Filed under: Reviews, iPhone, App Store
Mossberg, Pogue, Baig review the iPhone 3G
While most people are waiting in line for their soon-to-be new friend, pal and everyday communications device, the world's top tech reviewers have already been playing with the long awaited device. Below is a summary of their findings along with links to their full reviews of the iPhone 3G. Walt Mossberg (Wall Street Journal)
- Pros: Faster cell network data speeds, GPS
- Cons: Weaker battery life due to 3G/GPS
- Bottom Line: If you don't already have an iPhone and can live with the weaker battery life, then you should go ahead and buy; otherwise wait out for the 2.0 firmware update (hmm... I think I've heard this advice somewhere else)
- Pros: You can talk and access 3G data network simultaneously, cheaper, improved audio quality
- Cons: 3G isn't wide-spread, AT&T pricing,
- Bottom Line: "iPhone 3G is a nice upgrade," 2.0 firmware update will make your original iPhone in most ways similar to the iPhone 3G
- Pros: Faster data network, cheaper, GPS, Visual Voicemail
- Cons: Slow EDGE speeds when not in 3G area, no video, no memory expansion
- Bottom Line: "The Sequel, is worth the wait," he also shows a side-by-side comparison between EDGE and 3G speeds
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
Erik Bernskiold said 6:18AM on 7-09-2008
I wonder how "Slow EDGE speeds when not in 3G area" can be a con of the iPhone 3G as a device. Same with "3G isn't wide-spread". That's a fault that perhaps AT&T has but when reviewing the device I would expect the main cons listed to be device specific and not service specific.
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Marcus said 6:58AM on 7-09-2008
Well, since now the iPhone 3G and AT&T are the only way you can use data besides wifi, it's quite plausible that the service (or lack thereof, rather) can be a con to the phone.
Erik Bernskiold said 7:16AM on 7-09-2008
Then we need to weigh in that this phone is going to be international as well (yes, I am aware that these are US papers all of them). I find the first pretty obvious, of course there will be the slow EDGE speeds when not in the 3G field. While I understand the remark being made, I still think it is a service con and not a phone con.
mirko said 6:20AM on 7-09-2008
As an interesting note: David Pogue says that the iPhone's GPS antenna is too small to provide you with turn-by-turn directions in Google Maps -- this is something that Apple has failed to note until now.
What does the size of the antenna have to do with that? Such a feature would just be software.
It's not the size, it's how you use it.
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Ryan said 7:10AM on 7-09-2008
The ability to receive a constant 100% signal. Say you drop your signal when you are coming up to a street you are supposed to turn on, you just missed your turn.
mirko said 7:14AM on 7-09-2008
That has to be complete BS - any other phone maker can engineer properly working GPS, while Apple can't?
Peter ostrowski said 11:54AM on 7-09-2008
I don't think pogue has it right. I mean one of the Main demos Steve job's did at WWDC was showing the GPS moving with you on the map. (the blue ball)even the big screen demo units in apple store show this.
Jordan said 3:11PM on 7-09-2008
Along with my v1 iPhone, I've also got a BlackBerry 8800 from work (which has GPS in it). Basically, it takes much longer to acquire satellite signal than you'd get on a dashboard/handheld Garmin or TomTom type device, and it has a propensity for losing said signal. Also lots of "re-routing" dings, as it seemingly picks up my location (whether right or wrong). Keep in mind I use it with TeleNav too, which was much stronger when I used it with my old BB Pearl w/ a Bluetooth GPS puck.
Dan Parmelee said 7:22AM on 7-09-2008
My thoughts exactly. AT&T slaps "TeleNav" garbage into every one of their phones these days, even Blackberrys. It's just a matter of time before someone writes the software to get this working.
And since when is David Pogue an expert on GPS systems? How does he even know what size that antenna is?
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SwissFreek said 10:06AM on 7-09-2008
Even if the antenna is "too small" (which I read as not getting good enough reception, which I find hard to believe considering the number of phones that have perfectly sufficient GPS), at the end of the day the GPS programs will work just fine, they just might be a little inaccurate. Take Google Maps. If that works, then the GPS works. Maybe the error will be a little greater than, say, an industrial surveying GPS, but as long as you feed the program GPS coordinates, that's all that matters. All of these things have SOME kind of error, and these days it's rare that it's very much error at all anymore.
artaxerxes said 8:06AM on 7-09-2008
The Google Maps terms of service specifically prohibit thgem being used for turn by turn services. Even if the iPhone had a 16 foot aerial, they could still not provide turn by turn based on google maps.
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That Fender Strat Guy said 8:08AM on 7-09-2008
Meh, I'll stick with my 2G version. Add MobileMe, I'm happy.
