Big shots get Apple products early, that's just how it is. Early iPhone 3G reviews have been filed with the likes of the Wall Street Journal, the NY Times, and that rag of rags, USA Today. So what do the most well known tech writers in the land think of the new Apple cell phone? And beyond Walt and Dave, what does that guy you've never heard of from USA Today think?
On par, here's what I gleamed:
- David Pogue is awesome, but he didn't exactly write a review. He's kind of an Apple fanboy. But he's still rad.
- 3G is no joke: The new iPhone sports much faster data speeds than the old one, provided that you use it within AT&T's 3G coverage areas.
- 3G eats batteries: Uncle Walt couldn't quite get 4.5 hours of talk time out of the new iPhone's battery thanks to all of that high speed, power-hungry 3G nonsense.
Want more on iPhone 3G? I've got two choices for you: 1. Wait until I get mine Friday and start posting about it. 2. Read Walt Mossberg's review, David Pogue's review, or Edward Baig's review.
- The new iPhone features much improved audio quality, as advertised by Apple. That's good, as the current iPhone's ringtone volume is wayyy too low.
It seems like it's all shaping up as suspected. The new iPhone is the old iPhone with a slightly different housing and faster - if more power hungry - cellular radio onboard. iPhone software 2.0 will run on both the old and new iPhone, meaning that current owners (like me) don't need to upgrade in order to enjoy the App Store and other new software. The question for current iPhone owners, then, is whether or not 3G data speeds are worth the extra coin both up front and each month.
So far as everyone else is concerned, if you're already willing to pay $70+/month for a smartphone plan then iPhone 3G is a bargain. Provided you're into the whole touchscreen thing, that is.
