Cosmetics: 1st Gen vs. 3G iPhone

[TheSpaz]

Let me start off by saying, I strongly prefer the old look and feel of the iPhone. The back doesn't stick to your hand, it's very smooth and doesn't scratch easily. I've had a chance to carefully inspect the new iPhone 3G and I just don't like how it feels and I also don't like how the back gets scratched/smudged a lot.

How do you feel about the design change of the new iPhone vs. the old?

 

[benflick]

i like the old design, but the black thing at the bottom, hideous! it seems like at the last minute they threw in a crappy plastic piece that they found, and the apple symbol sucks at resisting scratches

 

[FJR]

functionally, I understand the necessity for the curved plastic back, but from a pure asthetic point of view I like the original substantially better.

Only thing I like better with the 3G is that the back is one solid color, as opposed to the 2-tone aluminum/black plastic.

 

[Small White Car]

When the 3G was announced, I liked the first-gen better.

The day I bought my 3G, I liked the first-gen better.

Now, I'm 3 weeks in and I like my 3G phone FAR better than any originals I see. It took a week, but I've come to appreciate how nice the curved back feels in the hand compared to the original. And has been said by someone else, the "black stripe" on the bottom of the old one is starting to look bad to me. I used to like that, but now it looks like a last-minute fix thought up to fix a reception problem.

All in all, I'm loving my new phone.

 

[ivtecDOu]

3g feels cheap and from the amount of threads on it, it is cheap. first gen is just more appealing.

and yes i have held and used both phones

 

[FJR]

When the 3G was announced, I liked the first-gen better.

The day I bought my 3G, I liked the first-gen better.

Now, I'm 3 weeks in and I like my 3G phone FAR better than any originals I see. It took a week, but I've come to appreciate how nice the curved back feels in the hand compared to the original. And has been said by someone else, the "black stripe" on the bottom of the old one is starting to look bad to me. I used to like that, but now it looks like a last-minute fix thought up to fix a reception problem.

All in all, I'm loving my new phone.

I use my headphones for most calls, especially long ones, and when I am using the other functions of the iPhone by holding it, I rarely hold it in my palm, I generally use my fingers or lay it on the table. So the curved back is a negative for me, not a major negative, but a slight negative. I love the aluminum. I'll take aluminum+black plastic over full plastic back any day of the week.

I HATE the white iPhone, its just fugly, it looks like a penguin, and not in a good way. The black, while substantially better, is a little too much black. I prefer the aluminum/black combo.

Practically, I like the flush jack better, but I generally use the iPhone headphones anyway, as I like and use the little next song clicker when using the iPod, and as stated above, I use the headphones for calls a lot too. And I think the recessed jack looks better and feels better. So overall, I'd give the edge to the recessed jack, I know I'm in the minority here though.

I'll give the 3G a slight edge on the new buttons and the speaker and microphone grills.

 

[Murphy'sLaw]

I like the 3G better, the back on the original iphone with the aluminum and black plastic at the bottom just looked fugly. I prefer my penguin over ANY mobile phone I've ever owned

 

[ipodtouchy333]

iPhone 3g hands down. I think it looks way more like an apple product and it's just sexier. I don't think the plastic feels cheap either, plus it allows for better reception. I also like that you can choose between the 2 colors.

 

[kjs862]

At first, when I saw the photos of the iphone 3g, I hated the back. However, when purchased one, I started to prefer it to the old iphone.

I also like the tapered mold.

 

[Small White Car]

And I think the recessed jack looks better and feels better. So overall, I'd give the edge to the recessed jack, I know I'm in the minority here though.

I'd think you are, yes. To me it looks like a sink-hole. Like someone jammed a plug into it that was too big and broke it.

I think it's because I'm so used to the way iPods look and that is clearly very different.

 

[timimbo85]

I like em both. I am a 1st gen user. Doesn't matter to me since I have a case for it. In the long run its the hardware that count not the way it looks.

