3G not really worth it?

[SilentCrs]

So, in connection with my thread yesterday about stupidly waterlogging my new 3G in a washing machine, I have a new one ordered through AT&T ($500 -- ouch). I put my SIM back in my original iPhone and noticed something...

I'm not really missing all that much.

True, I like the "3G" part of the new phone. And the GPS, well -- it's kinda mediocre (the old one was almost as accurate just using cellular triangulation). Besides the greater storage on my new phone (16GB vs. 8GB) um... that's about it. The truly "cool" part of the 3G was the 2.0 software, and that I have on my old phone.

Keep in mind, I still have the new one on order, and by then I will likely be back to salivating over 3G service (plus, AT&T goosed me for another 2 years, so I may as well go with it). But outside this, I'm kinda surprised how much I'm tolerating the old phone.

I guess what I'm saying is... if you have the old phone and are hedging to get a new one (or are just waiting for your new one to come in), don't worry. You're not really missing out on all that much. :/

 

[meagain]

IMO the truely good part of 3g is 3g. It exceeded all my expectations. Can't tell the difference between it and my wifi here at home.

 

[iammike1]

Honestly I kinda feel the same. I love the iPhone and I didn't have myself built up to think the 3G was anything more then it was, faster data, GPS....yada yada.

Thing is, I kinda miss the flat back, metal feel and $300 I had with the 1st Gen. lol

 

[cshale210]

So, in connection with my thread yesterday about stupidly waterlogging my new 3G in a washing machine, I have a new one ordered through AT&T ($500 -- ouch). I put my SIM back in my original iPhone and noticed something...

I'm not really missing all that much.

True, I like the "3G" part of the new phone. And the GPS, well -- it's kinda mediocre (the old one was almost as accurate just using cellular triangulation). Besides the greater storage on my new phone (16GB vs. 8GB) um... that's about it. The truly "cool" part of the 3G was the 2.0 software, and that I have on my old phone.

Keep in mind, I still have the new one on order, and by then I will likely be back to salivating over 3G service (plus, AT&T goosed me for another 2 years, so I may as well go with it). But outside this, I'm kinda surprised how much I'm tolerating the old phone.

I guess what I'm saying is... if you have the old phone and are hedging to get a new one (or are just waiting for your new one to come in), don't worry. You're not really missing out on all that much. :/

I agree for the most part. I had an 8GB iPhone Classic, now upgraded to a White iPhone 3G.

When I am in my house, I have NO SERVICE with 3G. When I shut off 3G I have 2-3 bars... The one interesting thing though is that I put my buddies iPhone classic next to mine, and I have 3 bars, he has one. So it definitely gets better service.

So basically I never put 3G on even when I leave my house unless I am gong to be doing some browsing (once I leave my house I do have 3G) but it is still not as strong signal-wise as 2G.

Battery for me is still breaking in, it's getting better. I made it through the whole day yesterday without getting the 10% notice. I had WI-FI off most of the day, 3G turned off, Push on, periodically checking for time/occasionally using apps.

Basically, in my own case, My new iPhone is so sexy to hold in my hand, and the white looks smashing, but as for actual performance, it is pretty much the same as my classic.

If you have a bit of money looking to be spent, it is a great investment (sell your iPhone classic)(I did for $300) but performance is very similar unless you live in a major city.

 

[thechidz]

I agree. the coolest part is the software, which we now have on or v1 phones

 

[Cyroceon]

So, in connection with my thread yesterday about stupidly waterlogging my new 3G in a washing machine, I have a new one ordered through AT&T ($500 -- ouch). I put my SIM back in my original iPhone and noticed something...

I'm not really missing all that much.

True, I like the "3G" part of the new phone. And the GPS, well -- it's kinda mediocre (the old one was almost as accurate just using cellular triangulation). Besides the greater storage on my new phone (16GB vs. 8GB) um... that's about it. The truly "cool" part of the 3G was the 2.0 software, and that I have on my old phone.

