Three G Phone

iPad 3G: Was it Worth the Wait?

Apple’s latest device has been turning heads for over a month now and just before hype began to subside, the iPad 3G was released, bringing the spotlight back to the it. The iPad 3G is nothing more than a copy of the original with 3G connectivity (to AT&T’s 3G Network) added. Therefore, a review of the iPad 3G cannot be accomplished without first reviewing the iPad’s core functionality and then including a review of the new 3G technology which has been integrated.

In the words of Apple, the iPad is a way of bridging the gap between the smart phone and a laptop. The iPad does an excellent job at combining a pleasant web browsing and media viewing experience, while placing it in a portable package. But it’s capable of so much more too, with the ability to run games, view eBooks and perform just about any other basic computing task. It also has a gorgeous, minimalistic design, not far off the from the design of the iPhone, on a much larger scale. Paired with a nice leather iPad case the iPad is a sleek and sexy piece of technology.

The iPad runs on a modified version of the iPhone OS which allows a few significant changes. The iPad is capable of navigating in a much quicker manner with the ability to display multiple tabs and panes of information on the same screen. Pop-up preview windows allow users to preview information without leaving the original content source, something that is limited on the iPhone’s tiny screen.

Apple’s software suite, iWork, which is viewed as an answer to Microsoft Office, enables users to perform similar functions on their iPad. iBook enables magazines and written literature such as books to be displayed and stored on the device. The iPad ships with a 1GHZ processor which enables a smooth experience and very little “lag.” The beautiful and large LCD screen makes viewing media and navigating the web a pleasure.

The original iPad shipped with Wi-Fi capability which was hit or miss. The Wi-Fi chip was often described as “having a mind of its own” and would frequently drop or loss signal with just a slight movement or change of position. The problems typically occurred in areas with low Wi-Fi signal strength. Aside from the minor flaws with the Wi-Fi chip one of the biggest gripes was the lack of mobility. Wi-Fi ties users to areas where Wi-Fi signals are available and does not enable freedom.

The 3G chip enables users to connect to AT&T’s high speed 3G network. The 3G performance of the iPad is quite surprising, to say the least. The device connects flawlessly to the 3G network. Of course, the iPad 3G is limited by AT&T’s network coverage which can be spotty in some areas. Users within markets that offer strong 3G coverage will be able to enjoy freedom with their iPad, similar to using a 3G mobile phone. In theory speeds of up to 1.5 MBs are possible with AT&T’s 3G service; although the iPad 3G is aimed more towards freedom and mobility than speed. Wi-Fi service which is connected to a decent broadband connection will still provide better speeds on the iPad. However, for portability the iPad 3G is the ultimate choice enabling users to connect to both the Wi-Fi and 3G networks.

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My Apple iPhone

I bought the new iPhone 3G right when it came out over a year ago. I have to say, it is the best phone I have ever had, and it is still the best out there. There have been a ton of new smart phones to hit the market after iPhone, like the Blackberry and others, but the iPhone 3G is clearly on top. This three G phone can do it all. I will start with the one con of the phone, and that is that you are stuck into the AT&T contract, and it is very expensive.

That being said, the rest is all positive. This phone has everything a technologically sound person would want. The phone has Safari, Apple’s browser pre-loaded on it and works off of the 3G network. If you are in a wireless zone, you can connect to Wi-Fi for even faster speeds. I use 3G a lot of the time as I am traveling often, and the 3G is not that slow at all. The web browsing is great, and with the new addition on the latest update of cut, copy, and paste, links are a cinch with this phone.

Moving onto the phone aspect, I get great reception in most areas, with the exception of wooded areas and distant towns, and then I get awful reception. Since I am rarely in those bad areas, it is a great phone. The sound is perfect, and the phone gives you many in call options while you are on the phone. I can even browse my phone as I am on the phone.

I for one like listening to my iPod, and you can receive calls through your headphones and then if you have a microphone on your headphones, you can use that to talk clearly. The text messaging system on the phone is great, saving conversations for over a year, no matter the amount of texts! You can store tons of contacts and enter tons of different info like address. The map on it works like a charm. It saves you money because you don’t need to buy a GPS for your car, you can just use the phone. Of course, the thing that puts it on top are the apps. Look around for a top iphone resource and you’ll find there are a ton of amazing free and paid apps that really put the iPhone over the top.

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Understanding The Three G Phone

The three G phone phones are a pretty recent addition to the mobile phone landscape in the United States and are based on the 3G (3rd Generation) networking standards of the ITU (International Telecommunication Union). The Three G phone is also called the IMT-2000 standard in other parts of the world.

Simply put, the 3G standard allows phone companies to offer a wider variety of services to their customers than the previous 2.5G standard allowed. The first 3G network was established in Japan and went live in 2001 followed by Korea and the United Kingdom. The first use of 3G in the United States followed in 2003. Because of the more efficient size of the bandwidth provided, this new standard allows operators to offer better quality of service, video calls and broadband data speeds of 14.4 mbits/s under perfect conditions. This speed is not guaranteed with most contracts and can be less if you are walking, or moving quickly in a vehicle.

The adoption of the 3G standard in the United States has been quick and several carriers now offer phones and calling plans to take advantage of this standard. Another advantage of a 3g enabled phone is that since this is a worldwide standard, you can easily roam to other regions and countries with your phone on other networks. Additional rates will apply with the roaming, but it’s still nice to be able to use a phone you’re familiar with when traveling rather than renting one.

Because this has been an established standard for some time, there is a wide universe of phones available as well for 3g that range from the very basic, to several models that incorporate advanced features like texting with full QWERTY keyboards, video download, and even GPS functionality. This last feature is really nice because it allows you to use the phone for driving directions in a pinch.

Finally, the 3G phones use a SIM card that contains your account information and phone number, along with contacts or other data you may have saved. This is nice because it allows you to easily slide this SIM card into another unlocked 3G phone and use it immediately. Also, you can buy local SIM cards from other countries to use when you are traveling in your phone to help reduce calling costs especially if you’re using cell phone family plans.

All things considered, the 3G standard provides for a lot of advanced features over previous standards. The phone manufacturers and carriers are using these features in their services and phones and making the basic handset you had a few years ago infinitely more functional.

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