I've had my iPhone 3G 8GB for just under 2 years, and have to say it's one of the most essential pieces of kit I own. It has the space to store over 1,000 songs, plus a wide range of fun and helpful applications, allows me to access my work and personal emails, organise my calendar... and it's also a phone!

First of all, the iPhone 3G looks and feels great - it's a sleek and cool design, very "aesthetically pleasing", and there is so much power packed into such a small space. The ability to have one gadget which can play my music and deal with texts, calls and emails makes for a great deal more space in your pockets too!

I would definitely advise investing in a good protective case or at the very least a screen cover for your iPhone - these are expensive and very fragile units, and can be easily damages. I was very careful with mine, but it did sustain a few big knocks which were cushioned by a good case.

What really sets it apart though is the ability to upgrade new software via iTunes, which definitely gives the phone a new lease of life, and the access to the app-store, which has given me hours of fun, along with some incredibly useful and helpful tools. I have used the 'maps', 'facebook', 'sky sports news', and other apps almost every day, and they have become indispensable.

I quickly got to the stage where I really didn't know what I would do without it. Unfortunately I have recently had to come to terms with that reality, as my iPhone 3G stopped working a couple of weeks ago, just short of the end of my 24 month contract with my mobile provider. The technicians at the Apple shop were very helpful and pleasant, but have informed me that there is nothing that can be done for my old phone, so I will be upgrading soon.

Having said this, I was ready to upgrade anyway. I have found that the phone becomes sluggish after a while, and that the 8GB storage space was no longer sufficient for all of my music and applications.