So, what’s with the new iPhone 3G?

Well, it’s pretty much the same iPhone as before — except now it’s down to $200, and has way faster 3G data, A-GPS (which is even better than regular GPS), as well as a flush headphone jack (which is great for anyone who doesn’t want to use Apple’s bundled headphones). Oh, and it’s also a little thinner around the edges, and a little thicker at the center. If you want to know what it was like to try out, check out our iPhone 3G hands-on.

How’d they get the price so low? The iPhone used to be crazy expensive.

Actually, depending on how you do the math it’s not actually cheaper. Now, in some countries the iPhone is free when you sign up for service, and in the US you’ll pay $200 for the 8GB model — half what it was a month ago — so you’re definitely paying less up front. But the data plans cost more now, so you might wind up spending more money over the long run.

Um, ok.
Look, gadgets only get cheaper as time goes on, and Apple’s sold enough iPhones to continue to lower their cost to manufacture each unit. But more importantly, Apple’s re-arranged its business deals to get carrier subsidies. Basically, what that means for Apple is they’ve decided to stop asking their carrier-partners for a cut of your monthly service fees. In exchange, the carriers have agreed to pay a significant chunk of the cost of your new iPhone 3G in order to get you to sign up.

So everybody supposedly wins: Apple sells more devices and still makes good money, AT&T gets more subscribers, and you get a cheaper iPhone. But there is a financial toll to this: AT&T estimates that helping you pay for your new iPhone will actually cost them $600 million through 2010. But clearly the numbers indicate that the short term cost will be worth it for them the long run.

Does that mean Apple doesn’t make as much money per phone?
For all we know Apple might actually be making more money per phone now. With the original iPhone 3G, you paid “full price” for an iPhone — $600 at its high point. Now you’ll be paying no more than $200 (and as little as nothing in some countries) for the 8GB model, so we don’t really know exactly how much of Apple’s price the carriers are knocking off. We think it’s fair to assume it’d still be in the $400-450 retail range, though, if it wasn’t subsidied. Which it is.

What’s up with the data and SMS pricing?

Well, Apple will be in 70 countries (and counting) this year, so you’ll get different plans from region to region. But in the US, users will have to sign up for a minute plan that includes an extra $30 rate for 3G data access (and has no bundled text messages). This is $10 more than the original iPhone’s rate plan, which was $20 for data and 200 included SMSs. Matching voice plans start at $40 per month, so you’ll basically be able to get started at $70 per month. (We’ve also got a bit more on AT&T’s new plans here.)

I heard you can’t activate the iPhone at home anymore, is that true?

This is still a little fuzzy. Here’s the deal: with the first iPhone, Apple used to let you buy it in the store and take it home to activate. This process is unlike almost every other phone on the market, but since it’s Apple, and because you were paying full price for the device, if you never activated it with AT&T or just unlocked it and sent it to your friend in China or whatever, it wasn’t a big deal. Apple made their money on the device, and AT&T didn’t lose anything.

But since now AT&T is basically picking up a huge portion of the cost of your iPhone 3G, they want to make damn sure you aren’t going to unlock it or send it to a friend. From what we’ve heard, you’ll likely have to start the activation process in-store (so Apple and AT&T knows exactly who’s buying the device), and then you might be able to finish it off at home. It’s definitely not ideal, but it’s the only way they can prevent people from basically walking away with a few hundred dollars of AT&T’s money. And at the end of the day, it probably won’t be WORSE than buying any other kind of phone though — anyone who’s bought a phone from a US carrier in the last 10 years will be well acquainted with the process.

I heard you have to turn over your iPhone when you upgrade, is that true?
Naw, you bought it, it’s yours to hang on to. But if you bought one within Apple’s grace period, they’ll let you upgrade it free. (More on that below.) But if you bought an original iPhone early on — which means half of your two year contract is about up — know that when you buy an iPhone 3G you’ll be re-upping that two year contract from date of purchase. So if you buy an iPhone 3G on day one, your new contract will expire on July 11th, 2010.

So if I bought an original iPhone, I can trade it in for an iPhone 3G?

Yes, but only if you bought it AFTER May 27th, 2008. Anyone who bought theirs before that has to live with their purchase — not that anyone can stop you from showing up to your local Apple store and raising a ruckus.

Can I continue using my original iPhone? Will they still update it?

