Multimedia Phone Reviews

A preview of the new iPhone from Apple has been posted over at Infosync World. 'Believe it or not, it's finally here, and it's even better than we expected. The quad-band GSM/EDGE/Wi-Fi iPhone (yes, Apple held onto the name) defies expections by essentially turning the long-rumored touch-screen iPod into a phone, making for an all-purpose music, video, photo and Web browsing machine that's even thinner than the latest slim smartphones. We're not exaggerating when we say this is possibly the most exciting phone we've ever seen.

A review of the Apple iPhone has been posted over at CNET. 'With only one hardware control (a "home" key), iPhone's real estate is dominated by a huge, 3.5-inch display. From what we call tell, the device looks beautiful with a resolution of 320x480x160 pixels per inch (the highest iPod resolution yet, according to Jobs). The videos and photos look great, and we love that the "smart" screen shifts automatically to a landscape orientation when you start to play a video. One giant touch screen controls the phone, and no stylus is needed ("Yuck," Jobs said). Use your fingers to type messages and e-mails on an onscreen keyboard--Jobs promises onscreen typing will be faster than on a standard smart-phone keypad, but we'll believe that theory when we actually get a device in our hands. (And speaking of yuck, what about all that finger grease?) But we admit the scrolling feature looks especially promising as Jobs had only to slide his finger across the display.

CNET have published a review of the new Apple iPhone. 'On with the review: the iPhone boasts a brilliant display, trim profile, and clean lines (no external antenna of course), and its lack of buttons puts it in a design class that even the LG Prada and the HTC Touch can't match. You'll win envious looks on the street toting the iPhone, and we're sure that would be true even if the phone hadn't received as much media attention as it has. We knew that it measures 4.5 inches tall by 2.4 inches wide by 0.46 inch deep, but it still felt smaller than we expected when we finally held it. In comparison, it's about as tall and as wide as a Palm Treo 755p, but it manages to be thinner than even the trend-setting Motorola Razr. It fits comfortably in the hand and when held to the ear, and its 4.8 ounces give it a solid, if perhaps weighty, feel. We also like that the display is glass rather than plastic.'

PC magazine have published their review of the Apple iPhone. ‘Let's celebrate the iPhone first: it's a marvelous iPod. No one will miss the scroll wheel, despite the fact that it was once the greatest tactile control panel ever designed. Once you've messed around with the easiest-to-use, best-looking player interface currently available, your old iPod will seem like a quaint relic from a time when people expected less from their gadgets. This is the best portable multimedia player we've seen—albeit, with relatively low capacities of 4GB or 8GB of non-upgradable flash memory. The seamless integration of the Internet, iPod, Maps, Phone, and email functions flaunted in the commercials is no exaggeration. The iPhone is intuitive, interconnected, and impossible to get lost in—just hit the home button to get to the main screen. The price tag may be ridiculously high, but it could be reasonably argued that this beauty may actually be worth every penny. Excellent technology isn't cheap.’

Laptop Magazine have published their review of the Apple iPhone. ‘First things first: The iPhone is flat-out fun to use. True, several convergence devices have similar functions--phone, browser, e-mail, mapping, and media player. And at 4.8 ounces, the iPhone is noticeably heavier than the Samsung BlackJack (3.5 ounces) and BlackBerry Curve (3.9 ounces). But the appeal doesn't come from what the iPhone does as much as how Apple put it all together. Even the most pedantic functions are performed with verve and flair that's not superfluous or showy. And we guarantee you've never used such a responsive touchscreen. After a minute, the flicking, tapping, sliding, and pinching control movements you've seen on TV feel perfectly natural. Icons move and respond under your fingertips as though you're actually touching them.’

CNET have published a review of the new 3G (16GB, black) Apple iPhone. 'Though the iPhone 3G is thinner at the edges than its predecessor, the phone measures a hair thicker (0.48 inches versus 0.46 inches) in the gut. The other measurements are the same except that it weighs just the slightest bit less (4.7 ounces versus 4.8 ounces). Otherwise, the iPhone 3G shows few cosmetic changes from the front--same display size and resolution, and the single Home button sits just below the screen. We're very pleased to see that Apple has done away with the irritating recessed headphone jack, which now is flush so that you'll be able to use any 3.5mm headphones you like.

PC Magazine have published a review of the new Apple iPhone 3G multimedia device. 'The iPhone 3G is the beginning of a new computing platform. With 3G and the App Store, the best iPod ever is now one of the best handheld computers ever. We struggled with a bunch of day-one bugs, but we're confident that Apple will work them out. Oh, and it's finally a decent phone, too. Over the past year or so, Apple has made a subtle shift from developing products to building platforms, and it's a move we applaud. Products are disposable. Platforms grow. We witnessed the shift in the last update to the Apple TV, which gave an old box new features. You saw it when Apple made the iPhone 2.0 software available to original iPhone and iPod Touch owners, as well as to the new iPhone 3G users.'

Laptop Magazine have published a review of the Apple iPhone 3G touchscreen phone. 'The first iPhone’s design was practically perfect, so we’re glad Apple didn’t tinker too much this time around. The dimensions of the 3G and original iPhone are basically identical, but on a table the iPhone 3G seems just slightly thicker. However, the 3G is just a bit lighter than the original at 4.7 versus 4.8 ounces. The overall design is still slim enough to easily slip into a pocket.

MobileTechReview have published their review of the Apple iPhone 3G device. 'The original iPhone's launch 1 year ago was likely the hottest consumer electronics event of 2007. Even grandmothers and technophobes knew about Apple's cool new phone thanks to long lines at the mall and a barrage of major news coverage. The iPhone 3G boasts a few additions while keeping virtually the same form-- it adds 3G HSDPA for much faster wireless data and a GPS. Smaller but important improvements include better speaker sound, a more hand-friendly curved back and a non-recessed headphone jack that doesn't require and adapter for larger headphone plugs. That's all quite nice, but nothing so revolutionary that a million folks would snarf up the new iPhone in the first weekend, right? Wrong. The iPhone 3G, this time sold around the world and not just in the US, brought out buyers in droves. Lines at the US AT&T and Apple stores were longer for the 3G than the original iPhone.'

Digital Trends have published a review of the new Apple iPhone 3G 8GB multimedia device. 'The back of the iPhone 3G is now glossy plastic and is contoured, providing better ergonomics than its predecessor's aluminum back but also giving it a more slippery feel. The 16GB model comes in black or white, while the 8GB model is black only. The physical volume and power/lock buttons and ringer switch on the side and top are now polished aluminum. The original iPhone's recessed headphone jack (which sprouted a mini-market of adapters and headsets) is thankfully gone in favor of one that's flush with the phone's top.

Paul Stamatiou has publsihed his review of the new Apple iPhone 3G. 'Hardware-wise, there are only a handful of real upgrades. Obviously, faster 3G connectivity ranks high on this list if you live in a city with good coverage. 3G reception in Atlanta has been great for me, but in Houston and Austin it is definitely spotty. In regards to the 3G vs EDGE argument, 3G is noticeably faster. I remember loading the New York Times homepage on my first generation iPhone over EDGE in 73 seconds. With 3G, that load time went down to 17 seconds (with 1 reception bar no less).