Apple - iPhone 3G Cell Phone Review

The Apple iPhone created a new paradigm for smart phones and the recent 3.0 software update refines it and increases Apple's lead in the smart phone market.  From more than 1.5 Billion (with a B) Apps downloaded to more than 50,000 apps available and more written everyday to the refined and exquisitely usable interface the iPhone sets the pace in the smart phone market.

In addition the Apple iPhone's constant software improvement, incredibly intuitive user interface and the sheer joy you get using it make it one of the all time classic products with the staying power (through Apple's constant striving to make it better, more useful and easier to use) to maintain and increase its lead in smart phone design and implementation.

As a latecomer to the phone party Apple was faced with an enormous challenge to make the iPhone something that people would have to have.  With Steve Jobs' brilliant design sense and demand for perfection the iPhone started out as a phenomenal hit and each subsequent iteration of hardware and software has only enhanced their leading position.

The only legitimate complaint I have heard aout the iPhone is its exclusive deal in the US with AT&T, but as my experience has been that all Cell phone providers are equally lousy at customer service and as in most places AT&T's coverage is as good or better than any other providers (with a few notable and striking exceptions - NYC and the San Francisco Bay area in particular) if you have good cellular coverage from AT&T unless you just can't afford the best you should definitely get yourself a new iPhone.  With last year's 3G models available for as little as $99.95 and with a voice and unlimited data plan starting at $69.00 (about $78.00 if you add minimal text messaging and include the junk fees) the iPhone should now be in almost everyone's reach and pocketbook.

Considering that something in excess of 80% of ALL the data usage by smart phones being from iPhones despite their holding less than 20% of the smart phone market the unlimited Data plans are not unreasonably priced.  I also believe this is a clear indication of the superiority of the iPhone as a mobile data device as users are using that bandwidth because it is useful and easy to use.

As an example of the utility of the Apps that come with the phone or are available free, I just completed a 450 mile each way drive to the gulf coast beaches (900 miles total) and used the free mapping and gps feature to track my progress, the free Cheap Gas App to find the best buys for gasoline along the way, AAA's free App to identify clean public restrooms, high quality eating places and to choose the best priced quality hotel to stay in.  In transit my wife amused herself with a Chess Game App and found bargain store locations (identified with directions as we drove) for some clothes and electronics accessories she needed.

At the beach we found the best public access beaches, the routes with the least real time traffic (most efficient routes) to and from the beach and discovered an absolutely wonderful Milkshake for dessert after dinner Saturday night all using absolutely free apps.  We were able to predict almost to the minute our travel time and advise those meeting us of our arrival both at the Gulf and on the way home.  All in all, a wonderful example of things that were just not possible before the iPhone and the App store.  I even saved more than 25 cents a gallon on average on my gas purchases for the entire trip.

Other Apps I have found great use for are the free iHandy Level which I used to rebalance my front loading washer to prevent vibration (accurate to the 100th of an inch), the WSJ app which lets me read my Wall Street Journal at my convenience whenever I have a spare moment without hauling around a dirty newspaper, the Kindle App from Amazon which gives me the great read you get from the Amazon Kindle with neither another device to haul around or the cost of the physical Amazon Kindle device.

I honestly could go on and on about the many great features of the first really useful smart phone I have ever found and I have owned devices from Blackberry, Palm, ones that used MS Windows Mobile and had slide out qwerty keyboards and full device size screens and none of them did I ever find myself comfortably using and until the iPhone I was constantly looking for something better.  Having had an iPhone 3G since its release last July and looking forward to what Apple releases next July (when my contract runs out and when perhaps I'll have more choice in carriers and plans) I have never so looked forward to using any device as I do my iPhone.  My wife, my friends and I and even my Pastor and Small Group leader are constantly sharing new App finds and new neat ways to use our iPhones and every day a new App comes out that does something I never even thought about doing but now find indespensible.

Highly, Highly recommended!!!  And did I mention that it is beautiful, extremely easy to use and extremely efficient to use (usually both attributes are never found together BTW)  or that I have over 2000 songs on it, or that I can watch videos

Granville Alley