On a side Does anyone else find Walt's writing inexplicably dull??? It was a chore to read through his review, and his overuse of '. But' really annoyed me - he's supposed to be a professional writer.
I'm only complaining as I'm struggling to find work as a professional myself :(
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SwissFreek said 10:04AM on 7-09-2008
@artaxerxes: Yeah, but like someone said above, AT&T promotes TeleNav on all their GPS-equipped phones, pretty much. You really think they won't try to take advantage of that on the iPhone? There's got to be ways around that statement (like not using Google Maps, since it's that language is sourced from the Google API restrictions).
Personally I'm hoping someone comes up with a solution that has the maps on the handheld itself, so you don't have to rely on cell service to use your maps when you're in the middle of nowhere, but I guess failing that I'll take what I can get...
Ryan McLean said 10:05AM on 7-09-2008
He probably just means that the GPS accuracy lacks as compared to, say, a Garmin handheld GPS unit.
I'm sure the chip provides much better accuracy, for example, then their current cell-tower-triangulation method, but in a dedicated GPS receiver you have a decent sized antenna and a 12-channel receiver taking readings once a second, this can get you a reading within a few feet if you're under clear sky. Get buildings, clouds, or trees in the way and the accuracy drops, but that fatty GPS antenna can usually still find you within a couple of meters.
Cut to the iPhone, it wasn't designed as a GPS, it was designed as a phone with a GPS in it, so there are some compromises, and they're not compromises in the GPSes favor. For one, it's got to be a lower-powered GPS radio, to sip from the little battery in the iPhone. Another, like Progue said, is that the antenna has got to be smaller than that of other GPS receivers, and it's probably not in an ideal location either -- I doubt, for example, that the GPS antenna will be facing the sky if your iPhone is mounted on your dash.
All of these lead to a less accurate GPS signal.
My Garmin can show me exactly where I am in my yard...I'm thinking the iPhone GPS will more tell me that I'm at my house, as opposed to another house in the neighborhood -- still pretty accurate, but not quite as accurate.
Lastly, cell phone GPS units are dependent upon the cell network for their map data. This is an awesome advantage and disadvantage. It's awesome because you never have to pay for map upgrades. It stinks though as soon as you're trying to route and you don't have cell coverage.
So for 80-90% of what people use GPS for the iPhone will do just fine, but for sure if you want rock-solid navigation you might still consider bringing TomTom along.
thezonie said 10:23AM on 7-09-2008
TomTom has already said that their nav software works on the iPhone: http://www.tuaw.com/2008/06/11/tomtom-nav-system-runs-on-the-iphone-already/
I'm not sure exactly how that fits into the "small antenna" claim, though.
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alex said 10:40AM on 7-09-2008
and if you want to have some $$ to spend on new apps, there is a contest underway at http://lifesuxdaily.com/contest_july/ with up to 300USD of iTunes gift cards !
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tys said 12:21PM on 7-09-2008
My main interest in the GPS is as a bicycle computer. I don't know much about GPS and have never used one. Do you folks think that an app would be possible? I'm thinking of something where I hit "start", go for a bike ride, and when I get back I can see how far I went, maybe with a map of my route. I'd be happy if it's accurate to +/- 5%. What about elevation? Will the iphone's GPS have elevation data or just latitude/longitude? It would be really nice if I could get an elevation profile, too! I don't really need it for "navigation".
Most of my bike rides are in areas with no phone service, GPS will still work, right?
If I can use the GPS this way, I'll go for the 3G. Otherwise I'll pick up a 2nd hand 16GB 1st gen iphone.
Thanks,
tys
Tomahawk said 10:52AM on 7-09-2008
Does anyone know if I get two iPhones on a family plan if I can get the $200 off discount off of both phones, or will I have to pay $200 more because the two phones are on the same plan?
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David said 12:06PM on 7-09-2008
All the reviewers talk about data speed, but what about the touted improvements in voice/sound quality? In exchange for the opportunity to review the phone early, my guess is that they had to agree to an embargo on providing details about certain features before launch, namely voice quality and the app store.
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tys said 12:37PM on 7-09-2008
My main interest in the GPS is as a bicycle computer. I don't know much about GPS and have never used one. Do you folks think that an app would be possible? I'm thinking of something where I hit "start", go for a bike ride, and when I get back I can see how far I went, maybe with a map of my route. I'd be happy if it's accurate to +/- 5%. What about elevation? Will the iphone's GPS have elevation data or just latitude/longitude? It would be really nice if I could get an elevation profile, too! I don't really need it for "navigation".
Most of my bike rides are in areas with no phone service, GPS will still work, right?
If I can use the GPS this way, I'll go for the 3G. Otherwise I'll pick up a 2nd hand 16GB 1st gen iphone.
Thanks,
tys
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