vB Easy Archive - Can someone tell me why everyone is so nuts about 3G?

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Can someone tell me why everyone is so nuts about 3G?
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Posted by: steve45058

I only see 1 pro for having 3G. Faster speed.... but i dont understand it... i average 175 kbps on edge..... 3G speeds seem very unnecessary... How much faster can it actually be?

Cons (some of these might be wrong)
Wastes Battery
Additional Charges to use
Not that great of coverage
iPhone will probably cost more

So whats the big deal? Why do you guys want it so bad? Enlighten me

Posted by: nfl46

I'm not. 3G isn't available in my area till June...well thats around the time it suppose to come out...but I'm not crazy over 3g.

I guess ppl like it b/c of the things u mention and also u can talk and surf the net at the same time.

Posted by: steve45058

i guess talking and surfing is cool, probably gonna be rare if it happens tho.... it just seems everyone is talking about the 3g iPhone and I don't see why

Posted by: romster522

hmmm increased download speeds aren't important eh?

how about downloading large file attachments and sending them......streaming higher quality video and audio.....faster web browsing.....faster updates of apps (stocks, weather etc.).....possible video calling......

assuming they use hsdpa....you are looking at a speed increase 10x over....and why wouldn't you want what is already available on a freakin nokia 6555....doesn't it make you upset that it can access a website exponentially faster than you can

surfing and talking isn't as rare as you think.....there have been many times where i have needed to surf the net and couldn't....someone calls and asks me about movie times or for directions.....

Posted by: yocko

especially here in europe... we never m,ade the hub to edge, but went straight to 3g, umts or hdspa...

here iphone surfing is ridiculously slow

Posted by: cokeman73

It will take more than 3g for me to get the new version. While I'm sure every 1 likes faster connection the main issue. Can AT&T handle it?
I had talked to CS the other day about my iPhone data plan, Something was said about 3G & I asked why I hadn't got it yet. It was suppose to be here last Nov. Take it for what it's worth but he told me 3G would be available nation wide by the end of the year. I'll believe it when I see it.

Posted by: Quake97

Well, two main things for me. Speed and the ability to be on the phone and use data at the same time. That's huge in the business world. If you're on a call and need to check something online, it's a godsend. The battery life still isn't great with 3G, but that can only get better.

Joe

Posted by: rablat

Everybody always seems to forget that call quality is also affected by 3G
No more half rate on 3G always Full rate. WCDMA which is the voice side of 3G is much greater sound quality both ends of the conversation.

Posted by: zephxiii

How the hell did you come up with "Additional charges to use"??? Thats completely false.

As far as coverage, its growing every quarter, and so what if its not 100% coverage, you get it when its available, which is better than never getting it.

I doubt there will be any effect on the iphone's price.

Voice quality, yes, since no one has bothered to figure out how to disable AMR-HR on the iphone, there will be a significant improvement while on UMTS.

Posted by: vandy1997

Why get a digital TV when you can have analog? The answer is because it is better technology, and it will help newer technology to be developed. Otherwise, we would still be using rotary dial phones!! Whay do we NEED a touch button phone? All kidding aside, you CAN do the following:

1) Upload/download at speeds that are up to 10x faster (did you ever use a dial-up modem and broadband for uploading/downloading and for browsing the internet? come on, now!); that means you can stream TV, download videos faster (video rentals on the road); download music faster; download applications faster; can make video calls;

2) Can use data and make/receive calls at the same time; this is not only useful for those who are using the internet and on the phone call at the same time; it can also be useful for somebody who is using an internet-based GPS application and receives a phone call; with EDGE, one must be turned off for the other to function; with 3G, the GPS will continue to function while you receive the phone call;

3) Better quality voice - as discussed before (WCDMA);

4) 3G will be available practically everywhere sooner or later - possibly by the end of the year; as Apple required AT&T to increase the speed and quality of EDGE, it may require the same of AT&T with respect to 3G - or at least to require AT&T to make it available nationwide;

5) I believe that 3G is more global - probably easier to access in oter countries;

6) Myth that rates will increase - likely not or people would decide only to get the EDGE package; with time, EDGE will die (as happened with analog), and so rates will not increase;