Keep in mind, I still have the new one on order, and by then I will likely be back to salivating over 3G service (plus, AT&T goosed me for another 2 years, so I may as well go with it). But outside this, I'm kinda surprised how much I'm tolerating the old phone.

I guess what I'm saying is... if you have the old phone and are hedging to get a new one (or are just waiting for your new one to come in), don't worry. You're not really missing out on all that much. :/

While I agree with some of your post, I have to touch on a few different features that, to some, are meaningful. I had an original iPhone and I went to 3G iPhone because:
1. I wanted 3G and GPS, actual GPS.
2. At the price of $199, I couldn't pass it up especially since I actually made money off of selling my original iPhone.
3. Non-recessed headphone jack.
4. Simultaneous voice and data on 3G.
5. Improved battery life if using EDGE and no GPS, like original. (meaning even if I didn't care for any new features and turned everything off making it exactly the same as original iPhone, it has better battery life.)


In summary, if you just factor in the 3G/GPS and the price of $199 for existing customers(which you can more than satisfy just by selling your original), then the new iPhone 3G is a win/win/win. That's three wins, from all angles.

EDIT: Just to give you a rundown. I bought my iPhone 3-4 days after Jobs announced price drop to $400 last September. I sold it on eBay and my profit (after eBay and PayPal fees) was $350.
Subtract from that money the price of iPhone 3G, upgrade fee ($18), and the price of the dock ($30)
So, $350-211(iPhone + tax)-18(upgrade fee)-30(dock)=$91.00

In the end, I had a $91 net gain going from iPhone to iPhone 3G. I made money, pure and simple.

 

[WishIWasHere]

Yeah, I'm still loving my old iPhone. I had every intention of buying the new one when it came out, but changed my mind after seeing the keynote introduction. The one thing that made me stay with the old one was storage. If the 3G had 32gb, I would likely have one now. Yes, speed kills, and like every one else, I want my internet connection to be as fast as possible, but I can tolerate EDGE for a while longer.

As soon as I saw the keynote that gave us our first look at what the app store was going to be, I knew that was it. Hopefully there will be a 32gb version and some turn by turn gps to go along with it by MW '09. That would be too much to resist.

 

[MacMan33]

While I agree with some of your post, I have to touch on a few different features that, to some, are meaningful. I had an original iPhone and I went to 3G iPhone because:
1. I wanted 3G and GPS, actual GPS.
2. At the price of $199, I couldn't pass it up especially since I actually made money off of selling my original iPhone.
3. Non-recessed headphone jack.
4. Simultaneous voice and data on 3G.
5. Improved battery life if using EDGE and no GPS, like original. (meaning even if I didn't care for any new features and turned everything off making it exactly the same as original iPhone, it has better battery life.)


In summary, if you just factor in the 3G/GPS and the price of $199 for existing customers(which you can more than satisfy just by selling your original), then the new iPhone 3G is a win/win/win. That's three wins, from all angles.

EDIT: Just to give you a rundown. I bought my iPhone 3-4 days after Jobs announced price drop to $400 last September. I sold it on eBay and my profit (after eBay and PayPal fees) was $350.
Subtract from that money the price of iPhone 3G, upgrade fee ($18), and the price of the dock ($30)
So, $350-211(iPhone + tax)-18(upgrade fee)-30(dock)=$91.00

In the end, I had a $91 net gain going from iPhone to iPhone 3G. I made money, pure and simple.

Kinda tells me that others sees more of a value in the build quality of the first Gen iphone. I have both and like the v1 better. Feels like a phone and not like its going to break if i drop it...

 

[MacMan33]

Yeah, I'm still loving my old iPhone. I had every intention of buying the new one when it came out, but changed my mind after seeing the keynote introduction. The one thing that made me stay with the old one was storage. If the 3G had 32gb, I would likely have one now. Yes, speed kills, and like every one else, I want my internet connection to be as fast as possible, but I can tolerate EDGE for a while longer.