Yes, and yes! Although the first gen iPhone is officially no longer being made, not even Apple would be so bold as to deactivate the 6m iPhones already out there. They intend to release their big 2.0 software release for iPhones and iPods touch on or around July 11th, which will be the same software running on the iPhone 3G.

What if I decide I don’t like the iPhone 3G?

Apple and AT&T offer a 30-day money back guarantee (just in case you don’t get coverage in the places you most often frequent). After that you pay a $175 early termination fee (ETF), which goes down each month over the course of your 24 month contract.

Is faster 802.11n WiFi supported?

Nope, it’s still just 802.11b/g. Seriously though, you’re a fringe case if you need more than 54Mbps to your cellphone.

Can I use voice and data at the same time?

Yes and no: unlike the original iPhone — which did not support EDGE class A, and sent calls to voicemail while you were browsing the web — the UMTS / HSDPA-based iPhone 3G should be able to handle data and calls at the same time when in 3G mode. So that means if you get coverage, you’ll be fine. But if you’re in a spot where there’s only EDGE service, you likely won’t be able to do voice and calls at the same time.

I heard rumors that this thing can get up to 40Mbps over 3G, is that true?

Right now AT&T’s HSDPA network is supposedly capped out at 1.4Mbps for phones, but we hear the iPhone is rated for HSDPA 3.6 (3.6Mbps), and AT&T claims its network speeds will go even faster than that by next year.

What did they mean by “greatly improved” audio quality?

Well, we heard about it two ways: Apple claims they’ve both improved the audio circuitry and quality of the signal to your headphones, but also cleaned up the in-call sound quality. We haven’t tested this at length though, so we’ll let you know if that’s the case once it launches.

Can I use the iPhone on any carrier?

It’s not unlocked, so no, you can’t. While we’re sure that iPhone hackers will figure out a way to unlock it for the betterment of all mankind, you’re pretty much expected to use it with your designated domestic carrier, and pay the usual exorbitant roaming fees when you leave the country.

I hear that even though it has GPS I can’t use it as a nav unit, what’s up with that?

According to the SDK agreement, it looks like Apple doesn’t want you using your iPhone to replace your Garmin. But it should still technically be feasible, and they demoed their Google Maps app doing geo-caching, so it’s really a matter of intended use. Apple, apparently, doesn’t want the device to be used that way — but at the end of the day it may just be a contract mishap. We’ll know soon!

Why doesn’t it do video / MMS / A2DP / scrub my callouses / pick up my dry cleaning?

Clearly Apple has the technological prowess to make (most of) that stuff happen, but for whatever reason they’ve chosen not to support it. Maybe it’s because of battery life issues, maybe it’s because Steve just didn’t see the need. Either way, it’s a philosophical decision for them, so they may never change it. Bummer, right?

So what the hell do I do with my old iPhone?

The funny thing about a $200 3G iPhone is that it makes it pretty difficult to sell your original iPhone. Unless you know someone who doesn’t need the 3G, we’d suggest keeping it as a backup, or even jailbreaking and unlocking for use when traveling overseas (in places have GSM networks).

Here’s some sources for you:

TomTom already has iPhone navigation software ready to roll - Engadget

TomTom for iPhone GPS Review

TomTom says navigation app already runs on iPhone | Reuters[/QUOTE]

source: modmyifone

Seems like…

Spin the Black iPhone is a port of the Spin the Black Circle game. It even has a really nice, really simple level editor for making your own custom levels for the app. As of right now, there is no information on when it will be available but, it looks really cool! While you wait, you can play Spin the Black Circle HERE via your computer.

Speck is announcing their first iPhone 3G case, the PixelSkin. It’s a form-fitting rubber case with a tile-patterned grip offering extra protection and grip. It’s available in black, green, pink, purple, white, and yellow. They will be available July 6th for US$25.



Marware announced two more cases for the iPhone 3G, the C.E.O. Flip Vue and the C.E.O. Glide. The C.E.O. Flip Vue is similar to their C.E.O. Premeir case, with the exception of being a vertical leather holster design instead of a horizontal folio. It features the same distinctive Nappa leather exterior and microfiber interior. Unlike the C.E.O. Premeire, it offers access to screen, headphones, camera, volume control, dock connector, speaker and microphone while still in the case. It also comes with a microfiber cleaning cloth and belt clip, and seals closed using velcro. It will ship at the end of June and can be pre-ordered for US$30 at their web site.

