Apple iPhone 3G Review


David Suen holds up his new iPhone 3G at the Apple store in
London (Photograph: Sang Tan/AP)
Apple has sold more than 1m of its new iPhone 3G handsets, the consumer
electronics giant announced today, just three days since the chaotic launch of
the second version of the smartphone.
Apple's chief executive Steve Jobs said that the new iPhone 3G has had "a
stunning opening weekend".
"It took 74 days to sell the first 1m original iPhones, so the new iPhone 3G
is clearly off to a great start around the world," Jobs added.
However, the surge of demand for the new smartphone caused problems for Apple
customers as sales system and upgrades were hit with technical difficulties
across Europe and the US.
Analysts at RBC Capital Markets said lower pricing, pent-up demand and
expanded distribution had contributed to increased interest, adding that buyers
will be frustrated by limited stock and logistical problems caused by launching
across 28 mobile operators in 22 countries.
But Apple will still achieve overall worldwide sales of 5.1m iPhone 3Gs for
the third quarter of 2008, according to RBC's forecast.
The market analysts dismissed concerns over battery life for the new iPhone,
raised by some reviewers, claiming the phone still outperforms comparable
handsets such as the LG Voyager and HTC Tilt.
RBC also praised the new Apple Applications store, a feature enthusiastically
welcomed by the web development community, saying the simple interface for
selling games, location tools and messaging features "is reminiscent of the huge
success of the marriage of iPod with iTunes".
Apple is expected to meet its target of launching the new 3G handset in 70
countries, said RBC, and will sell around 14m iPhones in the next year.
Some Apple fans in the US bought new handsets but were unable to use their
new phones for several hours because the iTunes store, through which users
administer their phone accounts, ground to a halt under the weight of
requests.
In the UK, O2, the exclusive mobile retailer for iPhone, saw its web-based
retail system collapse on Friday, making it impossible to register and sell new
handsets.
The problem persisted into Saturday when stores were unable to sell the new
phones, despite adequate stock.
The gadget blog Gizmodo christened the problems the "iPocalypse", while the
Information Week columnist Mitch Wagner said Apple had compounded problems
through "negligence and failure to anticipate demand".

Size and weight1

Height:
4.5 inches (115.5 mm)
Width:
2.4 inches (62.1 mm)
Depth:
0.48 inch (12.3 mm)
Weight:
4.7 ounces (133 grams)
Color

8GB model: Black
16GB model: Black or white
Capacity2

8GB or 16GB flash drive
Cellular and wireless

UMTS/HSDPA (850, 1900, 2100 MHz)
GSM/EDGE (850, 900, 1800, 1900 MHz)
Wi-Fi (802.11b/g)
Bluetooth 2.0 + EDR
GPS

Assisted GPS
In the box

iPhone 3G
Stereo Headset with mic
Dock Connector to USB Cable
USB Power Adapter
Documentation
Cleaning/polishing cloth
SIM eject tool

Environmental Status Report
iPhone 3G embodies Apple's continuing environmental progress. It is designed
with the following features to reduce environmental impact:

PVC-free handset
PVC-free headphones
PVC-free USB cable
Bromine-free printed circuit boards
Mercury-free LCD display
Majority of packaging made from post-consumer recycled fiberboard and
biobased materials
Power adapter outperforms strictest global energy efficiency standards



Display

3.5-inch (diagonal) widescreen Multi-Touch display
480-by-320-pixel resolution at 163 ppi
Support for display of multiple languages and characters simultaneously

Audio

Frequency response: 20Hz to 20,000Hz
Audio formats supported: AAC, Protected AAC, MP3, MP3 VBR, Audible (formats
1, 2, and 3), Apple Lossless, AIFF, and WAV
User-configurable maximum volume limit

Headphones

Stereo earphones with built-in microphone
Frequency response: 20Hz to 20,000Hz
Impedance: 32 ohms
Video