7) iPhone may cost more initially for early adopters, but as with other technogoly, the price will be the same as the original iPhone when it was launched; for those who cannot afford it initially, get the original iPhone at a discount and wait one year to purchase iPhone 2;

8) Wastes battery - probably the best point - but new chips are more efficient; and Apple has great pull in squeezing manufacturers to make better and more efficient products, as it did with Intel so that it could make the Air; also, if this product ever makes it to market http://mophie.com/products/juice-pack/?pod=iPhone , battery life is no longer a big deal, and it doubles as a case/phone protector, you can buy two and always have once charged, and it bypasses the problem of not being able to switch th internal battery;

I think that I am done. Wile 3G is not a necessity for all by any means, it is more important than you think in making it more of a standard. The US lags much of the world in mobile communications networks - it is rather embarrassing.

One more thought - maybe Apple will be embarrassed not to include full Bluetooth capability, a native search feature, native cut and paste, voice dialing, etc. (pretty basic features on high-end smartphones) on a state-of-the-art mobile communicator!! (crossing fingers)

Any other questions?

Posted by: Mark Booth

I suspect Apple will introduce additional new technologies to the 2nd Generation iPhone. Perhaps the new iPhone will use OLED for the screen? If that's the case, not only will the screen use less power than the current screen, the screen will be thinner and allow more space for a larger battery! Apple will possibly re-work the internal layout of parts, perhaps even introducing some new custom chips, and maybe gain more power savings and battery space there too.

I predict the 3G iPhone will be better in more ways than just the 3G network. In fact, I'm betting that the 3G iPhone will have BETTER battery life than the current model.

Time will tell.

Mark

Posted by: vandy1997

Maybe an iPhone Air? The thinnest phone on the market? Maybe in a couple of generations down the road. I actually wouldn't like the phone to be too thin or too small because the screen would have to be smaller and/or some functionality would have to be removed. Maybe an iPhone Mini for those who don't want as many features and who are younger and don't need the larger screen to see well (or maybe have a pop-up magnifying glass, as was offered as an accessory for the Gameboy, I believe - haha).

Posted by: Chip90

How about not missing calls? On EDGE, if you are using data heavy apps- such as Youtube- all calls will go STRAIGHT to voicemail. With 3G, it is possible to receive calls during heavy data usage.

Posted by: zephxiii

Quote:

Originally Posted by Chip90

How about not missing calls? On EDGE, if you are using data heavy apps- such as Youtube- all calls will go STRAIGHT to voicemail. With 3G, it is possible to receive calls during heavy data usage.

Excellent point, at least we have paging on EDGE

Posted by: ski1ski1

Quote:

Originally Posted by steve45058

i average 175 kbps on edge..... 3G speeds seem very unnecessary... How much faster can it actually be?

Your raw download speeds might be 175 kps, but that does not include latency. EDGE has very poor latency compared to 3G. When latency is factored in, you have a real world internet experience similar to a dial-up connection. That is why most web pages on the iPhone take between 30 to 60+ seconds to load on EDGE. Wouldn't you want a internet experience closer to the wi-fi experience you can obtain on the iPhone ?

Posted by: friedbrains

Quote:

Originally Posted by steve45058

I only see 1 pro for having 3G. Faster speed.... but i dont understand it... i average 175 kbps on edge..... 3G speeds seem very unnecessary... How much faster can it actually be?

Cons (some of these might be wrong)
Wastes Battery
Additional Charges to use
Not that great of coverage
iPhone will probably cost more

So whats the big deal? Why do you guys want it so bad? Enlighten me

untill you have not eaten a venison stew, you will never know how good it is... basically the same with 3G...

