Before I purchase an iPhone, what technical aspects should I check ?

It’s an Apple product.

That’s all you need to know.

@proXXi Lurvex10!

There are only three options.

3G with 8GB of storage.

3GS with 16GB or 32GB of storage.

The 3GS ones are faster and have more internal RAM.

Check the AT&T coverage in your area! I know some people who were sorely disappointed to find out that they effectively bought an iPod Touch. Last I checked, AT&T wasn’t a great network to begin with and their customer satisfaction rate was the lowest of all major carriers. I mean, they are even an SNL punchline so caveat emptor!

You may also want to get a third-party external battery “extender” if you plan to actually use the thing without plugging it in every 12 hours; under even moderate use, they won’t make it through the day.

Aside from that, the only real option Apple leaves up to you is storage capacity.

You may also want to check out the competition; basically anything running the Android OS. You might get a better device and you’ll almost definitely get a better phone connection. (Well, unless Apple and Verizon make a deal after the AT&T exclusivity contract expires, which is fairly soon.)

Check the chrome ring around the face of the phone. I had one that wasn’t seated properly, and it really bugged when it caught on my fingers.

@jerv The battery lasts long enough if you use it like a phone. The problem is, because it’s so darn useful, we end up using it more like a mini-laptop than anything else, and that seriously drains its battery life.

Coverage, though, is definitely something to check up on for any phone.
If I were you, I’d wait for the Nexus one (the google phone) to come out, it looks like that’s going to be a pretty good phone. At least wait to compare the two.

@LocoLuke By “moderate use” , I meant pretty much anything more than a couple of minutes of utilizing non-phone functions, but you summed it up better than I did. Thanks for typing what I was thinking :)

“What is this overly expensive product that’s under a corporate dictatorship going to do for me that something else can’t do?”