Related Sections: Apple Cellphones Reviews iPhone
iPhone 3G: The Anti-Review
After waiting in line for what seemed like an eternity, we finally got home with our shiny new iPhones 3G. Meanwhile, we had time to peruse all the other rah-rah, hand-picked reviewers fawning all over Apple’s new baby, and wondered if any device could possibly be so perfect. As we took the bauble through its paces over the weekend, we found lots of tidbits about the iPhone that few others have even noticed. After the Continue jump, read the 10 things you haven't heard about the iPhone 3G, as observed by DVICE Editor Peter Pachal and me. Fellow 3Gers, add your own rants and raves in the comments below. Onward!
Most Glaring Nickel-and-Dime Omission: A Dock
Charlie White: Opening Apple’s gorgeous packaging, we suddenly wondered, where is the dock for the glorious iPhone 3G? Maybe it’s under this false bottom. Nope, not here. That’s OK, we’ll just use the dock from our old iPhone. Nope, no luck. I guess that's proof the iPhone 3G is bigger than its predecessor, since it doesn't fit… at all. Cold comfort, though, so we surf to the Apple Store, and what do you know? There’s the dock, the new one, for a steep $29. Add that to the $18 “upgrade fee,” the extra $10/month for 3G, the extra $5/month for 200 SMS messages, and pretty soon we’re talking about some real money.
Most Unsettling Error Message: "No SIM Card Installed"
Peter Pachal: I finally got my iPhone 3G activated Friday night. Saturday morning it welcomed me with the message "No SIM Card Installed." Unless someone broke into my apartment, tiptoed to my nightstand, removed the SIM card from my phone, and neatly replaced it (Batman is coming out on Friday), there was no way that message was accurate. A network-settings reset later, it was all good again … for about 3 hours. This time I actually checked to see if the SIM Card was in fact installed (it was), and gave it a good wipedown. Ever since, it's been working OK, but the "No SIM" message will forever haunt me…
Most Under- and Over-Estimated Spec: Battery Life
CW: What is Apple doing to get these battery times? Some kind of super battery, the mother of all iPhone power sources achieves that “up to 5 hours” number for Internet browsing with 3G (we got a more-realistic 2:54 in our real-world tests), the most wishful thinking yet. But then the testers get all modest on us, saying you only get “up to 7 hours” of video playback, and we get 8:37 on our tests. That’s enough time to watch four Steve Jobs keynote speeches on your pilgrimage to Cupertino, flying from anywhere in the Western hemisphere.
Top Feature That Shows How Useless Technology Can Be: GPS
PP: On Sunday, as I walked to the corner of Vanderbilt Ave. and Prospect Pl. in Brooklyn, I held up my iPhone 3G and cued up the Google Maps application. "Look, we're almost at the corner!" I said to my girlfriend walking beside me, pointing at the blinking blue dot that was, in fact, simultaneously coming up on the corner Vanderbilt Ave. and Prospect Pl. on the map. "That's great," she said. "What would we have done without that phone?" What, indeed?
Biggest Design Flaw: Edge of the Plastic Back
CW: The edge of the iPhone, where the black (or white) plastic back meets the shiny metal bezel, doesn’t quite fit right. On a couple of our phones here, the left side definitely has a plastic edge that sticks out. While black is supposed to be a slimming color, that concept must not apply to iPhones. No word on whether the white model does the same, but we’re told it’s gauche to wear white after Labor Day. And that’s a girlie color anyway. We preferred the aluminum three-quarter back of the old iPhone, which didn’t show fingerprints at all, except on the most important part: that shiny Apple logo.
Maximum Number of Waking Minutes Spent Without Playing Phonesaber Since I Installed It: 47
PP: As of 5:17 p.m. on Monday, there have been no less than five Phonesaber duels here in the SCI FI offices since this morning, all of them awesome. The speakers on the iPhone are just loud enough (at max volume) to turn this free app, which makes lightsaber sounds that correspond to how you swing the phone, into the simplest, funnest time-waster you can download. I can't wait for the first Phonesaber duel that breaks out between random strangers on public transit.
Most Underreported Aspect of the iPhone 3G's Performance: It's Finnicky
CW: Something is strange here. Some Web pages have to reload all over again if you leave them for a few minutes. Then we start getting all interested in a site, and Safari crashes… three times. Then we notice the iPhone is slower to adapt from one position to the next, taking its sweet time to switch the screen orientation from portrait to landscape. Having a little trouble performing, or is it us? What do want us to do, iPhone? Talk dirty to you?
