Yes, folks, this is definitely a scoop, coming six days prior to the Philippine launch by Philippine telco Globe Telecom.

Thanks to visiting friend Homer, I was able to get hold of an iPhone 3G. The particular unit was provided by Australian telco Optus. 

My impressions: The iPhone 3G is a really slick machine, full of eyecandy and should be the envy of techies and non-techies alike. The user-interface will be new to Nokia fanatics like most Filipinos. The camera is swell. Compared to the first-gen iPhone, the 3G model looks much better, thanks to the full black body or “casing”. Connecting via WIFI is quick and easy. It is a good buy, I think, except that there’s a whole lotta crap coming from Globe regarding how to avail of this wonder phone. I mean, some folks are absolutely incensed that Globe’s pricing is — just you wait for the understatement of the year — exorbitant. The consumer backlash has forced Globe to backtrack, cutting 10 percent off from the announced initial prices.

Anyway, may partner seems to like it so much that we might be compelled to try to get one. There is enormous pressure for me to get one. 

Here are more photos of the iPhone 3G, taken using a Nikon D80:

More photos in my next post.