Apple iPhone 8GB

PRODUCT SUMMARY:-

The good: The Apple iPhone has a stunning display, a sleek design, and an innovative multitouch user interface. Its Safari browser makes for a superb Web surfing experience, and it offers easy-to-use apps. As an iPod, it shines.

The bad: The Apple iPhone has variable call quality and lacks some basic features found in many cell phones, including stereo Bluetooth support and 3G compatibility. Integrated memory is stingy for an iPod, and you have to sync the iPhone to manage music content.

The bottom line: Despite some important missing features, a slow data network, and call quality that doesn't always deliver, the Apple iPhone sets a new benchmark for an integrated cell phone and MP3 player.

REVIEWS:-

From the moment Apple announced its iPhone at Macworld 2007, the tech world hasn't stopped asking questions. Because Apple has kept many iPhone details under wraps until very recently, we've been forced to speculate. Until now. Is the iPhone pretty? Absolutely. Is it easy to use? Certainly. Does it live up to the stratospheric hype? Not so much. Don't get us wrong, the iPhone is a lovely device with a sleek interface, top-notch music and video features, and innovative design touches. The touch screen is easier to use than we expected, and the multimedia performs well. But a host of missing features, a dependency on a sluggish EDGE network, and variable call quality--it is a phone after all--left us wanting more. For those reasons, the iPhone is noteworthy not for what it does, but how it does it. If you want an iPhone badly, you probably already have one. But if you're on the fence, we suggest waiting for the second-generation handset. Even with the new $399 price for the 8GB model (down from an original price of $599) and $499 for the 16GB model, it's still a lot to ask for a phone that lacks so many features and locks you into an iPhone-specific two-year contract with AT&T. We'll be more excited once we see a version with--at the very least--multimedia messaging and 3G.

Design:
On with the review: the iPhone boasts a brilliant display, trim profile, and clean lines (no external antenna of course), and its lack of buttons puts it in a design class that even the LG Prada and the HTC Touch can't match. You'll win envious looks on the street toting the iPhone, and we're sure that would be true even if the phone hadn't received as much media attention as it has. We knew that it measures 4.5 inches tall by 2.4 inches wide by 0.46 inch deep, but it still felt smaller than we expected when we finally held it. In comparison, it's about as tall and as wide as a Palm Treo 755p, but it manages to be thinner than even the trend-setting Motorola Razr. It fits comfortably in the hand and when held to the ear, and its 4.8 ounces give it a solid, if perhaps weighty, feel. We also like that the display is glass rather than plastic.

Display:
The iPhone's display is the handset's design showpiece and is noteworthy for not only what it shows, but also how you use it. We'll start off with its design. At a generous 3.5 inches, the display takes full advantage of the phone's size, while its 480x320 pixel resolution (160 dots per inch) translates into brilliant colors, sharp graphics, and fluid movements.

Menus:
In true Apple style, the iPhone's menu interface is attractive, intuitive, and easy to use. In the main menu, a series of colored icons call out the main functions. Icons for the phone menu, the mail folder, the Safari Web browser, and the iPod player sit at the bottom of the screen, while other features such as the camera, the calendar, and the settings are displayed above. It's easy to find all features, and we like that essential features aren't buried under random menus. Fluid animation takes you between different functions, and you can zip around rather quickly.

Much has been made of the iPhone's touch screen, and rightfully so. Though the Apple handset is not the first cell phone to rely solely on a touch screen, it is the first phone to get so much attention and come with so many expectations. Depending on what you're doing, the touch screen serves as your dialpad, your keyboard, your Safari browser, and your music and video player. Like many others, we were skeptical of how effectively the touch screen would handle all those functions.

Touch screen:
Fortunately, we can report that on the whole, the touch screen and software interface are easier to use than expected. What's more, we didn't miss a stylus in the least. Despite a lack of tactile feedback on the keypad, we had no trouble tapping our fingers to activate functions and interact with the main menu. As with any touch screen, the display attracts its share of smudges, but they never distracted us from what we were viewing. The onscreen dialpad took little acclimation, and even the onscreen keyboard fared rather well. Tapping out messages was relatively quick, and we could tap the correct letter, even with big fingers. The integrated correction software helped minimize errors by suggesting words ahead of time. It was accurate for the most part.

We also found it somewhat tedious to scroll through long lists, such as the phone book or music playlists. Flicking your finger in an up or down motion will move you partway through a list, but you can't move directly to the bottom or top by swiping and holding your finger. On the other hand, the letters of the alphabet are displayed on the right side of the screen. By pressing a letter you can go directly to any songs or contacts beginning with that letter. But the lack of buttons requires a lot of tapping to move about the interface. For example, the Talk and End buttons are only displayed when the phone is in call mode. And since there are no dedicated Talk and End buttons, you must use a few taps to find these features. That also means you cannot just start dialing a number; you must open the dialpad first, which adds clicks to the process. The same goes for the music player: since there are no external buttons, you must call up the player interface to control your tunes. For some people, the switching back and forth may be a nonissue. But for mutlitaskers, it can grow wearisome.

Criticisms aside, the iPhone display is remarkable for its multitouch technology, which allows you to move your finger in a variety of ways to manipulate what's on the screen. When in a message, you can magnify the text by pressing and holding over a selected area. And as long as you don't lift your finger, you can move your "magnifying glass" around the text. You can zoom in by pinching your fingers apart; to zoom out you just do the opposite. In the Web browser, you can move around the Web page by sliding your finger, or you can zoom in by a double tap. And when looking at your message list, you can delete items by swiping your finger from left to right across the message. At that point, a Delete button will appear.

features:
The iPhone's only hardware menu button is set directly below the display. It takes you instantly back to the home screen no matter what application you're using. The single button is nice to have, since it saves you a series of menu taps if you're buried in a secondary menu. On the top of the iPhone is a multifunction button for controlling calls and the phone's power. If a call comes in at an inopportune time, just press the button once to silence the ringer, or press it twice to send the call to voice mail. Otherwise, you can use this top control to put the phone asleep and wake it up again. You can turn the iPhone off by pressing and holding the button.

