iPhone 3G: What's the point?

[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...

 

[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]

3G is Fantastic...if you have 3G Service Available

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. 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. 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.