iPhone UK: What's the 3G deal?
The first UK iPhone won't have 3G - in fact it's near identical to the 8GB version being sold in the US.
Time and time again we've heard that Steve Jobs isn't a fan of 3G. At yesterday's UK press conference he reiterated, "The 3G chipsets are real power hogs. Handset battery life cuts power to 2-3 hours. Our phone has a talk time of 8 hours and that's really important when you want to use your phone for internet and music. 3G needs to get back up to 5+ hours, something we think well see later next year. Wi-Fi is way faster than any 3G network. Energy efficient EDGE with better, faster Wi-Fi. That's why we chose it."
Coupled with the rather obvious comment, "We're working on the next iPhone and the next one after that." it would seem to point to a 3G iPhone coming some time next year.
ZDNet speculates that in order for a successful 3G iPhone to be released (unless Steve Jobs knows about some miracle long-life battery that the rest of the industry is clueless about) it must allow for interchangeable batteries.
Quite why Apple will change the habit of a portable device lifetime, though, is another matter.
Do you need 3G in the iPhone? If you're nearly always going to be near a Wi-Fi hotspot when you want to use the Internet, then you'll not be particularly bothered about the slower EDGE connection. Chances are, with just 30% EDGE coverage in the UK at present, you're likely to be closer to a faster wireless connection anyway. And with 3G, you'd only eat up whatever paltry "fair use" restrictions are imposed on O2's "unlimited" data plan.
In the survey we conducted back in May, 3G came down in fifth position in a list of iPhone letdowns. That doesn't mean it's not important to people, but it's not a major influencer on purchasing the iPhone.
Of course, that was way before the iPod Touch was announced. A 3G iPhone would offer a little more distinction from the latest iPod, but it's still just a phone. I don't think 3G alone will make the iPhone look favourable to those who mainly want the iPod functionality.
Add GPS, a kickass camera, and some really great mobile applications, and it might.
Related posts
iPhone UK: What Steve and Matthew wouldn't say
iPhone UK: Just how "unlimited" is the O2 data plan?
iPhone UK: O2 has Visual Voicemail
iPhone UK: How much free Wi-Fi can you get?
8GB iPhone coming to UK: 9th November with O2
Powermat: Revolutionary Gadget Charging
Came straight to this page? Visit www.iphonic.tv for all the latest news.