The calendar offers day and month views, and you can use the calendar as an event reminder or a to-do list as well. The interface is clean and simple, though inputting new appointments involves a lot of tapping. There's no Week view, however. We were able to sync our Outlook contacts and calendar and our Yahoo! e-mail address book with no problems.

Bluetooth and wireless:
The iPhone offers a full range of wireless functionality with support for Wi-Fi and Bluetooth connectivity. The Wi-Fi compatibility is especially welcome, and a feature that's absent on far too many smart phones. When you're browsing the Web, the iPhone automatically searches for the nearest Internet hot spot. Bluetooth 2.0 is also on board, which delivers faster transmission and a longer range than Bluetooth 1.2. You can use Bluetooth for voice calls, but you don't get an A2dP stereo Bluetooth profile--another item that's not necessary but would be nice to have.

Though Apple CEO Steve Jobs has explained the iPhone's lack of 3G support by saying the chipsets take up too much room and drain too much battery, we'd like the option anyway. Yes, the Wi-Fi network is great when you can get it, but AT&T's EDGE network just doesn't cut it for all other surfing. EDGE Web browsing is so slow, it almost ruins the pretty Web interface. More on this in the Performance section.

Messaging and e-mail:
For your messaging needs, the iPhone offers text messaging and e-mail. As on many smart phones, a text message thread is displayed as one long conversation--a useful arrangement that allows you to pick which messages you'd like to answer. The January 2008 update added the ability to send a text message to multiple recipients. It was a welcome addition, but truly, that capability should have been there from the start. If you use another function while messaging, you can return to pick up that message where you left off. We just don't understand, however, why Apple doesn't include multimedia messaging. Sure, you can use e-mail to send photos, but without multimedia messaging you can't send photos to other cell phones--pretty much the entire point of a camera phone.

The iPhone's e-mail menu includes integrated support for Yahoo, Gmail, AOL, and Mac accounts. You can set up the phone to receive messages from other IMAP4 and POP3 systems, but you'll need to sweet-talk your IT department into syncing with your corporate exchange server. It's rumored that Apple will update the iPhone to support ActiveSync but Apple hasn't confirmed that as of this writing. Yet the iPhone does offer a way to connect with your VPN. You can read--but not edit--PDF, JPEG, Word, and Excel documents. Worse: you can't cut and paste text when composing messages.

iPhone's iPod
Sandwiched between all the iPhone's features lives Apple's most amazing iPod yet. The display, interface, video quality, audio quality--all of it is meticulously refined and beautiful. Unfortunately, it's trapped within a device that will cost you more than $1,000 a year just to own. CNET recently reviewed a Rolls-Royce that had a top-notch umbrella hidden inside its passenger door. Buying the iPhone for its iPod feature is a lot like buying that Rolls-Royce for its umbrella. Regardless, the iPhone is an exciting glimpse into what Apple hopefully has planned for its sixth-generation iPod. Apple has redeemed itself following the Motorola Rokr E1 debacle.

On paper, the iPhone's iPod doesn't offer any features not already on a fifth-generation iPod: podcasts, videos, music, and playlists are all here, and content management with iTunes is identical. The difference rests entirely in the iPhone's interface. We've used other MP3 players that use touch interfaces, such as the Archos 704, iRiver Clix and Cowon D2, but the iPhone's unique integration of multitouch technology and a graphic user interface put it in a category all its own.

On paper, the iPhone's iPod doesn't offer any features not already on a fifth-generation iPod: podcasts, videos, music, and playlists are all here, and content management with iTunes is identical. The difference rests entirely in the iPhone's interface. We've used other MP3 players that use touch interfaces, such as the Archos 704, iRiver Clix and Cowon D2, but the iPhone's unique integration of multitouch technology and a graphic user interface put it in a category all its own.

The bad news is that the iPhone's iPod leaves out the ability to manually manage the transfer of music and video content. Unlike any previous iPod, the iPhone does not allow an option for manually dragging and dropping content from an iTunes library directly to the iPhone device icon. Instead, the iPhone strictly uses defined library syncing options for collecting and syncing content from your iTunes library to the device. This should work out fine for most people, but for a device with limited memory the inability to manually manage content seems like a misstep. Our 8GB iPhone was already a quarter full after only a few hours of testing, giving us the impression that users will need to be vigilant at grooming their iPhone library. An external memory card slot is another one of those "nice to have" features.

Camera:
The iPhone's 2-megapixel camera offers a spiffy interface with a graphic that resembles a camera shutter. You're offered no camera editing options, which we didn't expect. That means you can't change the resolution, choose a color or quality setting, or select a night mode. There's no flash either, and with no self-portrait mirror, those vanity shots are going to be tricky. The camera performed well in our tests, however. Photo quality was excellent with rich, bright colors and distinct object outlines. White looked a bit too soft, but we approve overall. On the downside, you can't shoot your own video, which is disappointing on a phone at this price.

As we said earlier, the photo menu is attractive and easy to use, particularly due to the pinching motion. You can also flip between photos by swiping your finger across the display. When selecting a photo, you're given the option of assigning it to a contact, using it as wallpaper, or e-mailing it to a friend.

Call quality:
We tested the quadband (GSM 850/900/1800/1900) Apple iPhone in San Francisco using AT&T service. Call quality was good for the most part, but it wasn't dependable. Though voices sounded natural, the volume was often too low, and the microphone has a sensitive sweet spot. When we moved the phone away from our ears ever so slightly, the volume diminished noticeably and we had to move the phone back to just the right place to hear clearly. The volume wasn't so bad that we weren't able to hear a friend who was in a crowded bar, but it just could be better. The speakerphone was also too quiet though conversations weren't too muffled.

CNET users have also reported volume problems, and a few people we called said they heard a slight background hiss. We didn't hear the hiss on our end, but more than one of our friends said they noticed it. Automated calling systems were able to understand us, but only if we were in a quiet room. On the whole, the call quality stayed the same in most environments.

