After 29 hours with iPhone 3G

Here are my ponderings on the new iPhone 3G after becoming a victim yesterday morning. (I’m trying to focus mainly on hardware differences since the iPhone 2.0 software is pretty much the same on both generations of the phone.)

Casing:
I bought a white one. Love it. So far, the white plastic backing makes me happy. I like the feel. Feels more secure in my fingers than the aluminum.

Activation:
I’m not convinced that Apple’s servers alone were to blame. I get a gut feeling that at&t insisted on some kind of deal that complicated the process for everyone. Maybe I’m wrong.

What’s new:
To be honest, as far as USE of the iPhone goes, I’m having a tough time seeing the differences between the 3G and the 1st Gen. Yes, this one has 3G and GPS. But other than that, the software seems to function the exact same way on both phones.

It’s slightly thinner, and does sit a little more naturally in my hand.

And I can finally use my in-ear headphones WITHOUT having to track down a silly adapter since the 1/8″ jack is now flush to the edge of the phone.

Audio Quality:
FINALLY, I’m actually finding myself needing to turn the volume DOWN while on some calls. Both the speakerphone and the ear speaker project much more. That’s a good thing.

GPS:
I think most of us knew that the GPS wouldn’t offer turn by turn directions like a Garmin or Tom Tom. But as a ‘current location’ tracker it’s VERY FAST and SMOOTH. And being able to overlay your position on the Satellite or Hybrid view on maps is just super cool. Not sure how useful for me just yet. But very cool.

3G:
Jury’s still out. After I finally activated the phone, the only place I was in 3G range was up the driveway as I left the church campus and then a mile or two down the road. The remaining 11 miles of my commute were still only giving me an Edge connection. (Although the 3G map on at&t’s website fully engulfs my entire area and then some. Go figure.)

Connection:
Jury’s still out. I’ve never really had trouble with coverage from at&t until just recently. Not quite sure how a successful wireless company’s coverage can actually degrade over time, but it has. But I’ve only driven my commute path since I activated, so I can’t really say whether this thing pulls a stronger signal than the original.

Grins:
I like the new speaker grills… They look like they’ll do a much better job of repelling gunk. The white casing is just classy. The silver on white looks sharp. (I’m sure the black version is cool, too, but I just haven’t looked at it that closely.) The device feels great in my hand. And MobileMe Push syncing is SPECTACULOUS. You can use it on any iPhone with 2.0, but I still want to mention it. I only signed up for a trial account to see how it works, but it’s going to be VERY tough to resist subscribing. I only add new music to my iPhone every few weeks, so to NEVER have to plug the thing in ever again just to wait for it to sync up my contacts, calendars, etc is a dream come true. Very tasty.

Gripes:
at&t…in general. I’m still mad at them. Give me some time. And the dock… There isn’t one included. That hacks me off. And the 3G does NOT fit in the dock that came with the 1st Gen. 3G is just barely too wide to slip in. That hacks me off, too. A dock for the 3G is only $29 which is $10 or $20 less than Apple used to charge for standard iPod docks. But still expensive enough to feel like a rip-off for something so necessary. (My phone is also my bedside clock, so it’s a pain to have to feel around for it, pick it up, light it up. At least on the dock I can just slide my hand across the nightstand until I find it and then give the Home button a little tap to see the time.)

BOTTOM LINE:
If you’re a current iPhone owner and you don’t have a NEED for a new phone just yet…probably not worth the money for upgrade just yet. But if you have been holding out for an iPhone, or you need a new phone anyway, then it is a B-A-Utiful thing. Run to the glowing white apple today!

Did you buy one, too? If so, what’s your verdict?