Looking at the phone it’s just as sleek as my iPod Touch, though considerably thicker. At it’s thickest point, it’s actually larger than the original iPhone. While that may sound unattractive, Apple has smartly curved the entire back of the case, making it seem much slimmer than it actually is. The shape contours to my hand quite well, and the weight feels about perfect; not too heavy, not too light. The plastic case worries me a bit since it’s likely to get scratched easily (though none yet), and does get a lot of smudges, however, it does look better than the original backing.

The first thing I did after walking out of the store (after letting half a dozen people in line fondle it) was make a few phone calls, all of which were crystal clear. All of my subsequent calls have been equally as clear.

As soon as I got home, I plugged my shiny new phone into my PC so it could sync. I had already browsed the App Store and chosen several new programs, so I kept myself busy as I waited for my music library to transfer to my iPhone. Some of the more useful apps I installed were the iTunes Remote, YPmobile, BoxOffice and AIM. There are plenty more to choose from, which is a good part of what sets the iPhone above the competition.

I’ve owned smartphones in the past, and downloaded applications, but there was never a centralized place to get these, and rarely did I ever find anything really useful that was free. Apple’s App Store is simple to navigate, and even allows you to download programs straight to the iPhone from anywhere (unless it’s over 10MB, then just tap into a Wi-Fi connection or sync it to your computer).

Since I’ve already been using my iPod Touch for some time, the iPhone’s Safari browser wasn’t anything new to me. However, it had only worked while tethered to a Wi-Fi connection, which wasn’t always that handy. I’d love to tell you that the 3G speeds on my iPhone were great, but unfortunately I don’t have 3G service in my area. In fact, most of the US is without 3G coverage, which is just disgusting. What’s the point of releasing a 3G phone, when most of your customers can’t take advantage of it? Luckily they are putting up new towers in my location this September which will enable 3G. Until then, I’m stuck with EDGE speeds, which are lackluster at best.

The lack of 3G coverage in most of the country brings up another sore spot. AT&T is asking an extra $10 a month for their unlimited data package. I totally understand the increase, as you’re paying for the faster connection, and will thus likely use more data. I’m cool with that. However, when most of your customers don’t have 3G coverage, why force everyone to dish out the extra cash? Bad form, AT&T.

While we’re talking about disappointments, I’ll go ahead and mention the rather dull camera which is leftover from the original 2.5G iPhone. This is an area that many people have asked for an improvement in, yet it was left untouched. A 2MP camera isn’t anything to write home about, especially when there is no flash, and you can’t zoom or shoot video. I don’t use MMS much, but seriously, I thought every phone came with it, you’d think Apple would be able to add this to the iPhone’s arsenal of features. The GPS is also a bit of a disappointment. It’s not accurate enough for turn-by-turn directions, which I think many of us were hoping for. That’s not to say that it doesn’t still have its uses. I really enjoy it being able to geotag my photos and search within Google Maps without needing to enter my location.

So far the battery life hasn’t been too bad. I’ve only charged it twice (though it does pick up a bit of a charge while connected to the stereo in my car, so lets say two and a half charges) since Friday, and once was the initial charge shortly after I got it. A few things to consider with this is that I’m not the heaviest talker (I rarely use 200 of my anytime minutes a month) and I am still stuck on EDGE speeds.

So in all, I’m pleased with my new toy. Like any other product, there is room for improvement, but some of the largest shortcomings from the original iPhone have been addressed. Would I recommend the iPhone to others? Yes and no. If you don’t own and iPhone and have thought about buying one for a little while, I’d definitely take the plunge and buy the iPhone 3G. However, if you already own the original, you very well may just want to stick with what you have. You also get the 2.0 software update which allows you to have the same 3rd party apps, which is one of the major things that sets it apart from the rest of the pack. There’s also a good chance that you can’t even get 3G service (in the US) unless you’re in a major city, so you may as well stick with your trusty 2.5G device.

iPhone 3G Live unboxing at Apple Store on 5th Ave. in NYC

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g3MLtbf0OXU[/youtube]

If you’re looking for all of the online client’s features, you’ll be disappointed.  Right now, the (free) iPhone client is very much a basic interface for reading those feeds you’re already subscribed to.  There’s no way to add new content, and the drag & drop folder organisation you get in the full version is also missing. 

