AT&T is sending me a long-term iPhone 3G tester tomorrow, so I can't talk about the new hardware yet, but here are my impressions of the iPhone OS 2.0 software and a few of the applications.
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The included software from Apple is pretty similar usage-wise to what we had before, with a few minor tweaks. The big changes are MobileMe "push" email, calendar and contacts from the MobileMe "cloud". Unfortunately, changes made on the computer are synced to the cloud once every 15 minutes, so that's not exactly "push", but it's good enough for most people. The new enterprise Microsoft Exchange support works very well, easy to set up and the iPhone can sync your email settings from Apple Mail on your computer.
The App Store is very cool, lots of nifty programs free and or for a small charge. It is a bit crowded however, and I had difficulty finding new applications that had launched after I perused the store on Friday. Applications download to the computer very quickly and install equally so on the iPhone. Browsing Apps from the iPhone-based App Store is quick as well and apps install promptly, but when I try to sync back to my computer, copying the application (for backup purposes) back to the computer takes a very, very long time -- literally 10-15 minutes, just to copy an application. That's just ridiculous.
When you visit the App Store from the phone, there is a tab for "Updates" -- new versions of software you have already downloaded. The problem is, once you download the update, the button for that application is moved to the last page on the Home Screen. If you had it on page two originally, it might end up on page four. Very annoying behavior.
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Some noteworthy apps:
Pandora: A favorite of mine (and TechCrunch's). The premise is simple: you type in a song or artist that you like, and the service plays back songs that it thinks you will like. The computer version works very well, but the iPhone version is fantastic. It works over Wi-Fi and EDGE (as long as you have enough bars).
Super Monkey Ball: Fun, but quite hard. It's difficult to find the neutral point that keeps the Monkey from rolling anywhere. After some practice, it gets a lot easier.
Remote: Allows you to control iTunes remotely from your iPhone. It basically sets the iPhone up to be the world's greatest remote control, especially as more devices become internet connected. A few small bugs, but nothing major.
Ms. Pac Man: A nice port of a classic game (disclosure: my father worked on the original arcade version of Ms. Pac Man) that seems to be released on just about every platform at some point. The controls on the iPhone are very tricky to master, however. The game gives you options to use the accelerometer, a virtual D-pad on the screen, or to "swipe" to control the direction of Ms. Pac Man. Swipe is by far the best, but they're all a bit tricky to handle. Some reviewers have been complaining about the price: $9.99 on the iPhone, but I remember buying this game for $14.99 on my Sidekick a few years ago, so the price isn't as bad as it could be.
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The iPhone was made significantly better by the 2.0 OS update, and there certainly isn't any reason to throw out your old phone at this point. Most of the applications that have been released work just fine on the older version, with the notable exception of GPS-based applications.
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