iPhone 3G: Apple Still Doesn’t Get The Whole Battery Thing…

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Walt Mossberg, perhaps the most highly respected technology writer, has written his review of the iPhone 3G, here are some excerpts:

“…There are two big hidden costs to the new iPhone’s faster speed and lower price tag. First, in my tests, the iPhone 3G’s battery was drained much more quickly in a typical day of use than the battery on the original iPhone, due to the higher power demands of 3G networks. This is an especially significant problem because, unlike most other smart phones, the iPhone has a sealed battery that can’t be replaced with a spare.

Second, Apple’s exclusive carrier in the U.S., AT&T Inc. (T), has effectively negated the iPhone’s up-front price cut by jacking up its monthly fee for unlimited data use by $10. Over the course of the two-year contract you must sign to get the lower hardware prices, that adds $240, overwhelming the $200 savings on the phone itself. If you want text messaging, the cost rises further. With the first iPhone, 200 text messages a month came free. Now, 200 messages will cost $5 a month, or another $120 over the two-year contract…

…In daily use, I found the battery indicator on the new 3G model slipping below 20% by early afternoon or midafternoon on some days, and it entirely ran out of juice on one day. I overcame this problem by learning to use Wi-Fi instead of 3G whenever possible, turning down the screen brightness and even turning off 3G altogether, which the phone permits.

The iPhone 3G’s battery life is comparable to, or better than, that of some other 3G competitors. But they have replaceable batteries. The iPhone doesn’t…

…Bottom line: If you’ve been waiting to buy an iPhone until it dropped in price, or ran on faster cell networks, you might want to take the plunge, if you can live with the higher service costs and the weaker battery life. The same goes for those with existing iPhones who love the device but crave faster cellular data speeds. But if you already own an iPhone, and can usually use Wi-Fi for data, you probably should hold off and get the free software upgrade before deciding whether it’s worth getting the new hardware.”

Great, another Apple product with lackluster battery life and no replaceable battery.   But don’t worry, if you just turn off the 3G you’ll be fine…

Excuse me?

The only important difference between the iPhone and iPhone 3G is just that, the 3G! (Well, and the higher rates)

I would’ve picked up the incredible Macbook Air in an instant if just it had a removable battery.  But who would buy such an expensive product meant for traveling without the ability to carry a spare battery?  Surely a company like Apple can come up with a way to fashionably design a product with a removable battery?

Regardless with the cheapest ATT iPhone 3G plan (just 450 minutes) with unlimited texting starting at a whopping $90+tax, I’d be caught in a Yankees jersey before being seen with an iPhone 3G…