Battery life:
The Apple iPhone has a rated battery life of 8 hours talk time, 24 hours of music playback, 7 hours of video playback, and 6 hours on Internet use. The promised standby time is 10.4 days. When we tested the iPhone with the Wi-Fi function turned off, we got about 7 hours, 45 minutes of talk time. When we tested it with the Wi-Fi activated, we came away with 4 hours less. Video time, however, clocked in at an impressive 7.3 hours. Music-only time was also satisfactory. We got 28.4 hours of music playback time on a single charge. Just keep in mind that it's rare you'll be using just one feature for hours on end. As such, your battery life will vary widely as you switch between functions. Large color screens such as the one on the iPhone tend to be battery drainers, so you'll most likely need to charge your handset every couple of days. According to the FCC, the iPhone has a digital SAR rating of 0.974 watts per kilogram.

Apple iPhone 16GB

PRODUCT SUMMARY:-

The Apple iPhone 3G offers new features support for high-speed 3G networks, third-party applications, and expanded e-mail. improved call quality and it continues to deliver an excellent music and video experience.

The iPhone 3G continues to lack some basic features that are available on even the simplest cell phone. Battery life was uneven, and the 3G connection tended to be shaky. Also, the e-mail syncing is not without its faults.

The iTunes App Store is pretty amazing, and the 3G support is more than welcome. Critical features still are missing, and the battery depletes quickly under heavy use, but the iPhone 3G is a big improvement over the original model.

Apple rates the iPhone 3G's battery at 5 hours of talk time over 3G and 10 hours over AT&T's standard cellular network; 6 hours of Internet time on Wi-Fi, or 5 hours over 3G; 7 hours of video playback; 24 hours of music playback; and a standby time of 12.5 days. In our first round of testing we were able to squeeze 4.95 hours of 3G talk time and 8.75 hours talk time over EDGE. We'll continue to run further tests over the next few days.

For music and video playback, our CNET Labs testing found the iPhone 3G's battery capable of 25.5 hours of audio playback and 2.7 hours of video playback, with 3G set to active. By comparison, the first-generation iPhone achieved 31.4 hours of music playback and 6 hours of video, although it didn't have the strain of 3G to contend with. A comparable 3G multimedia phone, like the Samsung Instinct, scored only 18 hours of audio playback, but eked out an impressive 4.3 hours of video playback. We suspect further testing will show that the iPhone 3G is capable of longer video playback when its 3G connection is switched off.

Lab tests have also revealed improvements to the iPhone's file transfer speed. A single 500MB file that once took the iPhone 1.6 minutes to transfer now takes the iPhone 3G just 1.4 minutes. The same test run on the Samsung Instinct took 4.28 minutes.

Though our official Lab tests aren't bad, real-world use is a better judge of the iPhone 3G's endurance. And on that front, we've noticed that the iPhone 3G's battery life drops faster than on the original model, particularly while using the 3G network or GPS. That's to be expected, but we noticed that after a couple hours of use, the battery life dropped by about 30 percent. Large color displays like the iPhone's tend to be battery drainers as well, so you should expect to use more juice when you're constantly switching between applications. Indeed, during a day of even moderate use, the battery on our review model is depleted by the late evening. This remained true even after the iPhone 2.1 software update, which promised to improve battery life.

Just over a year after Apple birthed the first iPhone, the long-awaited, next-generation iPhone 3G has arrived bearing a mildly tweaked design and a load of new features. With access to a faster 3G wireless network, Microsoft Exchange server e-mail, and support for a staggering array of third-party software from the iPhone App Store, the new handset is the iPhone we've been waiting for. It still lacks some basic features but when compared with what the original model was year ago, this device sets a new benchmark for the cell phone world.


With the iPhone 3G, Apple appears to have fixed some call-quality performance issues we had with the previous model--in our initial tests, the volume is louder with less background buzz than before. The 3G reception could be improved, however. Music and video quality were largely unchanged, but we didn't have many complaints in that department to begin with.

Price may well remain our largest concern. New AT&T customers and most current AT&T customers can buy the iPhone 3G for $199 for the 8GB model and $299 for the 16GB model.so,
while you'll pay less outright to buy the handset, you'll make it up over the course of a standard two-year AT&T contract.
If you haven't bought an iPhone yet, and have been holding out for a new model, now is the time. If you're a current iPhone owner and you're yearning for a faster cellular network, then you should take the plunge. But if you're an iPhone owner who won't use 3G (or can't; check your coverage at AT&T), then you should stick with your current model. The iPhone 2.0 software update provides Exchange server support, third-party apps support, and many new features without the added cost.

Design:
You'd be hard-pressed to notice any design differences on the front of the iPhone 3G. The minor changes--the silver rim is thinner and the silver mesh behind the speaker--are so minimal we didn't notice them for a few hours after picking up the device. Turn the phone on its side, however, and you'll see more changes. Apple has replaced the aluminum silver back with a plastic face in either white or black. The black version (our review model) is attractive, but we admit that we miss the original silver, which shows fewer fingerprints and smudges than the shiny black version. The white model is not our cup of tea.

The iPhone 3G's edges are slightly tapered to accommodate the curved back, making the device thinner around its perimeter than its predecessor, but a hair thicker (0.48 inch versus 0.46 inch) in the gut. Unfortunately, the curved back makes the iPhone 3G wobble slightly if you use it while resting on a table--which quickly becomes annoying. The phone's height and width measurements (5.5 inches by 2.4 inches) remain the same, though it weighs just a tiny bit less (4.7 ounces versus 4.8 ounces).

