feature.... that's more of a fix.



1. Not everyone is having problems with 3G, it is nearly perfect in my area.
2. N/A in my area, see my #1
3. I turn on 3G when I need it. I like my battery to last two days. Why use 3G when you are not surfing the net or downloading apps? It is there when I need it.
4. No scratches on either of my white 3G phones.
5. In a case, only the front needs to be wiped.
6. The exact location is always great to know, especially in cities you are not familiar with. In Los Angeles, I can look and see from Google maps when I am only a few blocks away from the beach or how far Hollywood Blvd. is away from my hotel. Always a very useful feature.
7. Who cares.

[NDimichino]

$ 4 :apple:

[JPIndustrie]

Really? Yet another "Im-so-much-more-enlightened-than-you-guys-because-I-didn't-get-an-iphone 3G-and you-did-and-here's-why" post?

Ok. I get it. You have a first-gen iPhone and you like it better. OK. Thanks. Join the club.

Fact is, I love my iPhone 3G. I don't think it looks like a toy, but actually rather classy. 3G, even at its slowest is still way faster than the best EDGE speeds I've ever achieved.

Thanks for outlining all that it doesn't have. Unfortunately, it's been posted on every major blog and news outlet, and been discussed ad nauseum too many times.

[Rojo]

Well I have an original iPhone, and my boyfriend always thought it was "too slow." I never minded EDGE speeds, but he said that if he ever got an iPhone, he'd want it to be faster.

So when the iPhone 3G came out, I got it for him -- thinking it would be just right.

Guess what? Most of the time, my original iPhone is faster than his 3G. We live in NYC, which is now known to be kind of crappy for 3G reception (which still baffles me -- it's New York 'Effin' City!!). A lot of times when he tries to fire up a webpage, it just hangs forever. He now wishes he had an original phone -- it's faster, and a LOT cheaper. And it looks better.

So yeah...I can understand the OP's point: what's the big deal about 3G? My boyfriend's phone is more expensive than mine, yet performs worse. It doesn't make sense.

[milani]

1. Haven't had any problems with 3G.
2. Available all over my city, and in Calgary, Toronto, and all the other cities I've been with my phone in the past month.
3. Never bothered, I still get a working day out of my phone.
4. Maybe if you drop your phone it will crack.
5. I keep my phone in a microfiber bag, so most fingerprints get wiped by the bag. I'm not too worried about it either way.
6. I don't use GPS that often, but it's nice to pinpoint your position in a second and then use your current location to set a path to another destination. Just a bit easier, and a lot faster, than figuring out/typing in where you already are.
7. There have been other improvements, such as speaker quality, but the notable improvement was the software, which was carried over to the original iPhone. When the 3G came out the new/improved operating system, and all of its new features, were what was driving the phone's popularity. Without the 3Gs development, the original iPhone wouldn't have the new operating system either, so your last point isn't really a fair point in my opinion.

[TheSpaz]

1. Haven't had any problems with 3G.
2. Available all over my city, and in Calgary, Toronto, and all the other cities I've been with my phone in the past month.
3. Never bothered, I still get a working day out of my phone.
4. Maybe if you drop your phone it will crack.
5. I keep my phone in a microfiber bag, so most fingerprints get wiped by the bag. I'm not too worried about it either way.
6. I don't use GPS that often, but it's nice to pinpoint your position in a second and then use your current location to set a path to another destination. Just a bit easier, and a lot faster, than figuring out/typing in where you already are.
7. There have been other improvements, such as speaker quality, but the notable improvement was the software, which was carried over to the original iPhone. When the 3G came out the new/improved operating system, and all of its new features, were what was driving the phone's popularity. Without the 3Gs development, the original iPhone wouldn't have the new operating system either, so your last point isn't really a fair point in my opinion.

Explain to me how the development of the 3G made a difference in the software. Without the 3G, the iPhone 2.0 software wouldn't have been developed? That's a dumb assumption.

[mavis]

Wirelessly posted (iPhone 3G (16GB, 2.0.2 JB'd): Mozilla/5.0 (iPhone; U; CPU iPhone OS 2_0_2 like Mac OS X; en-us) AppleWebKit/525.18.1 (KHTML, like Gecko) Version/3.1.1 Mobile/5C1 Safari/525.20)

Really? Yet another "Im-so-much-more-enlightened-than-you-guys-because-I-didn't-get-an-iphone 3G-and you-did-and-here's-why" post?