As soon as I saw the keynote that gave us our first look at what the app store was going to be, I knew that was it. Hopefully there will be a 32gb version and some turn by turn gps to go along with it by MW '09. That would be too much to resist.

I hear you and alot of others these same thoughts...

 

[roland.g]

My only regret was the my old iPhone was in perfect condition, had a BestSkinsEver.com skin on it and still looked brand spanking new, but that I sold it for only $200 to someone off craigslist when it looks like I could have gotten $300-350 and bought either 16GB version. Instead I bought the new 8GB so as to minimize cost to me, which ending up being $40 - $14 tax, $18 upgrade activation to AT&T, and $8 new skin. And of course the $15/month I pay extra for the new data plan and 200 SMS. All that just to be essentially back where I was but with a brand new 3G iPhone.

The way I look at it was that I bought my original iPhone around July 14, about 2 weeks after launch last year, and sold it on the final day of its warranty. I didn't pay $69 for Applecare for it, and of course it had one year of wear on the battery. So it was either $69 for Applecare, nothing and take my chances it kept running fine, or $40 to upgrade and have a new phone with 1 year of warranty and a new battery. Plus the extras like 3G, GPS, metal buttons, black back, it not fitting my Apple BT Headset Dual Dock, and everyone saying 'You bought the new iPhone?!?!'.

 

[Cyroceon]

Kinda tells me that others sees more of a value in the build quality of the first Gen iphone. I have both and like the v1 better. Feels like a phone and not like its going to break if i drop it...

You may have a pretty valid point. Some people may see it as better quality. I'll be honest with you though, I don't. Actually, if anything I see this plastic back as better quality than the old metal backing. I like it more aesthetically and structurally. The rest of the phone is built pretty tough from what I can feel and see. Any way we look at it, both are great products and to some, the original might be better, while most will want to have a 3G.

 

[michaelmaxwell2]

The 3g is worth once you start to look for headphones . I no longer have to sit here for 30 mins shaving the headphones to fit and make sure I don't cut a wire.

 

[ucfgrad93]

True, I like the "3G" part of the new phone. And the GPS, well -- it's kinda mediocre (the old one was almost as accurate just using cellular triangulation). Besides the greater storage on my new phone (16GB vs. 8GB) um... that's about it. The truly "cool" part of the 3G was the 2.0 software, and that I have on my old phone.

This is why I didn't get the 3G iPhone. Just not enough of an update to warrant spending the money.

 

[random person]

I too am on the fence about this new iphone. I really wanted to buy it, I did. But the lackluster reviews from the WSJ and the NYTimes gave me pause. I agree that if you use it like the original phone, and turn off all the cool new features, you'll get better battery life than for the old one, plus more storage capacity, better volume and overall sound quality, and of course a much brighter screen. This is all good. But there is the increase monthly expenditure to think about -- essentially you're paying more despite not using 3G except occasionally, all in the name of preserving the battery life. This seems to me to not be a good thing.

But my real problem is I'm still in love with the old one. And it has proven to be quite durable despite my dropping it at least once a week, with and without a case on it. I got it within a half hour of its introduction and paid a ton of money for it. I don't mind spending more to get more, but maybe I'd feel better with a more distinctive form factor, etc -- something to get more excited about. Instead, I just feel let down by the new one.

 

[QuarterSwede]

... In summary, if you just factor in the 3G/GPS and the price of $199 for existing customers(which you can more than satisfy just by selling your original), then the new iPhone 3G is a win/win/win. That's three wins, from all angles.

EDIT: Just to give you a rundown. I bought my iPhone 3-4 days after Jobs announced price drop to $400 last September. I sold it on eBay and my profit (after eBay and PayPal fees) was $350.
Subtract from that money the price of iPhone 3G, upgrade fee ($18), and the price of the dock ($30)
So, $350-211(iPhone + tax)-18(upgrade fee)-30(dock)=$91.00

In the end, I had a $91 net gain going from iPhone to iPhone 3G. I made money, pure and simple.

