Apple iPhone 3G: improved cell phone features faster Web browsing, built-in GPS.(REVIEWS: THE LATEST HARDWARE AND SOFTWARE PRODUCTS)(Product/service evaluation)

THE FIRST APPLE IPHONE revolutionized the cell phone industry when it was released last year, forcing manufacturers to design handsets that imitate its look and, more importantly, its feel (including its touch-screen interface).

With its follow-up, Apple has reduced the price of the phone (though its exclusive carrier AT&T has raised its rates for the device) as well as addressed the iPhone's biggest limitation: its use of AT&T's slow EDGE wireless network. As its name suggests, the iPhone 3G has rectified this problem, letting users surf the Internet with AT&T's much faster 3G network.

Apple has also addressed a few other complaints about the first-generation iPhone, including poor call quality. It may still not be the loudest phone on the market, but the 3G is now certainly usable for everyday calling. The new phone also sports built-in GPS, which lets the included Google Maps app show you real-time traffic conditions and allow you to track your progress when you're following directions. One feature you won't currently find, however, is turn-by-turn voice directions.

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The 3G now supports Microsoft Exchange ActiveSync, which allows the phone to securely send and receive Microsoft Outlook mail, create calendar entries in Outlook, and add contacts to your Outlook address book, automatically syncing with your desktop version of Outlook. In order to use these features, you'll need to have an enterprise rate plan, and your company's IT department ...