First of all, I have to excuse myself – those NDA box pictures I have found yesterday were also fake, as many others before them. Anyway, the real thing has just arrived, so no more fakes! Now, the 3G iPhone can be admired on Apple.com, and on virtually any technology website in the world. Although it didn’t manage to deliver everything most of us were expecting, the 3G iPhone is a big step forward for Apple. How’s that possible? First of all, a much better “bang for your buck,” and the rest…we’re going to see right away!
I think best description of the new iPhone comes right from Apple, so here you have it: “With fast 3G wireless technology, GPS mapping, support for enterprise features like Microsoft Exchange, and the new App Store, iPhone 3G puts even more features at your fingertips. And like the original iPhone, it combines three products in one — a revolutionary phone, a widescreen iPod, and a breakthrough Internet device with rich HTML email and a desktop-class web browser. iPhone 3G. It redefines what a mobile phone can do — again.”
Did you notice what’s missing already? If you haven’t, let me give you a hint: camera. I know, the iPhone has one camera incorporated already, but that’s not what I have in mind. Just like many others, I was expecting to see the 3G iPhone coming with a second built-in camera, so video conferencing could become possible. Well, it seems this has to wait, but…
… the 3G iPhone has a price tag of only $199, and this is probably the best thing about it, for the large mass of users and potential users. Just think about it – $199! Looking at the dark side of this whole deal, Apple may kill the iPod touch with this move, but we will probably see the high-end iPod having its price severely slashed in a matter of days.
The new iPhone is 4.5 inches (115.5 mm) high, has a width of 2.4 inches (62.1 mm), a depth of 0.48 inch (12.3 mm), and weighs 4.7 ounces (133 grams). The 8GB model is only available in black, while the 16GB one can also be acquired in white(black is my favorite, anyway). According to Apple, it’s 2 times as fast as its predecessor, but that’s what remains to be seen.
As a final note, I should say Apple really has to work on the maximum operating temperature. Considering the temperatures reached all over the world during summer, I think 95F(35 Celsius) is not enough. Maximum operating altitude also seems not enough for me, but at least I don’t live in La Paz…