At 3.5 inches and 480x320 pixels, the display is the same size as its predecessor, but displays slightly more dots per inch (163 vs.160), and still cranks out brilliant colors, sharp graphics, and fluid movements. The layout of the home screen is identical to that on the first version, though you'll see two new icons from the outset: A Contacts icon takes you directly to your phone book, and the App Store icon opens the iTunes App Store. The display's glass surface, accelerometer feature, touch interface, and secondary menus remain the same.

he iPhone's 3G controls reveal a few changes, but none will surprise a current iPhone user. The Home button sits below the display, while the volume rocker and ringer mute switch rest on the left spine. The Power/sleep button rests on top of the phone in its normal position. All controls are now silver instead of black. The SIM card slot hasn't moved either, and Apple now includes a SIM removal tool in the box. The bottom of the iPhone houses the speaker, the microphone, and the charger port, but you'll also notice two tiny screws on either side of the charger jack. Think maybe you'll be able to replace your own battery now? Bummer: The battery is still not user-replaceable, so we don't recommend trying it (although we hear the battery is no longer soldered down). We're very pleased that the iPhone 3G's 3.5mm headset jack now sits flush with the surface of the phone allowing you to use any 3.5mm headset you like; you're no longer restricted to a headset that can fit in the previous phone's inane recessed jack.

In the box you'll find the syncing cable, a display cleaning cloth, a headset, user documentation, the aforementioned SIM removal tool, and an electrical outlet plug. The plug is pleasantly smaller than on the original iPhone's, but it's compatible with a standard USB cable. On the downside, you don't get a syncing dock. If you want one, you have to shell out $30 for it (boo!), and Apple made sure the iPhone 3G won't fit in the first iPhone's dock.

The iPhone 3G hangs on to all the original iPhone features and throws in a few more, so we'll concentrate on what's new. Lucky for first-gen iPhone owners, most of the impressive array of additions--save 3G support and enhanced GPS--come along with the free 2.0 software update. For more on the organizer features, stocks and weather widgets, YouTube app, notepad, threaded texting, and visual voicemail, see our original iPhone review.

Worker bees worldwide have awaited the iPhone 3G's full support for Microsoft Exchange server. In our tests, adding an Exchange account was ridiculously easy once we had the correct settings from our IT department--simply choose to add a new e-mail account in the main Settings menu, and you'll be taken to the standard list of available e-mail systems. "Microsoft Exchange" and "MobileMe" will appear at the top of the list just above the choice for Gmail. You'll then be prompted to enter the applicable e-mail address, domain/username, server, and password. The authentication process took just a couple of minutes. Installing CNET's security certificate posed a bit of a challenge, but we eventually succeeded by mailing the certificate to ourselves through Yahoo Mail.

Once you're ready to go, the iPhone will sync your Outlook e-mail, contacts, and calendar. Be advised that while the iPhone can support multiple POP3 accounts at once (two Yahoo accounts, for instance), it syncs with only one Exchange server and, worse, with only with one calendar or contacts list at a time. If you have a separate personal calendar, your work calendar will replace it once you start the sync. (You'll be notified before it happens.)

As an alternative, though, you can sync e-mail without syncing your contacts and calendar. Also, you can keep work and personal e-mail accounts open at the same time, although you'll have to switch between the two (unlike on a BlackBerry). MobileMe is another way to work around this restriction, but we'll talk about the later.

When using Wi-Fi, e-mail syncing went quickly. As new messages came in, the iPhone registered them almost immediately. It seemed to bog down when we received a large clump of messages at one time, however. In those cases, we had to update the phone manually, but even then the connection could freeze. In one instance, an update took almost 5 minutes--long enough that we had to back out of the e-mail app and try again later. We also noticed that if the iPhone loses its Wi-Fi connection, the syncing is interrupted even if the phone has 3G service. The Syncing via 3G was just as quick; if there was a difference, we didn't notice it. But if the 3G connection is shaky, it will take longer.

When we deleted a message on our phone, the same e-mail vanished on our PC just a couple of seconds later. Messages deleted on the PC took longer to disappear from the phone; typically, we had to do a manual update to see them gone. Messages deleted on the phone will show up in your PC's Recycle Bin and vice versa. When the data connection is weak, deleting and moving messages can be problematic. There were a few instances when the iPhone would not let us delete a random message. But when we go back to our computer, the message was indeed in the Trash.

The e-mail syncing is not without its faults, and it can't measure up to a BlackBerry just yet, but it is a good step toward making the iPhone a business device. Your experience will depend on how you use e-mail throughout the day. If you get scores of messages, and you must respond to each one, then we'd suggest holding off for now. But if you get scores, and only respond to a few (or you just get a few), then you could be perfectly content with the experience. Though according to AT&T, using Exchange server support on the iPhone 3G will require the business data plan (the one that costs $45 per month), we're not sure how AT&T will enforce this rule. The iPhone does not prompt you of this restriction in any way.

The iPhone 3G supports Apple's new MobileMe service, which synchronizes from Mac's Mail, Address Book, and iCal applications: contacts, calendar appointments, e-mail messages, photos, and browser bookmarks. One advantage of MobileMe is that it allows you to sync personal and work calendars, and contacts. Check out our MobileMe review for a full analysis.

When you select the iTunes Store, you're taken to the App Store main menu, which somewhat resembles the mobile iTunes store in design. You search applications by name and category and you can browse through the lists of Featured applications or the Top 25. There also is a feature for seeing if your purchased applications have any updates.

We purchased a few apps for the iPhone. Downloads over Wi-Fi were pretty quick; most apps took just a few seconds, but keep in mind it will vary by the size of the app. Though you can purchase iTunes songs wirelessly only through a Wi-Fi connection, you can download applications of 10Mb or less over a 3G network and even over EDGE (if 3G isn't available).

Downloads over 3G took about the same time as they did over Wi-Fi, give or take a few seconds, but apps over EDGE are quite pokey. We also purchased applications through the online iTunes (7.7) store. We downloaded Super Monkey Ball and then synced it to our phone--a new applications tab appears under the iPhone menu. The process was quick and painless. What's more, navigation through the online apps store is easy. After loading apps, the icons will appear on the Home screen.

