iPhone 3G

The iPhone 3G is the successor to the popular cell phone from Apple. The biggest changes over the first version is the addition of 3G high-speed data access, which Apple claims is over two times faster than the original when accessing the Internet, and the addition of Global Positioning System (GPS) capabilities. Outside of these changes, most of the unit remains the same as the previous, with the same touch screen, camera and memory sizes. Apple releases the iPhone 3G in 22 different countries on July 11th, with the goal of 70 countries by the end of 2008. The marketed price of $200/$300USD is with a 2-year contract in the United States, details on contractual plans in other countries are still unknown.

Pros & Cons
Pros:

•GPS Support
•High speed 3G
•Very vibrant developer community
•Affordable (depending on service plan)
•Available in white (16 GB version only)
•Still has the best web browser on a cell phone

Cons:

•No improvement in storage
•No front-facing camera lens for video chat
•No text selection or copy/paste functionality.
•No MMS capabilities
•Battery life is disappointing when using 3G
•Can't replace the battery yourself, can't replace with a "spare"
•Camera didn't get improved

More information

Specs

* 3.5" multi-touch screen
* 480x320 resolution with 163ppi
* WiFi B/G access
* UTMS, and HSDPA connectivity (GSM only)
* Bluetooth 2.0
* 2MP camera
* GPS support
* Battery: 10hrs 2G talk | 5 hours 3G talk | 5hrs 3G Data | 6hrs Wi-Fi | 7hrs video | 24hrs audio | 300hrs standby
* Price: $199 for 8GB | $299 for 16GB. Contract required.

Unclear details

GPS - It is currently unknown whether the iPhone 3G's GPS implementation is "real" GPS, or Assisted GPS. While the differences are mostly technical, a full GPS implementation offers faster responsiveness and stability.

Difference between iPhone 2G and iPhone 3G

3G support - when accessing the data network the data transfer speeds are substantially faster (over twice as fast according to Apple).

GPS - the iPhone 2G had basic location finding that was accurate to hundreds of meters, while the iPhone 3G's implementation should be accurate to a few feet.

Case design - the iPhone 3G is slightly thicker at 12.3mm versus the 2G's 11.6mm. The 3G uses a plastic backing instead of brushed metal like on the 2G, and now the iPhone's headphone jack is "flush" which lets you use regular headphones without the need for an adapter.

iPhone 2.0 Software Additions

Enterprise Features - supports VPNs, Exchange Server, remote wiping, expanded documents compatibility (Powerpoint now supported, iWorks support). No document editing supported.

* saves images in e-mails to photo library
* bulk delete and move
* contact search
* more language support
* parental controls

App Store

iPod Touch and iPhone owners can download new applications and programs developed for the devices from the official App Store. Any 3rd party can develop and publish applications to the App Store and can set the price to anything they want, with Apple getting 30% of the revenue. Unofficial applications have already been created for the iPhone 2G, so Apple is hoping that official support and distribution for 3rd party apps will allow for an improved application ecosystem. The App Store can be accessed from the iPhone itself, or from iTunes.