Dialed In

In this corner, the iPhone.

(Credit: Corinne Schulze/CNET)

Last June, I complained about the overused phrase "iPhone killer." I argued that it elevates the iPhone to a place that it doesn't deserve. Yes, it's a great device in many ways, but it's not the pinnacle of cell phone achievement.

As it turns out, I was a little ahead of myself. In the two-and-a-half years since the first iPhone , was born, I've seen quite a few supposed iPhone rivals pass through CNET. But I had to wait until two weeks ago before a real challenger finally landed on my desk.

The Motorola Droid challenges the iPhone on more fronts than I've seen from others--it has some multitouch, the display is magnificent, and it's packed with a multitude of features. Granted, its media player can't quite compete, and it didn't win our Prizefight, but it bests Apple's device in overall performance. And really, the iPhone won that Prizefight by the thinnest of margins.

And in this corner, the Droid

(Credit: Josh Miller/CNET)

As you can imagine, CNET readers had passionate opinions on both sides of the battle. Some praised the Droid before even touching it, and others wondered how we could dare suggest that the iPhone was deficient in any way. I have to say the latter camp was a little more vociferous--perhaps Verizon touched a nerve with their its snarky ad campaign (they aren't any snarkier than the "I'm a Mac" commercials)--but the Droid got people riled up on all fronts.

In the back and forth, however, an important point gets lost. It's not about which device is better, it's about which device is better for you. Some will prefer the iPhone and some will prefer the Droid. There's plenty of room in this world for more than one good phone.

Apple fans shouldn't reflexively slam the Droid (seriously, there's no reason to feel threatened) and Google Android devotees shouldn't cheer for the iPhone to be vanquished (schadenfreude is not charming). Each device can can excel in its own way, and not every phone will be perfect at everything. It's all part of the gadget world. And that's OK.

For many smartphone manufacturers and carriers, the Apple iPhone is the great, white elephant in the room. Though they might not want to acknowledge it, the iPhone has certainly changed the game and for better or worse, it's become the gold standard to which a lot of people compare other touch-screen phones.

While most of the competition might be content to let their products speak for themselves, Verizon has made a bold move by single-handedly calling out the iPhone and AT&T in its iDon't and "There's a map for that" TV commercials. The ads are certainly entertaining to watch, but are they actually true? Did Motorola really create an earth-conquering smartphone in the Droid?

Well, we decided to find out in our own Motorola Droid vs. iPhone 3GS Prizefight and while we won't spoil the ending here, we will say it was our closest smartphone Prizefight ever. Check it out for yourself and be sure to take advantage of our new commenting system right on the Prizefight page to leave your remarks. Apple, Android fanboy/girl alike, we're sure you'll have plenty to say. It all goes down right here.

Steve Jobs announces iPhone OS 3.1.

(Credit: Stephen Shankland/CNET)

Updated at 2:00pm PT with screenshots

At its special event Wednesday, Apple announced the latest iPhone software update iPhone 3.1. We're still downloading it now, but below you can read the list of changes as provided by Apple. Keep in mind that the ability to save a video from a multimedia message is dependent on MMS going live on September 25.

• Genius recommendations for Applications
• Support for iTunes 9 (Mac and Windows downloads), which offers Genius Mixes, app organization in iTunes, improved syncing options for music, movies, TV shows, podcasts, and photos, iTunes U Content organization
• Redeem iTunes Gift cards, codes, and certificates in the App Store
• Display available iTunes account credits in the App Store and iTunes Store
• Browse and download ringtones wirelessly from the iTunes Store
• Save video from mail and multimedia messages into Camera Roll
• Option to "save as new clip" when trimming a video on iPhone 3GS
• Better iPhone 3G Wi-Fi performance when Bluetooth is turned on
• Remotely lock iPhone with a passcode via MobileMe
• Use Voice Control on iPhone 3GS with Bluetooth headsets
• Paste phone numbers into the Keypad
• Option to use Home button to turn on Accessibility features on iPhone 3GS
• Warn when visiting fraudulent Web sites in Safari (antiphishing)
• Improved Exchange calendar syncing and invitation handling
• Fixes issue that caused some app icons to display incorrectly

iPhone OS 3.1 photos

Everyone says the iPhone would be better with Verizon, but we wonder if that is really the case. We also discuss all the app stores that went live recently, a new Samsung Gravity 2, a truly hands-free Bluetooth headset, and more.

