iPhone in depth: The Ars review

Meet the iPhone

The iPhone currently comes in two flash-based storage flavors: 4GB and 8GB. They are WiFi-, Bluetooth-, and USB-enabled. Contrary to initial reports and speculation about the device, current iterations of the iPhone do not include a GPS unit, although there are still rumors that such a thing may be incorporated into future versions. The box is smallish—not as small as the boxes that Apple now uses for full-size, fifth-generation iPods, but about the same size as one would expect when purchasing a cell phone of this size—with a matte black finish, similar to that of the MacBook Pro and true to Apple's aesthetic.

For the longtime iPod owners in the house, this is a familiar scene, but this many accessories may or may not continue to come included in the box as future iPhone generations get released. As one commenter aptly observed in the discussion about Infinite Loop's iPhone unboxing photos, "Look at all those accessories. I can't wait for the 3rd or so generation iPhone that comes with a phone and a cable."

Like a tall iPod...

The iPhone's size is best described as a regular-sized, video iPod, but taller. In fact, the width is exactly the same as an iPod at 2.4 inches and barely thicker than an iPod: the iPhone is 0.46 inches thick while the iPod is 0.43 inches. Height-wise, the iPhone is 4.5 inches tall, and an iPod is 4.1 inches tall. Physically, they are very similar, and we find the iPhone to be comfortable in the hand and in the front pocket of our pants.

Curiously, the video iPod and the iPhone weigh the same at 4.8 ounces each, despite the iPhone being flash-based and the iPod containing a hard drive.

Some readers have complained that the iPhone is too heavy. The Motorola Q—a Windows SmartPhone that's popular in the business world—weighs in at 4.0 ounces, while the BlackBerry Pearl is 3.2 ounces. The BlackBerry 7130e, which is rather close in size to the iPhone, weighs 4.7 ounces. In short, the iPhone's weight is in the right neighborhood, and no one on our review team found it cumbersome or irritating.

Compared to a BlackBerry Pearl (2 inches wide, 0.6 inches thick, and 4.2 inches tall), an iPhone is slightly taller by 0.3 inches, slightly wider by 0.4 inches, and slightly thinner by 0.14 inches. Notice the significant difference in screen real estate between the two (which helps to explain the difference in weight as well, as the iPhone's glass screen is quite large). Overall, the iPhone isn't the world's smallest phone, but its sleek design and particularly its thickness make this an easy phone to pocket.

Now let's get up close and personal with the iPhone.