Well, it looks like UPS did indeed deliver a few iPhone 3G S a tad early. Heh. And here’s what some of the top guns in tech thought of Apple’s newest handset.

Overall, most felt it was evolution rather than revolution, a solid update if not one re-forged in the unicorn tears of it’s ancestors. Is the best getting better enough? TiPb will tell you our thoughts after we stand in line tomorrow and grab ours. If you’re waiting as well, check out the reviews and let us know what you think:

• Chicago Sun Times: Review: iPhone 3G S is a slick upgrade for a slick device
• CNET: Apple iPhone 3G S – 32GB – black (AT&T)
• Engadget: iPhone 3GS Review
• Gizmodo: iPhone 3GS Review
• New York Times: Apple Fills in Some Gaps With Latest iPhone
• USA Today: Upgrade makes great iPhone even better
• Wall Street Journal: New iPhone Is Better Model–Or Just Get OS 3.0

This is a story by the iPhone Blog. This feed is sponsored by The iPhone Blog Store.

iPhone 3G S Early Review Roundup

Motorola HT820 Stereo Bluetooth Headset ($49.95 – WMExperts Store link): Chad thought this headset was great, and I will “suffer” through the minor ear fatigue just to use them. They provide a great value in functionality and sound great. Minus side, they’re a tad heavy and aren’t the best for use when lying down.

Plantronics Voyager 855 A2DP Stereo Bluetooth Headset (69.95 – WMExperts Store link): Jeremy said this headset is a fantastic deal. Not only will you be able to take full advantage of the upcoming 3.0’s A2DP feature you get a very good overall bluetooth stereo headset. Cons include the lack of noise cancellation.

Motorola S9 A2DP Stereo Bluetooth Headset ($49.95 – WMExperts Store link): Rene’s take is if you want something solid, affordable, portable, and functional for your iPhone 3.0 device on the go, you’d do well to consider the Motorola S9s. On the negative side, fitting may be an issue and they don’t work well for lying down.

Motorola S9-HD Bluetooth Stereo Headphones ($84.95 – WMExperts Store link): Rene’s conclusion is if you want this form factor and sound quality matters to you more than price, these are top of the charts — easily. Cons were same as the non-HD version.

This is a story by the iPhone Blog. This feed is sponsored by The iPhone Blog Store.

iPhone 3.0 A2DP Stereo Bluetooth Headset Review Roundup

First Impressions

This is my second iGrip review of an iPhone mount and it is very different from the first. This mount comes with the detachable sled for the iPhone, a posable swivel neck mount and adhesive suction cup. I was a little concerned about the mounts overall height when I took it out of the box. My first thought was, “Where is the extender”, “This is it?”. However, there was no need to worry, this swivel mount does the job.

Daily Use

First I tried to to attach it to the windshield.  I ran into an issue since the mount is so short I could not reach it from the drivers seat. So I had to look at other alternatives. I then affixed the suction cup to the mount and decided to place it on the dashboard directly above the instrument panel. This proved to be an excellent idea! The iPhone is now clearly positioned so I can view it easily if someone calls, or I am using GPS (yes, there GPS apps on non- jailbroken iPhones). So first up, the phone call test.

If someone is calling you, ya just can’t miss it, the screen is directly in front of you. The mount does not grip tightly to the iPhone. You can very easily grab the iPhone with one hand from the mount and answer your call. You could even answer it with speakerphone, but while driving it makes it difficult to hear the other person. Answering a call with a Bluetooth headset was simple as well.

Next was GPS and it was an absolute dream. I use G-Map for iPhone and it worked perfectly (the mount of course). The maps were at eye-level and were in the best possible position.

Using music on the mount was easy too. Click the iPod app and flick to the music I wanted… nice.

Because the iGrip Swivel is not a gooseneck-style mount, it does not bounce; there is no limp part or the ability to move accidentally.

Conclusion

Pros:

• Rock-solid
• No bounce
• Can be tightened to a position you want
• iPhone fits securely with out snapping into place, it can be lifted out easily

Cons:

• No landscape orientation
• No extra “adhesive sticker” if you use the base mount to adhere to a dash
• Does not work well for windshield mounting, I found it worked best on the dashboard

TiPb’s Rating:

This is a story by the iPhone Blog. This feed is sponsored by The iPhone Blog Store.

