Apple’s new iPhone is not due in New Zealand until next month. But in the US it’s due Friday. Here’s NBR’s 30-second wrap up of the first reviews.

We already know the iPhone 3G S (the “S” stands for speed):
- offers full support for 7.2Mbit/s 3G
- gains supports video
- boosts still camera rez from 2 megapixels to 3.2 megapixels and
- upgrades onboard memory options to 16GB and 32GB
- has a much faster processor than its predecessor

Like its predecessor, the iPhone 3G S operates on three W-CDMA bands: 850MHz (used by Telecom nationwide), 1900MHz and 2100MHz (used by Telecom and Vodafone in urban areas for extra bandwidth; Vodafone uses 900MHz nationwide). Outside of a 3G coverage area, it trips down to 2.5G/GPRS/GSM. NBR has already found the iPhone ammendable to Sim card hopping between Telecom and Vodafone's networks.

The iPhone 3G S also sports several features, such as Find My iPhone, voice commands, photo messaging, multi-app search and cut-and-paste, which are available to owners of older iPhones via the OS 3.0 software upgrade, which NBR covers here.

Here’s what a mix of reviewers thought after using the new iPhone, which is Apple’s third major upgrade. The original Apple debuted in June 2007, and the iPhone 3G in June 2008:

The New York Times

Hot:
- The 3.2 megapixel camera is “much better” than the iPhone 3G’s 2 megapixel cam
- The 16GB model costs the same price ($US199) as the iPhone 3G 8GB
- The iPhone 3G will remain onsale, for $US99
- “The new voice-control feature may be the most useful change of all. Hold down the iPhone’s Home button for a moment, say “Call mom’s cell” or “Dial 800-555-1212,” and the iPhone places your call, crisply and accurately. (Yeah, I know: welcome to 2003.) This feature goes a long way toward addressing what’s always been the iPhone’s weakest feature: the number of steps required to place a call.” Voice control also recognises spoken iPod commands such as
“Play songs by Abba”
- new digital compass orientates in Google Maps
- beefier battery lasts 25% longer
- oleophobic screen means fingerprints disappear with a single shirt-rub

NOT
- The new tap-screen to autofocus feature, which lets you choose which area of an image your iPhone’s camera highlights, “only works if the subject is a few inches away from you”. It does, however, make a big difference to brightness and exposure (see the Times’ slideshow of example photos here)

Wired

HOT
- Up to twice as fast as iPhone 3G at “tasks like launching apps, loading web pages, and displaying graphics”
- “Records quite creditable video. After you shoot your clip, there's a dead-simple function to for instant editing, after which you can send your masterpiece to YouTube or Mobile Me with a single tap”
- voice control works with new, expanded headphone controls
- new search feature (common to all iPhones upgraded to iPhone OS 3.0) is much more useful, by dint of the fact it can search multiple apps at once

NOT
- voice control great for dialing contacts, but poor for selecting songs
- digital compass “not thrilling” due to lack of app support beyond Google Maps

CNET

HOT
- battery life is longer, as advertised
- phones software runs noticeably faster

NOT
- No improvement in call quality
- 3G reception still uneven
- still no Flash storage
- still no multitasking

Check out CNet’s video review here.

The Wall Street Journal/Walter Mossberg

HOT
- “During my week of testing, the new model proved dramatically snappier in every way than my iPhone 3G. Its processor is 50% faster than in the prior model”
- “Applications opened much more quickly. Web pages loaded far faster. The camera was ready to use almost instantly”
- “I never once saw the occasional, annoying iPhone behaviour where you strike a key while typing and it sits there, seemingly stuck, before you can continue”
- about 50% better battery life than the iPhone 3G with wi-fi and web surfing; about 25% better with continuous music playback
- new screen coating resistant to oil and fingerprints

NOT
- “Let me state up-front what the new iPhone and its new operating system don't deliver. The iPhone still lacks a physical keyboard” [! - CK]
- still can’t run more than one third-party app at a time
- tap to focus works well, but overall photo quality not dramatically better; can’t compete with the 5mP offered by most smart phones now
- voice control crashed built-in iPod on one occasion; also crashed downloading a TV show

USA Today

HOT
- snappier performance
- no longer have to reply on third-party apps for voice recording
- "shooting video is dirt simple but it's hardly high definition"

NOT
- "Not everyone should feel the need to splurge on the latest phone -  the 3.0 software [available today for all iPhones] adds a lot of rich features by itself
- sealed battery
- doesn't multitask
- voice control not perfect, especially in noisy rooms