My daughter recently got an iPhone 3GS during her AT&T upgrade window. I love new technology and am jealous, but it's hard to justify getting one for myself when my company provides a free Motorola Razr. Please understand that for each negative I have listed below there are at least 10 positives. I will not bother to list all the positives here, as iPhone 3G and 3GS reviews are available all over the Internet.
Potential iPhone 3G & 3GS negatives:
A)Individuals cannot purchase replacement insurance for the iPhone, but this may be different in corporate settings. If not, a lost iPhone will cost several hundred dollars to replace.
B) Cracked display screens have been a long standing issue with the iPhone. Friends have told me that it costs ~$200 to have the display screen replaced. The key to reducing the likelihood of damaging the display screen is to ensure that the iPhone is housed in a hard case. I use a Belkin case on my 2G Touch.
C) Battery life is not that great and my daughter is constantly having to connect her iPhone to its charger. Of course battery life is influenced by many factors, including the use of video and connection modes. This may be an issue going forward due to the limited number of charge/discharge cycles and the lack of a user accessible battery. I recently read about a Touch & iPhone case that charges iPod Touches and iPhones using built in solar cells. The OEM for this case states that it has received an endorsement from Apple.
D) The 3G version, and most likely the 3GS, contains an internal moisture sensor that powers down and deactivates the iPhone. Though unconfirmed, my understanding is that when this happens the affected iPhone must be taken to an Apple store for service before it will power on again. Many have reported that sweat from jogging and working out at the gym has shut down their iPhone. I don't know if this issue has been addressed in the 3GS, but it may be worth looking into.
E) My daughter wishes that the "slider" would automatically activate during phone calls to prevent the accidental selection of "buttons" on the iPhone's touch screen. She says that it's fairly easy to inadvertently turn speaker-phone on and end calls by rubbing against the iPhone's touch screen during phone calls.
