3G iPhones

As technology advances into most aspects of everyday life, 3G networks provide speed and instant connectivity to cellular phone users who have come to expect it. It’s a combination that could make a 3G iPhone, due out in May, the “it” phone for ultimate communication. The question, however, is whether Apple’s move to upgrade its multi-billion-dollar-baby will be well-received at a time when 3G networks are still under development, and compatible phones could carry more physical bulk, expense, and inconvenience than their 2G counterparts.

On the plus side, 3G systems are capable of servicing more clients at any given time than the older networks, aiming specifically to improve communications in urban areas. The upgrade also offers higher data rates, lower cost to operate, high-speed Internet access and video telephony, and increased compatibility between new and old networks. Due to network complexity and the need for backwards compatibility to bridge the gap between new and old systems, however, the new iPhone may not be as sleek and lightweight as the inaugural version. It’s a 3G curse that cost cellular phone companies in Japan, whose citizens largely turned away from 3G early in the conversion process due to the large, heavy phones required to use it.

Aside from phone size, there is concern among critics that the initial phone expense and the power demands of running more advanced services could adversely affect iPhone users. The first-generation phone costs $400-500. The second-generation version would cost more, but how much more is anyone’s guess. As many as 1.2 million iPhones sold worldwide in 2007 were hacked and unlocked for use on unapproved networks, and sell for as much as $700. The current iPhone boasts a battery life of 8 hours in use and a whopping 250 hours on standby. The battery only lasts for 6 hours of Internet usage, and since the new 3G system would require that the phones be constantly online, the phone’s battery life is sure to suffer without significant upgrades in its design.

As Apple forges ahead to meet the demands of an ever-demanding global population, technology experts have become sour on the pioneering giant due to depressed sales and stock prices in late 2007. What matters when it comes to iPhone3G, though, is what the new technology – and the sacrifices it may require – bring to the average Apple enthusiast who is ready and waiting for the next big thing.