You're forgetting that the 3G data plan is $10/month or $120/year more than the EDGE data plan. $91-$120=$-29. So you're really losing money within the first year of ownership. However, for $29 no doubt it's definitely worth it.

 

[eplchamps0304]

So, in connection with my thread yesterday about stupidly waterlogging my new 3G in a washing machine, I have a new one ordered through AT&T ($500 -- ouch). I put my SIM back in my original iPhone and noticed something...

I'm not really missing all that much.

True, I like the "3G" part of the new phone. And the GPS, well -- it's kinda mediocre (the old one was almost as accurate just using cellular triangulation). Besides the greater storage on my new phone (16GB vs. 8GB) um... that's about it. The truly "cool" part of the 3G was the 2.0 software, and that I have on my old phone.

Keep in mind, I still have the new one on order, and by then I will likely be back to salivating over 3G service (plus, AT&T goosed me for another 2 years, so I may as well go with it). But outside this, I'm kinda surprised how much I'm tolerating the old phone.

I guess what I'm saying is... if you have the old phone and are hedging to get a new one (or are just waiting for your new one to come in), don't worry. You're not really missing out on all that much. :/

You spent $800 on the same phone in one week. Ouch.

 

[OasisNYK]

Personally, I think for most first gen iPhone users the upgrade is worthless. For some it may be worth the money, but if you dont have 3G in your area (and will most likely have it switched off to save battery life), the added GPS stuff is novelty really - it isnt turn by turn and until an app is out that utilizes it better I think it is not a selling feature. The added battery life on EDGE - maybe you have a point there.

But for most people they should just keep their first gen phone unless they truly NEED these extra features. I think this phone was made to get people who didnt have an iPhone to switch, not to get current users to upgrade.

 

[cshale210]

Personally, I think for most first gen iPhone users the upgrade is worthless. For some it may be worth the money, but if you dont have 3G in your area (and will most likely have it switched off to save battery life), the added GPS stuff is novelty really - it isnt turn by turn and until an app is out that utilizes it better I think it is not a selling feature. The added battery life on EDGE - maybe you have a point there.

But for most people they should just keep their first gen phone unless they truly NEED these extra features. I think this phone was made to get people who didnt have an iPhone to switch, not to get current users to upgrade.

This is all true, but If I can (and did) sell my phone for $300, it is almost like upgrading for free. (Yes monthly service, I know)

There are arguments for both sides, as there always is.

 

[thor79]

If you look at it iPhone vs iPhone of course there won't be much to convince you to change. It isn't that big of a change. My dad is looking forward to his 3G Iphone because of the feel of the phone, he loves the new plastic back with the curve. We've both compared it and the feel is much better...the old one is too slick without a cover on it, and the the curve fits a hand more naturally.

For me 3G by itself is a great reason to switch...also:
Vastly improved keyboard.
No more joystick control.
Plenty of storage for media (had to pick and choose my albums before, I only had 2GB, I didn't dare put video on it).
GPS.
Fetch Gmail.
Wifi Access.
Use whatever headphones I want since I'm not limited to 2.5mm anymore.

My cost is the same since I dropped SMS....which I do not need at all since I never used them on my old plan.
I wasn't the one who paid for the actual equipment...so it cost me nothing to change.

 

[DreamPod]

I for one couldn't live without 3G. Not only is browsing the web just PAINFUL on Edge, but I now use my iPhone 3G as my car radio, streaming 128k Shoutcast music stations over the internet. I was able to cancel XM Radio, saving me $15 a month.

And I have to disagree about the triangulation being almost as good as GPS - if I'm driving along with Google Maps open (my iPhone mounted to the dash), it knows exactly where I am at all times. Very useful during the commute when I have it showing the current traffic conditions ahead of me. The old triangulation may have been good enough to do things like figure out what restaurants are in your general area, but there's no way it could track you as you moved.

And of course there's the headphone jack, I *hate* Apple earbuds, the ability to use any headphones I want without some stupid-long adapter is essential. A2DP for stereo wireless headsets would be better, but oh well.