Review: iGrip Custom Fit Sturdy Swivel Mount for iPhone 3G

Seems Emoji aren’t the only thing being scrubbed from the App Store today! MacRumors is reporting that old reviews made my users who hadn’t actually downloaded the app they were reviewing are also being removed. Apple stopped non-users from reviewing apps a while back, this is just retroactively applying the new policy to the old reviews:

Several long standing apps have seen dramatic decreases in their review counts. SEGA’s Super Monkey Ball count dropped from 4197 reviews down to 3710 while Namco’s Pac Man dropped from 395 to 122.

Most everyone involved, from developers tired of no-good-nicks trying to game the system, to users tired of sorting through gamed or off-topic reviews, will likely appreciate this move. Maybe this is one rejection Apple’s done right?

This is a story by the iPhone Blog. This feed is sponsored by The iPhone Blog Store.

Apple Cleanses App Store of Old, Non-Customer Reviews

It was not long ago that Rene introduced all of you to yet another TiPb giveaway. Element Case was kind enough to provide TiPb with THREE amazing custom made cases for our faithful readers to win. Today we bring you a full review of those cases, and details on how to enter to win the very first one of them. Read on for both the review, and the contest, after the break!

Design

I will admit I am not the biggest fan of hard cases for any of my iPhones. Usually a simple drop would send a case flying in two pieces with the iPhone following. Now I’m not sure about you, but that is not my idea of protection. Enter the Liquid Case from Element Case. Four nickel-plated screws bolt your iPhone into its acrylic body armor and then a plastic shield snaps into place with the help of four magnets. With this case your iPhone or iPhone 3G is securely held in place and protected very well. So if that accidental drop does happen, rest assured your iPhone will be protected and come away scratch free.

Now you may be saying to yourself $99 for a case is just crazy. Well you do get what you pay for my friends. Every single Element Case is custom built and hand-assembled right here in the USA. They are injection molded from the finest clear Impact-Acrylic and PolyCarbonate polymers. Each case is custom painted with up to 7 layers of House of Kolor paint, which is not only excellent paint but also provides a top notch appearance as well. Graphics are then laser engraved into the flip-lid and backplate of every case, providing a customized look for the iPhone and iPhone 3G. The Liquid case gives you three choices of color: black, grey and white. You also get a free extra lid with your purchase. You will have your choice of 22 different graphics for your lid and and eight different colors. This means you will have little issue coming away with a very unique case. An don’t forget for a extra $25 gets you a custom engraving Hence the super cool TiPb logos on the cases we are giving away.

Daily Use

This case has the iPhone gamer in mind (or simply someone who wants the best protection available). The extra size may not be to everyones liking, but one of the nice things about it revolves around it’s main purpose, gaming. It fits very nicely in the hands especially while playing a game. One of Dieter’s biggest gripes while holding the iPhone 3G in landscape mode was that your hand would cover up the speaker blocking the sound! Well worry about that issue no more gamers.

There is no doubt that dropping your iPhone with this case on will save your investment from any harm. You even have the option of putting the lid on to cover the screen while not in use. Although some may find it a hassle to have to remove it every time you need to access the phone it is nice to be able to give it that added protection while not in use.

Everything is easily accessible while the case is on the phone. From the 3.5 headset jack, power, volume, ring/vibrate switch, and charging port. The Element Liquid Case has you covered.

Conclusion

I have to say, I really do like this case. The many options can make for a unique look and it offers excellent protection. I am not aware of another case out there that enables you to have this much control over customization. From colors to designs, the possibilities are endless. The price is steep and it may not be for everyone but if you are into gaming and want the protection, it really is worth checking out.

Pros

• Top notch all around protection
• Great for gaming
• Feels great in your hand
• Looks cool
• Very high build quality

Cons

• Starting at $99 it is a bit expensive
• The 4 screws make it a hassle to put your iPhone in the case or remove it.
• The size it adds to the phone may turn some people off.

TiPb Review Rating:

Element Give Away: Case #1!

So now that you’ve read all about it, how about a chance to win one! Just jump on over to our TiPb iPhone Forums Element Case thread to find out how you can take home the first of three one-of-a-kind custom TiPb’d out Element Cases!

This is a story by the iPhone Blog. This feed is sponsored by The iPhone Blog Store.

Review: Element Liquid Case for iPhone and iPhone 3G (And First Give Away!)