Video formats supported: H.264 video, up to 1.5 Mbps, 640 by 480
pixels, 30 frames per second, Low-Complexity version of the H.264 Baseline
Profile with AAC-LC audio up to 160 Kbps, 48kHz, stereo audio in .m4v, .mp4, and
.mov file formats; H.264 video, up to 2.5 Mbps, 640 by 480 pixels, 30 frames per
second, Baseline Profile up to Level 3.0 with AAC-LC audio up to 160 Kbps,
48kHz, stereo audio in .m4v, .mp4, and .mov file formats; MPEG-4 video, up to
2.5 Mbps, 640 by 480 pixels, 30 frames per second, Simple Profile with AAC-LC
audio up to 160 Kbps, 48kHz, stereo audio in .m4v, .mp4, and .mov file formats


Camera and photos

2.0 megapixels
Photo geotagging
iPhone and third-party application integration
Language support

Language support for English, French, German, Japanese, Dutch, Italian,
Spanish, Portuguese, Danish, Finnish, Norwegian, Swedish, Korean, Simplified
Chinese, Traditional Chinese, Russian, and Polish
International keyboard and dictionary support for English (U.S.), English
(UK), French (France), French (Canada), German, Japanese, Dutch, Italian,
Spanish, Portuguese (Portugal), Portuguese (Brazil), Danish, Finnish, Norwegian,
Swedish, Korean (no dictionary), Simplified Chinese, Traditional Chinese,
Russian, and Polish
Mail attachment support

Viewable document types: .jpg, .tiff, .gif (images); .doc and .docx
(Microsoft Word); .htm and .html (web pages); .key (Keynote); .numbers
(Numbers); .pages (Pages); .pdf (Preview and Adobe Acrobat); .ppt and .pptx
(Microsoft PowerPoint); .txt (text); .vcf (contact information); .xls and .xlsx
(Microsoft Excel)

Connectors and input/output

30-pin dock connector
3.5-mm stereo headphone minijack
Built-in speaker
Microphone
SIM card tray
External buttons and controls

Sleep/wake
Ring/silent
Volume up/down
Home
Sensors

Accelerometer
Proximity sensor
Ambient light sensor

Power and battery

Built-in rechargeable lithium-ion battery3
Charging via USB to computer system or power adapter


Talk time:4
Up to 5 hours on 3G
Up to 10 hours on 2G
Standby time: Up to 300 hours5


Internet use:
Up to 5 hours on 3G6
Up to 6 hours on Wi-Fi7
Video playback: Up to 7 hours8
Audio playback: Up to 24 hours9
Mac system requirements

Mac computer with USB 2.0 port
Mac OS X v10.4.10 or later
iTunes 7.7 or later
Windows system requirements

PC with USB 2.0 port
Windows Vista; or Windows XP Home or Professional with Service Pack 2 or
later
iTunes 7.7 or later
Environmental requirements

Operating temperature: 32° to 95° F(0° to 35° C)
Nonoperating temperature: -4° to 113° F(-20° to 45° C)
Relative humidity: 5% to 95% noncondensing
Maximum operating altitude: 10,000 feet (3000 m)

iPhone Accessories


iPhone Bluetooth Headset
Answer iPhone calls wirelessly with this compact, lightweight Bluetooth
headset. A single button lets you answer and end calls easily. And the
lithium-ion battery delivers up to 5.5 hours of talk time and up to 72 hours of
standby time.1

MobileMe Subscription
With a MobileMe subscription, you have everything you need, anywhere you are.
Your email accounts, calendar, and contacts stay up to date on your iPhone and
your computer — automatically.


iPhone 3G Dock
Get fast access to USB charging, syncing, and audio out with the iPhone 3G
Dock. Even conduct speakerphone calls when your iPhone is in the dock.

