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Apple iPhone 3G, should you buy it?

iphone3gline.jpg

OK OK OK, I know the Apple iPhone 3G hits stores today. You'd have to be living under a rock not to know, right?

I don't own an iPhone. I'm not sure I want to own an iPhone, especially since I'm pretty happy with my cell phone provider right now (and it's not AT&T). But I do know those of you out there who want to rush out and buy one of these pretty babies are wondering if it's worth the $200 to $600 for the actual handset and then another $70 or so for the monthly service fee.

Well, since I don't own one and I'm not planning on owning one, I thought you might want to hear what some reviewers thought of the iPhone 3G:

(By the way, those are people camped outside New York waiting to buy the 3G.)

Over at Tech Life, blogger Kris Abel says "it continues to be the best of my cellphone experiences. Information is so clearly laid out and features so easy to use, it’s comforting." Check out his pretty thorough review.

Dan Costa at PC Magazine says don't buy a iPhone 3G.

David Pogue at the NYT warns that "you don’t get that speed or those features unless you’re in one of AT&T’s 3G network areas — and there aren’t many of them." His advice:

So the iPhone 3G is a nice upgrade. It more than keeps pace with advancing technology, and new buyers will generally be delighted.

But it’s not so much better that it turns all those original iPhones into has-beens. Indeed, the really big deal is the iPhone 2.0 software and the App Store, neither of which requires buying a new iPhone. That twist may come as a refreshing surprise to planned-obsolescence conspiracy theorists — and everyone who stood in line last year.

Walter Mossberg from the WSJ says:

If you've been waiting to buy an iPhone until it dropped in price, or ran on faster cell networks, you might want to take the plunge, if you can live with the higher service costs and the weaker battery life. The same goes for those with existing iPhones who love the device but crave faster cellular data speeds. But if you already own an iPhone, and can usually use Wi-Fi for data, you probably should hold off and get the free software upgrade before deciding whether it's worth getting the new hardware.

Edward C. Baig at USAToday says, "Extra, extra: iPhone 3G: The Sequel, is worth the wait."

The UK Daily Mail says, "If you can find one, it is highly recommended."

Hope that helps. Happy shopping.

(AFP/Getty)

Posted by Dan Thanh Dang at 7:08 AM | | Comments (2)
Categories: Cellular/Landline/Voice over Internet, Technology
        

Comments

Our very own Dave Zeiler has an opinion or two at baltimoresun.com/appleaday.

DD: How did I forget the Great and Wonderful Zeiler?! Thanks for the reminder Mary.

I would like to share my review and thoughts on Should I get an Apple iPhone 3G?

Thanks for sharing your thoughts. I am on your side by not purchasing the new iPhone.

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