iPhone vs. Apple iPhone 3G

Now that the new, second generation iPhone 3G is on the market, a question on everyone's minds is: "What's the difference between the new iPhone and the old iPhone?"

The first and most obvious answer to that question is the new iPhone's compatibility with AT&T's high-speed 3G network, making for faster and more reliable connection speeds with sharper clarity than those made on its predecessor. But that wouldn't necessarily be enough on its own to merit the invention of a whole next generation device. So what other differences are there?

Users report call quality, using both handset mode and speakerphone mode, is slightly improved on the 3G iPhone, though only a negligible amount. Call quality using Bluetooth, however, seems vastly improved with the new model.

The original iPhone runs on the Apple Mac OS X operating system, as does the iPhone 3G, though the latter also supports Microsoft Windows XP Home and Professional Editions and Windows Vista as well.

The touchscreen size and resolution on both devices are identical (3.5" and 480 x 320 pixel resolution). Brightness levels on the two devices are also equivalent. The color balance, however, seems different between the two, though, with the old iPhone tinted slightly blue, the new iPhone 3G slightly yellow. The viewing angle actually seems better on the older iPhone than the newer.

Both phone's interfaces still switch between landscape and portrait mode when the phone is turned, and the iPhone 1.0's oversight on making available a landscape mode for the on-screen keyboard has, unfortunately, not been corrected.

Other improvements that users would have liked to see with the new device but that Apple has sadly not obliged include: Bluetooth A2DP support, cut and paste, video recording, voice dialing, and the ability to make purchases from iTunes over the 3G network.

Apple has, however, made a lot of new software products (many of which are completely free) available to users of the new iPhone - Sega, TypePad mobile blogging, eBay auction management - even going so far as to launch the online App Store in conjunction with the iPhone 3G's release.

Though the size of the two devices is almost identical, new iPhone 3G is actually .002" thicker than its predecessor, though it gives the appearance of being thinner because of the new, tapered edges.

The casing on the two devices is also different. The original iPhone has an aluminum backing with a matte metal finish, the new iPhone 3G is available in a high-gloss plastic casing with users getting to choose between a black and a white model (though white is only available in the 16 gig version). The lining on the new iPhone's buttons is silver instead of the former black.

The 2.0 megapixel digital camera in the new iPhone 3G is completely comparable to that of the original iPhone as far as hardware is concerned, though software improvements make using the new iPhone's camera easier and more versatile in functionality.

The new iPhone 3G has a true GPS built-in, a vast improvement over the former iPhone, with the ability to triangulate the user's location using cell towers.

The battery is one hardware component of the iPhone that's seen some considerable improvements from generation 1 to generation 2. The old iPhone has a talk time of up to 480 minutes whereas the new one lasts up to 600 minutes.

For some people, however, no difference between the two iPhone models will be any greater than price. The first iPhone cost users $399-$499 to purchase whereas Apple slashed that price in half for the release of the iPhone 3G, charging $199 for the 8 GB model and $299 for the 16 GB model.