Most Unwelcome Comeback: EDGE
PP: OK, I work in 30 Rockefeller Plaza — pretty much dead center of midtown Manhattan. Can someone explain to me why my 3G connection keeps wussing out on me and reverting to the crappy, slow-ass EDGE network? I didn't pay $300 for an iPhone I already had, AT&T. The plastic back isn't that nice to hold. Let's get on making that 3G network more reliable, at least in the densest part of the Big Apple, shall we?
Quickest Firmware Flip-Flop: Apple Making the Screen Less Yellow
CW: The iPhone’s screen has a decidedly yellow tinge that Apple’s PR machine said was intentional. Not long after that, we find out you can restore your iPhone 3G in iTunes, which automatically installs a later build of the firmware that returns the iPhone’s screen to a hue that looks less like the jaundice of a drunken sailor and more like the blue my kid is going to turn as she holds her breath waiting for me to buy her a white iPhone 3G.
Most Perplexing Thing About the iPhone 3G Launch: AT&T Doesn't Offer Apps for It
PP: I just spent the afternoon at an AT&T event where the company demo'd a few of the more notable wireless services it offers — everything from viewing of a webcam on your phone to automatic uploads from your phone's camera — but none of them are offered as iPhone apps [Update: Okay, there's one AT&T iPhone app, YellowPages.com Mobile for the iPhone (YPMobile) that's free and actually works extremely well, but that's it thus far]. Apple sold a million iPhones 3G over the weekend, and there are many more first-gen iPhones already on the market. Does it strike anyone else as weird that the iPhone's exclusive U.S. provider isn't taking advantage of its hottest-selling platform?
By RaymondLar at 11:04 PM ON 07/14/08
I dont want 3G actually, its nice for certain things, like downloading apps, and youtube.. but it drains the battery too fast. my phones edges are perfect, i get 3G everywhere but the backroom at target, Battery life is actually good, if you turn off wifi, and push, lower the contrast, and toggle 3G.
the Dock.. now is that really needed?
By lazlo at 11:44 PM ON 07/14/08
the 2hr wait in line sucked and the non-activation was a pain, but hey, the phone itself works great. now. the speed of the 3G network is amazing and the jawbone2 headset connected flawlessly.
By CJW at 3:00 PM ON 07/15/08
Nice points.
Having gone to a number of gun shows, the activation problems that Apple had didn't shock me at all. Every time there's a gun show, the state's background check system crashes and nobody can do anything. And while exercising a constitutional right isn't as important and getting a gadgety infotainment device working, it's refreshing to see someone actively working on solving the problems in one of these areas.
Also, the Dock, who cares? $30 ain't a big deal. Docks are for old men anyway. The rest of us build our own charging stations ;)
By ZNS at 5:21 PM ON 07/15/08
I currently have an HTC Tilt ( aka ATT 8925) and I love it I can watch youtube on it and do anything I want that an Iphone can. Even though I am upgrade eligible I don't plan to upgrade to the iphone instead i plan to wait for the HTC Diamond for ATT.
By R at 5:48 PM ON 07/15/08
I'm waiting for the Sony-Ericsson Xperia or the Samsung Omnia.
By Leocorxxvi at 1:31 AM ON 07/16/08
I am convinced that Dvice.com is either extremely anti-Iphone, or it has been paid off by some other company to continuously rat on the new 3G. Sure it's not a perfect little contraption, but neither are any other phones out there. How many more negative, whiney articles are we going to have to scroll through about the downside of the 3G? Get over it.
By realfolkblues at 3:17 AM ON 07/17/08
I never used the dock anyways sense i have a case on my phone and it wont fit.
By Martin at 4:00 AM ON 07/17/08
Leocorxxvi at 1:31 AM ON 07/16/08 - you can't be serious? Every website on the planet has gone obsessively gaga over the iPhone and I for one thank god there is someone out there with enough balls to write something as it is, warts and all! I have the new HTC Diamond and I took my friend who has one into the Apple store here in Sydney to compare it and I ended up buying the HTC Diamond instead of the iPhone. Too much hype over substance with the iPhone which is a shame because there are phones the equal of the iPhone.
By rumi at 7:21 AM ON 07/17/08
Interesting part parody/part serious comments on the iPhone 3G. I didn't go get in line to get one, although I was tempted. There are features about the 3G that interest me, the GPS capability being one of them. (No, I don't want GPS for when I'm walking, but for when I'm in the car somewhere and want to know how to get from where I am to where I want to be. However, I already have a vehicular GPS unit for such things.) The 3G bandwidth would be welcome when surfing the 'net, but I don't do that much on my iPhone anyway.
Why my original iPhone does that my BlackBerry didn't was give good connectivity to my Macs. It's trivial to synchronize calendars and phone books between my Macs and my iPhone. Email actually works on my iPhone as well as it did on my BlackBerry.
I text more now than I did a couple of years ago. i miss the BlackBerry's keyboard for that. I was much faster on the BlackBerry keyboard than i am on the iPhone keyboard.
