I suspect that the sheer nervousness and exhilaration associated with getting a 3G iPhone has caused your hands to swell up, making the device appear smaller.
i actually suspect the hype has made you think your getting a compleltly new item when in reality it is not that much different. Hope the come down or as we call it buyer remoarse does'nt kick in yet.
The phone IS wider. It now matches the sizes of the ipod touch. The original iphone was not as wide and a bit taller than the touch. The screen is exact same size, the actual casing is wider.