I have reviewed a few headsets here at TiPb (Apple’s headset, Jawbone and Jawbone 2) and the latest is the Jabra BT2070. This is a slick looking headset! The BT2070 is not just for good looks, it is light and small. The iPhone Blog Store has this headset for $49.95. 

Read on for the review, after the jump!

In the box:

The packaging is clear and contains just the basics: headset, charger, instructions and two earhooks. There is no included case or any other peripherals. Then again, it is a tiny headset, so a case is not needed.

Design and build:

Most of the small headsets I have used, have been solid, and this one is no exception. The design is light-weight and comfortable. The headset is essentially two molded pieces of plastic with an answer/end button joined by a volume up/down buttons accompanying it on either side. The answer/end button is illuminated by a yellow circle that surrounds it then continues to create a division line between the volume buttons; very sharp. The headset can be worn in either ear with or without the earhook. Speaking of earhooks, the headset comes with two; just to make sure it can be as comfortable as possible. 

Using the headset:

After charging the device, I paired it with the iPhone 3G and it worked as advertised. I could listen to voicemails and make calls with ease. The answer/end button was responsive. However, I did find it difficult to adjust the volume while wearing the headset. A good resolution for this is to briefly take the device out of your ear, crank the volume up and manage the volume directly from iPhone’s volume controls. 

The Jabra is comfortable in the ear; much more so than some other headsets I have used. What I like most of all is the headset gives you options; you can wear it with or without the earhook. For example, you can place the device directly in the ear (It is more comfortable than the Apple bluetooth headset, I was surprised) and it fits snugly without being uncomfortable. This is due to the earpiece being a kneadable unlike the Apple headset which was plastic with a solid rubber edge. If you use the earhook, the headset just “rests” in your ear canal. Since the device is so light, you can almost forget you are wearing it (is this good or bad?).

When talking on the device, I had no real static issues. I typically find there is always some static with bluetooth; the technology is far form perfect, but the fact it is 2.0 compliant with EDR (Enhanced Data Rate) means that you get good clarity on a call.

Talking with friends, the typical feedback I received was that the device has great noise-cancellation ability. I talked in grocery stores, malls, etc. and most friends said that they heard no background noise or very little (sometimes if you are under a speaker in a store, there is not much you can do about how loud noise is). The only concern here is wind. Yes, when the wind is howling outside and you are trying to talk on your headset… apparently the recipient can’t hear a thing…

Charging the headset took no time; 1.5 at most. You can get about 5 hours of talk time. This is sufficient for me since I rarely talk than 2 hours on my iPhone in a single day. 

Conclusion:

I really like this bluetooth headset. It is relativly inexpensive, light weight, good call clarity and comfortable. If you are in the market for a smaller-style headset that looks good, the Jabra BT2070 might just be for you! There are better headsets out their, but they typically cost about twice as much. For what this headset is, it is a good value.

Pros:

• Comfortable
• Light
• Good call clarity

Cons:

• Difficult to adjust volume while in your ear
• Even on maximum volume, could be louder
• Useless in windy conditions

Rating:

This is a story by the iPhone Blog. This feed is sponsored by The iPhone Blog Store.

Review: Jabra BT2070 Bluetooth Headset

[Ed: Wondering where you may have seen this case before? Look no further than our ongoing Smartphone Expert Round Robin! Yup, one lucky TiPb reader will be winning the Naked Case along with a shiny new iPhone 3G, both courtesy of Case-Mate! Huge thanks to them, and our new sibling store Smartphone Outlet for making all this possible! Now hurry up and read all about what you just might win!]

Need a new case that is light-weight, thin and protects the iPhone screen? Look no further than the Case-Mate Naked Case Touch Through Acrylic Case for iPhone 3G! This case is available for $34.95 from the Phone Different Store. This case totally encompasses your iPhone protecting it from any accidental damage. How does it work? Read on for more information!

Design

Case-Mate’s Naked Case comes in a few different colors; black, white, grey, pink and clear. In this review, we are looking at the “clear” case. The design allows for a simple two-piece solution. The two section of the case slide together, seamlessly snapping at the bottom of the case, by the iPhone’s dockng port. The top half has openings for the front sensors, power button and volume controls. It also have an elegant black outline covering the perimeter of the device. The translucent top piece is not only a protectant, but it is an electrostatic membrane that allows you to touch the screen. More on this later.

Daily Use

Once your iPhone is encapsulated by the case, it is fully protected. That doesn’t mean you can drop it in water, it means that 95% is covered. There are still needed openings for the Home button, speakers, power button, etc. How does this device work on a daily basis? Let’s start with the basics: the touch screen.

