Back in November last year when the first iPhone was released I paid £269 for the phone and even though it sounds expensive I think it was worth every penny, it was a great phone.
It contained an iPod touch, internet browser, email client and a lot more all rolled in to one but there were a couple of problems with it, one being the lack of 3G and the other is not having Microsoft Exchange support.
Well its July now and the iPhone 3G is here along with the release of the iPhone 2.0 software. First i want to list some of the hardware changes to the iPhone 3G over the original iPhone then I want to list and explain a bit about the changes and new features in the 2.0 software.
First lets take a look at the hardware changes -
Even though they have changed the back to plastic it is still the great build quality you would expect from Apple, it still feels solid and well balanced.
I remember reading a lot of articles and posts around the web when the first iPhone came out. A lot of people didnt like the fact they couldnt plug the normal headphones in the iPhone because the headphone socket was set in and not flush. Well, Apple have sorted this out with the iPhone 3G. The headphone socket now sits flush with the top of the phone, so you can use any headphones you like.
AGPS, the new GPS receiver in the iPhone works great, it finds your exact location very quickly and can be very useful when you are out and about. For example, I was down in plymouth a couple of weeks ago and as we were exploring on foot if we were not sure of our location, I could use the iPhone and find out exactly where we were and 3G meant that the maps loaded very quickly. The GPS is not just for maps and finding your way, it can also be used by other applications, even the camera can use it so you can mark your location when you take a picture.
3G is great! – when using it you cant really tell the difference between 3G and using the iPhone on wifi, it is really quick and completes the whole iPhone experience nicely along with Exchange support.
On to the software -
I want to start with Microsoft Exchange support, because to me and im sure a lot of other iPhone business users this is a great and important new feature.
By having Exchange support the iPhone uses push mail the same as what any windows mobile uses which means your email is on your phone just as quick as it is on your desktop.
If you have ever used mail on the iPhone before you will already know how to navigate it, with an exchange account on the iPhone its just the same but with some added benifits, you can now keep your email organized by being able to move and mass delete email.
The Exchange support does not just sync mail, it also does your calendar, contact and even the global address list.
Calendar requests are handled slightly differently on the iPhone, rather than you getting an email to accept or decline the calendar invite, there is a special button under calendar where you will find all of your appointment requests.
So how fast does the Exchange sync work? I entered a calendar appointment on my iPhone, by the time I could load outlook on my desktop the appointment was there, it is instant.
The App Store, when i first looked at the App store I was impressed with how much was already in there, but after browsing around it I couldnt really see much that I was interested in downloading apart from Apple Remote. Apple remote allows you to control your iTunes on your Mac or if you have one your Apple TV box, when you load Apple Remote it shows you all of your music including album art work you simply select the song you want and your Mac/Apple TV will play it, you can even control the volume. After a few weeks there does seem to be more interesting applications appearing on the App store, such as software to control your PC remotely.
Mobile Me – I dont actually use Mobile Me because I have an exchange server, but for those of you that dont have an exchange server, Mobile Me gives you Push email, contacts and calendar the same way that Exchange feature does. Mobile Me has had teething problems with a lot of members having problems and resulting in Apple giving members 2 months free because of the problems.
The Hardware:
- The back is now plastic instead of aluminium
- The headphones jack is now flush so you can use any headphones
- The buttons are now metal
- It now has what Apple call AGPS (Assisted GPS uses mobile phone towers, WiFi and built-in GPS receiver)
- Improved speaker
- Same 3.5″ multi-touch display
- and of course 3G
The software:
- App Store
- Support for Microsoft Exchange
- Apple’s new Mobile me service