I may hold out until the BlackBerry Bold is released later this summer and compare the two devices. If ATT is jacking up the bandwidth prices for iPhone users, then I may be back in the same price range for the data service as I was with the BlackBerry. Isn't that a trip?
By snakerake at 8:29 AM ON 07/17/08
Where is Dvice's hatred towards Apple coming from, every time I get on this site they have an article slamming whatever the new Apple product.... Get over yourselves.
By snakerake at 8:32 AM ON 07/17/08
Where is Dvice's hatred towards Apple coming from, every time I get on this site they have an article slamming whatever the new Apple product is.... Get over yourselves.
By geesh at 9:28 AM ON 07/17/08
Another irritation with the iPhone. With the BlackBerry, while checking my email I can highlite all the obvious spam and delete them without opening them. On iPhone if I highlite a message to delete - it OPENS it! I hate that!
By WestPalmSean at 9:56 AM ON 07/17/08
Oh come now. This Top 10 List is pretty ridiculous and shows that our reviewers are slinging some anti-Apple mud here. Ok, granted, it would have been nice to get the dock with the thing since they raised the data plan prices and I hadn't heard anyone else talk about the plastic back not meeting up eveninly with the metal bezel (might want to get that looked at). And yes, 3G eats up batteries quickly (I noticed you didn't mention your battery testing methods) and I would have liked a replaceable battery. But seriously, GPS useless? That's one of the most useful features on the thing. Making those long discussions of "Where do you want to eat? Oh, I don't know..." much shorter when you have a list of all the eatieres in your vicinity listed for you.
I'm not so concerned about your SIM card experience or your PhoneSaber whining (actually, that's a selling point to me!). The web page finicky behaviour is simple web page behaviour and the yellow screen was something they changed thinking users would like it better and when it obviously wasn't they changed it back. They are a software company (and hardware of course) and being such, they can listen to their users and flip flop according to the users' desires. Which brings me to the last point, Apps from AT&T. Why would AT&T publish Apps? That makes no sense. The phone was made as a platform by Apple, controlled by Apple using iTunes as the procurement portal. AT&T wants cellular subscribers, period. Any software they would want to sell would ultimately be developed by a 3rd Party anyway and obviously still have to go through Apple Development standards and be distributed through iTines, so why bother?
Though I enjoyed reading a different view, I'd have to disagree and recommend the iPhone over any other non-business smartphone on the market in the US.
By JibaJab at 11:51 AM ON 07/17/08
iPhone Sucks, 3G sucks, I think I phones are for people that can't afford a real PC(mac), no matter how they market it...so they throw it PC(mac) features in with the phone.....I had 3G since its been out....honestly what is the point who likes to spend hours watching videos on a mini screen....
I think they are holding back......
Nothing compares to a Big Screen TV or Monitor.....not to mention super fast internet speeds....or Internet Cafes that are popping up almost everywhere...
Really who likes dealing with stupid SIM cards....when you lose your phone or it gets stolen...you numbers are bye-bye...who wants to spend time syncing them to your PC.....
Tmobile offers a service with the SideKick to sync your number to your online account....without you having to get near a PC....but that phone still has a long way to go....
I so can't wait till WIMAX makes it big....and for a foldable monitor....
Cheers
By Bryan at 12:26 PM ON 07/17/08
geesh, you can delete without openning a message. If you slide your finger from right to left on the message a red delete button will appear. Also after openning a message hit show details to get the option to mark a message as unread. Hope this helps.
