PRODUCT REVIEW
Road-Tripping With the iPhone 3G

Buying In: Some pundits have suggested the iPhone is the Swiss Army knife of mobile phones. Having spent a month with it, including taking it on vacation to Vermont, I've come to see it more as the Mini Cooper of communicators.

As with that status car, the package is small while the cost of ownership is high. The initial, US$199 come-on price is attractive for the new iPhone 3G . But the larger-capacity 16 GB model (better for holding movies, music and lots of those 4,000-plus applications now available) is $299. With activation fees and taxes, our bill for two iPhones came to $700 before my wife and I made our first calls.

Then there's the monthly fee.

With taxes, we're paying a steep $150 for the AT&T (NYSE: T) iPhone family plan with 700 minutes, unlimited data and the most minimal of texting. There was no big discount for the second phone on the account, as you get with almost every other mobile phone plan under the sun.

To sweeten that pill and make their phones more exciting and practical, Apple (Nasdaq: AAPL) , AT&T and their partners are pushing all the extras. It's a lot like the way Mini dealers urge you to customize their cars with flashy stripes and GPS systems.

The Add-Ons

Do start with a case and screen protector like the Griffin Flex Grip (under $20), a rubbery silicon wrap with clear screen guard that prevents scratches and softens the impact if your iPhone is dropped. The Flex Grip also cushioned the silver ring around the front edge of the phone that really rubbed my ear the wrong way.

Another iPhone essential, especially for long-distance travelers, is a portable charger/backup battery.

While the new iPhone has decent standby and music play time, it quickly runs through its (sealed) battery charge if you're watching a movie or communicating on AT&T's higher-speed 3G network.

A company called "DreamGear" makes the very sweet, slim iSound Back Up Battery 2-in-1 (under $50) that plugs neatly into the bottom of an iPhone or iPod to essentially double battery capacity.

Use it for an instant power boost or to recharge the Apple of your eye. Re-energize the back-up battery via an included AC connector or a cable that connects to a computer's USB (universal serial bus) port.

On the Road

We loaded up our new iPhones with some of the most popular free "apps" (as well as some paid video games and movies) before our recent trip to Vermont. Here's what we found.

The Urbanspoon program that had proven so helpful with dining suggestions here in Philly was useless in our getaway haunts. Not even the state capital of Montpelier or major college town Burlington were covered. (Hmmmm ... maybe that's why they call it Urbanspoon.)

Box Office is an app that summons up movie theater locations, times, reviews and even trailers. It ignored the theater closest to us in Waitsfield but did offer a bunch of entertainment options farther afield.

The Weather Channel site is not the official weather program that comes preloaded on the iPhone, but it was easily added for more accurate, extended forecasts for our location (that'll be rain, rain, followed by a sunny morning and then more rain).

Likewise, NYT Mobile is not the way Apple and The New York Times want you to read the paper's online edition. But it loaded faster, with larger text and with none of the hotel advertising found on the official Times iPhone app.

The music sites AOL Radio, Tuner and Pandora all offered excellent Internet radio listening experiences, especially in the cabin, where we had strong WiFi signal access (and could plug the iPhone into powered Bose speakers). Of course, when zooming up and down the mountain roads, radio stations and phone conversations dropped out where there were signal gaps.

Some bloggers have been laying into the iPhone lately for dropped signals. But I'm starting to believe not every iPhone 3G has been created equal. In one Vermont dining stop, my wife's iPhone got a working signal while none registered on mine.

A Buyer's Caveat

I forgot to mention one other added cost of iPhone ownership, the early termination fee you'll be socked with if you switch from another service provider to AT&T before your contract expires.

Don't think (as we foolishly did) that your contract is up just because your current carrier starts pitching that you're "now qualified" for a new phone or more economical plan. Verizon starts this promotion six months before a two-year contract expires.

We learned too late that we'd switched with three days still left on our contract. The "early termination" fee we were charged? $175 per phone.