New iPhone offers significant upgrade for some

The day my last column printed, I had already downloaded and upgraded my original iPhone and was waiting in line to pick up the new iPhone 3G. Not surprisingly, I saw many friends while standing in line, many people with the first generation iPhone (myself included), and even several people I waited in line with a year ago to get the first iPhone on day one. Just as the year before, all of us waited patiently for a phone none of us had even seen.

I was not surprised. At the newly subsidized prices of $199 and $299, getting the new iPhone, for some (even here in Columbia), merited camping out at the AT&T all night. I was only so bold as to wake at 5 a.m., be in line at 6 a.m., and wait for three hours outside the AT&T store. But, alas, my early attendance failed me; the supply trickled dry just as I walked up. I placed a fulfillment order and two days later, I had a new iPhone 3G.

The iPhone 3G is not very different from the old iPhone. The name corresponds to its ability to use the faster third generation (3G) data service from AT&T. 3G capability and GPS are really the only new features of the updated hardware, unless you consider the new color choices of black or white (white only in 16GB). The storage capacity remained the same at eight and 16GBs, and the few buttons are all unchanged. It is worth pointing out the headphone jack is no longer recessed, allowing for all standard headphones to be used.

Adding the two new features did make the iPhone 3G slightly thicker than the previous generation, but it doesn’t show. With the new beveled back, the iPhone 3G actually feels thinner than its predecessor.

Corresponding with the release of the new iPhone 3G, Apple pushed the new iPhone 2.0 operating system (OS) upgrade. The new OS is loaded on the iPhone 3G and can be installed on older iPhones via iTunes. Along with several general fixes, improvements and small updates, The 2.0 software changes the game for the iPhone by adding Exchange and Application.

The iPhone is now business-worthy. Integrating Microsoft Exchange and VPN services, the iPhone can work in almost any network environment, pushing e-mail, contacts and calendars among the iPhone, server and other computers over the Internet. For smaller businesses, without the need for Exchange, Apple offers MobileMe, a $99 annual service that synchronizes email, contacts, calendars and bookmarks over the Internet in a similar fashion.

Having lived a year of physically connecting the iPhone to my computer for every little change, wireless sync is a paradigm shift. Not only is there no need to worry about plugging the phone in, there is no need to worry about syncing. The system is automated, so changes on one device sync without intervention. Music and video transfer do require a wired connection, but since the music I want on my iPhone does not change by the hour, my day no longer revolves around which calendar is up-to-date and the location of my sync cable.

Even with my newfound syncing freedom, the best part of this update is third-party application support. The App Store opened July 11, with hundreds of free or cheap applications, ranging from games to business tools, only a tap away. So easily accessible from the iPhone and iTunes, downloading applications has been come a new hobby.
The first app I downloaded was Remote from Apple. The simple app makes the iPhone a remote control for iTunes over a wireless network. Much more than pause/play/next, Remote allows navigation via playlist, artists and albums, while displaying album art. The app is amazingly robust and surprisingly free — a must have.

Within an hour, I downloaded applications to manage my eBay account, PayPal, check Facebook, get the latest sports scores, read the New York Times, mobile banking, current weather, movie times and info, Jott for iPhone (a free speech to text service, jott.com), AIM, Bloomberg market/stock monitor and several more. All for free. I even picked up a few cheap games: Tetris, Sudoku, Mahjong and Bejeweled, all to keep me entertained as I watch progress bars (I watch a lot of progress bars).

The App Store is the first single location a company has developed to distribute Smartphone applications. There is no one place for Blackberry or WindowsMobile software. There are sites that track software, but they are not complete lists, and there is no confirmation the applications are not malicious or buggy. Apple puts all apps through testing to confirm security and stability before upload for sale along with all other applications.

No more hunting.

Apps for musicians, doctors, lawyers, astronomers, astrologers and bartenders are all in one easily searchable location.

Other than activation issues release weekend (now fixed), the new iPhone is great. Apple has raised the bar a notch higher. I love the look and feel of the new design. But are the new features worth the upgrade to current iPhone owner?

Not likely.

The changes are not drastic — slight bumps only. Plus, the first generation iPhones can be upgraded to run the 2.0 software and the software is what makes this phone. I ran my old iPhone with the updated software for several days and it worked great, it has all the same capabilities as an iPhone 3G, sans 3G and GPS.

While it’s difficult for me to recommend current iPhone owners upgrade, current AT&T customers ready for an upgrade or people on other carriers looking to get an iPhone should go for it. One million people made the purchase launch weekend. The new hardware works great; the new software makes it shine; and the subsidized price is easy on the wallet. It is hard to find a reason not to upgrade.