Screen and input

The touchscreen is a 9 cm (3.5 in) liquid crystal display with a resolution of 320-by-480 (HVGA) at 163 ppi along with a scratch-resistant glass sitting on top of the display. The capacitive touchscreen is designed for a bare finger, or multiple fingers for multi-touch sensing.

The device also features the same sensors its predecessor had. A repositioned proximity sensor which deactivates the display and touchscreen when the device is brought near the face during a call. This is done to save battery power and to prevent inadvertent inputs from the user’s face and ears. An ambient light sensor adjusts the display brightness which in turns saves battery power. A 3-axis accelerometer senses the orientation of the phone and changes the screen accordingly, allowing the user to easily switch between portrait and landscape mode..

[edit]Processor and memory

Most of the iPhone 3G's internal hardware were based on the original iPhone. It still included a Samsung 32-bit RISC ARM11 620 MHz processor (underclocked to 412 MHz), a PowerVR MBX Lite 3D GPU, and 128 MB of eDRAM.

[edit]Camera

On the rear of the device, the iPhone 3G features the same fixed-focus 2.0 megapixel camera that its predecessor had. It has no optical zoom, flash, or autofocus, and does not support video recording, although various applications have allowed video recording on the device. The iPhone OS 2.0 software update which came preloaded on the iPhone 3G at launch, introduced the capability to embed location data in the pictures producing geocoded photographs.

[edit]Connectivity

In addition to EDGE, the iPhone 3G included the addition of Assisted GPS, 3G data, and Quad-band UMTS/HSDPA. These enhancements allowed faster data downloads and turn-by-turn navigationwith Maps.

Like its predecessor and recent iPods, the iPhone 3G also features the same proprietary 30-pin dock connector for charging the device. It is also used to synchronize the device with a computer and to connect various accessories.

The iPhone 3G also features a flush-mounted 3.5 mm headphone jack instead of the recessed headphone jack that was included on the original iPhone, thus it can be used with headphones other than those provided by Apple.

[edit]Battery

The iPhone 3G features an internal rechargeable battery rated at 1150mAh, which like its predecessor, is not user-replaceable. Apple states the iPhone 3G’s battery is capable of providing up to seven hours of video, six hours of web browsing on WiFi or five on 3G, ten hours of 2G talk time, or five on 3G, and 25 hours of audio playback, or 300 hours of standby. Unlike the original iPhone, the iPhone 3G uses a different battery which is fitted with a connector and is easier to replace, although replacement by any party besides Apple still voids the warranty.

The battery life of the iPhone 3G has been criticized by several technology journalists as insufficient and less than Apple’s claims. This is also reflected by a J.D. Power and Associates custom satisfaction survey, which gave the “battery aspects” of the device its lowest rating of 2 out of 5 stars.

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