The good, the beautiful and the bad of iPhone 3G

[cerja]

As I passed a few months ago, I decided to change my Nokia E70 (a 2006 model robust but slow and, in many ways, obsolete, ie no 3G and no GPS) for an iPhone. I armed myself with patience and looks forward to the 3G, now I've been using for about a week.
Given my profession, I try a dozen phones year. Who specializes in the topic here in the Technology section, is Ricardo Sametband, but teams are also passed through my hands at some point. Every so often, when one particularly appeals to me, I do a video analysis.
So far, however, none had tempted me enough to leave the solid and versatile E70 ago. Except the iPhone.
I liked since the first version, called 2G, and is light years ahead of other phones, and not by their functions, but for the relationship established with the user (Jazz, un iPhone y algunas revelaciones - lanacion.com Â*). Again, as with graphical interfaces to computers 25 years ago with the iPod in 2001, Apple led the way forward. Had long enjoyed not so much with an electronic device, and that is precisely the secret of the iPod and the iPhone is a pleasure to use.
However, the new model is a combination of light and shadow. I'd be pretty frustrated if I had not found a shortcut for fun*****tal flaw: the battery.
In addition, he brings the cloth to clean!
Speed
Seriously, the 3G is significantly faster than the previous model, the 3G. This is especially noticeable when opening applications, not so much to run. A program starting late in drives me crazy, so for me this readiness is significant. They also charge some Web pages faster. In the team's performance (text messaging, iPods and even the current 3D games) there is a big difference with the previous model, at least not one that justifies the purchase. For now.
This situation will change as they appear more applications that leverage the power of 3G. Although this, as will be seen below, may be more a punishment than a blessing.
For now, most notably, where the greatest power of 3G is the feature and still unrivaled responsiveness of the touch screen the iPhone has been further improved. No more waiting a couple of seconds until it happens to rotate. Still not instant, but close.
Take 3
Two other factors that put the new model above it are the video camera 3 megapixel autofocus and the ability to record videos (without making a jailbreaking, that is, unlocked). In both cases, the phone also focuses on any part of the image we touch on the screen. Excellent. Take pictures and record videos acceptable reasonably good, the films also can be cut into the phone and save the edited copy or overwrite the original video.
Although more megapixels, the camera of 3G continues to photos with enough grain (called noise, in the jargon), default drag from previous versions, in low light, this is far below what is acceptable for a mobile phone of this cost.
Now, how much work was to add a shutter button? I understand that Apple design is more important than oxygen, water and sunlight. But a tiny button to the right, or note ...
Nothing, we are working with that button on the screen. Not that I take many, but the autofotos goodbye for now.
Wi-Fi
The Wi-Fi reception has not improved one bit. In adverse conditions in my old house with thick walls and lots of iron, with the wireless router and 20 meters on the first floor, both the 3G and 3G are unable to get the signal. Instead, the veteran took with the E70 the same ease as a notebook. To be clear, it is virtually impossible for a cell phone to get my router at that distance and so many obstacles, but I was hoping they had improved a little this and that would match the E70. Not so.
Since battery consumption imposed by mobile broadband (3G call, hence the name of the second version of the iPhone), I have to put another router in between to bridge the Wi-Fi signal or summon spirits from the beyond microwaves push harder. You can also boost the signal by physical means, but that can be visually grotesque, even in my studio crammed with hardware.
The worst of 3G
The weakest point of the new iPhone is the battery life. When used with everything that's interesting phone (mobile broadband, push and GPS), will not last a day. In fact, be reduced to well under a day, if also abused 3D acceleration, the other strong point of the new model. Some have suggested that 3G which are short-lived batteries failed. They are not. What is wrong is the battery installed by Apple.
Of this new model of 1219 milliamp hour (mAh), while the previous model is 1150 mAh. 3G processor (an ARM Cortex-A8) is 45% faster than 3G, and although it is true that there is more efficient, it is impossible to be 39% cheaper in terms of consumption.
Added to this is the video accelerator. In the previous model was a PowerVR MBX Lite, designed to consume little. 3G is one of the PowerVR SGX, newer and (guess) more powerful, a video accelerator with all of the law, in fact.
Without analyzing it is therefore very easy to see why the new iPhone runs out of battery so fast. When used for heat-intensive tasks, and heats much more than 3G or iPod Touch. He did not, at least in my tests, at an alarming rate, but much more breathable than 3G. More heat dissipation means one thing: more power consumption. This is great because it is a powerful Pocket PC (here is a good breakdown, in English, 3G hardware: Contact Support) . Unfortunately, the battery is not up to it. It is by far the weakest of the new iPhone.
The autonomy of the previous model suffered horrors when used simultaneously and for a long time GPS and mobile broadband. 3GS this leads to the critical zone, and if it is used graphics accelerator (jueguitos 3D, typically), the battery life plummets.
Houston, We Have a Problem
Unfortunately, GPS and mobile broadband, combined with the unique touchscreen iPhone, are what makes this phone so interesting. My first impression was that he would have to choose between using it or watch it.
The iPhone is nice, but not stupid.
So I decided to find a way to use it with no limitations and that the battery will last at least a day. Is it two?
I discovered that there is no way for the 3G lasts more than a day between charges, unlike the previous model, which can reach 48 hours, if you make a moderate use of broadband, the little games and GPS. But was there a way to configure the iPhone 3G to make it refresh only once a day?
