Once again Apple has released a new product with good marketing, but the product is underwhelming.  The new iPhone 3G is coming out and looking at the specs, again this next edition iPhone looks like the G1 we already have from T-Mobile since the cupcake update.  But don’t let my words try to convince you, lets compare the groundbreaking features.

Voice Control….A G1 feature
Video….A G1 feature
3 Mega-pixel camera with auto focus….An original G1 feature. (G2 rumored to have a 5 mega-pixel camera)
Compass….Early G1 feature.
Cut, Copy & Paste….G1 feature.
Landscape keyboard….G1 feature, including physical keyboard that makes texting easier.
MMS coming soon…..MMS from the start on the G1
Tethering…Advantage iPhone, but with an AT&T data plan, would you really?  (G1 can be tethered if you know how)

I’d say the only real gain will probably be with speed.  HTC has long practiced selling underpowered phones to T-Mobile to keep the cost down for the customer.  This phone can be a brick at times if you try to make it do too much, or if you use up all its memory.  On the other hand, at least you have the ability to try to do too much with things like desktop widgets, automatic podcast clients and tray weather bug.  Expandable memory versus set internal memory is a win, because I can always pop out my 8 gigs of video podcasts and pop in photos and mp3s. 

I just wish Apple would allow the user to do more, and stop with all the restraints and missing features.  But then, they won’t.  It’s what’s kept them in business and allowed them to build a solid fan base of people who don’t care that they are just now able to snap a picture and send it (in small quantities) to a friend.  I am waiting for either Apple to finally put out a better iPhone or Android phones to get faster, better marketed and more sexy.  Until then we all lose out.  We all get either a half crippled iPhone or a G1 that can’t live up to its potential until more people have them.