Posted by: steve45058

Quote:

Originally Posted by vandy1997

Why get a digital TV when you can have analog? The answer is because it is better technology, and it will help newer technology to be developed. Otherwise, we would still be using rotary dial phones!! Whay do we NEED a touch button phone? All kidding aside, you CAN do the following:

1) Upload/download at speeds that are up to 10x faster (did you ever use a dial-up modem and broadband for uploading/downloading and for browsing the internet? come on, now!); that means you can stream TV, download videos faster (video rentals on the road); download music faster; download applications faster; can make video calls;

2) Can use data and make/receive calls at the same time; this is not only useful for those who are using the internet and on the phone call at the same time; it can also be useful for somebody who is using an internet-based GPS application and receives a phone call; with EDGE, one must be turned off for the other to function; with 3G, the GPS will continue to function while you receive the phone call;

3) Better quality voice - as discussed before (WCDMA);

4) 3G will be available practically everywhere sooner or later - possibly by the end of the year; as Apple required AT&T to increase the speed and quality of EDGE, it may require the same of AT&T with respect to 3G - or at least to require AT&T to make it available nationwide;

5) I believe that 3G is more global - probably easier to access in oter countries;

6) Myth that rates will increase - likely not or people would decide only to get the EDGE package; with time, EDGE will die (as happened with analog), and so rates will not increase;

7) iPhone may cost more initially for early adopters, but as with other technogoly, the price will be the same as the original iPhone when it was launched; for those who cannot afford it initially, get the original iPhone at a discount and wait one year to purchase iPhone 2;

8) Wastes battery - probably the best point - but new chips are more efficient; and Apple has great pull in squeezing manufacturers to make better and more efficient products, as it did with Intel so that it could make the Air; also, if this product ever makes it to market http://mophie.com/products/juice-pack/?pod=iPhone , battery life is no longer a big deal, and it doubles as a case/phone protector, you can buy two and always have once charged, and it bypasses the problem of not being able to switch th internal battery;

I think that I am done. Wile 3G is not a necessity for all by any means, it is more important than you think in making it more of a standard. The US lags much of the world in mobile communications networks - it is rather embarrassing.

One more thought - maybe Apple will be embarrassed not to include full Bluetooth capability, a native search feature, native cut and paste, voice dialing, etc. (pretty basic features on high-end smartphones) on a state-of-the-art mobile communicator!! (crossing fingers)

Any other questions?

I like your points. Thanks for clarifying things... I do have a question about your first point though.... Everyone seems to say OMG STREAM TV MUSIC BLAH BLAH.... First off if you wanted to stream from a website such as surfthechannel or something... you need flash. Apple doesnt provide flash. So even Pandora.com u cant even use. ATT doesnt provide services either like Verizon does (I might be wrong again) to stream TV or music. Video calls are cool.... but how many people have the camera on a phone facing the person???? Believe me I LOVE TECHNOLOGY. But I dont see buying technology, that phones cant even handle yet. You can't do much more else than look up websites.... On the iphone really. Ive tried using 3G on a blackjack. The websites seemed to load maybe a second faster if that.

So in conclusion.... If the iPhone can do ALL of the things I asked above..... then by all means 3G is SICK but iPhone cant do that stuff yet

Posted by: steve45058

Quote:

Originally Posted by ski1ski1

I did experience the latency when I compared the BJ again to my phone. Did not know that had a big effect.

Posted by: ski1ski1

Quote:

Originally Posted by steve45058

Ive tried using 3G on a blackjack. The websites seemed to load maybe a second faster if that.

The bottleneck on the Blackjack is the very slow rendering and performance of the mobile IE browser and the slower processor. Try putting a modern and faster rendering browser on the Blackjack and you will experience faster loading times with 3G.

Posted by: vandy1997

AT&T does have Mobile TV, but I believe that it cannot work on the iPhone. I am pretty sure that the phone needs to have an antenna for reception (not very pretty - see here, as an example on the upcoming LG Vu for AT&T: http://www.phonearena.com/htmls/Pre...cle-a_2612.html ). And I am confident that the iPhone will have some sort of Flash player sooner or later. There is currently a way to download certain Flash streams, convert them to QuickTime and play them on the iPhone with iPhoVideoHamster. See here: http://hackint0sh.org/forum/showthr...highlight=flash . I agree with you about video calls - it will be cool at the outset, but not after you have had it for a while.

