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Gizmodo explains the iPhone 3G’s abilities, true cost of device

We all know that the 3G iPhone is going to be fast, and that it will be running on AT&T’s HSDPA network. There are varying levels of HSDPA speed though, and in all fairness as opposed to overseas deployments, AT&T has a very slow network. This will of course limit speed the iPhone can achieve here, but just how fast can you get going?

3g iphone cost
The amount of factors that limits this speed are numerous. CPU speed, network congestion, proximity to the cell site, and of course network backhaul, or how much speed the site has linked to the actual network. There is a problem though, the iPhone could be limited to the 1.8mbps HSDPA network speed, not the 3.6mbps that AT&T’s network can theoretically achieve.The reason for this could be the faster you go through data, the more battery life you waste. This is a major concern that Apple has had with the device, and it makes sense for them to limit the speed for this reason. Hey, there is always WiFi though.

If you are a little let down by the potentially limited speed on the iPhone 3G, then at least you can be happy about this. The new iPhone over the course of a 24 month contract, costs less than almost any other device. As you can see in this comparison, the new iPhone may be the cheapest, but in close second is the iPhone 3G.

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