I’ve had 3G on my Nokia N95 enabled since I got it – which is about a month or two ago now. I was thus surprised to learn that the iPhone didn’t include this much faster way to connect to the Internet. Consequently, I wasn’t exactly surprised when Steve Jobs big announcement turned out to be exactly that; 3G for the iPhone. Does it live up to the hype though?

Naturally, the big improvement is in download speed – now you can get access to The App Store much more quickly and get those applications on to your phone in a faster manner. It is significantly improved over the old ‘EDGE’ connection. Also included now is a GPS so you’ll be able to find your way around – again, much like the Nokia N95.

The physical size of the phone is slightly up – it is a little thicker at just a shade over 12mm. A bigger change is the new silky black that’s on the back of the phone. Let it never be said that Apple makes ugly products.

Other than that, battery life has gone up by a few hours – always a nice improvement for any redeveloped phone. There’s also the opportunity to ‘geotag’ your photos to your location. It’s quite a cool feature but I’m not sure if you’re going to use it a whole lot.

It’s great that the iPhone is now available free on contract, as well as the prices being slashed for those wanting to purchase it separately. You’ve still got the 8 and 16GB versions to choose from too, so there’s a phone for you however much you’re looking to spend. You still get that lovely touch screen and the 2 megapixel camera – I’m surprised that they didn’t beef that up to be honest.

Overall, the iPhone is nice, but it isn’t worth getting upset if you have the ‘old’ version. If, however, you’ve wanted one for a while, this could well be the right time to take the plunge. It is available in store from 11th July across the UK.

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