iPhone 3G Second Invasion

The long wait and with all the rumors flying around… the much anticipated release of the second generation iPhone is upon us!  And in true shock in awe fashion… the price was slashed in half at $199!!!

 

So what’s new?

 

3G

iPhone 3G owners now have a high-speed alternative in accessing the web using HSDPA (High-Speed Downlink Packet Access) as opposed to the previous model limited to EDGE and Wi-Fi networks.  They claim that browsing is twice as fast with the previous iPhone.

 

Maps with GPS

I watched a clip in YouTube regarding Google Android and I was impressed with their maps feature.  Not only does it display where the user is but also a friend from your contacts with address information.  It’s practically the same with iPhone 3G after watching the demo on Apple’s site but they have raised the bar by including satellite view.

 

App Store

Applications and other stuff like games are now directly available via download over the net.  No more connecting to computers for updating/loading of applications unless it’s a very large application.

 

Microsoft Exchange

This feature is targeted at corporations.  With Microsoft Exchange, iPhone 3G’s e-mail software can now communicate with corporate e-mail servers.  Watch out Blackberry!!

 

Above are just the major enhancements for the iPhone 3G plus the upcoming iPhone OS 2.0.  On the physical side, there are no noticeable changes except that it’s thinner.  Hardware side, it now sports a 2 mega pixel camera, which could have been upped a little bit.  I guess Apple is not really positioning the iPhone 3G as a replacement for digital cameras which Nokia and other mobile phone manufacturers are doing but failed to deliver.  Microprocessor used?  I guess they are still using chips from Samsung, which explains the price.

 

The iPhone 3G is pegged at $199 for the 8 GB model and $299 for the 16 GB model.  It will be available on July 11 in 22 countries out of the 70 target countries including the Philippines.  On our shores, Globe Telecom got the rights for distribution and the good news is that they will offer the iPhone 3G for post-paid and pre-paid subscribers!!!  We just have to wait later this year… most probably, Christmas season.  

 

It’s starting to sound like mobile phone addicts are in heaven but the thing is… what about pricing.  If you go by Apple’s pricing and an exchange rate of 44 pesos to a dollar, the 8 GB iPhone would be 8,756 pesos while the 16 GB model is at 13,156 pesos.  This is mind-boggling for a mobile phone with such functions.  But it’s possible, all they have to do is order more so they get a lot of discounts from Apple.  A friend of mine from MacMall would agree on that.  I just hope Globe Telecoms stay true to their statement of 

 

“We are very excited to be working with Apple to bring Filipino consumers iPhone 3G later this year,” said Gerardo C. Ablaza, Jr. president and CEO of Globe Telecom. “Our customers are our greatest passion and we’re constantly striving to offer them the most innovative products such as the revolutionary iPhone 3G.”

Another of my hopes, they should not copy the Power Mac Center (Apple reseller in Manila) formula.  For example, pricing a MacBook 37% more.  Again ordering more results to lower prices and with a product like the iPhone 3G… I’m sure stocks will not last!

 

But with all the fan fare that is about to come with the release of iPhone 3G, I am more excited with the 3^rd generation iPhone.  Word is out that Apple’s tech gods are experimenting in what is called the “self-powered” iPhone.  An iPhone that would be solar powered but still retaining the physical dimensions of present ones.  How would they pull it off is more mind-boggling!!!

 

Check out iPhone 3G Tech Specs!

The Ultimate Web Browser!

There are a lot of web browsers available free for download on the net.  Two heavy giants of not so distant past are the Netscape Navigator and Microsoft’s Internet Explorer.  Opera back then is an emerging browser whom I believe was first into (multi-) tab browsing.  Fast forward to present times, Internet Explorer and Opera is still up to date with Internet advancements but Netscape though still around, have already abandoned development. 

 

Today’s major contenders for the title of “The Ultimate Web Browser” are not those whom I previously mentioned.  Mozilla’s Firefox and Apple’s Safari have replaced Netscape and Internet Explorer rivalry.  For my surfing pleasure, I got to have this two web browsers updated all the time. 

 

Welcome to the jungle, Safari 3!

Apple’s Safari, especially with its version 3.1.1 is the fastest web browser.  I don’t have benchmark information to show since performance would vary with regards to one’s machine makeup.  The look and user interface of Safari is hands down the simplest and yet elegantly designed.  Aside from being fast, it doubles up as a very good RSS reader and it shows in terms of “numbers in parenthesis” as heads-up, new RSS feeds on the “bookmarks bar” of a particular RSS folder.  My only issue with safari is that it somehow does not harmoniously operate with the mouse.  For example, to navigate folders in your bookmarks bar, one has to click every time just to show the contents of particular folder.  In order to tweak Safari to behave like Firefox, a separate application must be installed.

 

Zippin’ Firefox 3!

Firefox is somewhat synonymous with Internet Explorer as a dominant web browser.  A lot of Internet technologies and a lot of developers are using it as “the standard” web browser.  So when web pages don’t load properly with Safari, I turn to Firefox.  Firefox 2 is not that fast with Safari 3 and one needs to install FasterFox which is an add-on.  Then came Firefox 3, which first came in Beta version.  At first, I tried to resist the temptation of installing it upon hearing all the bugs that was reported through the net.  Eventually I gave in to the eager beaver in me and installed it a couple of weeks ago.  I was impressed at the improvements Mozilla have done.  The speed is comparatively much better and is at par or better than Safari 3.  It has retained all of its function but now sports a way cooler user interface that looks like Safari.  I got a tip though that there is an add-on that can make Firefox 3 look like Safari 3 and of course I installed the add-on.  One simple feature I like with the previous one that they have retained is the way it responds to the mouse.  Contents of bookmark folders open automatically after an initial click of other bookmark folders.  My only issue with Firefox is when it is used as an RSS feed reader and I wish it would behave like Safari.  I’m just not quite sure if there is a plug-in for it.  I think it was two nights ago when Mozilla released its Firefox 3 RC 1 version.

 

It’s really hard to find all the features there is in just one web browser.  Firefox and Safari I think are like cousins.  They complement each other in a way, like Yin and Yang.   I’m not sure if there is an actual rivalry (healthy) going on but if there is one… we are very lucky.  

 

The “Ultimate Web Browser?”  This time… there can’t be “only one.”

Which is which?