Here are some early 3G iPhone Reviews and buying tips:

1. Read the Reviews!

Seriously, Apple has started this fanaticism with buying their stuff on the day it comes out – make sure you read the reviews first. I would have bought an original iPhone except for Walt Mossberg’s concern about data speeds over EDGE. (Mossberg says the new iPhone is 3-5X faster)

Walt Mossberg at All Things Digital: “Newer, Faster, Cheaper iPhone 3G”

David Pogue at The New York Times: “For iPhone, the ‘New’ Is Relative”

Edward C. Baig at USA Today: “Apple’s new iPhone 3G: Still not perfect, but really close”

2. Make sure its the right phone for you.

Don’t be a sheep. Think about how you use your phone, about the features you use on the phone you already have, vs the features on the iPhone. Do you send a lot of email or text messages? You might want to think about not having a keyboard. Do you want to tether the phone to your laptop for 3G? It’s not clear whether the new iPhone will allow it. One handed operation? You might want a Blackberry.

3. Consider the cost of the phone – and the plan.

The iPhone’s handset price has dropped to $199, but the plan price went up so that the actual cost of ownership over 2 years is higher. Make sure you know what you’re getting into before entering the store – including text message costs. Check out the 3G iPhone pricing plans at AT&T.

4. Do you use your mobile phone in an AT&T 3G Coverage area?

AT&T has relatively little 3G coverage compared to Verizon and Sprint, although most well-populated areas are covered. Use their coverage viewer to check the areas you spend your time in. In most cases, you will still have slow EDGE connectivity when you don’t have 3G – but check your region to make sure.

Regular StationStops readers may wish to check out our map of AT&T 3G coverage over the Metro-North Railroad lines. There is also a link to a large nationwide AT&T 3G coverage map there.

5. Will you use the multimedia features?

The Apple iPhone is, of course, also an iPod and a web browser. But how much time do you spend away from a computer during the day that you will use it? For some commuters – like train commuters – you could probably get a lot of mileage out of this. However, for car commuters with computers at work and home, you might not even have the opportunity – never mind need – to use it much at all.

A study showed that smartphone users most often used their phone’s data features while in the bathroom. This illustrates how seldom the average user has an opportunity to use these features.

If you want it to watch video, keep in mind that video isn’t as reusable as music. You will need to either buy, create, or download new video content more often than music if you use it regularly.

When I first got my iPod Touch, I watched video on it on the train every day – but getting new video content every day (besides podcasts, which I don’t care for) turned out to be kind of a hassle and/or expensive, and the iTunes store was always behind my Netflix queue in new releases.

After a while, I just got tired of selecting, downloading, and syncing stuff every day and eventually reverted to my previous favorite train commuting pastime – sleeping.

Another issue I always have with my Blackberry is that I never seem to have my headphones with me when I want to listen to music or watch video.

6. If you buy one, get a case and screen protector with it – if they are available.

Probably the most annoying thing that happened when I bought my iPod Touch was that it was just different enough in size from the iPhone that none of existing cases fit. As Apple was typically top secret about revealing the dimensions and specifications before launch, no one had cases and screen protectors ready for the first few weeks.

By the time Touch cases came out, the unit was already well scratched. Whereas the iPhone is a beautiful and sleek device, it is not designed to gracefully handle the kind of abuse most of us give our phones. The first thing I do whenever I take a new iPod out of the box is put it in a case and slap on a screen protector.

7. Buy it locally, know your return policy, and commit to return it if its not for you.

Some people (like me) hate returning things. Companies like AT&T and Apple rely on that. It is rumored that the return policy on the new 3G iPhone will be extended to 30 days, and you will have to return the equipment to the store you bought it from, so be sure to buy it near your home, rather than on your summer vacation on Cape Cod. Also keep all your packing, receipts, etc. in a bag and ready to go should you choose to return it.

Check out the AT&T Retail Store Locator and the Apple Store Locator for stores near you.

If you are changing carriers, you also might want to think about not moving your mobile phone number to the new iPhone until you are certain you are going to keep it, and keeping your original account & phone active during the return period. Also make sure you are aware of any early termination fees for your original mobile phone if you are still in contract.

8. Consider the options of keeping your phone and compare other new phones and plans.

The Blackberry Bold and Samsung Instinct are the major competitiors to the new iPhone.Although the reviews of the Instinct declare it is not on par with the iPhone, it does have one interesting unique feature – some limited live tv channels.

The Blackberry is still a favorite amongst businesspeople and people who do a great deal of email and texting on the phone. Although many iPhone users are fine with the touchpad qwerty on the iPhone, some people never really get used to it and perfer the physical thumboard on the Blackberry.

The new Blackberry has a higher-resolution screen, which in video comparisons actually seems brighter and has better contrast than the iPhone, although the screen is still significantly smaller.

9. Know the iPhone’s shortcomings.

• It cannot be tethered to your laptop for 3G surfing like a Blackberry.
• It has no cut and paste functionality
• It has no global search feature
• There is not support for bluetooth stereo headsets (still a head-scratcher)
• The web browser has no Flash or Java support
• The battery is not swappable by the user (Mossberg has had his die on him one day already). Battery replacement by Apple is a whopping $86 – almost half the price of the entire phone.
• Voice calling is sketchy (Mossberg had a call dropped 3 times on a Manhattan cab ride.)
• The base plan does not include any SMS messages
• There is no expandable memory slot
• The camera is only 2MP and does not record video or have a flash
• There is no MMS support
• The GPS is not good enough to do turn by turn directions, and doesnt hold a signal well among the Manhattan hi-rises.
• There is no voice dialing or recording
• It does not support mobile Java applications (although there will be a new Apple mobile application store for third-party software)
• Some older accessories will not charge the new iPhone, but there may be adapters coming.
• AT&T’s 3G coverage is relatively poor compared to Sprint and Verizon’s (reviewers have experienced 3G dead spots – even in metro nyc area)
• The phone is cheaper but cost of ownership is higher because of the increased pricing plan
• The reception quality is below average as noted by Mossberg.
• Upcoming games for iPhone are limited by lack of buttons – tilting iPhone will be used for some, but screen is hard to see when titlted.

10. Know the iPhone’s Advantages

• Best-in-class mobile web browser has virtually no competition
• Interface is very fast, attractive, and intuitive
• Best mobile phone for music and video
• Massive content library at iTunes Store
• Best photo viewer of any phone
• Will enjoy large 3rd party accessory support – cases, speakers, etc.

Although the list of advantages to other smartphones may be smaller, I would argue that in most cases they are more significant. For example, the video and web browsing experiences on the iPhone aren’t just better than most other phones – they’re MUCH better. Also, the lack of a comprehensive multimedia store for other phones makes the music and video features of other phones far less usable.

As I mentioned before, choosing the 3G iPhone for yourself will require some research as to other people’s impressions – but more importantly, deciding which features are most important to you.