Why write a review for the iPhone 2 when everyone else is doing it? Plus, we already own the iPhone 1 and know for a fact that the crappy camera is still hanging on for dear life on the iPhone 2, with two measly megapixels, no flash, autofocus, zoom or dear god, video recording. With cellphone cameras pumping out as much as 8 megapixels with autofocus and xenon flash, we’ll wait until the iPhone 3 gets it all right, thank you very much. But for those of you just stepping into iPhone land for the first time, or those gadget freaks who have to have the latest iPhone, here’s what the leading pundits have to say:

NYTimes’ David Pogue:
Pogue: “..The iPhone 3G is a nice upgrade. It more than keeps pace with advancing technology, and new buyers will generally be delighted….But it’s not so much better that it turns all those original iPhones into has-beens. Indeed, the really big deal is the iPhone 2.0 software and the App Store, neither of which requires buying a new iPhone. That twist may come as a refreshing surprise to planned-obsolescence conspiracy theorists — and everyone who stood in line last year.”

USA Today’s Edward Baig: “..The iPhone 3G..is worth the wait….It’s cheaper, faster and a lot friendlier for business. Apple’s blockbuster smartphone already had nifty features such as visual voicemail, a splendid built-in video iPod and the best mobile Web browser I’ve ever used. With GPS newly added to the mix, this handheld marvel has no equal among consumer-oriented smartphones.”

Wall Street Journal’s Walter Mossberg: “If you’ve been waiting to buy an iPhone until it dropped in price, or ran on faster cell networks, you might want to take the plunge, if you can live with the higher service costs and the weaker battery life. The same goes for those with existing iPhones who love the device but crave faster cellular data speeds. But if you already own an iPhone, and can usually use Wi-Fi for data, you probably should hold off and get the free software upgrade before deciding whether it’s worth getting the new hardware.”

Bottom Line: If you’ve never had an iPhone before, yes, its an amazing device. Don’t be fooled by the lower price though, the monthly fees more than make up for it. As for iPhone 1 owners, we don’t recommend jumping on this horse unless you have gadgetitis. Its more like the iPhone 1.5 than the iPhone 2.

Over here at the Herald, we’re absolutely demanding a better camera - 5 megapixels at least, autofocus, xenon flash, and video recording, not to mention HD video recording. Go ahead, charge us twice as much, but at least we won’t lose pissing matches with some Sony Ericsson-wielding bloke at the bar. Yeah, we’re not too excited. Can you tell?

Below: The Sony Ericsson C905-wielding bloke at the bar who won’t understand your slobbering over the iPhone. “Great, but can it take a picture of us right now, in this dark bar?” he’ll say. “Ugh..no, we’ll have to wait until the sun comes out..” you’ll have to admit. Laughter all around. See what we mean?