Preview: Introducing the iPhone 2.0

Overview

On July 11th we will see Apple releasing the latest version of its iPhone handset but is all the fuss worth the cash? Or does the new version of Apples iPhone leave you whimpering in the corner clutching at your wallet?

If you have been reading the forum you would have noticed that I do not think that highly of the iPhone. Don't get me wrong it is a nice phone, maybe it's just that I’m from an old generation when a mobile phone use to be a thing you used when you wanted to chat to someone.

So what do I think of the new Apple iPhone? Well read on to find out.
Read Review and skip pricing plans details…

It seems nowadays all the new phones are coming out with everything you want in one package and mostly that means that something has been compromised on, be it battery life or the simple fact that the mobile itself can't even ring someone correctly let alone have a decent conversation with them.

The iPhone is no different; it's got everything you could possibly need. It can double up as an iPod, has the facility to be used as a digital camera, social planner and much much more.

With this model Apple has added some new features that while they are not ground breaking has been missing from the phone, GPS and 3G are two of them. Plus for the more business minded of us Apple has allowed the use of enterprising features such as integration with Microsoft Exchange which seems a tab strange, seeing a Microsoft product on an Apple machine even if it is a mobile.

This has all been done thanks to the introduction of 3G to this phone, which not only allows this phone to have all of the features I have mentioned above but also makes this phone faster than its predecessor, twice as fast in fact.

And its not just the speed of this phone that is getting a boost, the lifetime of this phone is also getting a new lease on life, with the ratings of most activities on this phone lasting almost double the time this phone can run circles around its older brother while its on the floor gasping for air.
Now those of you that have an iPhone will know of the problems with its audio playback, these problems have been taken on-board by Apple and this phone has been reported as having fixed this problem in leaps and bounds.

The most astonishing thing is that this phone is reportedly going to be half the price of its older brother, now is it just me or do you normally pay more for a new product than what the old one costs?
If this is so it makes me wonder how this has come to pass, does that mean that the iPhone was priced above and beyond when it was first released? Or is it that with this new phone the Apps Store will play a major part in bumping up the revenue? Or have they just managed to reduce the cost of producing the phones?

Apart from that this phone is the same as its older brother, the style is the same (although said to be thinner), and the camera is the same. The only thing that has been changed is some new features and that it's faster in terms of browsing. Plus it's going to be half the price, which I think will leave most iPhone owners crying in the corner when this phone comes out wishing they had never taken out that loan to get their hands on the soon to be old iPhone. However there is some good news for those and Apple will be offering a free 18 month upgrade to the current owners of the iPhone.

Cosmetic wise this phone has been improved as well, gone is the ugly and rather old style metal back plate and instead the phone now has a matching coloured plate. The chunky docking station is gone as well on this phone and with like all phones you now get a USB cable instead, the AC adaptor has also been set out to the gym for this phone, which now sports a lovely slim design.

What do you think? Leave us a comment or take part in our active forum topic by clicking here

The Gaj-It verdict

Design: 9/10
Usability: 8/10
Features: 9/10
Value: 8/10

We say: If you want an iPhone but don't want to pay the huge price tag, then worry not. This phone looks more appealing, has more features and more importantly cost half the price, bargain. Be warned however this phone does not come on all networks.

Full Tech Spec

• Height: 4.5 inches (115.5 mm)
• Width: 2.4 inches (62.1 mm)
• Depth: 0.48 inch (12.3 mm)
• Weight: 4.7 ounces (133 grams)
• Capacity: 8GB or 16GB flash drive
• UMTS/HSDPA (850, 1900, 2100 MHz)
• GSM/EDGE (850, 900, 1800, 1900 MHz)
• Wi-Fi (802.11b/g)
• Bluetooth 2.0 + EDR
• Assisted GPS
• 3.5-inch (diagonal) widescreen Multi-Touch display
• 480-by-320-pixel resolution at 163 ppi
• Support for display of multiple languages and characters simultaneously
• Frequency response: 20Hz to 20,000Hz
• Audio formats supported: AAC, Protected AAC, MP3, MP3 VBR, Audible (formats 1, 2, and 3), Apple Lossless, AIFF, and WAV
• Supported: H.264 video
• 1.5 Mbps, 640 by 480 pixels
• 30 frames per second
• 2.0 megapixels
• Photo geotagging

More