The long-awaited iPhone sequel may not offer any revolutionary improvements—as if such a thing were even possible—but it does address complaints over the original's slow download speeds and hefty price. Faster, cheaper, and just as easy to control, the iPhone 3G also comes with a GPS chip. Too bad the antenna's too weak to be useful at highway speeds. Another minor gripe: The new 3G model requires an additional ten bucks a month for AT&T's basic data plan (which adds up to an extra $240 over the life of your contract). Jonathan Ive's redesign, however, is slight but significant: The curvier (if more easily smudged) case feels markedly better in your hand, and it also does away with that annoying proprietary headphone jack. More important is the new App Store, essentially iTunes for programs created by third-party developers, ranging from enterprising amateur geeks to the pros at eBay. That the shop is compatible with the first iPhone, however, is revealing—Apple hasn't so much reinvented the genre this time as come up with a diverting and profitable spin-off. (Think Shrek 2, not The Godfather: Part II.) Still, early adopters who paid 200 bucks more for the original will be glad to hear that their fancy handset hasn't suddenly become obsolete.
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