I am not sure if you followed the introduction of the iPhone, but everybody complained how slow EDGE was. But before the iPhone came out, AT&T performed an enhancement to make EDGE run much faster. And I believe that such enhancement was due to the introduction of the iPhone. AT&T may do the same with 3G whne the 3G iPhone is introduced. I transferred over from Verizon to AT&T because of the iPhone. And I thought that I would hate AT&T's reception, but it is not bad. So it will be to AT&T's benefit to make its 3G network as great as possible so that people will switch over from other networks. AT&T should offer 3G in 350 major U.S. markets by the end of this year (see here: http://www.macworld.com/article/131...8/02/att3g.html ). 3G should also run faster on MobileSafari than it runs on PIE, and I am sure that Apple will tweak it so that it will definitely run much faster, as it wants to beat Microsoft in every way possible.

I am confident that 3G will make the iPhone a much better mobile communicator device. I will cross my fingers, anyhow!!

Quote:

Originally Posted by steve45058

Posted by: bigmike20

If only they would put a front facing camera, or at least add the Video Share feature on the phone. I actually tried it on a friend's phone and found it pretty useful at times. Wouldn't use it on a regular day basis, but willl come handy sometimes.
And also enable video download in the iTunes wifi store and make it useful on 3G.

Posted by: Eckono

3G comes in more handy than wifi in my opinion. I don't feel like have to go to a starbucks or a hotspot just to get hi-speed internet. In that case I could just wait until I get home and use my cpu. 3G is more convenient for me. You can pull up a web page so quickly or download files from email in a snap with 3G. Edge is so slow. The only time it's desent is when the network isnt crowded. I'll take 3G anyday.

Posted by: Petey07

I am not crazy over 3g, but i just want see what are the changes between 1gen and 2gen, if there major changes that interested me, then i will pick up the 2gen, but if nuthing really amuse me and it's similiar to 1gen then i will pick up the old one. hopefully the old one price drop.

Posted by: JonnyBruha

I'm never surprised that iPhone users aren't excited about 3G since a lot of its benefits wouldn't be very useful on the iPhone in its current state. The only real benefits would be downloading web pages faster, which would only be marginally faster due to the way Safari loads web pages and simultaneous voice and data. For only those two advantages, I'd rather have the better battery life on EDGE only.

Video calling is a great feature that 3G can take advantage of, but since the iPhone only has the 2mp camera on the back, it's not useful.

Video sharing would be great to use, but the iPhone doesn't currently support video recording, much less streaming it elsewhere, so again, it's not useful.

The iPhone does not have the ability to download files from websites natively, which is where the speed difference is much more noticeable. Useless again.

In line with downloading files, the iPhone does not have a torrent or P2P application, so using the speed to pirate music faster doesn't apply either.

Posted by: marktang

3G does waste your battery abit. i have been using 3G since it came out on rogers last yr and you will notice the speed and the sound quality improved. and also your battery just runs down abit faster but that's ok. then when i switched over to the iphone u noticed the decrease is speed of the internet.
about the additional cost it is not always true. it depends on how your carrier is charging you. i am happy with rogers for once. $5/month i get 3 yrs unlimited video calling and 10mb download every month. pretty of mb just to check emails.

Posted by: cokeman73

Quote:

Originally Posted by JonnyBruha

I'm never surprised that iPhone users aren't excited about 3G since a lot of its benefits wouldn't be very useful on the iPhone in its current state. The only real benefits would be downloading web pages faster, which would only be marginally faster due to the way Safari loads web pages and simultaneous voice and data. For only those two advantages, I'd rather have the better battery life on EDGE only.

Video calling is a great feature that 3G can take advantage of, but since the iPhone only has the 2mp camera on the back, it's not useful.

Video sharing would be great to use, but the iPhone doesn't currently support video recording, much less streaming it elsewhere, so again, it's not useful.

The iPhone does not have the ability to download files from websites natively, which is where the speed difference is much more noticeable. Useless again.

In line with downloading files, the iPhone does not have a torrent or P2P application, so using the speed to pirate music faster doesn't apply either.

Well said.

Posted by: KDarling

Or if it could tether, the difference in speed would be extremely apparent on the faster device.

Posted by: yourtoys7

I'm wondering if it'll be smaller/ thiner, that would be enuph reasons to upgrade. If it stays same as current size, then no really need to upgrade.

and 3G won't do anything for me in Canada and not shure when it will because of the pricing for data. This phone is strictly a toy that I really want not need.

