Elsewhere, there are other hardware improvements. The loudspeaker seems better and more audible, while the Home Button feels a lot more firm than on the old iPhone. Call quality also seems a lot better. Compared to other top-end handsets such as the HTC Touch Diamond, the iPhone 3G is years ahead.
A lot will also be written about Nokia's new S60-based touch handset, the Nokia Tube, but Nokia would have to pull something out of the bag to make it anywhere near as compelling as the iPhone 3G. That said, let's hope it's better for texting than the iPhone, which still suffers in this department. Maybe an on-screen keypad should be offered there.
The way the iPhone is set up can mean you can't access the phone features as readily as you should, but Apple has gone some way to rectifying this with a Contacts app contained within the 2.0 firmware.
iPhone's lust for power
Battery life isn't brilliant, that's for sure. Steve Jobs said that was one of the main reasons behind the original iPhone not being 3G capable. We see what he meant.
You'll need to carry around your charger if you're away from home, as there will be none of the 'few days' you'd experience with many other handsets (especially if you watch YouTube videos).
Mind you, we're not going to overly criticize the iPhone in this area – as anybody who owned the first Nokia N95's know – these powerful handsets need a lot of fuel.
We had very occasional pauses with the old iPhone and, while we've been lucky with this new handset, we've heard several complaints regarding minor issues with the firmware. The great thing about Apple's methods is that such annoyances will be fixed by firmware.
O2 breathes life into sales
We can't let this review pass without mentioning the networks' role in the new iPhone. In the UK, O2 has worked wonders to ensure that the iPhone 3G is a superb offering.
Predominantly, this is because all the tariffs include unlimited internet (well, 200MB under the fair use policy) as well as Wi-Fi connectivity via The Cloud, and even the offering of the iPhone on pay-as-you-go toward the end of the year.
And then there's the masses of included minutes. £35 may seem a lot for a mobile, but unless you call exempt numbers or go abroad (turn off data if you do that!) £35 is what you'll pay. The £99 initial price, which is cancelled if you take the £45 or £75 contract, seems so small compared to the original that it's hard to resist.
A time to buy
You'll either want one of these or you won't. But if you do, there's absolutely no reason not to take the plunge provided you're prepared to pay the elevated monthly charge.
Some things need improving, but crucially – camera aside – they are no longer to do with the hardware. And Apple will update the 2.0 firmware many, many times, before this handset ends its life. It's really is time to buy.
Your comments (1) Click to add a new comment
andrewbarber132
October 30th
1. Love it love it love it!!! I decided on the 3G rather than the 3GS as I didn't feel the small handful of extras warranted the amount of extra money. The touchscreen is so intuitive and responsive it becomes second nature very quickly, including text input which I was worried about before buying. No great problems since buying a few months ago, which is the first for a mobile phone in my experience. Only real niggle is with the network not the phone or the AppStore - O2 3G coverage is appalling. Once the iPhone becomes available on the other networks I would recommend seriously considering getting one through them instead.
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