There are many new problems, both hardware and software related, with the iPhone 3G. Here are some problems that bothered me enough that I remembered them. This was actually written on the iPhone 3G, so if you see improper words blame the not always accurate auto-correct, which happens to have been a problem from the very beginning. Haha.

The Temperature:

During the first 20 minutes of use, I noticed one big difference between the original iPhone and the iPhone 3G. The iPhone 3G felt about 5 times as hot as the original. Perhaps it was because of the aluminum backing that the iPhone could dissipate the heat. Or maybe the new 3G HSDPA chip and GPS chip made the phone run hot. Either way, the new phone can sometimes get too hot for comfort, which is a feature not needed in the dead heat of the southern Californian sun.

Yellow Screen:

What is up with this? Apparently this was a deliberate feature to make the phone more warm feeling and natural. I even tried the full restore to no avail.  The thing I liked about the… more...

The iPhone isn’t just boosting Apple’s overall sales- AT&T is also cashing in on this year’s hottest gadget. The telecommunications company reported stunning second-quarter results today, and their exclusive deal with Apple was clearly the most influential factor. AT&T’s revenue in 2008 was $30.87 billion, while its net income was an impressive $3.77. AT&T reported that 3G iPhone sales in the first two weeks were almost double last year’s two-week figures following the launch of the EDGE iPhone.

“Mobility, broadband connectivity, and integrated services that encompass voice, data, and video are driving a new world of communications. The Apple iPhone 3G is a dramatic example of this transformation,” noted Randall Stephenson, AT&T’s CEO. “In the days following our exclusive U.S. launch of this new device, powered by the nation’s fastest 3G wireless network, customer response has been everything we had anticipated and more.”

AT&T’s wireless revenue also grew 15,8% over last year’s second quarter, thanks to features such as data plans, e-mail access, and messaging. Speaking of text messaging, text messages sent through AT&T’s network almost tripled since last year.

I was rather upset when I opened (actually AT&T representatives) my iPhone 3G and there was not a dock included. I figured, ok, my old iPhone dock will work… Not so much.

If you look closely, it is even more upsetting that the iPhone 3G is just shy of fitting in the dock which made me think about manipulating the old dock in a way that the iPhone 3G could fit.

Stephen Beals of iPhoneFreak read my thoughts.

He lists four steps that could turn that old dock of yours into a nice iPhone 3G-welcoming dock using three simple tools no more that $5.00 tops:

-Clear packing tape Sharp tool or a pocket knife
-A small flathead screwdriver
-100 Grit Aluminum Oxide sandpaper “(found in the Paint isle of any home improvement store for about $2.50)”

I’m a little reluctant to try it seeing as how I don’t have much faith in myself to make it look as good as his. I may end up creating something that I brought home to mother when I… more...

Despite random crashes and being pretty buggy, the iPhone 2.0 software does have something going for it (besides all the other cool features).

Safari, if you haven’t noticed, is a lot speedier when compared to the iPhone 1.1.4 software. When downloaded on my old iPhone, I could definitely see the improvement.

However, I have an untrained eye when it comes to detailed analysis of subtle software improvements, so you don’t have to take my word for it. An extensive test was done by John Gruber detailing his results.

“In side-by-side page loading tests between two original iPhones running 1.1.4 and 2.0.0, the new version consistently finished at least a few seconds faster.”

Perhaps not the most noticeable trait of the iPhone 2.0 software, but definitely a nice change.

It was only a matter of time before someone decided to make some money off of the insanely popular App Store. A new site, iPhoneApps.org, offers a set of applications for the price of $24.95. These applications include dubiously familiar names such as “Customize”, “SNES”, “Video Recorder”, “Instant Messenger”, “VNC"… etc- nothing original. Plus, how would they distribute these applications to you? There’s no such thing as third-party application installation program for the iPhone. In all likelihood, $24.95 probably gets you an email with instructions on how to use the App Store.

Although we haven’t been able to verify the site’s authenticity yet, we caution you not to pay anyone for applications that can be easily downloaded for free! 

Despite many analysts’ claims that the iPhone helped boost Apple’s Mac sales, Apple itself is likely set to announce that all of its products have been selling better, independently of the iPhone. The clue? Apple left out last quarter’s iPhone sales figures in its recent sales report, because the original EDGE model sold during the last quarter was still running the 1.1.4 firmware. Because of that, Apple isn’t including those sales into the overall figure.

The iPhone has never been the driving force behind Apple- it’s too much of a fringe product. The Mac and the ubiquitous iPod, however, make up a staggering 75% of Apple’s revenue. The iPhone 3G’s lower price point could lower that figure, but Apple sales would rise nonetheless.

Apple will probably report a third-quarter sales figure of $7.36 billion- a %35 increase from last year.

I haven’t downloaded to many games for iPhone simply because I don’t usually play games on phones. However, over the weekend, I had the chance to play with a game I thought I would never like.

I’m not a poker player, so when I downloaded the app, I was a little confused, but within 5 minutes I became a poker pro. MotionX Poker is a five-card poker game played by rolling five dice. You play against the “dealer” and have three rolls to make the best hand. So how exactly do you roll?

The brains behind MotionX were thoughtful enough to incorporate the accelerometer into the game so all you have to do is give your iPhone (or iPod Touch) a shake. The beautifully rendered dice shake across the screen, even adding vibration to the whole gaming experience.

When the dice come to rest, you drag the ones you wish to keep in your hand to the squares at the bottom of the screen. When you win a hand, your point score is increased by the amount of your bet, with bonuses… more...

Those of us who sold our 1G iPhones in order to ugprade to the latest model know there’s alot of money out there for unlocked, used iPhones. FreeiPhoneSwap.com wants in on the action, and is offering a $199 or $299 cash (for the 8GB or 16GB) for your old iPhone- exactly the price of a new 3G phone. Clearly, FreeiPhoneSwap is a streamlined service that should be great for anyone wanting to upgrade, but if you’re looking to get top dollar on your old phone, eBay is the way to go. We’re guessing this website makes their profits off of selling your old phone at a higher value, so why not do it yourself? Unlocked EDGE iPhones are ending at around $400, so make sure to get yours listed as soon as you can.

You probably weren’t aware of it, but iPhone 3G’s are about to get much more difficult to find. As stocks contiue to dwindle steadily, analysts are predicting that drastic measures will need to be taken in order for Apple to avoid a month-long shortage. Analyst Gene Munster from Computer World spoke with Information Week- “I bet we’ll see the problems for another two to four weeks. Early demand has been more than they expected [because] they knocked it out of the park on the first weekend.” If you want to remain on the safe side, there’s nothing better than to get your iPhone 3G right away!

Gaming on the iPhone just got alot more interesting. CrunchGear posted an incredible video of the highly anticipated Star Wars: The Force Unleashed, running on the iPhone. If you aren’t watching the video by now, allow me to comment that the most interesting part is the implementation of the iPhone’s touch screen for effects such as Force Power, lightsaber moves, and more.

Here’s the link to the video.