I started my experiments with these numbers: without 3G and without using GPS or games, 1 hour and 23 minutes of use (mail, phone, camera) consumed 27% of the battery. That would cast about 5 hours of continuous use. But in fact, that 27% went on a night of sleep 7 hours in a normal working day, so the phone should last comfortably for more than 24 hours.
I noticed, however, that during the night had evaporated by 10% of battery. What was happening? I did not know, but first I concentrated on making last at least 12 to 15 hours with key functions on.
If you need autonomy, here's the recipe:
First, forget the games in 3D. The powerful 3G video accelerator consumes battery, and if the videogame uses vibration worse. I have no problem in being without games, but for some people this may be the difference between buying or not the new iPhone. Paradoxically, given the hardware it brings, Apple was thinking when he designed games with her.
Second, you have to disable Push (Settings> Mail, Contacts, Calendars> Get Data) and set the phone to get data every hour or manually. If you receive many emails and have Push enabled, the server is sending all the time on the phone, taking advantage of 3G and with it, wasting battery. If the signal is poor, the push will cause havoc.
Third, turn off Wi-Fi until you need an antenna to detect or know you have a hotspot at hand (at home, in the office). You'll have less spending power component and pass it prevents tracking and trying to connect to whichever antenna gets in the road.
Fourth, turn off Bluetooth except when you intend to use.
Fifth, lower the screen brightness. Except to be broad daylight, the team comes from the factory with too much brightness. By the way, the iPhone is one of the most visible displays in the sun. But do not overdo it: the more the internal external heat are a bad combination for this team.
Sixth, turn off the screen when not using the phone and reduce the time autolock to 1 minute (Settings> General).
Tests
I implemented this recipe and these were the results.
3G turned on and turned off Wi-Fi and Bluetooth, and turn off Push, allowing data collection in one hour at a time, could improve this value later, if necessary. I'm usually near a computer, so do not need to know instantly when I receive messages. If so, I can check the boxes manually. After all, is what you do when you expect something with anxiety.
I refrained from the games with her completely and I stopped doing endless experiments with GPS. Incidentally, the accuracy of the system is excellent for both location and more to measure speed. Digital compass, a charm.
Wi-Fi consumes less battery power than 3G, so you should look for a sign or use our wireless router and Web mail or chat. But if the goal is to save every drop of energy, it is better to turn it off when we are in motion.
With this setting, talking and texting as always, the iPhone 3G came almost at the same level of consumption in the previous experiment. On a calm day, after 8 hours of working time, still had a range of 67 percent. Not bad, although there were a few hours ahead.
Now, why he lost 10% battery overnight? That's basically the equivalent of 4 hours of normal use, including waiting time.
Sleep on the plane
Like any old house, mine is a giant Faraday cage: iron-framed windows, blinds of the same metal and beams to support a skyscraper (Jaula de Faraday - Wikipedia, la enciclopedia libre). So the electromagnetic signals are very difficult to enter and exit. From the living room, the iPhone located me by triangulation of two or more antennas blocks from my house, and the cellular signal ranges from little or nothing. But from the terrace, I located with precision by GPS within the block where I live and the 3G signal up to the maximum.
At the end of the battery, most of the houses are a nightmare, whether old or new, because we put ourselves behind bars for security reasons. The poorer the signal, the phone uses. This does not fix it, off you go to the terrace, it is not advisable when it is raining or -2 ° C, or speak up against a window without bars.
Then I understood why the iPhone had eaten 10% of battery overnight. In my room, located in the heart of the house, the signal is practically zero. I decided to do another experiment. "Turn off the phone? No, something better.
If sleeping quietly put the phone (which is what I do, sometimes one must give yourself permission to not be available), it should turn on airplane mode. Took the test and nocturnal consumption declined from 10% to 1 percent. He had done it! I felt like in the movie Apollo 13.
In any case, this counts for all phones. If you have poor signal in your home and wants to gain some autonomy, put it in airplane mode overnight. Note, however, that in this way will not receive calls or text messages and dial the number who receive the message that your phone is off or out of coverage area. Technically, radio has gone mobile.
Incidentally, is not the same place the phone in airplane mode to turn it off. The iPhone is slow to start almost the same as a PC, well, not quite, but it takes a while. In fact, all computers smartphones are also used to talk on the phone. The boot process and to a lesser extent off-consumes more battery than just turn the radio on your phone by putting it in Airplane Mode.
The iPhone is not the cell would recommend just to talk, send SMS and get photos, but its audio quality is so good it makes sense to replace an iPod Touch or other expensive music players. If this is the case, that is, if you rarely visit the Web or use maps or e-mail, turn off 3G. The screen will say EDGE. That's 2G and consumes much less power than mobile broadband. Mail and calendars, is short, but enough.
Music, maestro
One of the best news of the iPhone 3G is that its music player does not consume almost anything, and the audio quality is excellent (for headsets only acceptable, as it brings the team, and considering that it's MP3). It's an iPod, in short, and is at the level of the best, even better than 3G. Is not high fidelity, but is as good as the best portable MP3 devices. So now I can have my mandatory hour of music per day (otherwise, one is dry inside) without missing calls and SMS.
Much to say the iPhone 3G. Not the phone's most advanced. The Toshiba G01, the Nokia N900, the Pre Palm, Sony Ericsson and HTC Hero Satio offer more megapixels and multitasking, two very weak points of the iPhone, and more autonomy. However, it is the most human of all, not just because he won so much space in such a short time. In my opinion, is making a tour similar to the first personal computers with graphical interface, the Mac is why I find it interesting.
Of course, if I am right, then Apple could be making a second time the same error.