News
J.D. Power customer care award ends in three-way tie
Use the iPhone on Verizon
Will a Verizon iPhone be better? Maybe
T-Mobile churns out Samsung Gravity 2
North American GSM Palm Pre gets Wi-Fi certification
Samsung releases SDK for its TouchWiz phones
Verizon entices app developers
Palm accepting submissions for App Catalog e-commerce beta program
BlackBerry's App World comes of age online
A truly hands-free Bluetooth headset
Samsung rolls out three new headsets

Reviews
Samsung i8910 Omnia HD
Samsung Mondi
LG Crystal GD900
Cell2Tel

Upcoming reviews
Samsung Gravity 2
Nokia 7610 Supernova
Palm Pre vs. MyTouch 3G prizefight

The CTIA 2009 spring show is just a few days away, and there are sure to be new product announcements. HTC, Nokia, Samsung, Motorola, LG--they'll all be there. However, there's one company in particular that's at the forefront of my mind, and it would be Palm. I'm sure you can guess why.

Palm Pre, where are you?

(Credit: Corinne Schulze/CNET)

Both Palm and Sprint will be in Las Vegas for the show, but the companies don't have any news conferences or major events scheduled--just an invite-only VIP Lounge where they'll have the Palm Pre on display.

I really hope we'll learn some new information at CTIA (ahem, pricing, release date), since we clearly didn't during their last Webcast. However, I fear it'll be more of the same and we'll come home none the wiser. Part of me also thinks that they'll wait till the last possible moment (June) to deliver on their "first half of 2009" promise, but I hope I'm wrong.

Palm and Sprint are running into dangerous territory right now. We said at CES 2009 that it was risky for the companies to announce the smartphone (though smart in many ways) back in January and they had to careful to deliver on their promise and not delay the phone.

On the one hand, I commend Palm for better communication with the public whether it be through its blog or Twitter feed, but there's comes a point where the canned responses get old and things like the Webcast look like a stalling method or shameless self-promotion. I think it's pretty safe to say, we're at that point, and the masses are getting restless.

Also, with the new iPhone OS 3.0 and all its new features, the Pre has lost some of its competitive edge. (The chart below gives you a side-by-side comparison of the basic features of the two smartphones.) Plus, there's a chance we could see a new iPhone at WWDC in early June and that could certainly steal some of the Pre's thunder. ... Read more

Forget green beer, Apple chose St. Patrick's Day to roll out big changes to the iPhone. The new iPhone OS 3.0 promises a host of sorely-needed features, including multimedia messaging and cut and paste. In this episode of Dialed In, we tell you all about the new additions, and give our take on what they mean for Apple's phone. Nicole is grooving to the music in Austin, Texas, so News.com's Tom Krazit joins us to discuss the iPhone brouhaha. Also, Bonnie also fills you in on a very unexciting Palm Pre Webcast and I tell you why the LG Rumo2 is new, but no so improved.

News
Hands-on screenshots of iPhone 3.0
List of the new iPhone 3.0 features
Live blog of the iPhone 3.0 announcement
Palm Pre Webcast
New Verizon Wireless application assists visually-impaired
MetroPCS gets smarter
Virgin Mobile promises touch-screen phones
AT&T offers budget-friendly Moto EM330 music phone
HTC to ship at least three Android devices in 2009
Kyocera Jax appears on Virgin Mobile site

Reviews
LG Rumor2

Upcoming reviews
HTC S743
Kyocera Mako S4000
Nokia 6500 Classic
Motorola i9

Why mess with a good thing?

(Credit: Corinne Schulze/CNET Networks)

Apple fans were disappointed last month when the annual Macworld Expo failed to produce a new version of the iPhone. Indeed, Apple's last Macworld appearance was a snoozer in many ways. New products of any type were slim and CEO Steve Jobs did not give his usual "one more thing" keynote.

In the weeks leading up to the show, rumors regarding a new iPhone were widespread. Most buzz predicted a cheaper, smaller version of the device--an "iPhone Nano" if you will--while others forecast a 32GB iPhone or a pink model. Though all of these rumored devices failed to materialize, the iPhone Nano gossip is showing no means of dying down. In fact, the most recent dish suggesting that China would get it first.

T-Mobile G1

(Credit: Corinne Schulze/CNET Networks)

I'm a month-to-month T-Mobile customer with a Nokia 6133 that is on its lest leg. I want to get a phone with a full Internet browser and I'm deciding between the iPhone and the T-Mobile G1. I'd also like access for my Yahoo mail, but I don't need my work e-mail. Which do you recommend? Also, I don't own an iPod or use iTunes (I usually use Amazon to purchase music), so I'm concerned about moving to an all-iTunes environment.
- EJ

That's a a very good question, EJ, and the answer depends on your individual needs and desires. Though the iPhone is the better overall device (at least right now) a person in your situation should seriously consider the G1. Here is why.