Posted by: wookiee2cu

Faster speeds, being able to use voice and data at the same time and the biggest one... my slingbox! The lack of 3G is the only thing that has kept me from buying one. I'm in Seattle and get 3G HSDPA both at work and home so it would affect me.

Posted by: XFF

Quote:

Originally Posted by yourtoys7

I'm wondering if it'll be smaller/ thiner, that would be enuph reasons to upgrade. If it stays same as current size, then no really need to upgrade.

Well smaller would not be good, as that would mean a smaller screen, which (the current big screen) is one of the main selling points of the device, so that wouldn't make much sense. And thinner? Come on, if it gets any thinner then what it is now I would no longer know whether I'm holding it or not. Do you really want a sheet of paper for a phone?

Posted by: JonnyBruha

I'd actually like to see a thicker iPhone. Just like my last iPod, anytime I held it naked, it felt like I was about to drop it at any second and ruin a relatively expensive piece of electronics.

I don't know how much thinner it could get either. The Mac Book air is between .16" and .76" and the iPhone is in the middle of that at 0.46". Any thinner and you'd have to sacrifice even more features and I'd think it would break more easily like a wafer.

Posted by: Petey07

Hopefully it will get thinner and maybe slightly changes with the look, upgraded camera, louder/clearer/stereo speakers, and hopefully better screen.

Posted by: pachi

I don't know what some of you are smoking, saying that 3g is nothing special.
Edge is crap, you can't even upload anything..is too dam slow. If you think 3g aint that special, then some of you (or most of you) on DSL or cable swith back to aol or netzero dial up connection. I have my n95 on 3g ATt and i can't go back to a 2g phone. Even if Nokia would release their Iphone version with out 3g i would never get it. And if your wondering how fast it is, here is some screens i took from my phone DL and UL.

Uploading 7 megs of videos in less than 3 minutes.

DL 5 megs in 1 minutes.

Posted by: motormouth2416

3G is the term for the standards for wireless internet access that is more advanced than 2G (EDGE, GSM, CDMA, etc). Generally consists of HSPA, UMTS-TDD, and FOMA. Better speeds basically.

Wikipedia/Google will sum up everything for you.

Posted by: rmastbro

Don't get me wrong having 3G on an iPhone would be sweet but at what price ???

Right now we are paying $20 for unlimited web and email ... However, when the 3G iPhone comes out I will bet that the unlimited web will double ($40) just like it did for all smartphones when AT&T raised the prices late last year.

Yes, 3G is cool for the iPhone but would you pay $40/month to have this feature ???

Just my 2 cents

Posted by: JonnyBruha

Why would it double? Non-smartphones that are accessing the 3G network are all paying the same rate as they would be with an EDGE only device, and if Apple or AT&T tried to pull a stunt like that, you could always jailbreak the phone to use a non-iPhone data plan at $15/month.

Posted by: vdubguy

Quote:

Originally Posted by rmastbro

Don't get me wrong having 3G on an iPhone would be sweet but at what price ???

Right now we are paying $20 for unlimited web and email ... However, when the 3G iPhone comes out I will bet that the unlimited web will double ($40) just like it did for all smartphones when AT&T raised the prices late last year.

Yes, 3G is cool for the iPhone but would you pay $40/month to have this feature ???

Just my 2 cents

Any since then, the price of their "smartphone" internet had dropped to $30 from $40.

Posted by: pachi

Quote:

Originally Posted by rmastbro

Your price aint gonna double..I have the 20 dollar plan. And screw the price..3g is priceless..You should of waited..

Posted by: LIVEFRMNYC

Put it like this .....

I never use WiFi on my TyTN II and don't miss the lack of WiFi at all on my Treo 750.

That's how good 3G is.

Posted by: vandy1997

As they may say in China (or at least at a Chinese restaurant): 3G is the pu pu (platter)!!

Posted by: pachi

Quote:

Originally Posted by LIVEFRMNYC

Put it like this .....

I never use WiFi on my TyTN II and don't miss the lack of WiFi at all on my Treo 750.

That's how good 3G is.

Yep you said a mouthfull. I love 3g.