Still, all the pertinent information from your feeds is shown, including number of unread posts, time/date and author, photos are nicely resized to suit the iPhone’s screen, and you can easily click over to the relevant site if you want more information (or if it’s a partial-feed).  The text size is similarly readable, and you can mark individual posts as read or the full page (or save them to your online clippings folder).  Anything you do on the iPhone client is synchronised with the rest of the NewsGator suite, so you won’t have to re-mark stories when you’re back on a normal computer.

For a first – free – effort it looks pretty good.  I’d like to see an easy ‘email this story’ button, as on the full online reader, but the synchronisation NewsGator offers (between online versions and the many software clients they have) is still a unique selling point and makes it one to keep watching.

Incidentally, you don’t need an iPhone to use the interface: it’ll work as a compact mobile client with any device.

[more information at the NewsGator blog]

“The lack of (real) Exchange support irks us on a $600 device, the ringer/alert volume issue is silly, the inability to use it as a modem via Bluetooth or any other method is irritating, and third-party application support is weak. We also feel as though Apple really forgot the spit and polish on the mail application”

But to get that high score the iPhone has to come through in the end, and as in so many other reviews it’s the general experience of using the handset and, in particular, the way it handles the internet that earns it so much love:

“It is, without a doubt, the best mobile browser in existence, period. It’s innovative, its page renders are beautiful, and it’s only going to get better with more support”

It’s an opinion shared, at least tentatively, by the other two major reviews out at the minute: Gizmodo’s and Engadget’s, who are both excited by the iPhone but still a little wary of recommending it wholeheartedly.  At the end of the day, it seems that Ars’ own personal decision mirrors that held by a lot of mobile users and reviewers alike:

“Before the iPhone came out, we were planning to buy a new smartphone that was not the iPhone. We are still not buying an iPhone today, after having used it exclusively for some time. However, we are not buying something else either; we plan to wait to see what software (and hardware) updates might come out for the iPhone in the near future. We believe that the iPhone is cool enough to wait for whatever might come out, and we have confidence that many of the nits we have picked can be fixed through a major software update”

We’ve had a few people ask when they’ll see the MYiTablet iPhone review, and we’d like to reassure you that we’re still beavering away at it.  Although any trustworthy coverage of a new gadget tries to look beyond the hype and excitement at launch, it’s still difficult to get a reasonable perspective while still in the “honeymoon” period of first ownership.  At $500 – $600 the iPhone is a huge investment for a mobile phone, and we want to make sure our review gives you everything you need to best judge whether it’s a price you should pay.

We have some still images of the box, which is very plain like most other Apple products. It has a picture of the iPhone itself on the top, with the Apple logo on one side and the word iPhone on another. The bottom contains all of the fancy legal writings and bar codes that are necessary.

Of course like the old saying goes, it’s what’s on the inside that counts. You’ll find the iPhone, dock, stereo headset, USB cables and a polishing cloth. Everything you need to start using the most highly-anticipated phone to date.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ERyQ21BEC6s[/youtube]

Review video shows iPhone retail packaging [via macnn]

First off, a summary of the four main reviews.  Walt Mossberg called the iPhone “the most beautiful and the most radical smartphone I have ever tested” and went on to explain that, despite initial keyboard misgivings which saw him want to “throw it out the window” after the first three days, after a couple more all his frustrations were assuaged.  In fact now he claims to hit speeds hitherto only reached on his Treo (we’ll assume that he’s pretty fast on that).  His biggest critique, then, is not so much for the iPhone itself but the network it’s lumbered with: AT&T’s coverage isn’t country-wide, and if you’re not well served by the-carrier-formerly-known-as-Cingular then it might be worth keeping your money in your piggy bank.

Of course, like everyone else the lack of 3G cellular broadband proves to be the unpleasant foil to the nippy WiFi, Walt pretty much saying that the excellent browser is severely let down by the slow EDGE connection.  Even seamless switching to whichever connection is available and faster doesn’t save the situation, an opinion shared by the New York Times’ David Pogue.  In a funny and well-produced video review David describes the slothful load times the phone suffers: “The New York Times’s home page takes 55 seconds to appear; Amazon.com, 100 seconds; Yahoo, two minutes. You almost ache for a dial-up modem.” 

