[520xyz]

I will admit, I had a lot of expectations for the new iphone 3G, so in reality i didn't expect Apple to meet all of them. But yesterday when the new iphone was released, I was terribly disappointed in the lack of new features. Besides 3G internet, GPS, and a plastic back, nothing else has really changed besides the price! Yes, a cheaper priced iphone is definitely nice, but i feel as if Apple had to leave out many, many features that just needs to be included in the worlds best phone that were left out for what I think was to reduce cost and "make it affordable for everyone." Affordability is nice, but Apple has always been known for top notch products with the highest quality possible which indeed means that they are usually more expensive that other brands. For this I have always respected Apple, because I always knew I was getting the best quality product possible at the time even if i did have to pay more for it. With the release of the new iphone 3G, I feel Apple has stepped away from its tradition and instead focussed on quantity rather than quality which leaves me utterly disappointed. Think of the many things left out of the new iphone that many people thought would definitely be included in the new model. For example, they didn't update the camera in anyway! No flash or zoom or autofocus! And most frustrating of all they didn't add the essential need of the camera to record videos which is a big reason I did not get the original iphone, because i figured the new iphone would surely record videos! There is also no front mounted camera for video conferencing which is really upsetting and something that iphone competitors already have. Screen resolution also remains unchanged at 480 x 320 when many rivals have adopted VGA. The new iphone is fatter 115.5 x 62.1 x 12.3mm verses the original's 115 x 61 x 11.6mm. There is still no announcement of flash being usable in the web browser. And another example of Apple cutting back is that it no longer comes with a dock for charging. Overall the lack of new features in the iphone 3G is more than disappointing and I'm sure that many people would be willing spend a little extra dough in order to receive a lot of those missing features. Apple has reminded me of something a PC would do. Less quality, but cheaper price so more people will buy. If everyone has an iphone it will tremendously lower the "cool factor" of having one. In conclusion, I feel that Apple has let many of its loyal customers down and I have lost a great deal of respect for the company. What do yall think?

[Rumor]

It is difficult to read one long blurb like that. Try breaking it into paragraphs please.

[herbsman]

"I feel that Apple has let many of its loyal customers down and I have lost a great deal of respect for the company."

Jeez I think you're going overboard! I think the new iphone is great, and I plan on buying one the day it comes out. The plastic back doesn't bother me one bit, I'm thinking that it'll be similar in quality to the white macbook finish. I'd prefer a black anodized aluminum finish for the back, but the radio reception should abe much better with the plastic back. Have faith in Apple, I'm certain that the finish and feel will be excellent. I doubt Steve would allow a cheap feeling phone out into the market.

3G is a great upgrade, I'm on-the-go quite a bit so I'm looking forward to the faster cell network speed. GPS I wasn't excepting at all and I jumped out of my seat when I read that it would be available. VGA rez isn't necessary on the iphone! Do you really think you'll notice the difference on that small of a screen? Camera staying the way it is could've seen a megapixel bump so I agree with you there. I'm not too concerned with video because it'll likely be available as a 3rd party app. The $10 increase for the data service does suck. But the way I look at it, an average meal out for one person is right around $10, so one less meal that I buy out goes to the my cellphone bill.

[Randman]

I think you need to learn about paragraphs, and also that there was no need for this thread as there are already enough about the iPhone.

[frdmfghtr]

Well, since you asked the question...I think you're getting worked up for no reason.

"No flash or zoom or autofocus!" I assume the camera does in fact autofocus, as there is no means to focus manually. The ability to take video is a problem that can be solved in software; jailbroken iPhones can use third-party software to do all sort of things, including zoom and take video.

You speak of quality vs. quantity. Would you have preferred more features, but less quality of those features? Remember, in any engineering problem, there are going to be tradeoffs, and Apple's engineers and designers made the tradeoffs that made the most sense based on the market and state of the art.

Really, hardware-wise, I don't think there was really that much room for improvement, aside from GPS and 3G-capability. The other problems can (and will) be solved in software.

[Cold Warrior]

His troll post distracted us from the spam link in his signature (now edited out).