iPhone 3G: The Good + The Bad
September 27th, 2008Not there’s really anything “bad” about an iPhone when you compare it to what else is out there. I’ve used a handful of phones, and on it’s worst day the iPhone is still a full car’s length ahead of the pack. So this is really just a list of things that surprised me as I moved from the original 8GB iPhone to a new 16GB model.
The Good:
More storage is nice
This is sort of a “duh”, but it’s worth mentioning since it’s the main reason I upgraded. Well, that and the fact I received a gift certificate for a 16GB iPhone. But the expanded storage is a big winner. I can be a little less choosy as to which albums I pick for the commute and I can throw a few podcasts and audiobooks on as well without fear of skimping on the tunes.
The sound quality is better
From call quality to the improved volume of the speakerphone, the 3G just sounds better all around.
The flush headphone jack is convenient
Not that it really ever mattered to me, I only use Apple’s earbuds anyway. I realize there are better sounding ones out there, but I tend to destroy earbuds on a frequent basis. And it’s just too easy to swap them out by dropping by the Apple Store or hitting the Applecare web site.
GPS is nice to have
Although the only time I’ll end up using it is when I’m lost in a city that I’m unfamiliar with. Would have come in handy in Barcelona earlier this year, but other than that I’ll be sticking with the GPS in the Mini Cooper. Without turn by turn directions and a usable map size, GPS is not all that useful. Especially since the original iPhone used cell tower triangulation, which for most situations is good enough.
The 3G fits nice and snug into my favorite iPhone case
When the 3G came out, Case Mate dropped the price on their “Signature Leather Case” from $30 to $6. So I picked one up, and what do you know - it fits great with the iPhone 3G. It was actually a tiny bit loose on the original iPhone, much to my disappointment.
The Bad:
You can’t charge over Firewire anymore.
Which really sucks, because several of the iPod docks we have around the house are plugged into the wall via Firewire. This isn’t something that worth the expense of purchasing new docks and cables just to charge over USB, so it means that I can only charge my phone in my home office now. Hassle.
The Mini Cooper won’t charge it either
Which power sucks, because that means that I need to go back to carrying both an iPod and an iPhone on road trips now. It also means that my phone isn’t charging during my lengthy morning and evening commutes. Stinks.
The battery life sucks with 3G on
Even with the new software update, turning on 3G almost guarantees that your phone is at a half charge by the end of lunch. I tend to keep 3G off for this reason.
3G really isn’t that much faster
I suppose it’s faster, but in the sense that slow is faster than slower. WiFi speeds are “quick” and anything less than that is slow. So if you’re looking to upgrade to the iPhone 3G because you’re looking to get your home broadband experience when you’re on the go, keep waiting. This isn’t it. I don’t know if it’s the latency of cell networks, the processor and memory of the iPhone or something beyond by understanding - but surfing the web using the 3G iPhone involves only slightly less waiting than it did before.
