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I take back my opinion about the 3G iPhone design!

TheSpaz

TheSpaz

macrumors 604
Original poster
Jun 20, 2005
7,032
1
Okay... so I used to have a 1st Gen iPhone as most of you probably know by now.

I USED to stick up for it quite a bit in terms of looks and feel. I didn't like the 3G's plastic tapered back. I really liked the original iPhone's looks.

Now that I have a 3G, I changed my mind.

Misconceptions:

1. iPhone 3G will wobble when lying on a flat surface: False. It's a lot more stable than you think

2. The plastic back feels cheap: False, it actually feels really good in your hand and the iPhone doesn't feel as slippery, so you get a better grip on it. The curve feels nice and smooth

3. Those tiny speakers! Those tiny speakers in the 3G are LOUD and I love it. They also look a lot easier to clean than the tiny holes in the original iPhone

4. The iPhone 3G is wider: False... it's actually the same width... it's the smaller chrome bezel that makes it appear wider.... looks more like an iPod touch now.

5. Fingerprints and scratches on the back! This is really no worse than owning an iPod touch... besides, if you get a white iPhone, you can't see the fingerprints and scratches... I got white. Who looks at the back anyway?

Added benifits: Cell reception is greatly improved and Wi-Fi too! I can finally connect to Wi-Fi in the bathroom at work... I missed this about the original iPhone. I also fell in love with the chrome buttons... they look really nice on the white plastic.
 
TheSpaz said:
Added benifits: Cell reception is greatly improved and Wi-Fi too! I can finally connect to Wi-Fi in the bathroom at work...
Click to expand...

Just don't try to give the phone back, they won't take it. It's been marked. An iPhone is no different than a book...

Thanks for your changed opinion. I didn't see your previous, but I still have my 1st Gen and I've been happy with it. Of you changed opinion though, the 'not as slippery back' sounds very nice to me. I'm anal about keeping my iPhone as new as possible, but it has taken a few short falls to the floor because the back is so slippery that I don't grab it. Not having such a slippery surface sounds kinda nice..
 
My opinion of the 3G is changing since I started using as well. And I agree with all of your points except number 1:
TheSpaz said:
1. iPhone 3G will wobble when lying on a flat surface: False. It's a lot more stable than you think.
Click to expand...
No, it wobbles all over the place. A definite oversight if you ask me, but then it seems not much is going to stop Apple from tapering the edges on all their products at the moment, in an effort to make them appear smaller than they actually are.
 
TheSpaz said:
4. The iPhone 3G is wider: False... it's actually the same width... it's the smaller chrome bezel that makes it appear wider.... looks more like an iPod touch now.
Click to expand...

Actually, the 3G is wider than the Original. If you place a 3G and Original on their side on a flat surface you will see the 3G is a few mm wider.
 
what you say is true I hate when people complain about the plastic back, it's onebof the reasons why the price is subsidized, if you have a black phone get invisible shield, if it is white there is no reason to worry about scrarches
 
I adore the 3G iPhone. Nice design and I have no problems with build quality.
 
TheSpaz said:
Added benifits: Cell reception is greatly improved and Wi-Fi too! I can finally connect to Wi-Fi in the bathroom at work... I missed this about the original iPhone.
Click to expand...

I think this falls under the heading "To much Information" ;)

Glad that you like it. My wife has a white 3G and loves it. I'm debating getting one when my current cell contract expires.

Eric
 
Sorry, I still like the original design much better -- the chrome will always look sharper and more sophisticated. I have an original, and my boyfriend has the 3G -- and we both think mine looks better. However, we both also agree that the 3G WORKS better, in terms of speaker, reception, and of course GPS. So it's a trade off...
 
sibruk said:
My opinion of the 3G is changing since I started using as well. And I agree with all of your points except number 1:

No, it wobbles all over the place. A definite oversight if you ask me, but then it seems not much is going to stop Apple from tapering the edges on all their products at the moment, in an effort to make them appear smaller than they actually are.
Click to expand...

How hard are you pressing? Mine barely moves... it's a lot better than I thought it would be lying on it's back. I didn't realize that it goes almost flat in the middle. It's so hard to tell at the Apple store because they have that huge security device on the back so you don't ACTUALLY know what it feels like to hold a 3G.

Rojo said:
Sorry, I still like the original design much better -- the chrome will always look sharper and more sophisticated. I have an original, and my boyfriend has the 3G -- and we both think mine looks better. However, we both also agree that the 3G WORKS better, in terms of speaker, reception, and of course GPS. So it's a trade off...
Click to expand...

At first I didn't like the look of the thin chrome bezel because it looks stupid in photos but, when you actually look at it in person, it actually looks pretty good. Now, to me, the original iPhone looks to thin and cramped with the screen nearly touching the bezel. Also, I like the 1 continuous tone on the back instead of that awkward black plastic piece shoved on the bottom.

It's so weird... the 2G iPhone looks out of date and chunky now. It's amazing how much thinner the 3G LOOKS with the curved edges... it's an illusion, but it's cool!
 