While the current iPhone location services find your position by triangulating among nearby cell phone towers and satellites, the iPhone 3G uses Assisted GPS supplemented by satellites, which better pinpoints your location. It also offers live tracking so that you can monitor your progress as you drive (or walk) along. We tested the GPS feature both in a car and on foot. When on foot, the tracking service from satellites was quite accurate. It pinpointed our location almost exactly, and the small blue dot that represented our location followed us as we moved along. What's more, we didn't lose the connection as we walked between tall buildings or under an overpass. Naturally, the satellite connection dropped out as we entered buildings, but it switched automatically to find the closest cellular phone tower or hot spot. That method isn't quite as accurate--at times it could only show a circle spanning several city blocks--but you get the general idea of where you are. There were times where we had to ask the iPhone to pinpoint our location again, particularly as we left buildings and switched back to a satellite connection. When riding in a car, the GPS wasn't quite as specific. The blue dot tended to jump block by block or as we came to stoplights.

Even with these additions, however, the iPhone's GPS features can't compete with standalone GPS devices. Google Maps provides point-to-point directions on the iPhone 3G, but the phone doesn't support turn-by-turn directions in real time, and it's unclear whether that capability will come later from third-party applications. Apple's SDK prohibits location-based services "designed or marketed for real-time route guidance," but that doesn't mean we'll never see them.

We can't blame Apple for leaving the iPhone's iPod functions unchanged. In the year since the original iPhone, no competitor has been able to match the iPhone's aptitude as a music and video player. Of course, it doesn't hurt that Apple's online iTunes store continues to reign as a top destination for music, video, and podcast downloads.

As with the first-generation iPhone, the iPod icon on the iPhone 3G's main menu reveals a submenu of any content transferred from your computer's iTunes media library, including music, videos, and podcasts. The iPhone's remarkably responsive touch screen and its intuitive navigation allow you to swiftly scroll through lengthy song lists or leisurely browse your music collection in an attractive Cover Flow view. By default, the iPod menu includes shortcut icons for Playlists, Artists, Songs, and Video; however, these shortcuts can be easily swapped for other options that may be more useful to you, such as Podcasts, Albums, Audiobooks, Compilations, Composers, or Genres.

If you hunger for new music but lack the patience to download songs at home, the iPhone's iTunes Wi-Fi Store lets you browse new music and download purchases directly to your phone. As the name implies, the iTunes Wi-Fi Store unfortunately works only over your iPhone's Wi-Fi Internet connection, which is surprising, considering that downloads over 3G would strengthen the iPhone's appeal as on-demand music player.

The arrival of third-party applications to the iPhone has ushered in several new music-related capabilities, including a few free music applications we consider essential. For instance, radio fans can take advantage of AOL Radio and Pandora to stream music directly to the iPhone over both Wi-Fi and 3G connections. An in-house Apple application, Remote, transforms your iPhone into a full-featured remote control for your computer's iTunes music library or a separate Apple TV system.

The iPhone 3G does an admirable job supporting MP3, AAC, Audible, Apple Lossless, WAV, and AIFF audio files, as well as MPEG-4 or H.264 video files. Predictably, the iPhone does not support Windows Media file types such as WMA audio or WMV video, or more boutique formats like DIVX, FLAC, or Ogg Vorbis.

With the exception of songs downloaded directly to the phone using the iTunes Wi-Fi music store, loading audio and video content onto the iPhone 3G requires Apple's iTunes software. Unlike the initial release of the first-generation iPhone, you can now manually sync music files to your iPhone if you prefer not to have content automatically load from your iTunes library. The iPhone 3G's sound quality and EQ enhancement features are indistinguishable from the first-generation version's and certainly good enough to make your existing MP3 player redundant. The iPhone 3G's built-in speakers crank out noticeably louder--but still musically unacceptable--sound. To squeeze the most from the iPhone's sound quality, we recommend investing in a pair of higher quality headphones or earbuds than those that come with the device.The iPhone 3G's near-perfect storm of video features includes iTunes movie rental compatibility, excellent video podcast support, a dedicated YouTube player, autobookmarking, full-screen resizing, and support for embedded closed captions and chapter bookmarks. The iPhone's critical shortcoming as a Web-enabled portable video player is its lack of support for the Internet's ubiquitous Flash video content. Smaller video gripes include our dislike of the iPhone's reflective screen and the lack of a flip-out kickstand. The iPhone 3G's video quality offers no surprises, displaying crisp and colorful 480x320 video on its 3.5-inch screen. The phone tends toward negative blacks and low contrast when viewing the iPhone 3G at off angles, but the overall video experience is one of the best you'll find on a mobile phone.

With all of the iPhone 3G's cool new audio and radio applications, it's disappointing that Apple couldn't find a way to roll wireless A2DP stereo Bluetooth audio streaming into the device. In time, we hope third-party manufacturers will find a way to help users stream music from their iPhones to their Bluetooth-enabled speakers, headphones, and car stereos.

Camera:
We were hoping that the iPhone 3G would throw in an improved camera, but we got the same 2-megapixel shooter as in the original model, although with a slight improvement in the photo quality. Colors looked natural, there was little image noise, and interior shots had enough light. The camera's white balance can't handle bright sunlight, but that's not unusual for a camera phone. See our iPhone 3G camera slide show for a full gallery of shots. Camera features remain equally minimal, and the blatant lack of multimedia messaging and video recording continue to rub us the wrong way.

Bulk delete and move:
This works in your e-mail boxes only. In your in-box you'll see a small "edit" button at the top right-hand corner. When you press the button, a small circle will appear next to each e-mail. Touch the circle to highlight as many messages as you like and then select the "delete" or "move" options.

Check this aroba

Preface about Cell Phones

The definition of staying connected is changing fast on mobile devices.
That's because wireless devices can work with satellites to pinpoint and report your exact location -- and it's not restricted to humans. A new device will be out next month to track down your dog's whereabouts if it's lost or strays from pre-set boundaries.

Apple 3G 8GB

Apple iPhone 3G 8GB

The Apple iPhone 3G 8GB has just about all of the formidable features and functions of the iconic Apple iPhone 3G 16GB and it enjoys broad based appeal. It transcends the decidedly consumer oriented bounds of the first generation iPhones by offering business users Microsoft Exchange support. Enterprise users have instant access to corporate email as well as remote synchronization with Outlook calendar, contact list, and task list applications. Data transfer rates and voice quality are notably improved by the incorporation of 3G technology. With its built-in Wi-Fi connectivity even faster speeds can be expected when within range of a hotspot.

