5 Features the Apple iPhone 3G is Missing

Sure, the new Apple iPhone 3G is a sweet phone, and can do even more than its predecessor. But it's still missing a few things - 5 in particular.

The new iPhone is finally (almost) here, and not a moment too soon, as the original models have all but disappeared. Although iPhone 2.0 makes good on promises like 3G data speeds, Assisted GPS, and stereo Bluetooth, it’s still a work in progress. Here are five things we’d like to see in iPhone 3.0.

1) More Memory

8GB and 16GB? Still?! This may have helped keep the iPhone’s price down, but we are definitely ready for a 32GB version. Adding a microSD slot would be a nice touch too, though that raises some technical issues because of the way the iPod handles its file database.

2) Wireless Sync

You can download songs and apps from the WiFi iTunes store, so what’s missing? Downloading stuff you already own without hooking up to your computer. There are workarounds, but they are kludgy and tedious and require command-line work. The Zune does wireless sync — the iPhone should do it better.

3) 802.11n Support

Now that Apple has upgraded the iPhone’s cellular data speed to 3G, we think it’s time to bring the WiFi module up to speed with 802.11n. And it would make wireless sync even more attractive.

4) 3G Uploading

Faster download speeds via 3G (HSDPA) is all fine and good for surfing, but with Apple’s introduction of an enhanced version of .Mac called MobileMe, we’re surprised they omitted high-speed uploading (HSUPA) for faster email sends and posting pictures to online albums.

5) Support for document editing on sites like Google Docs (or MobileMe)

The iPhone is getting pretty close to being a laptop-replacement device. Although we think it’s great to be able to view documents in Google Docs and MobileMe accounts, we’re waiting for the ability to make changes to our files right from the iPhone.