Big news this week.

The iPhone 3G came as rumored, but two days after the announcement, critics are starting to see the flaws in Apple's follow up to its revolutionary device.

For one, it doesn't have a secondary camera for 3G video calls, which is kinda odd for a 3G device. No one knows why Apple left it out, but speculations are that a second camera would add too much to the already high production costs, and we all know they're trying to make it as affortable as possible. Others say there's no space for another camera and would 'scar' the face of the iPhone.

Sure, the 8GB iPhone now cost a third of its initial launch price of $599 a year ago, but a renewal of contract with AT&T coupled with raised data prices means you'll probably end up paying much more in the long run. There's also the issue of 3G availability, which is mostly restricted to urban areas.

That said, many rural folks may be sticking with their current iPhone if they're unable to take advantage of the fast speeds. GPS is great, but it's not a deal maker for many, who may have similar devices built in to their cars already.

The 3G iPhone will be more attractive to European countries where telcos have invested heavily in the technology. A total of 70 countries will be getting the new iPhone soon, most of them because multinational telcos like Orange and T-Mobile have deals with Apple in their home countries, which in turn created a spillover effect.

Another bump is the rule of activating phones in store. Bad news for jail-breakers. This means you can't take the phone back and hack it if you do not sign up for a AT&T account (in the US), and cancellations will require you to return the device to AT&T.

On a lighter note, the iPhone software 2.0 is as promising as ever, with the SDK downloaded over 250,000 times since its launch little more than three months ago. From the keynote, many programs will be made available for free, and the price for games around $9.95. Not too shabby for PSP quality games.

The enterprise functions, coupled with Mobile Me, is nothing short of impressive either. Full Microsoft Exchange support, the ability to view Office and iWork files on the go, and various security features will make the iPhone the most desirable work companion. Many executives are ditching their Blackberries already.

Battery life has also improved tremendously. Standby time is now 300 hours, 2G talktime a whopping 10 hours, and audio playback now matches the iPod Classic's 24 hours.

The iPhone will be available 11 July 2008. Am I getting one? You bet I am.