Ok. I get it. You have a first-gen iPhone and you like it better. OK. Thanks. Join the club.

Fact is, I love my iPhone 3G. I don't think it looks like a toy, but actually rather classy. 3G, even at its slowest is still way faster than the best EDGE speeds I've ever achieved.

Thanks for outlining all that it doesn't have. Unfortunately, it's been posted on every major blog and news outlet, and been discussed ad nauseum too many times.

Yes, there's nothing like beating a dead horse, is there? ;)

I love my fellow Americans who assume that things are the same in the rest of the world as they are in their little pocket of reality. Oh wait - no, I don't. For example, the fact that EDGE/GPRS isn't even available in some places (like Japan) or that the original iPhone was sold in five (or six?) countries, compared with the iPhone 3G's 70 countries. Is it any wonder then, that there might be huge demand for the iPhone 3G outside of BFE N.H.? :rolleyes:

[Ntombi]

What is the iPhone 3G really much better than the 2G?

From what I can tell:

1. A lot of people are having problems with 3G reception
2. 3G isn't available yet in a lot of locations
3. A lot of people seem to be turning off 3G just to preserve battery life
4. The plastic back gets cracked?
5. iPhone 3G now has 2 sides that need to be wiped constantly. Fingerprints on back
6. GPS uses a TON of battery (I'm told) and the iPhone 2G's fake GPS works great on most occasions... how often do you need to know the exact pinpoint of where you are? Usually if I get the street... I'm fine... just to make sure I'm on the path.
7. 3G and GPS... Those are the only 2 new features of the iPhone 3G and I don't really consider the flush headphone jack to be a feature.... that's more of a fix.

As a side question:

As more and more people switch over to 3G... does that mean EDGE will go a little faster since less people will be accessing it?

Edit: I'm not trying to purposely bash the 3G iPhone. I was thinking about getting one, but I'm glad I got an original iPhone instead. I like them a lot better and I just couldn't justify the price difference of 3G and GPS. Also, I don't get 3G in NH and I know the 3G coverage isn't as much as EDGE... I've looked at the coverage map.
1. Not me

2. It is great in my area

3. I've never turned off 3G, and my battery life is fine. It's always going to be worse than without 3G, but that's the nature of 3G.

4. Not mine. No cracks or any physical defects on my phone, or any of the phones of people I know IRL.

5. Nah. I have a white 3G, and I don't see too many fingerprints. My phone is naked too, and I wipe the screen whenever I feel like it, but I don't obsess about it.

6. See answer #3. But I recently had a charger issue with the GPS in my car, so I didn't have it for 2 weeks. I actually did use the GPS on my 3G, and it worked perfectly, taking me to a couple of locations I had never driven to before. Was it as good as my dedicated GPS? Of course not, but it worked fine.

7. Agreed. But for me, 3G was the main selling point. 2.5G AT&T service in my area is total crap, so I didn't buy the original iPhone. Once they offered the 3G, I jumped in with no regrets.



ETA: The few times I've had to use EDGE to go on Safari or e-mail, I'm stunned at how slow it is. I've been spoiled pretty quickly, and I don't ever want to go back to a non-3G smartphone.

[ishopukisfake]

I prefer the old look. It looks classy to me. The iPhone 3G looks like a toy to me.

I prefer the new design, it looks like a sleek ipod now, with a phone miraculously built in. I thought the original was far too thick with the chrome around the edge and the back design looked like it was half baked and born out of necessity rather than design choice.

Regarding the 3G, obvious answer, the point is it's allot faster. In some rooms in my house the signal is low and it switches to the normal meathod, but at other times the 3G goes as fast as wi-fi, its really awesom to use when it works. Apple do have to work on extending battery life though in general for 3G, games and movie use.

[ishopukisfake]

Accidently posted twice, deleted

[ginguar]

1. Fine here (UK)
2. Plenty here (UK)
3. Haven't needed to
4. Not on my phone
5. It does get very fingerprinty but I have a case on mine so not an issue. Very irritating for naked phones though
6. I don't use GPS much but tracking in the car (with car charger plugged in) is very useful
7. The killer feature for me is I paid £45 for my 16GB. The first iPhone was approx £300. Better phone, much less cash. No brainer.

