Apple iPhone 3G

Apple iPhone 3G
Improved cell phone features faster Web browsing, built-in GPS

THE FIRST APPLE IPHONE revolutionized the cell phone industry when it was released lsat year, forcing manufacturers to design handsets that imitate its look and, more importantly, its feel (including its touch-screen interface).
With its follow-up, Apple has reduced the price of the phone (ghough its exclusive carried AT&T has raised its rates for the device) as well as addressed the iPhone's biggest limitation:its use of AT&T slow EDGE wireless network. As its name suggests, the iPhone 3G has rectified this problem, letting users surf the Internet with AT&T's much fsater 3G network.
Apple has also addressed a few other compaints about the first-generation iPhone, including poor call quality. It may still not be the loudest phone on the market, but the 3G is now certainly usable for everyday calling. The new phone also supports built-in GPS, which lets the included Google Maps app show you real time traffic conditions and allow you to track your progress when you're following directions. One feature you won't currently find, however, is turn-by-turn voice directions.
The 3G now supports Microsoft Exchange ActiveSynch, which allows the phone to securely send and receive Microsoft Outlook mail, create calendar entries in Outlook, and add contacts to your Outlook address book, automatically syncing with your desktop version of Outlook. In order to use these features, you'll need to have an enterprise rate plan, and your company's IT department will also need to support the iPhone 3G.
Another great new feature is the iTunes App Store, where you can download third-party programs (some free, some not) to extend your iPhone's functionality. Owners of the original iPhone and iPod Touch can also use these programs. At press time, these apps could not run in the background, though Apple has promised to rectify this probels with an upgrade in September.
For all the new and improved features the iPhone 3G offers, the device still has some niggling oversights. The camera remains a crippled 2-megapixel unit without zoom or video-recording capabilities. The phone still can't send Multimedia Messaging Services (MMS) messages, and Adobe's Flash is still not supported while you're browsing the Web.
WIth its lower price, 3G suport, and other improvements, however, the iPhone 3G should thrill most users with that it offers-and what it can provide down the line as developers roll out more apps that tap into its full potentials-Sean Portney
source: Computer Shopper September 2008

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