Mareware also announced today the C.E.O. Glide, a textured leather sleeve with microfiber interior and velcro strap to hold the iPhone inside. It’s the simplest and their slimmest-profile case. It’s available for pre-order at their website for $24.99.


BodyGuardz is taking pre-orders for their protective clear film that is specially fit for the new iPhone 3G’s shape for $24.95 on their website. The box includes 2 Complete Apple iPhone 3G BodyGuardz Protectors (covers everything including screen, a bottle of the BodyGuardz Application Solution, a Squeegee Card, and instructions.

Mercedes-Benz’s current iPod integration kit is pretty weak sauce, especially since the new COMAND nav / multimedia system is so well done, but it looks like the automaker’s newest iPhone cradle will take steps to address some of the more glaring issues and also add some interesting new features. The cradle appears to finally integrate iPod controls with the main nav screen and COMAND controller instead of relying solely on the instrument display and steering wheel controls, and it will charge your phone while allowing you to make calls and listen to music. On top of that, plugging the phone in will apparently increase reception by using the vehicle’s antennas as well as the iPhone’s, and from what we can tell, you’ll be able to access the contacts list as well — something MB’s current Bluetooth system doesn’t allow. If you’ve already got the iPod kit or Media Interface kit, the adapters needed will run you €39 ($60), and the cradle itself is available now in Germany for €249 ($385). Lots more pics at the read link.

Here’s why. Obviously, there are many cameras with a higher megapixel count that shoot better pictures than the iPhone. But giving the iPhone more megapixels won’t make it shoot better snapshots any more than buying an expensive car will make you rich. It’s the other way around: because these cameras have better lenses, they can get good mileage out of better image sensors. The first problem with the iPhone’s camera lens is that it can’t focus. Unless Apple has been successful in hiding the iPhone’s autofocus capability from all of us for the past year, the iPhone’s camera has a fixed lens. The iPhone’s lens must be able to produce a (reasonably) sharp image regardless of the distance between the phone and the subject, because it can’t adjust its focus. There are two ways to do this: be more liberal in what’s accepted as “sharp” and make the lens opening (aperture) smaller.

Apple managed to strike a fairly reasonable balance here: the iPhone takes pictures that are within the sharpness range expected from a 2 megapixel camera, while the aperture is a respectable f/2.8. If Apple were to use a higher resolution image sensor with the same lens, the pictures wouldn’t be any sharper—and 2MP sharpness in a 5MP camera is just not acceptable. The other option would be to reduce the size of the lens opening, but that way, the amount of light that reaches the sensor is reduced and the iPhone would have an even harder time taking decent photos under dim lighting.

The other problem is that the more megapixels that are crammed in the same size sensor, the smaller those pixels get. Since individual pixels are gathering less light, many will be “underexposed” and produce a lot more noise (see long explanation and examples.). That’s the last thing that the iPhone’s camera needs. And, some would argue that the iPhone doesn’t have enough flash memory to store lots of high-megapixel photos. But I’d think that Apple would be happy to solve that particular problem by selling would-be iPhone photographers a higher-capacity camera phone.

So 2 megapixels is just fine, thank you—until such time that Apple manages to shoehorn an autofocus lens into the iPhone, thereby removing the need to control focus with the aperture. (Yes, the Nokia N95 has autofocus, but it’s also nearly twice as thick as the iPhone.) The software that determines the white balance, on the other hand, can use some work.

The invention, upon completion, would put transparent, capacitive wires in rows on one panel and link them to columns on another. A resulting multi-touch panel could be made out of the low-cost material without being wider than its glass equivalent, as with existing techniques for plastic that put all the wires on the same panel.

The unit would also cause less interference from long connectors and help separate the touch panel from the rest of the system’s components. According to the filing, Apple would be allowed greater flexibility in designing touchscreen devices where the touch input is separate from other circuitry in the device.

The patent was submitted just two weeks before the release of the iPhone last year and isn’t believed to be in use for the iPhone 3G but could lead to lower-cost iPhone and iPod touch units as well as touch-capable conventional iPods. Apple cites the examples of both a cellphone as well as a portable media player. An example of the latter shows an unusual design which would include a click wheel like the iPod classic and nano but a touch-sensitive display.

[Via Electronista]