TheSpaz said:
At first I didn't like the look of the thin chrome bezel because it looks stupid in photos but, when you actually look at it in person, it actually looks pretty good. Now, to me, the original iPhone looks to thin and cramped with the screen nearly touching the bezel. Also, I like the 1 continuous tone on the back instead of that awkward black plastic piece shoved on the bottom.
Click to expand...

To each his own, I guess. I've never minded the 2-tone of the original's back, and the simple fact that it has a chrome back will always be more eye-pleasing than the plastic (which looks pretty great too, but the chrome still beats it).
I'll admit the 3G does feels better in the hand, though.

TheSpaz said:
It's so weird... the 2G iPhone looks out of date and chunky now. It's amazing how much thinner the 3G LOOKS with the curved edges... it's an illusion, but it's cool!
Click to expand...

It does "seem" thinner, but there's also the illusion that it "seems" wider too, which bugs me even more than the thickness.

Don't get me wrong -- I wish I had a 3G phone instead of my original for a LOT of reasons. The design of the original is the only thing I think is still better, depite that it supposedly means worse reception (though I've never had that problem).
 
Well I believe that the 3G design is way better than the G1 (I owned both and loved the G1 design). Its really gorgeous and feels great in hands as well (comes in handy when you need to stick the phone to your ears for 2 hours)

Besides.... how does one manage to put in 10+ antenna and provide great reception with metal back?
 
The 3G is a very solid design. I do tend to prefer the brushed metal look of the 2G back, but since I always put a case on my phone anyway, it really doesn't matter. My black 3G with the Seidio Innocase II Surface looks slick and solid.
 
sibruk said:
No, it wobbles all over the place. A definite oversight if you ask me, but then it seems not much is going to stop Apple from tapering the edges on all their products at the moment, in an effort to make them appear smaller than they actually are.
Click to expand...

It doesn't just appear smaller, it fits my hand much better. I much prefer the feel of the new phone in my hand.

I kind of liked the look of the old one, but I like using the new one more. So if the old one looks better but the new one WORKS better, isn't that the opposite of doing something for appearance's sake?
 
Small White Car said:
It doesn't just appear smaller, it fits my hand much better. I much prefer the feel of the new phone in my hand.
Click to expand...
It fits your hand better because the back is curved, that's all! I do agree with you, it's much nicer in the hand now, and it doesn't slip around in your hand like the 1st Gen.
 
I gotta say, I'm really loving the way that it doesn't slide out of my hands now like the 1st Gen iPhone tended to do. The tapered back just has that smooth comfortable feeling.
 
I agree with you. There's nothing that I prefer about the first gen, the 3G is great! How long until Xploit comes in here calling the 3G budget? :D
 
TheSpaz said:
I gotta say, I'm really loving the way that it doesn't slide out of my hands now like the 1st Gen iPhone tended to do. The tapered back just has that smooth comfortable feeling.
Click to expand...

ya so it doesnt fall in the toilet at work like the first one....
 
TheSpaz said:
1. iPhone 3G will wobble when lying on a flat surface: False. It's a lot more stable than you think
Click to expand...
Yep.

2. The plastic back feels cheap: False, it actually feels really good in your hand and the iPhone doesn't feel as slippery, so you get a better grip on it. The curve feels nice and smooth
Click to expand...
Agreed.

3. Those tiny speakers! Those tiny speakers in the 3G are LOUD and I love it. They also look a lot easier to clean than the tiny holes in the original iPhone
Click to expand...
SpeakerS, plural? There's one, and IMHO it sounds terrible. It can't handle even half of the power it's being fed. The sound is distorted even at moderate ring volume.

4. The iPhone 3G is wider: False... it's actually the same width... it's the smaller chrome bezel that makes it appear wider.... looks more like an iPod touch now.
Click to expand...
Yeah, and I hate that. The old iPhone looked more sophisticated IMO, the perforated black rubber was a classy touch. Now it looks like a budget version of the old one.

5. Fingerprints and scratches on the back! This is really no worse than owning an iPod touch... besides, if you get a white iPhone, you can't see the fingerprints and scratches... I got white. Who looks at the back anyway?
Click to expand...
If you're talking about the 1st gen iPod Touch, the iPhone 3G is infinitely better. The old Touch had the classic iPod chrome back that will scratch when you effing wipe it with a cloth...

Added benifits: Cell reception is greatly improved and Wi-Fi too! I can finally connect to Wi-Fi in the bathroom at work... I missed this about the original iPhone. I also fell in love with the chrome buttons... they look really nice on the white plastic.
Click to expand...
I never owned the iPhone 2G so I wouldn't know, but Wi-Fi signal is worse than on the old iPod Touch. I got full bars on that thing anywhere in my house, but the iPhone 3G loses a bar or two when I'm not in the immediate vicinity of the router.
 
Last edited by Mitthrawnuruodo : Today at 06:53 PM. Reason: Merging, please use MULTIQUOTE to answer more than one post...
Click to expand...
That has got to be the funniest/fussiest mod edit I've seen in a while.
 
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