48 hours after the release of the much-anticipated iPhone 3GS and its new 3.0 software, people are just beginning to put it through its paces and report on their reactions. Norwegian consumer generated media (CGM) analysis firm Integrasco has been monitoring several social media outlets including Twitter, Facebook, Myspace and YouTube and has produced a product launch report. Early adopters have started sharing first-hand quality and performance feedback for the 3GS at twice the volume normally observed on a monthly basis for this product category. Reviews are mixed, but mostly positive.
According to Integrasco, the new iPhone 3GS has been the subject of over 8500 hits, in discussion forums alone, in the last couple of days. “The release of this handset as well as the iPhone 3.0 software have led to a significant increase in the overall iPhone and Apple buzz.”
What Are People Talking About?
Generally people are happy with the overall use of the handset. The new oleophobic screen is brighter and displays warmer, richer colors than previous iPhones. Most people report that the shinier screen makes fingerprint marks more easily removable, while others are unimpressed.
Overwhelmingly, people are talking about the new iPhone’s lightning fast speed, especially when opening and closing applications and browsing the net. Reportedly, “the overall system seems to be a lot faster and smoother than the iPhone 3G released a year ago.”
One of the most anticipated new features is the iPhone’s new video recording capability:
“Users of the new Apple phone are simply blown away by the excellent quality of the video recording; some people even go as far as to say it is the
best they have seen in a mobile phone until now. Voice control works almost flawlessly as well, spot on most of the time. Google Maps and Digital Compass also work very well together.”
The iPhone’s 3mp camera with autofocus and macro features are also a big hit.
Drawbacks and Glitches
So far some consumers are disappointed that Apple didn’t make the iPhone more affordable, especially in the UK. It was to be expected that a new iPhone model with more features would cost more, so this is no shock. Some consumers have found other issues that they are not happy about:
“The 3mp camera with no flash and no front camera for video recording are pretty disappointing. But my biggest beef is no memory card slot so apple can gouge you for the 32GB iphone and no mini-usb for charging etc. means my next phone will be an android. Sorry Apple, not good enough.”
Others find that the digital compass does not work well when driving in a car and lots of people have complained about a weak Wi-Fi signal. One Mac Rumors commenter says:
“Really, really terrific speed… The ONLY issue I’m having is my Wifi signal seems to have weakened a lot. My wifi router is in the next room (literally 10 feet away, through one wall) and I have 1 bar on the 3G S and 5 full bars on the 3G.”
another commenter adds:
“Beware! WiFi reception on this phone seems to be pretty bad compared to the 3G. I have read complaints earlier in this thread, and I can see it for myself as well.”
One Twitter user even took his iPhone back to the store because he thought it was broken. @WheezingGeek says Apple gladly replaced it but the new one was not any better.
Some others have noticed a “high-pitched sound right after sending an SMS or during video recordings…however this high frequency noise is hardly noticeable for most people. In any case, if there is in fact a problem, it is expected to be fixed in a future software update”.
There are some reported service issues in the US when customers try to activate their new iPhones and in Italy some people have remarked that the voice control feature does not work very well for them.
Conclusion
The increased speed, amazing video recording features and new 3.0 software might be enough for some people to finally pull the trigger on a new iPhone purchase. There are still detractors though, who think Apple is not really innovating, just trying to compete with other devices that already have these features. It’s obvious that Apple will remain a solid contender in this market and releasing the new 3GS is a big step in the right direction. Let us know what you think.