Should you buy the new iPhone?
I suppose that is a question that current users are asking as well as potential new adopters. Walt Mossberg from WSJ.com has some very interesting thoughts that you should read if the new iPhone is in your radar. Battery life and overall cost has to be a consideration and Walt seemed to hit those nails very hard.
There are two big hidden costs to the new iPhone’s faster speed and lower price tag. First, in my tests, the iPhone 3G’s battery was drained much more quickly in a typical day of use than the battery on the original iPhone, due to the higher power demands of 3G networks. This is an especially significant problem because, unlike most other smart phones, the iPhone has a sealed battery that can’t be replaced with a spare.
Second, Apple’s exclusive carrier in the U.S., AT&T Inc., has effectively negated the iPhone’s up-front price cut by jacking up its monthly fee for unlimited data use by $10. Over the course of the two-year contract you must sign to get the lower hardware prices, that adds $240, overwhelming the $200 savings on the phone itself. If you want text messaging, the cost rises further. With the first iPhone, 200 text messages a month came free. Now, 200 messages will cost $5 a month, or another $120 over the two-year contract.
Check out his thoughts here at WSJ.com
A Guided Tour of the iPhone 3G
Thinking of getting the iPhone 3G? Get up to speed by watching the guided tour. Click on the picture or the link below.
Apple - iPhone - A Guided Tour
A 3G On/Off Option for the New iPhone?
There was a post on Mac Rumors that a developer has activated an On/Off option that enables 3G speeds on the latest iPhone 2.0 Beta 5 distributed to developers. Evidently the preference is hidden and will not work on current iPhones … so dig deep for that new iPhone that is coming …. but be aware that enabling the option will most likely dramatically increase power consumption. I guess that is why there is the On/Off option so you can fall back to EDGE. Too bad there is not a bigger battery or better still, a user replaceable battery.
via iPhone Alley
