Apple iPhone 3G Cell Phone Review - Tour & Design

The new Apple iPhone 3G sports some new styling, a slightly thicker case, and loses a couple of accessories, but otherwise it's the same sexy beast that so many have fallen in love with.

Front
From the front the Apple iPhone 3G is dominated by its large 3.5 inch display. Below the display is the home button and above it is the speaker for the cell phone.

Left
On the left side of the iPhone 3G you find the volume rocker keys near the top and just above them the ringer/vibrate switch.

Top
The top of the iPhone 3G holds the 3.5mm headphone jack. The tray for the SIM card can also be found here, you'll need to use the included SIM tray tool, or a paperclip, to pop the SIM card tray out.

Bottom
On the bottom of the iPhone 3G you find the iPod connector flanked by speakers and the phone microphone.

Right
There are no buttons or features on the right side of the iPhone 3G.

Back
On the back of the Apple iPhone 3G you find the Apple Logo and the lens for the two megapixel camera. You'll note that the back of the iPhone 3G is plastic, rather than the mostly metal back of the original iPhone.

Battery Out
Unlike most cell phones the Apple iPhone 3G does not allow you to remove the battery.

In the Box (4.0)
The iPhone 3G ships with a USB Cable, Wall Charger and Stereo Headset with playback controls. Unlike the original iPhone it does not include a dock in the box.

Handling (8.5)
The Apple iPhone 3G has changed its form factor slightly compared to the previous year's iteration. In particular the phone is slighlty thicker in the middle, but tapers more towards the edges. This creates a curved effect that actually makes it feel more comfortable in your hand. The back has also been changed to plastic, which is easier to grip than the metal back of the previous iPhone. Weighing in at 4.7 ounces it is lighter thant he original iPhone as well, probably thanks to the increased use of plastic over metal. We have to say that despite the slightly larger thickness we actually think the iPhone 3G handles a bit better than its predecessor.

Portability (7.0)
The increased thickness of the Apple iPhone 3G will have a slight impact on its portability. You're more likely to notice the thickness when its sitting in your pants pocket. In terms of height and width it's exactly the same, but there's an increase in thickness of just under a millimeter. It is lighter, however, so it won't weigh you down as much. At 4.5 inches tall and 2.4 inches wide it is a bit big, certainly not as small as a Razr, but it should still fit comfortably into most jacket pockets or bags.

Aesthetics (9.5)
Ok, we like the metal back of the previous iPhone a bit better, but the glossy black (or white) is not ugly, and the iPhone's front looks almost exactly the same. We think a lot of people have voted with their wallets about how sexy this phone is, and who are we to argue with them?

Durability (7.0)
The new plastic back adds some concern about durability, metal just tends to be tougher. We did detect a slight creak when twisting the phone, but nothing to cause us serious concern. The first iPhone has stood  up to some abuse, and even the large screen that we would normally worry about has been show to be pretty scratch resistant. That's not to say you shouldn't put a screen protector on it, but we do think the iPhone 3G feels like a pretty durable device.

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