iPhone 3G: Mobile internet access
Web access
The iPhone 3G - as it's name suggests - is a 3G mobile. The previous version uses EDGE (also known as 2.5G) networks for data traffic, but the inclusion of 3G capabilities means that the iPhone 3G is capable of delivering broadband speeds while on the go. Apple says the iPhone 3G will download data at twice the speed of the previous version. Out tests back this up, with websites generally loading in half the time. The phone’s wireless connectivity means it can hook up to a Wi-Fi hotspot, delivering speeds at up to 54Mbps.
The Safari web browser displays web pages in their entirety.
Once connected, the phone operates the Safari web browser. This means that there's no re-rendering of webpages, and instead you get the full version of each page as it was intended to display on a standard PC.
You can even zoom in to read it. However, this can make it hard to tell where you are and also easy to hit a link by accident.
Plus loading full pages inevitably means longer load times compared to pages designed for mobiles.
There's also no Flash support on the iPhone, so although there's a standalone application for playing YouTube videos, no other online video will play properly.
An interface provides shortcuts, complete with logos, to the major web-based email services – Yahoo! Mail, Gmail, AOL, and Mobile Me - Apple's new 'push' email system. That makes setting up these accounts easier than with most other phones.
You can view Word, PowerPoint, Excel, PDF, JPEG, and html attachments.
Mail is easy to read and even reproduces the variety of font sizes, styles, and colours of the e-mail sent to the iPhone.
Wireless connectivity
Unlike many other phones, you can’t use the Bluetooth technology to wirelessly beam music, photos, and other files to other Bluetooth devices. And while the iPhone supports Bluetooth headsets, these only relay mono sound.
The Wi-Fi connection can be used for only for web access; you can’t swap files with other Wi-Fi-enabled PCs or portable devices or use it VoIP phone calls.