I have to admit I was a little leery of using a case that covered my touch screen. However, there is no need to fear, the device responds perfectly fine. The case is designed with such precision, the touch screen lines up beautifully with no gaps; even the home button is exact. Kudos to Case-Mate. The only distractor I could find is sometimes that the too screens just barely touch, So sometimes, there are sections of the case and touch screen that meet and it can leave a somewhat distracting “bubble” on the screen. To be honest though, if you touch it, it typically disappears and probably won’t cause too much distraction.

I have myself trained that I use the power button to turn by iPhone on and off. I don’t use the home button, just the power button. This has been a challenge because I find the the power button is recessed a little too far for my “fat” fingers. But hey, I embrace change, and pressing the home button to boot up is a satisfactory second place. 

I have found all of the other opening sufficient for what they do. I can easily access the ringer switch, volume controls, camera lens, headphone jack and docking port with ease. 

The case adds minimal bulk to the iPhone. I am not one to usually have a case attached to my phone all the time; I typically slide it in and out of a case. However, with the very thin form factor of the Naked- Case, I could still easily slide it into my pocket with no worry of it being uncomfortable or bulging out too much from my pocket (ok, no jokes here). 

Conclusion

Overall, I like this case, I really do and this is a first for me with this type of case enclosure. Sure there are a few distractors, and a couple nagging idiosyncrasies such as the Apple logo is completely obscured when using one of the colored cases. However, what is gained is awesome; a lightweight case that protects your iPhone top, front and back. The electrostatic membrane is responsive and works like a charm. All ports are assessable and is easily taken off and removed. Oh, that part reminds me of something; durability. I can’t say I feel that I were to drop the iPhone on concrete the case would live to see another day, but I sure feel the iPhone will. Oh, and check out the gallery and YouTube video at the bottom

Pros

• Solid
• Touch screen works great with case!
• Easy to snap on and off

Cons

• Not dockable with case
• Some iPhone buttons are hard to access

TiPb Rating:

This is a story by the iPhone Blog. This feed is sponsored by The iPhone Blog Store.

Review: Naked Case Touch-Through Acrylic Case

Searching for a unique case that’ll make heads turn? Looking for a case that offers great protection and adds superb grip for your iPhone 3G? Well then, the Speck Products PixelSkin for iPhone 3G ($24.95) just might be for you. With a waffle-like texture wrapping around the entire case it offers both daring style and a sense of security. How does it perform? Are all those squares really put to use?

Read on for the rest of the review!

Design

Make no mistake, the Speck Products PixelSkin isn’t an ordinary iPhone 3G case and it doesn’t pretend to be. Where other case makers choose to offer simple designs that try to remain as invisible as possible, the PixelSkin is loud, fun, and bold.

The PixelSkin is a rubber case that is textured with square blocks that wrap around the entire case. Imagine it as a big graphing grid or a waffle or a turtle shell or even a grenade. The rubber is thicker than most other cases and offers great protection of nearly the entire iPhone 3G—the PixelSkin even offers protection for the home button!

The color options are bright, bold, and plentiful. Black, White, Purple, Blue, Green, Pink, and Yellow are all available—for this review we’re using the Yellow version.

Usability

By choosing a thicker rubber, the textured grid of squares offer a much more superb grip than ordinary iPhone 3G silicone cases. Not only does it offer better protection than thinner cases, it also feels magnificent in hand. The rubber that Speck chooses is certainly best-in-class. However, the downside of using thicker rubber is the added thickness—you would have to debate whether the added protection outweighs the thickness.

Design-wise, the PixelSkin is likely to be a hate-it or love-it type affair. When using it as my main iPhone case for the past couple days I’ve received numerous compliments on it and questions asking where did I get one. I think for those wanting a stylish, attention-grabbing case— the PixelSkin is as good as it gets. It is eye catching and it is fun. The coloring is also wonderful, the yellow was more bright and bold than mold and mustard.

Because of the PixelSkin’s unique bottom port design (it kind of extends a thinner layer of rubber outward) it is able to be docked. This is highly unique with rubber cases because the added thickness typically does not fit. Applaud Speck Products for creating a great design. Frown on Apple for not including the dock with the iPhone 3G. Also, the cut for the headphone jack is very snug with the included Apple headset, so there may be connection issues with bigger headphone ports.