I always tell people who are considering purchasing an iPhone 3G that there are three reasons to buy one. Forget the slick design and the flashy and user-friendly interface; I recommend buying the iPhone for its Web browser, its media player, and (to a somewhat lesser extent) its support for third-party applications. These three areas are where the iPhone performs very well, so I advise basing your decision on a comparison of those points. Sure, the design and interface are important, but I'd treat them and the e-mail integration as secondary motivators. And of course, I wouldn't base my decision on call quality alone, as the iPhone 3G still suffers in that area.

When boiled down to those three points, the G1 offers a compelling alternative to the iPhone. It also has a Web browser and media player and it supports third-party apps. While those apps are limited for now, more will come in the future. And as Bonnie Cha and Nicole Lee reported in their G1 review, the media player and browser offered satisfying performance. Sure, they may not be as good as on the iPhone, but they may be good enough for you. And here's another advantage for you: the G1's integration with the Amazon MP3 store means you wouldn't have to switch over to iTunes. And on a similar note, the G1 would enable you to stay with T-Mobile if you're happy with its service.

The iPhone 3G still warrants an excellent rating.

(Credit: Corinne Schulze/CNET Networks)

When you review an Apple product, you can be sure that readers will say one of two things: either you didn't rate it high enough or you rated it way too high. Rarely, if ever, is there any middle ground.

Just take the review of the original iPhone, for example. Soon after we posted it last June, letters from CNET readers started pouring in. As veteran Apple reviewer Donald Bell had predicted, the letters fell into the aforementioned camps. However, after some time, I noticed that most readers felt we were too hard on the iPhone, which received an "excellent" rating of 8.0 (or four stars out of five). From our perspective, the rating was justified: although the iPhone was a gorgeous device with a fantastic display, a great user-friendly interface, a top-notch media player, and a breakthrough Web browser, it suffered from variable call quality and a lack of basic cell phone features. That's why Donald and I withheld the CNET Editors' Choice award.

Now fast-forward a year to our review of the iPhone 3G. Since the second-generation iPhone brought a host of added features and better call quality, we assigned a higher rating--an "excellent" rating of 8.3, which also equals four stars under CNET's new rating system. This time, however, we left the possibility of an Editors' Choice award on the table and decided to wait for full battery testing results to make that decision--on the first day of use, I had noticed the battery depleting too quickly while using the 3G network. So we posted our review and waited.

While we waited, I got a different set of letters. As concerns about the iPhone's dropped calls, battery life, and shaky 3G connections grew louder, I received many letters complaining that we had been too easy on the iPhone 3G. Readers asked me to reconsider the rating because of the problems that were affecting so many iPhone customers. Of course, the problems concerned me, but I wanted to see them for myself before I took action. (It would be irresponsible and a disservice to CNET readers if I adjusted the rating based solely on reports I had heard from other people.)

It took a while to put our review iPhone 3G though the battery drain paces and get it back from CNET Labs, but once I did, we performed more usability testing. And gradually, we did notice a few problems. Dropped calls on our phone remained rare, but the 3G connection issues were apparent. Specifically, I noticed the weak connection and the sloppy hand off between the 3G and EDGE networks. Also, while the official CNET Labs battery testing results fell within the promised times, our iPhone's battery came close to running out after a long day of heavy multitasking. I added the new observations to the iPhone 3G review and spent time questioning whether they warranted a rating change.

Ultimately, we felt the issues that we experienced on our review device weren't reason enough to reduce the iPhone's 3G's rating. We are, however, withholding the Editors' Choice award once again. We agree that these problems are significant, but the iPhone 3G remains a landmark product in many ways. It still offers a great design, the interface and display are no less lovely, the music player and Web browser remain top-notch, and we admire the App Store. Even the sometimes-frustrating Microsoft Exchange e-mail support merits a few points. But more importantly, we want to see whether Apple successfully fixes the problems, as the company said it is planning to do on Friday, September 12 with the 2.1 software update. If the problems continue to persist over the next few months, we'll revisit the issue.

Kent German, CNET's cell phones guru, answers your questions about cell phones, services, and accessories and reports on the state of the industry. Send him a question.