Standout Features

• iPod multimedia player
• 3.5-inch display screen
• Assisted GPS

Features

Memory
There are exactly two differences between this device and the Apple iPhone 3G 16GB. The first is memory. This device has a substantial 8GB while the other has a massive built-in 16GB of memory. It should be noted that other top rated devices approach memory differently than Apple. While they have much less built-in memory they allow for expansion by use of microSD cards supporting up to 16GB. The other difference is price. The iPhone 3G 8GB costs $100 less than its 16GB cousin. The trade-off is a choice left to the individual purchaser.
Music and Video playback

It can be difficult to decide which feature makes the iPhone 3G 8GB stand out most but among smartphones but its roots in the Apple iPod comes to mind. Though there have been innumerable attempts to copy or one-up the iPod as a music and video player, others have as yet, fallen short. Apple invented the concept and has continued to perfect it as time has passed. Couple that with the iTunes website with its unmatched mobile audio and video library and you’ve really got a package. Now, iTunes includes the iPhone App Store to add literally thousands of applications to the already capable device.

GPS
Assisted GPS is included which uses not only satellite fixes to pinpoint your location but also incorporates location triangulation from cell towers and even Wi-Fi hotspots when available. This speeds up the locating process and can make getting a fix possible at times when it may not otherwise be available.

Email and Messaging
The Apple iPhone 3G supports popular personal email applications as well as text and instant messaging. Oddly, especially for a phone so firmly based in multimedia, it doesn’t offer multimedia messaging (MMS). It has a 2.0 megapixel camera which seems something of a shortfall in a device of this level. Inexplicably, it lacks a video recording capability. The device has Bluetooth for hands-free calling, but, recalling that we consider this the best music phone on the market, it is difficult to understand why Bluetooth stereo headphones are not supported.

Battery Life
Battery life for the Apple iPhone 3G is rated at up to 600 minutes talk time and standby time of 300 hours.

Summary

The Apple iPhone 3G 8GB shares the well-deserved lime light with its 16GB counterpart. A $100 price reduction for an 8MB reduction in memory is a pretty good deal. Still, given the fact that the memory is not removable, consider carefully before plunking down your money.

Apple 3G 16GB

Apple iPhone 3G - 16GB, black (AT&T)

Record Maker

Though the iPhone 3G isn’t necessarily blazing new territory, it is paving that territory, refining the available technologies, while placing at utmost importance the overall design of its body and interface. The reduced price tag, expanded memory and incorporated 3G technology are truly new, and are likely to represent a new direction for the industry. On another note, the iPhone 3G, like its iPhone predecessor, is taking a big chunk out of many different markets, offering a solid mix of business, entertainment and everyday use.

Deal Breaker

No deal breakers here, but sadly, multimedia messaging, voice dialing and video recording are missing.

Introduction

The question of whether or not the new and improved iPhone 3G deserves all of the glowing reviews and accolades it has been receiving is a simple one to answer: it does. What the iPhone 3G has, it has in spades. With improved connectivity, durability, speed, reception and refinements in its button positioning and material design, the 3G iPhone is miles ahead of its predecessor, and even further ahead of its competitors. But best of all, it comes with a much reduced price tag, and increased memory capacity.

Appeal and Flexibility

While the iPhone 3G isn’t the first 3G phone, it does make better use of the technology than other devices before it. Aside from its four 3G radio bands, the iPhone 3G includes three GSM radio bands, Bluetooth and Wi-Fi, providing seamless access and use from virtually anywhere. But the iPhone 3G really shines in its improved software performance.

The iPhone 3G supports the 2.0 software, an upgrade that promises new additional features such as iWork document support, contacts search and the capability to view PowerPoint presentations. Also included in the software are parental controls, a scientific calculator and user-friendly bulk-delete option. The supported Microsoft Exchange Server also offers email, contact and date planner, remote wipe, global contacts access and auto-discovery, enhancing its work-use crossover appeal even further.

Though the many users that contracted with ATT with the first iPhone release last fall are likely to be upset, new users are certain to be pleased by the reduction in price. But users beware: the 2-year AT&T contract will cost more over time than the first generation iPhone, so while it’s lighter up front, it does carry heavier baggage.

Design Features

Like all Apple products, the iPhone 3G is a work of art, and stands somewhere between fashion-forward accessory and jack-of-all-trades handheld tool. The body maintains its overall design from its previous versions, but with key differences in the material used. The buttons are chromed for further protection against damage, while the touchscreen itself has had some cosmetic changes to provide for better protection and easier touchscreen use. The aluminum backing has been replaced by an ultra-light, black plastic skin, which helps to defray the cost of the product, while reducing overall weight.

A key difference between the iPhone 3G and the previous iPhones is the location of the headphone jack. While other iPhones had a recessed headphone jack, the new iPhone 3G's headphone jack remains flush with the body, enabling users to hook up any 3.5mm headphones they want.

The iPhone 3G supports three 3G bands, 850, 1900 and 2100, allowing it impressive speed and connectivity. In fact, in speed demonstrations, the speed of the iPhone 3G has proven to triple the speed of the previous iPhone. But it isn’t certain if these speeds will be a standard when many iPhone 3Gs are using the same network.

The GPS features offered by the iPhone 3G are a cut above others, using Assisted GPS with the help of satellites. The 3G iPhone’s GPS can also be used for live tracking, making it a very useful tool for pedestrian or automotive navigation. Better still, the iPhone 3G offers photo geotagging. Turn-by-turn directions by third-party apps are promised to follow very soon.

The battery life of the iPhone 3G also boasts strong improvements over the previous iPhone, providing more than 10 hours of 2G talk time, five hours of 3G talk time, five hours of 3G internet time, six hours of Wi-Fi internet time, seven hours of video playback and 24 hours of audio playback. These improvements are likely to keep the charger at home, allowing for by all accounts, all-day use.

