The 3G iPhone Is Unveiled (And I'm In Love)
It's here! It's here! It feels a lot like Christmas morning, only Steve Jobs got to play Santa Claus. I'm talking, of course, about the new version of the iPhone that got unwrapped at WWDC today and that will make its formal debut on July 11.
As I blogged earlier, I'm an iPhone junkie and was eagerly awaiting a first look at the new gizmo. Both in looks and new features, it doesn't disappoint. Can't wait to use MobileMe, as one of my biggest productivity peeves was that my calendaring only synched up when I connected to my desktop -- there were no convenient on-the-go updates, a la Microsoft Exchange, for this enterprise-unshackled writer.
You'll also be able to talk on the phone and surf the Web (or send e-mail) at the same time without connecting to Wi-Fi, so that'll make it easier to multitask on the go.
Plus, the price point is way lower than it was the first time out. A mere $199 will put one in your pocket. And not to be shallow, but it's cool looking, sleeker than the first version with a black back and metal buttons. Sigh. I think I love it.
Alas, although love is supposedly blind, I can discern a few flaws:
- No mention of a copy-and-paste functionality. As a writer, that drives me batty. And it's a total productivity buzzkill. Surely the developers could've come up with a solution?
- Higher monthly fees. Now that it's 3G, it costs more. My monthly bill will probably go up a not-inconsequential $40 or so. Guess that means fewer lattes in my future.
- No video. Come on -- you can get GPS in here but no video? I mean, if Samsung's Omnia can include video recording capabilities, surely the iPhone can too.
- The camera is still lame. Still stuck at 2.0 megapixels? Bah.
- I'm going to need to buy a new case. If it's slimmer, that means my custom-fitting iPhone skin will be like a pre-diet pair of pants -- baggy and obsolete. Admittedly this is minor, but it still bugs me.
At least until the next version drops.
(image by ZDNet)
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