Great deals on the Apple iPhone 3GS

As you may have suspected, AT&T now has some good deals on the iPhone 3GS and I'm sure that prices will continue to fall as customers choose the iPhone 4. This is great news for medical students and residents who are on a tight budget. If you don't need all the latest and greatest features found on the iPhone 4, then the 3GS is an exceptional phone that is very fast and still runs iOS 4 (and is capable of multitasking).

Tip: Go with a refurbished iPhone 3GS and you'll save even more.

5 things I would change about the Apple iPhone

The Apple iPhone is a great smartphone, but it's not perfect. The latest version (3GS) adds considerable functionality with the increased speed and improved video capabilities, but I'd like to see Apple make some drastic changes to future models. Otherwise, the iPhone 4G will look just like the 3G (or 3GS).

If you had a chance to change the Apple iPhone, what changes would you make?

Here are the five things I would change:

1. Removable battery. I'm still bothered by the fact that an average consumer can't replace the internal battery on the iPhone.  Once you offer a removable battery, consumers can choose between a standard battery vs. a thicker extended capacity battery. Right now, you're stuck using an external battery pack or a battery booster.
   
2. Offer an iPhone Pro with a slide-out QWERTY keyboard. Give users the option to choose a "Pro" version that's thicker and that includes buttons. I think most will still choose the thinner version that lacks a physical keyboard.
3. Expand beyond GSM. I know that Apple is talking with Verizon about releasing a CDMA version, but when will this happen? Will it also be available on Sprint?
   
4. Offer a smaller size option. Call it the iPhone Mini, the iPhone nano, or the iPhone junior. The current iPhone is a nice size, but a slightly smaller version would be ideal for many users who want something a bit more portable.
5. Add a microSD slot. This way, if users want to expand storage space, it's easy! You can add a 16GB card (and soon we'll have 32 GB microSD cards).
   

This is obviously not meant to be an exhaustive list, but these are 5 things I would change. How many of these will Apple implement in the near future? Probably only two (my guess would be #3 and #4). Hence, I continue to wish and dream.

$99 Apple iPhone 3GS coming soon (S is for Speed)

Although you can get an older Apple iPhone 3G for $99, you can expect that Apple will soon release a $99 iPhone 3GS (the S is for Speed). You'll get the speed you're looking for with the 3GS. You should also get the upgraded 3 MP video camera, the improved battery life, the Voice Control, and the Compass (who still uses a compass when you've got a GPS?).

Does the iPhone 3G S have problems with heat?

There have been rumors about the new Apple iPhone 3G S having problems with overheating. Apple claims it's the summer heat, but what if the new speedy processor is really causing some heat issues? The old iPhone had a slower processor. Hence, it didnt' get so hot. The new iPhone is named the 3G S where S = Speed. Speed comes at a cost, doesn't it? The laws of thermodynamics tell us that.

So, I'm curious: how many more reports will we be hearing of iPhones overheating? There's no internal fan to cool the iPhone. Heat also damages batteries (or I should say that heat wears down batteries quickly). Since the iPhone doesn't have a user-replaceable battery, the heat issue ends up being a double whammy. It can fry your phone, plus it can fry your battery. Let's just hope we don't see any exploding iPhones this summer.

The unstoppable iPhone according to BusinessWeek

There's a short little article in BusinessWeek by Stephen H. Wildstrom titled, "The Unstoppable iPhone." Under the title, it reads: "Apple's new model, plus updated software for all its phones, will send rivals scrambling." I enjoyed reading the article and agree with many of the comments written by Wildstrom.

First, the new Apple iPhone 3G S (S = speed) may only appear to have a modest update, but the speed improvement is significant and it really improves the overall usability of this great device. Plus, Apple and AT&T have priced the iPhone to be very competitive. It's really hard to beat $99 for an 8GB iPhone (although you'll be getting the older model).

Palm Pre is a great phone, but will Sprint and Palm drop the price to stay competitive? Windows Mobile "already looks lame" according to Wildstrom. I've been a Windows Mobile user for many years and I have to agree that the OS just hasn't been keeping up with all the other major players. Will Nokia lose its domination in Europe and Asia? What's going to happen to standalone GPS navigation devices now that all these newer smartphones have built-in GPS? I don't own a standalone GPS device. I simply use my smartphone.

I like the fact that Wildstrom specifically mentioned "serious real-time intensive-care patient monitoring" applications for the iPhone. You can't get more serious than that. Medical professionals have been embracing the iPhone like a second brain.

Want to compare the Apple iPhone 3G S against the Apple iPhone 3G? Click here.

Did you get an Apple iPhone 3GS?

The iPhone 3GS is now available. Did you pick one up? Are you one of the lucky few to be experiencing the supersonic speed of the new iPhone 3GS?