I agree, I have my GPS on all the time not tracking but just so i don't have to turn it on off when i do want it, it was quite cool watching it while was on the train and it pretty much stayed exactly on track (maps couldn't keep up sometimes but then there wasn't even edge in that area so can't blame them.

The big plus for me on the 3G is that you can' receive calls while sufing on edge you can when using 3G and since I live in London I have 3G or wifi on my entire route into work so can happily catch up on the internet.

[kis]

1. Fine here (UK)
2. Plenty here (UK)
3. Haven't needed to


All of this goes for Switzerland as well - excellent 3G coverage, no dropped calles, no issues. EDGE coverage is 99% of the area here - even on top of the mountains.

[JPIndustrie]

Explain to me how the development of the 3G made a difference in the software. Without the 3G, the iPhone 2.0 software wouldn't have been developed? That's a dumb assumption.

I don't think its less of a dumb assumption, than a common noob's mistake.

A lot of people associated the iPhone 3G with the new 2.0 software, and Apple played in part by highlighting 2.0's features (like the app store, etc) when advertising the new phone - but you're right, 2.0 has been in development for a while.

However, I do believe having an iPhone 3G allows you to take full advantage of the 2.0 software (AGPS Geo-tagging, etc) .

[Pressure]

People seem to disregard the fact that all the new countries the iPhone have been introduced in also happens to be the iPhone 3G version supported by an infrastructure that is actually capable of supplying a decent 3G connection.

[PowerFullMac]

The iPhone 3G is a crappy rip-off that dosent do half the things a normal phone does.

Especially on O2's PAYG plans! £350! I could get a laptop with Core 2 Duo CPU for that!!!

Wait until the prices go down, I probably will get one of them Android phones as long as they have decent prices.

Just look at my signature, it basically sums up how over-priced the iPhone is... :p

[TheSpaz]

I agree, I have my GPS on all the time not tracking but just so i don't have to turn it on off when i do want it, it was quite cool watching it while was on the train and it pretty much stayed exactly on track (maps couldn't keep up sometimes but then there wasn't even edge in that area so can't blame them.

The big plus for me on the 3G is that you can' receive calls while sufing on edge you can when using 3G and since I live in London I have 3G or wifi on my entire route into work so can happily catch up on the internet.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but I have an original iPhone with 2.0 and I can use EDGE during a phone call. I'm pretty sure I've tried. Can anyone confirm this? Maybe I'm wrong but, I thought this could've been a feature of 2.0. I didn't own an iPhone prior to 2.0 so I don't know.

[tha80sbrat]

The only problem I have with the 3G iPhone is the battery. It sucks.

I would have loved to own an original iPhone except for $500, I couldn't afford it.

[sammy2066]

And a lot aren't.



It also *is* available in a lot of locations.



And some people turn off wi-fi to preserve battery life. These are all people who don't want to enjoy life. There's nothing we can do to help them.



And laptop batteries overheat and catch fire too! Guess I'd better avoid any product that has isolated problems, right?



I put my phone in my pocket. When I take it out, it's fine.



See #3



Uhm, thanks for the re-cap of your first 6 points! This is correct.


Wow, Small White Car ... you seem to be on Apple's payroll. I think everyone knows that iPhone 3G has many issues, and most of them are quite unacceptable from a company like Apple.

[hukuma]

I like it...it works for me. I've found the GPS to be helpful while on roadtrips.

A bit off topic...but, isn't '30 minutes North of Portsmouth' Maine, not NH? Unless you're going North/West. I lived in Portsmouth...one of my favorite places on Earth!

[Ntombi]

Wow, Small White Car ... you seem to be on Apple's payroll. I think everyone knows that iPhone 3G has many issues, and most of them are quite unacceptable from a company like Apple.
You may as well say the same to me. :confused: I don't have any problems with my 3G, and neither do any of my RL friends. I'm not denying that some are having issues, but I sincerely think they are fewer than it looks like on these forums.

[hexonxonx]

You may as well say the same to me. :confused: I don't have any problems with my 3G, and neither do any of my RL friends. I'm not denying that some are having issues, but I sincerely think they are fewer than it looks like on these forums.

