For now that's yet to be seen, but I think that those two additional, seemingly insignificant features will definitely be enough to push the iPhone farther than any other mobile device will go, at least until Apple comes up with something even better. For example, the ability to connect to the Internet more than three times as fast as the original iPhone may not seem like much, but really that's only about 4 seconds slower to download an average Web page anywhere, via a cellular connection, than it is when using Wi-Fi. That is 36% faster than the current speed leader, the Nokia N95. The other thing to remember about the new phone having nearly four times faster Internet connectivity is that not only does it make Web browsing and email downloading that much faster, but it will also give the new third-party applications access to much faster Internet connectivity.
I know some people are also saying that the true GPS ability is not much of an improvement over the original iPhone's cell tower and Wi-Fi access point triangulation, but remember with that, the phone only gave a general position fix. To start following any driving directions, you still had to use the map and road signs to figure out exactly what road you were on. With real GPS (And, for all you stubborn Apple critics out there, Assisted GPS (A-GPS) is true GPS that uses cell tower and Wi-Fi access point triangulation in addition to the GPS data to get an even more accurate fix on your location.) the phone knows exactly where you are, so it does all the work; all you have to do is follow incredibly simple instructions.
The new iPhone certainly did fail to truly "WOW" us as the original iPhone did nearly a year ago, but Apple will probably add those features that many people felt were missing, like a better camera, video recording/MMS, and live video conferencing, at a later time (which most likely will still be before anybody else does all that stuff). Some of that, such as video recording and MMS and possibly even the ability to stream live video from the phone's camera in a sort of video conferencing feature, may be added in a future firmware update.
No matter what, iPhone 3G puts Apple even further than it already is ahead of all the competition to further revolutionize the mobile devices industry. I know that I'll be standing in line on July 11!
1 comments:
Have fun with your new $80-a-month-including-taxes-and-fees AT&T contract to use an iPhone that has a *somewhat* faster cellular connection. As a correction to your post, the actual speed of the connection is shown on Apple's site as 2-2.5x what the old iPhone's EDGE would do. That is to say, don't expect anything above 500 kbps on the new HSDPA-equipped iPhone. The HTC Tilt, on the other hand, has HSUPA access as well, allowing for lower latency and a generally higher-quality connection on the same exact network.
Also, EvDO, particularly the relatively new Rev. A version, can outrun HSDPA. In informal tests I've found that bridging my HTC Mogul's EvDO connection to WiFi, and thence to the iPhone, got results better than than a mere 2x faster on webpage loading. On the other hand, I'm in a slow, EDGE-only area...
...which is the other nit I have to pick with the paltry uprade for which many will willingly resign an AT&T contract, forking over an extra $10 to $25 a month for data access and $5 a month for text messaging (the iPhone packages included 200 SMS messages per month, remember?). The vast majority of areas AT&T service is available still do not have HSDPA internet, or do not have it reliably enough to work, say, indoors, where increasingly hotspots are being protected or only offered on a for-pay basis. Which means that many people will find that, here at least, they'll be back on EDGE again.
Though in Europe, where 3G is much more widespread than EDGE, things are a bit better...
So what does everyone else think? Is 3G access, a non-recessed headphone jack, all-metal buttons and...umm...what else...enough to risk signing an AT&T contract, or having to extend yours another year, with a more expensive rate plan by $15 for otherwise identical features? Not for me, though if the phone, despite its lack of a front-facing camera, video recording and MMS, does come out in a non-contract version that's easy to get, I may pick it up.
Though at this juncture I'd say the Nokia N95 is a better deal overall, specifically the 8GB version.
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