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What’s the difference between the original iPhone and the iPhone 3G?

There are two main differences between the original iPhone, released in June of 2007, and the iPhone 3G, released in July of 2008.

The most notable difference is that the iPhone 3G, as the name suggests, is capable of using the faster 3G network to access the internet at higher speeds than the original iPhone, which is only capable of using the older, slower EDGE network. This speed increase, on paper at least, amounts to being able to surf the web almost twice as fast with the iPhone 3G.

The other main new feature in the iPhone 3G is its built in GPS chip, which allows the iPhone 3G to know where you are at all times and gives applications the ability to use that information, such as pinpointing your location on a map or offering restaurant recommendations based on your location.

There is one more thing worth mentioning about the release of the iPhone 3G, however. Along with its release, Apple also released the App Store. Think of this as the iTunes for applications that can run on the iPhone. (In fact, you access the App Store right in iTunes.) The App Store allows anyone with an iPhone to download applications built by developers around the world - some for free, and most for under $10. The good news is that the AppStore works with both the original iPhone and the newer iPhone 3G, as long as you have upgraded to the 2.0 version of the iPhone software.