On the bottom edge of the iPhone, Apple has parked three important components,
none of which you’ll ever have to bother with: the speakerphone speaker, the microphone, and the 30-pin connector that charges and syncs
the iPhone with your computer.
There’s only one payoff for knowing what’s down here: The speakerphone isn’t
very loud, because it’s aimed straight out of the iPhone’s edge, away from you. if
you cup your hand around the bottom edge, you can redirect the sound toward
your face, for an immediate boost in volume and quality.On the back of the iPhone, the camera lens appears in the upperleft
corner. The rest of the back is mostly textured aluminum—all except the
bottom, which is black plastic. That’s where the antenna is. Cellphone signals
have a hard time going through metal, which is why this one piece is made of
plastic. Fortunately for people who fear cellphone radiation, the antenna is as
far from your brain as it can be.
You may have noticed one standard cellphone feature that’s not here: the battery
compartment door.
The battery isn’t user-replaceable. it’s rechargeable, of course—it charges
whenever it’s in the white dock—but after 300 or 400 charges, it will start to hold
less juice. eventually, you’ll have to pay apple to install a new battery
(apple says that the added bulk of a protective plastic battery compartment, a
removable door and latch, and battery retaining springs would have meant a
much smaller battery—or a much thicker iPhone.).