Apple USB Power Adapter
Charge your iPhone on the go with this new, ultracompact USB power adapter.
Includes an Apple Dock Connector to USB Cable.


iPhone Stereo Headset
Apple Dock Connector to USB Cable
iPhone Bluetooth Travel Cable
iPhone 3G Universal Dock Adapter 3-Pack
iPhone TTY Adapter
Apple Universal Dock
Apple Component AV Cable
Apple Composite AV Cable
AirPort Extreme Base Station
See more accessories in the Apple Online Store

Actual size and weight vary by configuration and manufacturing process.
1GB = 1 billion bytes; actual formatted capacity less.
Rechargeable batteries have a limited number of charge cycles and may
eventually need to be replaced. See www.apple.com/batteries for more
information.
Talk time: Testing conducted by Apple in May and June 2008 using
preproduction iPhone 3G units and software. iPhone 3G units were connected to a
1900MHz network or a 2100MHz network. All settings were default except: Call
Forwarding was turned on; the Wi-Fi feature Ask to Join Networks was turned off.
Wi-Fi was enabled but not associated with a network. Battery life depends on the
cellular network, location, signal strength, feature configuration, usage, and
many other factors. Battery tests are conducted using specific iPhone units;
actual results may vary.
Standby time: Testing conducted by Apple in May and June 2008 using
preproduction iPhone 3G units and software. All settings were default except:
Call Forwarding was turned on; the Wi-Fi feature Ask to Join Networks was turned
off. Wi-Fi was enabled but not associated with a network. Battery life depends
on the cellular network, location, signal strength, feature configuration,
usage, and many other factors. Battery tests are conducted using specific iPhone
units; actual results may vary.
Internet use over 3G: Testing conducted by Apple in May and June 2008 using
preproduction iPhone 3G units and software. Internet over 3G tests were
conducted over a 1900MHz 3G network using dedicated web and mail servers,
browsing snapshot versions of 20 popular web pages, and receiving mail once an
hour. All settings were default except: Call Forwarding was turned on; the Wi-Fi
feature Ask to Join Networks and Auto-Brightness were turned off. Wi-Fi was
enabled but not associated with a network. Battery life depends on the cellular
network, location, signal strength, 3G connectivity, feature configuration,
usage, and many other factors. Battery tests are conducted using specific iPhone
units; actual results may vary.
Internet use over Wi-Fi: Testing conducted by Apple in May and June 2008
using preproduction iPhone 3G units and software. Internet over Wi-Fi tests were
conducted using a closed network and dedicated web and mail servers, browsing
snapshot versions of 20 popular web pages, and receiving mail once an hour. All
settings were default except: Call Forwarding was turned on; the Wi-Fi feature
Ask to Join Networks and Auto-Brightness were turned off; WPA2 encryption was
enabled. Battery life depends on the cellular network, location, signal
strength, Wi-Fi connectivity, feature configuration, usage, and many other
factors. Battery tests are conducted using specific iPhone units; actual results
may vary.
Video playback: Testing conducted by Apple in May and June 2008 using
preproduction iPhone 3G units and software. Video content consisted of a
repeated 2-hour 23-minute movie purchased from the iTunes Store. All settings
were default except: Call Forwarding was turned on; the Wi-Fi feature Ask to
Join Networks and Auto-Brightness were turned off. Wi-Fi was enabled but not
associated with a network. Battery life depends on the cellular network,
location, signal strength, feature configuration, usage, and many other factors.
Battery tests are conducted using specific iPhone units; actual results may
vary.
Audio playback: Testing conducted by Apple in May and June 2008 using
preproduction iPhone 3G units and software. The playlist consisted of 358 unique
audio tracks, a combination of content imported from CDs using iTunes (128-Kbps
AAC encoding) and content purchased from the iTunes Store (128-Kbps AAC
encoding). All settings were default except: Call Forwarding was turned on; the
Wi-Fi feature Ask to Join Networks was turned off. Wi-Fi was enabled but not
associated with a network. Battery life depends on the cellular network,
location, signal strength, feature configuration, usage, and many other factors.
Battery tests are conducted using specific iPhone units; actual results may
vary.
Talk and standby times: Testing conducted by Apple in June 2007 using
preproduction iPhone Bluetooth Headsets, iPhone units, and software. All iPhone
Bluetooth Headset settings were default. All iPhone settings were default
except: Call Forwarding was turned on; the Wi-Fi feature Ask to Join Networks
was turned off. Battery life depends on signal strength, usage, and many other
factors. Battery tests are conducted using specific iPhone Bluetooth Headset and
iPhone units; actual results may vary.