Recycle and Reuse Your iPhone 3G

While the iPhone 3G isn't as powerful anymore by iPhone 4 standards, it still has some everyday functions that are still useful for anyone. Here's a few tips to keep your aging iPhone 3G handy.

No front camera and AirPlay features would make the iPhone 3G seem so obsolete.  However, the first iPhone to have 3G capabilities does have some life left in it, to still make it relevant.  Granted, you'll lack the ability for FaceTime chats, streaming music or recording video in high definition though. Here's a rundown of what makes the iPhone 3G still somewhat appealing today:

1. Backup - You can still use it as secondary phone in case something ever happens to your current iPhone. It will still make calls despite any service quality issues. Make sure you kept your SIM card handy.

The iPod feature

2. iPod - While the iPhone 3G only had storage capacities of 8GB, it can still be quite adequate as a media player. Let's face it, battery life is quite horrible on all iPhones so why not use your old one for music or movie enjoyment and preserve your current battery for Angry Birds or Facebook?

3. Pass it On - Got a relative on the same wireless family plan? Give them your old phone instead of paying an extra $199 on a newer model.  Kids or older family members may not need all the features (Airplay, multitasking, etc.) found in an iPhone 4. Save money by letting them this older model.

4. Camera - Sure the 2 megapixel camera isn't as competitive as the 5 megapixel utilized in the current iPhones, but it's a huge improvement over the iPad 2's cameras. An extra camera can come in handy when you just can't use your current iPhone.



5. A Small iPad - When you can't afford to shell out more for another iPad, there are several universal apps that will run on both devices. Plus, isn't the iPad just too bright to view in bed anyway?

Our past experience has found that iOS version 3 runs smoothly on all iPhone 3G models. We've noticed that it's a hit or miss with certain apps loading smoothly (YouTube, Safari, AOL Radio, etc.).