The iPhone 3G also offers support for more than 15 languages, and includes a spray can styled applicator for writing characters in Asian languages.

Improvement

The body of the iPhone 3G remains virtually the same as the previous iPhone. However, with its ultra-light plastic backing, the new iPhone 3G does weigh in slightly lighter. The edges of the iPhone 3G are also now tapered to provide leverage and easier use of the interface. Most importantly, the same ultra-light plastic backing solves many of the battery changing questions and problems that occurred with the first model.

While picture resolution and audio quality remain the same, expanded memory capacities and better connectivity provide for more media storage and entertainment options. And with third-party gaming applications soon to come, the iPhone 3G is likely to have further use and crossover appeal within handheld gaming.

The most important improvement of course is the incorporation of 3G technology. Cell phones and handhelds have provided internet connectivity for the better part of the last five years. But with server, bandwidth, hardware and software problems, the results were often hazardous at best and restricted to ring tone downloads and sports scores. The iPhone 3G makes up for years of error, providing speedy and stable internet connection.

The iPhone 3G also includes a SIM card removal tool and power adapter, making up for many of the problems that faced the earlier iPhone.

What's Missing

To the surprise of many, the new iPhone 3G still fails to make use of many of the multimedia options that Apple itself champions. Multimedia messaging, voice dialing and video recording—options which are standard in most cell phones—are painfully absent. Also in need of work is the built-in camera, which is a pretty bare-boned feature. While most iPhone users are unlikely to be dissuaded by the shortcomings of its built-in camera, it would be nice to see improvements made in later versions.

Summary

Though the iPhone 3G isn’t by any means revolutionary, it does up the ante by doing an incredible job of refining available technologies, improving upon the previous iPhone design and challenging the various business and entertainment multimedia cell phone markets. Hopefully the future will see an iPhone that taps into the multimedia, video and audio capabilities pioneered by Apple. But until then, the iPhone 3G should do an excellent job of tiding you over.

Apple 16GB 3GS

Apple iPhone 3G (16GB)

Parts of the iPhone 3G are superb -- Web browsing, email, App Store, GPS -- but these are met in equal measure by elements which are either absent or mediocre. When we use the iPhone 3G, we can't ignore the vast divide between what the iPhone is and what the iPhone really should be, and when we're being asked to pay a premium for this phone it seems unfair for Apple to not include important smartphone functionality.

Apple iPhone 3G (16GB) Joseph Hanlon 3.5 14th Jul 2008 While parts of the iPhone 3G are superb, there are still some big features missing from this device. If you add up the extras, the iPhone doesn't seem like a phone that everyone can afford. Apple Mobile phones iPhone 3G (16GB) While parts of the iPhone 3G are superb, there are still some big features missing from this device. If you add up the extras, the iPhone doesn't seem like a phone that everyone can afford.

• Good:

• 3G, Wi-Fi and GPS
• Outstanding Safari browser and email
• iPod app is great
• App Store is best of its kind

• Bad: No navigation software
  

• Dismal camera app
• Disappointing battery life
• Counter-intuitive menus and settings

• Specs:

• Touchscreen
• Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, 3G
• 16,000 MB
• Touchscreen

• RRP: AU$849.00

REVIEW:-

How do you review a phone with this much hype swirling around it? If the iPhone was on trial for murder, no one who had followed the iPhone's progress would be allowed to join the jury for fear of their pre-conceptions influencing the verdict. In Australia we have the advantage of not having seen an official iPhone release last year, but there's been plenty of first-gen iPhones to play with before now.

Design:
Simplicity is the key, and typical of Apple's product range. Physically and in regards to the interface, simplicity is what drives its design, and for the most part it works well. Apple is so confident of the design that it doesn't include a manual in the box. We're not ashamed to admit we've needed Google several times to show us how to perform certain tasks.

The iPhone 3G feels as good as it looks. Its slick glossy exterior fits perfectly in your hand, and feels comfortable against your face. The 3.5-inch display is bright and clear, and never leaves you wishing it were bigger or easier to read.

The much-lauded interface is a pleasure to use with finger-friendly buttons and charmingly designed icons. Screen real estate in most applications are dedicated to what is most important, without menus or settings to distract you. Physical input is well thought out and is reasonably intuitive. Gesture controls using the multi-touch screen are great and easy to pick up.

Far less intuitive is the integration of some of the key applications. For example, images can't be attached to an email while typing the message, the only way to do this is by selecting the option in the photo gallery. If you decide to attach an image after punching in the message, it's tough luck — without copy and paste you'll be left re-typing the entire message again. Similarly, most settings for the individual applications are only located in the General Settings pane, meaning you have to exit an application to change one of its settings, then re-enter the app to continue your work.

A point of contention for the original iPhone was the on-screen keyboard. Apple has worked hard to include a slew of business-focused functionality in the iPhone, but we predict a lot of business people will shy away from a smartphone that's without a full, physical QWERTY keyboard. After using the iPhone for several days we have got much better at bashing text into messages and search fields; however, it's still considerably more cumbersome than using a BlackBerry, or similar.

3G, Wi-Fi, connectivity:
3G is such an important selling point for Apple in this second release that it becomes part of the iPhone's product title. Yet it's hard to congratulate Apple for including a feature we see every other day of the week in the phones that cross our desks. No 3G in the first generation was an astounding omission, its inclusion in this release is simply a correction to this oversight and allows the iPhone to compete with the growing range of excellent smartphones in the market.

We've been lucky to have been able to test the iPhone 3G on Telstra's Next G network, making our review unit one of the world's fastest iPhones. However, we're yet to see data speeds faster than those that are being reportedly delivered by Optus and Vodafone. On average we've experienced data throughput of about 1Mbps, which isn't mind-blowing.

As with the first generation, Wi-Fi is the saviour. Setting up a connection to a Wi-Fi network is as easy and painless as it can possibly be, and the results far outshine the 3G throughput, equating to about three times faster downlink speeds.

