The biggest change is on the back of the iPhone 3G, which is now made of smooth but durable black plastic instead of the aluminum back found on the first iPhone. Apple iPhone 3G Black is an update to the popular iPhone 3G, itself an update of the original iPhone. The third generation smartphone is available in 16GB and 32GB varieties, both of which can be had in black or white.

The iPhone 2megapixel camera appears to be identical in quality to the original, which is to say pretty good outdoors and somewhat iffier indoors.

On top of the application store support and enterprise features, the iPhone 2.0 software also includes several new end user features as well. Very handy tools like contact search, and full work support complements the already available Microsoft Office file format support, with the phone also being able to open PowerPoint presentations. With iPhone 2.0 you can also bulk delete messages from apps like Mail, and parental controls have been added to control the spending and viewing habits of the younger audience.

Second, the iPhone 3G feels better in the hand and is less slippery. The only downside is that the glossy back, like the front, picks up fingerprints quickly. The updated email client works with IMAP and POP3 accounts and has presets for Yahoo, Gmail, AOL, and Apple, but the big story is Microsoft Exchange support, making the iPhone a viable business phone. MS Exchange ActiveSync also lets you wirelessly sync contacts and calendars, and you can receive email on the phone as soon as it hits the server.

Another new feature is the built in GPS module, which adds real time position tracking to the Google Maps application. Lastly, the new iPhone has a non recessed 3.5mm headphone, so no adapter is required to use non Apple headsets. From the hardware perspective, one of the most anticipated enhancements to the platform is 3G data access, which gives the new iPhone its name simply the iPhone 3G. Despite the higher drain of 3G data, the battery life of the iPhone 3G remains solid up to 5 hours of 3G talk time and 300 hours standby is achievable. On GSM networks the iPhone 3G is rated for 10 hours of talk time. For more details: http://www.phoneandbeyond.com

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