David seemed to be a good example of that coverage issue Walt was concerned about; he was obviously stuck in a less-than-stellar area and suffered patchy call quality and those ponderous download times.  Still, the iPhone made a good impression nonetheless, with the Safari browser sending him into paroxysms of delight while durability of both the glass screen and metal casing was pleasantly high.

Edward Baig at USA Today calls the iPhone a prodigy, albeit one that needs to grow up.  He gives it a middling 3.5 out of 5, primarily it would seem for the lack of 3G and the rest of the features needing ’rounding out’ with IM (although he notes that SMS conversations are threaded), GPS (though Google Maps give directions that can be manually flipped through), support for Flash websites (a common complaint) and better use made of the camera (which has neither flash nor video recording capability).  The keyboard gets another grudging thumbs-up together with the advice to “trust the device” and its predictive correction function, and his glee over the high-res screen just goes to show that you’re well-rewarded for losing a traditional keypad.

From the sound of it, Steven Levy over at Newsweek Technology had to be coerced into playing with his iPhone thanks to a delayed flight, but he comes out of the experience happy: “one of the most hyped consumer products ever comes pretty close to justifying the bombast.”  Pretty close is something we’re hearing a lot of, but Steven’s pro list is certainly heavy.  Ease of use rates very highly, as does general convergence of bringing together cellphone, PMP and internet terminal; he also reserves praise for the durability and engineering of the iPhone as well as the super-streamlined setup process which uses iTunes.

He’s a little more reserved about the memory capacity; 4GB or 8GB sounds like plenty, but as Steven points out heavy music users “will be unhappy at the limited capacity.”  The absence of a mobile iTunes client to download new music is another point of criticism: “what’s the use of having Wi-Fi on an iPod if you can’t go to the iTunes store?”  And for all Walt, Edward and David’s content with the keyboard, Steven admits to getting nowhere close to the speeds he could manage on a traditional smartphone keyboard.  Still, he’s right that heavy email users (particularly those who send a lot rather than just receive) might be better off sticking to their Blackberry. 

Battery life tended to be a case of “charge it overnight”, with total talk-time managing just over seven hours in Walt’s tests while David got five solid hours of video viewing or 23 hours of music (with WiFi permanently connected).

So in these learned men’s opinion, should you run down to your nearest AT&T or Apple store and buy an iPhone?  None of them come away disappointed or even less than excited by the long-awaited, much-hyped cellphone, and all of them are quick to point out that the few flaws or stumbling blocks this first version has don’t undermine what is likely a market-changing handset.  The safe bet, they say, is to wait until the second incarnation – likely with 3G, GPS and more – but the gut reaction?  Buy one: you won’t be disappointed.

Our man Vincent Nguyen will be at the 55th Avenue Apple store in Manhattan for the launch, giving out a variety of iPhone accessories and other prizes.  Make sure you drop by and say hello if you’re in the area!

Just from reading the first couple of paragraphs you can really appreciate how simple the iPhone is. He tells us a story about the day after he gets his iPhone. He is stranded in an airport with only his shiny new phone to keep him company. So he puts the phone to the test.

He had no trouble whatsoever keeping up with his email, listening to music, watching some YouTube videos, check weather and monitor baseball scores. He was impressed because he was doing all of these things with ease, even though he’d barely had time to use the device.

His biggest concerns were the same as we’ve heard before, slow EDGE speeds, and the learning curve of the touchscreen keyboard. Overall, he was impressed by the phone, though wondered if it would be enough to bring out millions of people willing to shell out $500 for one. But those that do pony up the cash “will find their investment worthwhile.”

At Last, the iPhone. [via newsweek]

“Finger-tapping takes getting used to,” he writes. “Best advice: Start typing with one finger before graduating to two thumbs. You also have to learn to trust the device; an intelligent virtual keyboard auto-corrects mistakes on the fly and anticipates what you will type next to try to prevent you from making a mistake.”

Ed’s keen eye for detail had this to say about the iPhone’s touch screen and smudges, “though you’re frequently touching the display, I didn’t notice fingerprints when iPhone is on.”

5 things Baig like:

1 – Terrific widescreen iPod and clever Cover Flow feature.
[Vincent] Yes, that we already knew.

