Another year, another new iPhone, and another long line to wait in? Yes, it's true, but things are not quite as hysterical, panicky, crazy, however you want to call it.
iPhone 3G S lines are long, but pale in comparison to last year and 2007, when the first iPhone was introduced. I doubt, however, that Apple isn't going to sell a ton of these devices this weekend, dwarfing the Palm Pre sales numbers.
Why short(er) iPhone 3G S lines, in that case? Well, this year, Apple and AT&T went back to allowing people to order phones online. You could then either choose to have it delivered to your home (my choice) or delivered to a store where you could pick it up. Since people already had their iPhone 3G S reserved, there was no need for hysteria.
Additionally, the iPhone 3G S is more incremental than the change from the original iPhone (EDGE) to the 3G in last year's model. And, those who are in a contract with AT&T have to $200 extra to get out of the contract, so some may feel why bother opting in and standing in a long line?
Most of the changes in the iPhone 3G S are provided in the iPhone OS 3.0 firmware, and that, anyway with an older iPhone can get (though the EDGE model cannot support some of the functionality).
In terms of the actual features built into the HW that the iPhone 3G S has over the iPhone 3G, they include:
- Higher resolution camera
- Video recording (this can be done by jailbreaking your older iPhone, though)
- Faster CPU
- PowerVR graphics chip
- HW encryption
- Compass
- Voice Control
- Longer Battery Life
Is that enough to stand in line for? I suppose it depends, and the iPhone 3G at $99 will likely make people think as well.
BTW, there may be fewer hysterics in lines around the country and world for the iPhone 3G S, but I'm getting somewhat hysterical. As you may or may not know, Apple made sure UPS delayed the shipments for iPhone 3G S so that people wouldn't get it early. According to my shipping status, it's behind where I would expect it to be if I were going to get it today. Aaagh.
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