CNN has a pretty exhaustive review of the 3G iPhone.  They essentially cover every aspect of the design and all the features of the phone, including what is new, what is improved, etc. etc.  The general verdict from the review:

 So should you buy an iPhone 3G? If you haven’t bought an iPhone yet, and have been holding out for a new model, now is the time. If you’re a current iPhone owner and you’re yearning for a faster cellular network, then you should take the plunge.But if you’re an iPhone owner who won’t use 3G (or can’t; check your coverage at AT&T), then you should stick with your current model. The iPhone 2.0 software update provides Exchange server support, third-party apps support, and many new features without the added cost

Some other take-aways and comments from the article:

  • The 3G version weighs ever so slightly less than the original
  • The screen is the same size but has a few more dots per inch (163 vs 160)
  • CNN says the white is not their “cup of tea”–but I think it’s the one I’m going to get.
  • As Uncle Steve mentioned in the 3G announcement, the headphone jack is now flush–no more stupid adapters to buy.  However, I had heard there was a color-changing ring which would indicate if the phone had been submerged in water which surrounded the headphone jack–is that still there??
  • A SIM removal tool is included in the box!
  • A dock is not!! BOOOO.  $30 for a dock?  That sucks.
  • Exchange Server support built-in.  But according to the AT&T reps I’ve spoken with, that’ll cost you $15 more for an “Enterprise Data Plan” in order to enable Exchange syncing.  I’d like to see if this is truly the case.
  • CNN dogs on the ability to only sync with one Exchange server…but I’m pretty sure my Windows Mobile 6 device can only sync with one Exchange server.  But, you can use third-party tools such as Plaxo to keep multiple accounts and programs in sync (I sync my Outlook on my PC and my iCal/Address Book, etc. on my Mac in sync this way).
  • The iTunes Wi-Fi store sadly only works over Wi-Fi–you can’t use the 3G connection to buy songs.
  • Still no Flash.
  • Parental controls–seriously?  Gah…if you don’t trust your kids enough or are that worried, don’t buy them a damn iPhone.  Your 12-year old doesn’t need one.  They need whatever free model you can get from your carrier which allows them to call, and if necessary, text.  When I worked at the Apple Store, I can’t tell you how often irate parents would come in and moan about the price of various iPods that their kids HAD to have, and how many folks came in and became belligerent when they found that their son/daughter smashing an iPod in the door of the car was NOT covered under warranty repair.
  • Still no: multimedia messaging and video recording–but perhaps a 3rd Party app can fix this??
  • Interestingly, you apparently can’t email a calendar appointment, or transfer files–you have to email them.  Does the iPhone not have a disk-mode like my iPods?

All in all, a very favorable review from CNN.  That being said, there are still some things missing from the phone, though Apple could probably fix a lot of them with future software patches.  I’ll certainly be buying one soon, and ditching my clunky AT&T 8525.  What’s the point of having a slide-out keyboard if it doesn’t work half the time?  And why pay for Opera Mobile 8.65 in order to get a “usable” browsing experience on WinMo, when you get (at least from my tests) a hands-down richer experience with the iPhone’s built-in Safari browser?  Although I will be giving up the ability to take awful, grainy, over- or under-exposed video clips.  Ohh well.


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