Yes, there are many many more people not having problems whatsoever with the iPhone. There will always be some people having problems with any phone or computer, just go pick out a computer or phone support forum and you will see the threads.

It was the same when I first got a Treo 650. There were people having trouble with that including me.

[Mikey B]

Correct me if I'm wrong, but I have an original iPhone with 2.0 and I can use EDGE during a phone call. I'm pretty sure I've tried. Can anyone confirm this? Maybe I'm wrong but, I thought this could've been a feature of 2.0. I didn't own an iPhone prior to 2.0 so I don't know.

sorry, but you are wrong. EDGE does not allow data and calls at the same time. that's one of the great things about 3G, you can do both. very helpful when on a business call and you need to get an email or look something up online.

[milani]

Explain to me how the development of the 3G made a difference in the software. Without the 3G, the iPhone 2.0 software wouldn't have been developed? That's a dumb assumption.

Not really. Without developing a new product to advertise, it's hard to justify spending the money to R&D said software update. Also, it's not an update so much as a new version of the OS (hence it costs money for Touch users, for example). And since it was debuted on the 3G, and thereafter was made available to iPhone 1, I don't think it's a "dumb" assumption at all. Besides, I think the whole point of this thread was to point out that since 3G never works for anyone - or so they claim - that the iPhone 3G is pointless. Since I assume you're just trying to start another rant thread, I'm obviously going to poke holes in your argument.

[dukebound85]

sorry, but you are wrong. EDGE does not allow data and calls at the same time. that's one of the great things about 3G, you can do both. very helpful when on a business call and you need to get an email or look something up online.

wow cool so how do you do that? do you press the home button while on phone or how exactly would this work

[TEG]

1. A lot of people are having problems with 3G reception - A minor software error that would be fixed if EVERYONE was on 2.0.2, and more improvement coming in 2.1.
2. 3G isn't available yet in a lot of locations - While true in the US and Canada, EDGE isn't widely available in other markets.
3. A lot of people seem to be turning off 3G just to preserve battery life - The GPS is a bigger battery drain than 3G, but if you don't need it, why have it on.
4. The plastic back gets cracked? - Only on a percentage of the owners, estimated to be 5%.
5. iPhone 3G now has 2 sides that need to be wiped constantly. Fingerprints on back - Only if you care. A nice case, cover, or sticker makes is imperceptible.
6. GPS uses a TON of battery (I'm told) and the iPhone 2G's fake GPS works great on most occasions... how often do you need to know the exact pinpoint of where you are? Usually if I get the street... I'm fine... just to make sure I'm on the path. - When lost, getting accurate directions on a freeway or when in rural areas, and you are only covered by one cell tower.
7. 3G and GPS... Those are the only 2 new features of the iPhone 3G and I don't really consider the flush headphone jack to be a feature.... that's more of a fix. - I consider the flush headphone jack to actually be removing a feature of the iPhone 3G and removing a safety margin. The 3G and GPS were long standing complaints of the iPhone EDGE, although I would have liked it to be the same size/shape of the iPhone EDGE if it had a higher capacity battery.

TEG

[Nipz]

1. Fine here (UK)
2. Plenty here (UK)
3. Haven't needed to
4. Not on my phone
5. It does get very fingerprinty but I have a case on mine so not an issue. Very irritating for naked phones though
6. I don't use GPS much but tracking in the car (with car charger plugged in) is very useful
7. The killer feature for me is I paid £45 for my 16GB. The first iPhone was approx £300. Better phone, much less cash. No brainer.

perfectly said!

[Mikey B]

wow cool so how do you do that? do you press the home button while on phone or how exactly would this work

yeah, when you;re in a call, just press the home button and it will take you to the home screen. from there, just tap on Safari, or Mail, or whatever. When in a call, there will be a green bar on the top of the screen, tapo that and it will return you to Phone.app.

[xraydoc]

- 3G service in my area is getting steadily better.
- just like I turn off BT and wifi to have battery, I will sometimes turn off 3G. Not really a big deal.
- as for GPS, I don't see it as much of a drain, but will usually turn it off until I need it.
- white iphone here with no cracks. Can't see fingerprints on the white phone's back.
- with 3G off, battery life for me is at least as good as original.

Overall, very happy with my iPhone 3G. And I did upgrade from an original one, too.