With iPhone out, attention turns to second-gen model

Computerworld - The first-generation iPhone is barely on the streets, but some users and analysts are already talking about when a second-generation model will be launched to take advantage of faster 3G wireless network speeds for faster Internet browsing.

The first version of the iPhone supports AT&T's EDGE -- Enhanced Data Rates for GSM Evolution -- network, a 2.5G network advertised as providing download speeds of 70Kbit/sec. to 135Kbit/sec. AT&T Inc. and Apple Inc. chose that network because it is the largest network, reaching 270 million people, company officials said last week.

However, several analysts and reviewers believe that the next-generation iPhone, which could ship early next year in the U.S., will be provisioned to handle a faster 3G network, such as AT&T's High Speed Downlink Packet Access (HSDPA), to support download speeds of 400Kbit/sec. to 700Kbit/sec. However, AT&T and Apple Inc. would not comment today on their plans or a timetable for iPhone 2.0 or AT&T's HSDPA.

AT&T spokesman Mark Siegel stressed that "HSDPA is available in 160 metro areas, and AT&T will continue to build it out through the rest of the year, so obviously we're continuing to build 3G."

But Siegel also repeated comments made last week that iPhone users will accept the slower EDGE speeds, especially since the iPhone can access faster Wi-Fi networks when a hot spot is available at home or at a public space such as a coffee shop. "We haven't had many complaints about EDGE," he said. "What really matters for a real human being using the iPhone who doesn't know anything about EDGE is that this is going to be a great experience in totality, whether searching for a stock quote or a map or many other things. We think overwhelmingly that people will be thrilled using this device. The experience they have on EDGE will be a really good one."

Siegel's comments, however, don't match user consternation about EDGE speeds registered at the MacRumors forums, or concerns raised by some reviewers, including one who said it took two minutes to download the Yahoo Web site home page.

The discussion thread at MacRumors asked people to post their EDGE speeds over the iPhone using a network-measuring tool. Some reported speeds were higher than those advertised by AT&T, but most were slower, with 64Kbit/sec. on July 3 in San Diego and 71Kbit/sec. in Los Angeles that same day. "Boooooo!" is the only comment from the San Diego user identified as FreeState. GnarleyMarley87 reported 126Kbit/sec. in Atlanta on EDGE, but 1,245Kbit/sec. over Wi-Fi at home. Other users weighing in on MacRumors about the differences between 3G and EDGE and why Apple is waiting indicate that iPhone users are aware that AT&T's 3G network is not widely available in the U.S. Users also noted that 3G-capable phones consistently run down batteries faster than those on slower networks. One analyst, Ken Dulaney at Gartner Inc., recently confirmed that a 3G phone can use up a battery at a rate 30% faster than a 2.5G phone.