And what about all the terrible things you've heard about limited Bluetooth profiles and no MMS messaging? It's all true. Out of the box you can only use Bluetooth to connect to a hands-free headset, so no A2DP stereo Bluetooth, file transfers or internet sharing. Pictures you take can be emailed to friends, but not sent directly to another mobile device. Though, with the dismal quality of the camera this is not such a great loss — but more on that later.

Web browsing:
Believe the hype: the Safari browser is fantastic. Web pages render quickly, and most importantly, clearly. Pinching, spreading and panning finger gestures are some of the most intuitive controls imaginable and as much fun to use as they are efficient. The browser also incorporates one of the best tabbed browsing solutions we've seen on a mobile device. Though it's not without its hiccups. The popular Sydney Morning Herald website struggled to render correctly and inexplicably crashed the browser twice in the space of five minutes, sending us back to the Home screen.

Worse still, on our first day of testing, the iPhone crashed twice and needed to be hard reset. Once was during Web browsing while we tried to view a large image on a Web page. The second crash occurred when using a program we had downloaded from the App Store called SnapMyLife — a geotagging photo blogging application.

GPS and location-based services:
After the official iPhone 3G announcement, experts agreed that GPS would be the most important improvement for the iPhone. In fact, analysts have been speculating whether a GPS enabled iPhone would be the death knell for stand-alone navigation devices. However, to strike this nail in the coffin of personal navigation devices the iPhone needs navigation software, and we were disappointed to discover this type of software is not pre-installed.

What is installed is an iPhone optimised version of Google Maps, which we love. Updating your current position is a one-click operation, and searching for local businesses is a breeze. Best of all is how Google Maps is integrated with other iPhone functions, like being able to call a business directly from its Google Maps entry. That said, Google Maps is more a Yellow Pages substitute than a true navigation solution and doesn't offer any sort of voice-guided turn-by-turn navigation, making it nearly useless for travelling with in your car. The software can plot a course, but checking your progress while driving would be extremely dangerous.

Also absent is any form of GPS statistics including signal strength or the amount of data used by the phone to triangulate your position using Assisted GPS (A-GPS). The latter is troublesome considering what a sticky issue mobile data allowances are in Australia at this time, and is compounded by there being no option to turn A-GPS on and off.

It's quite a shame as the GPS hardware is superb. Within moments of opening Google Maps outdoors, the iPhone pinpointed our position and was tracking our movements with outstanding accuracy. Hopefully the rumoured TomTom mobile navigation software for the iPhone is nearly complete — though expect to have your credit cards ready for that one.

Calling, messaging & email:
We weren't surprised to discover that the iPhone does all the basics well. The calls we made were loud and clear, and we enjoyed good, strong reception. SMS messaging includes threaded messaging — where consecutive messages to a single contact are listed like an instant messaging conversation — and is a feature also available in BlackBerrys and the soon-to-be-released Windows Mobile 6.1.

Email can be automatically configured if you use one of the listed compatible email services; MS Exchange, Apple's MobileMe, Gmail, Yahoo or AOL. Otherwise you have to go through the arduous process of entering your mail server settings manually. We were disappointed to find that Windows Live Hotmail accounts aren't apart of the list of known email servers, considering the popularity of this service in Australia (although Hotmail is accessible through the Safari browser).

The iPhone 3G supports push email for MS Exchange and MobileMe. All other services are updated manually when you open the email pane. Reading your email is exactly as it should be; the messages render clearly and the iPhone is capable of viewing numerous attachments such as images, some MS Office documents, and PDF files.

iPod and media playback:
The good news is that the iPod is almost identical to the application found in the original iPhone and iPod Touch. Syncing with iTunes on your Mac or PC is simple, and media playback is excellent; the menus are fast, especially cover flow, and the sound quality is great.

Interestingly there is no music player options or settings in the iPod application. When we started listening to music using the bundled earphones our first thought was that we'd love to pump the bass up a few notches, however, this is only possible by exiting the iPod app and going into the general phone settings. Even phones that play music at half the price of the iPhone include equaliser settings in a context menu; the Motorola ROKR E8 includes a dozen preset options and seven levels of "bass boost".

Luckily, the poor sounding bass is due to the crummy bundled earphones and not the iPhone's audio hardware. The iPhone's 3.5mm headphone port means this is easily overcome by using your favourite headphones, or by plugging the iPhone into a compatible sound system.

Video playback is fantastic when playing iPod optimised MPEG-4 files. This is true of all media you have access to with the iPhone. The iPhone will play MP3, AAC, Audible, Apple Lossless, WAV, and AIFF audio files, as well as MPEG-4 or H.264 video files.

Camera:
There's not much to report here. The iPhone's 2-megapixel camera is one of the worst we have encountered, especially at this price point. The picture quality is average but it's the bare-bones camera software that has disappointed us most. No flash, no auto-focus, no digital zoom, no photo correction application, no adjustments in size or quality, no white balance, no colour filters. Basically, you have to be standing in a well-lit environment with your subjects close to you for your pictures to turn out well.

App Store:
This is easily our favourite iPhone feature. There is simply no better, "one-stop shop" style download service available for smartphones. Even at launch, the App Store is populated with dozens of excellent new applications for the iPhone. The best of these will cost money, and rightly so, but you can also search the App Store for free applications only.

Paying for new software is identical to paying for new music through iTunes, in fact, you can use the same account. Selecting an application to download is a two-step process and couldn't be easier. In no time you'll be tinkering with new, fun and productive applications for the iPhone.

Battery Life:
The first generation iPhone enjoyed long battery life, mainly due to the lower power consumption of its EDGE network capability. The iPhone 3G faces the same battery draining concerns that Nokia has been struggling with since it released the N95. Our first full battery charge lasted only eight hours. We did use the phone heavily, including two hours of calling, 90 minutes of video playback, two hours of music and about an hour online, but for most people this isn't unreasonable usage over the course of a day. Also notice this list doesn't include any GPS usage, push email or Wi-Fi networking.

Subsequent battery cycles have been better, but not significantly — the best we've seen so far is just over 12 hours. Expect to charge the iPhone 3G at the end of each day and don't forget that when this performance decreases over time you won't be able to replace the battery easily.