Okay, that's an exaggeration. Baig did hand it over after some gently nudging.

Head-on, the iPhone 3G looks exactly the same as the old iPhone. I noticed the no-longer-recessed headphone jack and that the chrome edging had been moved back a bit, to make the face seem larger (though the two phones are the same height and width) The big (and for some I think this will be really big) difference is the back. The much-reported-on bowed black plastic, which makes the phone slightly thicker than the iPhone 1.0 and should vastly improve call quality, feels remarkably different than the first iPhone's polished aluminum back.

The room Ed and I were in was busy and warm, and I noticed that my slightly sweaty palms made the phone back feel sort of sweaty too. It also made it sit more securely in my hand. Still, with the two phones side-by-side, I noticed that the aluminum back on the first iPhone still felt silky smooth in my other hand.

A minor point, I'm sure. On the other hand, the iPhone's cherished sexiness may have taken a bit of a hit. This iPhone feels a bit more like other phones you might hold and, with that slightly sticky feel on sweaty hands, reminds you that you're just some guy holding a new Apple iPhone 3G in an over-crowded room.