By mikeguru at 2:37 PM ON 07/17/08
Not the best review I've seen, but I think the author wrote much of it a bit "tongue-in-cheek". People who haven't used the iPhone may never "get it" - every time I demo the Google Maps and how quickly with a few taps one can not only locate a person or place, but how quickly one can add the results to the Contacts or call the found contact with ONE TAP, THEN THEY GET IT! This and "Visual Voice Mail" are the 2 "show-stoppers" that set the iPhone (either version) apart from ALL other cell phones. Is it perfect? Of course not. Neither is any other so-called "smart phone". Will it be improved via future firmware/software updates? Absolutely. Look at the 2.0 Firmware and App Store - these features were ADDED to the ORIGINAL iPhone by simply clicking on the "Check For Updates" button in Tunes! I've used many different types of cell phones, PDAs, and so-called smart phones, and they ALL lack some feature that someone out there would like to have. It will ALWAYS be that way. The important thing is simply: Does it work for what it was designed to do? Is it easy to use? If it does/is, then the designers have accomplished their goals. Buy it or not. If you think it's too expensive, then BUY SOMETHING ELSE. The software/features I'm still waiting to be added: DocumentsToGo (Spreadsheets and Word docs that can sync to desktop Mac/PC), copy/paste, landscape mode for ALL programs where text-entry is possible, Flash support. The lack of a dock is disappointing. That said, the aftermarket, especially Seidio, makes docks that can be used even with certain "skins" or "cases" still installed-something Apple's designs never could do. I'm also disappointed in "only" 16 Gig of storage, and no expansion slot, but this is probably due to a space limitation. All of these "issues" will eventually be addressed. If you're unhappy with the "fit and finish" of your particular handset, then ASK FOR A REPLACEMENT. Look at it BEFORE YOU LEAVE THE STORE. You don't have to settle for a poorly constructed unit. Finally, AT&T's free App (YPMobile) SUCKS. It doesn't follow the design basics that iPhone users need (and have come to love)-it can't add ALL the info of a found item to your contacts. If you click on the Address, it takes you to Google Maps, but leaves behind ALL the other info, including the phone number behind! You have to create a new contact (with only the street address), and then go back and view the phone number, then go back to contacts and enter it manually. STOOPID! And please don't blame this on the lack of "copy/paste"-information found while searching in Google Maps is ALL added with a single selection of "Create a New Contact". Perhaps this kind of lameness is what we can expect to see in many of the "free" Apps . . . . "Oh, I hope not . . . . ."
By waynehastings at 3:49 AM ON 07/18/08
Pretty funny. These guys are working hard to find flaws with a phone that has drastically changed the consumer cellphone market.
Battery life:
Complain about battery life, then admit they've spent all their time in Phonesaber duels...
Apps:
Do you really want AT&T to write your apps, like THEY are the smartest and most innovative programmers out there?
3G:
3G is over hyped.
Dock:
I have plenty of cables from the iPods I have bought, and who doesn't own an iPod already at this point, making need for a dock moot.
Overall, I give a B for effort. No points for style.
By hollystar at 10:42 AM ON 07/18/08
Do you screen these comments before posting? Either cut/replace with symbols the obscene expletives or refuse to post it until it's cleaned up. F words and the like have no place, no matter how mad you are. I'm sure some kids read these posts and I don't think very many others appreciate those descriptive words. A point can be made extremely well without it. I don't have an iphone, don't intend to at this point, I use a phone that does what I need for now. I don't subscribe to internet or text messaging. I have on occasion taken a picture or video and used the calculator or datebook, but didn't buy the extra data cord to download the photos/video. It was a stretch for my wallet to just get the phone I have, a decent Motorola, and keep my lower priced plan with AT&T. Though I still can't get a good signal, if any, from the small Missouri town my folks live in. It's like the ad for that other company that you hold the phone out and walk this way and that to get a signal. I've gone out the cafe into the street, to the middle of the four-way stop with the single old four-sided flashing red light, then down a side street to get a bar or two to keep from breaking up or getting disconnected. Or how about out of the house to the front porch then over to the side. Bummer if it's raining and you have to get wet and keep the phone dry.
By waynehastings at 2:09 PM ON 07/18/08
Irony: posting comments on a review that the review needs to grow up while peppering your post with f-bombs and insults.
By tbeishir at 8:43 PM ON 07/18/08
Oh no, you've upset the Apple fanboys and now they're resorting to name calling. Typical. Lighten up. They're just playing devil's advocate because all that we ever hear elsewhere is you guys fawning over Steve Jobs and whatever new item he has crapped out. I know I sure get tired of hearing it.
I don't hate Apple for their products, overall I've had a good experience with them. I hate Apple because their fanboys are so flippin' annoying.
By gspenco at 9:37 PM ON 07/19/08
Steve Jobs have gotten you people right where he wants you. All brain-washed, and believing that you need this crap before it is proven that it really works and the maintenance won't kill you. Even if you have the protection plan, which you still have to pay for service w/ it. When everything breaks, i will be laughing so hard at you all.
By borg at 7:31 PM ON 07/24/08
i still have not played with the original iphone yet, id rather get the 1stgen one because i live in a rural area and i doubt 3G will ever make it network wide such as edge. verizon is the only company in the area that has 3g and they suck.
By cav at 10:32 PM ON 07/30/08
i hope they upgrade it
By simonson81 at 1:46 AM ON 08/04/08
you can actually send mms messages with the iphone thru email just put in the 10 digit number plust @mms.att.net so it should look like this **********@mms.att.net and presto now you can send picture messages hope this helps mms hack for iphone plus youll get unlimited text this way lol sorry at&T
By FinalWarning at 3:25 AM ON 02/11/09
Do not buy iPhone 3G if you are outside USA - you'll regret!
on your cellphone!
Text DVICE to 72434
editor@dvice.com
FinalWarning:
Do not buy iPhone 3G if you are outside USA - you'll regret! ...More »