Tomorrow is a big day for people having urge to get a hold of the new iPhone 3G. 8AM. Sharp. Apple stores open their doors and those who didn ‘t mind waiting in line for a couple of days (in Hawaii people formed lines 6 days ago) will get this baby.

I ‘ll get it too as soon as this craze subsides. I prefer entering the store rather than being pushed into it.

A year ago, I asked one of my NYU students, a proud owner of the old iPhone if he liked it. He said, “iPhone changed my life “. As simple as that. A year ago I wasn ‘t ready to shell out $500 for a life changing experience (the price has been dropped to $399 later on). Besides, the older iPhone was Internet-slow (70-150Kbps on AT amp;T EDGE network). The new one is 4-5 time faster (200-500Kbps on 3G). At amp;T is investing billions of dollars into upgrading their stations from EDGE to 3G. Yesterday I ‘ve noticed a little 3G sign on my cellphone, and I live in a small town 50 miles away from Manhattan.

The new iPhone is theoretically cheaper – $199, but since the price for the data plan is $10 higher, you ‘ll need to pay an extra $240 over the life of the two year contract. Also, the battery is not replacable, so be prepared to pay a $100 to get it professionally replaced when it ‘s dead.

The other thing I like about the new gadget is a new audio output that allows to plug in any headphones you like.

And finally, since Apple opened the iPhone API to third-party developers, expect to see a plethora of new application that may bring your life into a new level. For example, some US residents of Arab descent were suffering from not being able to watch Al Jazeera TV channels, but now they ‘ll start getting the real news via the iPhone. Some other useful applications are shown here.

With their online App Store, Apple will give a new solid platform for software developers from around the world who will turn a mobile phone into a computer, leaving behind JavaME, Flash Lite and Android.The App Store already has more than 550 applications ranging from $0 to $69 USD.

The GPS chip that ‘s sitting inside iPhone will bring lots of new conveniences. Imagine yourself driving in the middle of Nevada desert with iPhone in your hands. Launch the app and enter “French restaurant within 25 miles “. You got it! Or even better, all of a sudden you hear a voice announcement from iPhone, “You are within 10 mile distance from brothel Pretty Woman ” (brothels are legal in Nevada).Without the iPhone 3G, you ‘d kept driving without even knowing about great opportunities around you.

Congratulations to Apple for producing yet another excellent gadget!