The problem with the case however is that the square grid design creates a lot of grooves for dust to settle in and the material itself seems to attract a lot of lint and dust. Though this isn’t a huge factor, I did find myself brushing off dust inside the grooves more than a few times.

Final Thoughts

Overall, I loved the feel of the PixelSkin—it manages to use a bold styling choice that doubles as a wonderfully grippy texture. The grid design will certainly have onlookers wondering just what the heck you are carrying. Though some might find the added thickness a nuisance, I think the added protection is worth it. Some silicone cases protect from just nicks and scratches, I’m fairly confident that the PixelSkin can survive drops. I think the PixelSkin should be considered by anyone looking for a fun case that adds good protection and incredible grip.

PROS

• Fun & Bold Design
• Grippy Material
• Many Color Choices
• Great Protection

CONS

• Design Might Not Appeal To Everyone
• Adds Thickness
• Attracts Lint & Dust

RATING:

This is a story by the iPhone Blog. This feed is sponsored by The iPhone Blog Store.

Review: Speck Products PixelSkin for iPhone 3G

eWallet

Ilium Software offers their popular eWallet app for Palm, Windows Mobile Pro and Windows Mobile Smartphone. Now, you can have this useful app on your iPhone or iPod Touch.

How does eWallet for the iPhone measure up? Read on for the full review!

Credit cards, bank accounts, memberships, passwords, PIN numbers, health information — I’m a bit ashamed to admit that this is the kind of information I used to store unsecured in Memos on my Palm or, more recently, as a Note on my iPhone. Now, I’ve stepped up my game and am trying eWallet.

First Impressions

The app is fairly easy to use, complete with Get Started for help, Sample Cards, and more samples to choose from. The interface is simple to use and it’s great to make virtual cards to store all my personal data. 

Filling Your Wallet

With eWallet, you first must create a new “wallet” for storing your data. You can name it whatever you wish. Once a wallet is created, you assign a password to protect the data you are about to store in your wallet. Create different wallets for different categories of data, if you wish. For example, create a Credit Card wallet for all your credit cards, a Bank Accounts wallet for your bank accounts, etc. For security, eWallet provides 256-bit AES encryption to ensure your data does not fall into the wrong hands, even if your iPhone does.

After assigning a password, you can begin making virtual cards. For example, if you want to store a credit card in your wallet, you can create a virtual card complete with all your credit card data: credit card number, expiration dates, name as it appears on your card, PIN number, verification number, contact phone number, security questions, and more. After creation, you can edit your card information by tapping the “gear” icon in the lower left corner of the screen.

eWallet allows for quite a bit of customization for your virtual cards. There are several different formats to choose from, from credit cards to your driver’s license, from health numbers to insurance policies. Customization doesn’t end with the type of card or data you can input. eWallet gives you other options, like selecting the color for your card, the type of icon displayed on the card face, gloss effects and rounded corners. You can even select a photo from your iPhone as the background.

Whatever your data may be, it’s very likely that eWallet has a way for you to store it securely on your iPhone. If you are a Windows user, good news — you can download a desktop version so you can backup and sync your eWallet wallets to your PC. If you are a Mac user, like me, you have to wait a bit longer for a Mac desktop version. Ilium informed me that it’s coming soon, so I’m looking forward to adding that feature when it’s available.

Final Thoughts

Pros

• Simple interface and easy to use
• 256-bit AES encryption security
• Create several wallets
• Customizable cards for all types of data

Cons

• No Mac desktop for syncing and backup

Rating:

This is a story by the iPhone Blog. This feed is sponsored by The iPhone Blog Store.

App Review: eWallet for the iPhone

Apple has made a vital change to the App Store, in order to review an app you now have to actually have downloaded it first. All I have to say is… it’s about time!

This brilliant idea (that should have been in place since day one!) means we no longer have to read reviews from people who have never tried the app out — or don’t even own a iPhone or iPod Touch!

Now all we have to get rid of are the thousands of reviews that simply say “How do I uninstall this?” That is so sad, not only because they give it a rating of 1 star but the person has no clue how to uninstall a app! Is a 1 star rating simply because you can’t uninstall the app fair to the developer? I think not.

Your thoughts?

(Via DaringFireball)

This is a story by the iPhone Blog. This feed is sponsored by The iPhone Blog Store.

Apple Changes iPhone App Store Customer Review System