Posted by: zephxiii

3G is gonna get turned on here in my crappy city soon, can't wait, and shopping for a new phone!

Posted by: Peach10

I am new to this thread but I'll make it simple. 3G just blows away Edge in every way. The Iphone having 3G will outsell the Edge version by a mile. Just wait and see.

To be honest, to even bring up the question of why the fuss over 3G is rediculous. Once you have had 3G, there is no going back.

Posted by: RogerPodacter

"what's the big deal about wifi anyway?"

"whats the big deal about 802.11G when we already have 802.11B?"

"back in the day, nobody thought a computer would ever need more than 64K of memory."

havent we learned? more, more, faster, newer, quicker, is always better technology.

Posted by: nvisi0n

Quote:

Originally Posted by rablat

Everybody always seems to forget that call quality is also affected by 3G
No more half rate on 3G always Full rate. WCDMA which is the voice side of 3G is much greater sound quality both ends of the conversation.

Amen this is the biggest thing for me.

Posted by: Derek Zoolander

Quote:

Originally Posted by XFF

Well smaller would not be good, as that would mean a smaller screen, which (the current big screen) is one of the main selling points of the device, so that wouldn't make much sense.

There is a lot of unused acreage. An inch on both the top and bottom. It can certainly be made smaller.

Posted by: nicktuso

The only reason I would want 3g would be for internet radio in my car. Other than that I would never use it. My google maps loads quick enough for me to use it anywhere. I never use youtube. For me I wouldn't even be able to use the new 3g iPhone because I am on tmo.

Posted by: XFF

Quote:

Originally Posted by Derek Zoolander

There is a lot of unused acreage. An inch on both the top and bottom. It can certainly be made smaller.

First of all, that's more like half an inch each, and second, that space is needed for the earpiece and the home button. Ok, the home button could possibly be moved to the side, like the power button, but the earpiece is most certainly needed where it's at. Either way, making the phone any smaller than what it already is is just ridiculous. There comes a point when an appliance becomes just too small and fumbly to be useful. There's a reason phones are designed to be about the size of your hand. Because you're supposed to hold it in your hand, not between two fingers. Ever wondered why pencils don't become smaller and smaller, even though the technology to do it certainly exists? Because they would be too awkward to use. Same with the iPhone. Make it any smaller and it becomes fumbly and awkward and less useful. At some point, smaller is no longer better.

Posted by: Petey07

I hope they make it smaller, cus nowaday some people rarely hold their phone for a long time because of bluetooth technology as well as headphone.

Posted by: friedbrains

Quote:

Originally Posted by Petey07

I hope they make it smaller, cus nowaday some people rarely hold their phone for a long time because of bluetooth technology as well as headphone.

this is where we are going to have a loooong debate again, smaller screen means less space for surfing, i think many will disagree with a smaller iphone...

Posted by: nicktuso

Quote:

Originally Posted by Petey07

I hope they make it smaller, cus nowaday some people rarely hold their phone for a long time because of bluetooth technology as well as headphone.

This statement has fail all over it. I want bigger screen. iPhone size is ideal for me.

Posted by: JonnyBruha

I'd love to see an iPhone with NO empty space whatsoever. Even if they kept the same size and just used ALL of the real estate for the screen. Hell, embed the home button INTO the screen, or just make the entire lower 1/16th of the screen a button like Apple does with their mice. Something like this:
http://reviews.cnet.com/mice/apple-wireless-mouse/4505...

Posted by: zephxiii

I disagree with making it smaller too, i hate things that are too small. Hell, i wouldn't even want a smaller e61, and its kinda big!

Posted by: Derek Zoolander

Quote:

Originally Posted by XFF

the earpiece section could certainly be eliminated from a design standpoint. a hole for speaker can by punched anywere on the seam, eg on the chrome bezel.

The home button could be placed anywhere, on the side, on the back, etc.

The iphone is a good thickness, the width is okay, but it is too long/tall. It can be smaller.

Posted by: fumblerooski

The best argument for 3g is streaming video. With the SDK out I'm really hoping Slingmedia develops a Slingplayer for iPhone 2. I use it all the time on my Treo and it's a godsend during football season when you need to leave the house during the game. It is also HUGELY convenient to have for tethering.