 

[slicecom]

I like the look and feel of the 3G much more than the original. I always hated the aluminum/plastic bottom on the original iPhone and wished they either made it all plastic or all aluminum and with the 3G, I got my wish. The curved back also feels much better while holding the phone.

 

[ntrigue]

As I was standing in line at Apple an employee was circulating the 3G and from the first impression I liked the 3G 'feel in the hand' more. The silver earpiece mesh and metal buttons are great! The silent switch has a much more definitive feel. Scratches? I put an iStyle on the back, it works great!

 

[Andronicus]

I prefer my non-cracking & non-yellow screen first generation iPhone.

Aluminum & Glass = Classy.
Plasticy phone? = Cheap.

fyi - no cracks in my aluminum so far....knock on wood.

 

[slicecom]

I prefer my non-cracking & non-yellow screen first generation iPhone.

Aluminum & Glass = Classy.
Plasticy phone? = Cheap.

fyi - no cracks in my aluminum so far....knock on wood.

FYI no cracks in my plastic so far, and the "yellow screen" is a firmware upgrade which reproduces colours more accurately than the old "blue screens".

However this thread wasn't even discussing quality control or screen colour, it was asking which you prefer COSMETICALLY.

 

[MacGeek7]

I really prefer the look of the 1st gen iPhone to that of the 3G

 

[Andronicus]

FYI no cracks in my plastic so far, and the "yellow screen" is a firmware upgrade which reproduces colours more accurately than the old "blue screens".

However this thread wasn't even discussing quality control or screen colour, it was asking which you prefer COSMETICALLY.

Oh, my apologies.

First generation iPhone.

 

[ivtecDOu]

I prefer my non-cracking & non-yellow screen first generation iPhone.

Aluminum & Glass = Classy.
Plasticy phone? = Cheap.

fyi - no cracks in my aluminum so far....knock on wood.

troof.org.edu.gov

 

[GradientMac]

Being completely honest, I absolutely *hated* the look of the original iPhone.

There was way too much chrome on the face, it looked stupid, and the back of the phone looked ridiculous because of the stupid black thing at the bottom [the iPod touch looks stupid for the same reason.]

The new iPhone solved all the problems I had. The first iPhone felt like a brick in my hand, was too heavy for my tastes and the edges didn't fit the curve of your hand. The iPhone 3G solved all of that.

The back is a single colour, it's glossy and it's smooth, it just looks sleeker over all, and there's a lot less chrome on the face of the phone [compare them, trust me.]

 

[ivtecDOu]

Being completely honest, I absolutely *hated* the look of the original iPhone.

There was way too much chrome on the face, it looked stupid, and the back of the phone looked ridiculous because of the stupid black thing at the bottom [the iPod touch looks stupid for the same reason.]

The new iPhone solved all the problems I had. The first iPhone felt like a brick in my hand, was too heavy for my tastes and the edges didn't fit the curve of your hand. The iPhone 3G solved all of that.

The back is a single colour, it's glossy and it's smooth, it just looks sleeker over all, and there's a lot less chrome on the face of the phone [compare them, trust me.]

3g has just as much chrome and is 1 oz lighter so you must have some super hands

 

[Cynicalone]

I like the aluminum of the first iPhone but understand why it had to be scraped for better reception in the new version.

About the only thing I would like to have is color choice's like with the Nano, and the option of a 32GB model. I love both my iPhone's, the first one was a great product and the 3G has only improved on a great start imo.

 

[Amorpheus]

It's cute how many of the 1st gen lovers poke fun at the minority that are experiencing cracking issues. Not.

3G looks complete, refined, finished... the black bottom of the original totally messes up the look on that one. The shape feels better, metal buttons, and in my experience anything that looked like damage disappeared with a wipe. It's that sleek.

 

[yode]

3g has just as much chrome and is 1 oz lighter so you must have some super hands

have you ever seen a side by side? let me help you

the first iphone has chrome going all over the front bezel

 

[Cynicalone]

My two babies, I didn't realize how dirty they where till I took the pic

Odd to see them side by side you notice the little difference's more.

 

[snake101st]

Original by far.