2 – Smart sensors that change the orientation of the screen from landscape to portrait mode
[Vincent] Yes, that we already knew – cool huh?

3 – Gorgeous 3.5-inch multi-touch screen does exceptional job displaying pictures, Internet, maps, e-mail etc.
[Vincent] Ditto!

4 – Flicking through contacts and pictures, pinching to make pix and the Web larger, and tapping on the intelligent virtual keyboard is fun (once you get the hang of it).
[Vincent] Ditto, ditto…

5 – Phone is easy to dial despite lack of physical keypad. Visual voicemail.
[Vincent] Yes, this is new, a testament for anyone still having lingering concerns about the lack of a physical keyboard.

5 things Baig like like to see:

1 – Faster “3G” or “third generation” data network
[Vincent] Yes, yes, most likely in the iPhone 2.0.

2 – Removable battery
[Vincent] It never happened with the iPod, what makes you think Apple will give the iPhone a swappable battery?

3 – Greater storage (through storage slot)
[Vincent] Next version, iPhone 2.0. Apple is dependent on memory suppliers.

4 – Extra features including GPS, IM, voice calling, Adobe Flash, and using your own music library for ringtones.
[Vincent] GPS will be nice, IM will be super nice but won’t happen if AT&T will have anything to with it. Why? So they can force us into paying $20 per month for unlimited SMS. Voice calling? You meant voice dialing? That’s not a big issue with me. Adobe Flash is a nice bonus to have. Using our own library of music library for ringtones won’t happen, again if AT&T has anything to do with it; for obvious reasons.

5 – Lower price
[Vincent] No kidding.

Apple’s iPhone isn’t perfect, but it’s worthy of the hype [USA Today]

Starting with the exterior, the screen does smudge easily, but cleaning it just takes a swipe with your shirt sleeve. Thankfully, the glass screen does not easily scratch. The phone is slim, sleek and sexy, making other smartphones look big and bulky.

video after the jump

He was very impressed by the interface of the iPhone..’It’s fast, beautiful, menu-free, and dead simple to operate. You can’t get lost” Visual voicemail is awesome, a vast improvement to the robotic voices that we’re accustomed to hearing when we check our messages.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VcRfAaIb2Ro[/youtube]

The web browser really did it for him, it’s easy to use, just a flick of your finger to scroll, double-taps to enlarge and rotate between portrait and landscape modes. We knew all of this already from the demo video, but it’s good to hear that it really does work as well as we’d hoped.

Battery life wasn’t as impressive as Apple claimed. He only got 5 hours of video and 23 hours of audio. Then again, he had on WiFi the whole time, so that would probably explain a good portion of the lost time.

Typing wasn’t as much fun as some of the other functions. Though it was tolerable with the word completion and the fact that the instructional leaflet told him to just “trust” the keyboard. “It sounds like new-age baloney, but it works; once you stop stressing about each individual letter and just plow ahead, speed and accuracy pick up considerably.”

The call quality wasn’t the best. This was mostly because AT&T’s poor network coverage. So your experience may vary. Hopefully if you’re in a good area you shouldn’t have too much of a problem.

Internet browsing was great, while on WiFi. However, browsing off of AT&T’s EDGE network was slow, painfully slow. “The New York Times’s home page takes 55 seconds to appear; Amazon.com, 100 seconds; Yahoo, two minutes. You almost ache for a dial-up modem.”

That is very disheartening. With the great web browser that the iPhone has, it will be wasted when you aren’t near a WiFi hotspot. Whether or not it will be enough to prevent the iPhone from taking off will be decided in just a few short days.  He did note that “A future iPhone model will be able to exploit AT&T’s newer, much faster data network, which is now available in 160 cities.” Some people might just want to wait for that version 2.0. But if you can deal with the slow internet, it would make a great phone.

The iPhone Matches Most of Its Hype [via NYT]

He did however say this in regards to the keyboard; “I wanted to throw it out the windows after 3 days.” But then went on to say that 5 days in he found that he could type as well and as fast and accurate as his Treo. That’s great to hear Walt!

“My conclusion is the keyboard issue on the iPhone is a non issue.” Click over to watch Mossberg’s review of the iPhone.

Read the rest of Walt Mossberg’s review of the Apple iPhone: Testing Out the iPhone