THE SULTANS OF SMUG at Apple have been showing just how much clout they have among tech journalists by asking their mates to run glowing reviews of the 3G Iphone.

While we don't begrudge Apple trying it on, we are quite frankly stunned at the ability of the American tech press to roll over when bribed by a gadget sent to them by someone that they want to be their chum.

It seems that the Wall Street Journal, Walt Mossberg, New York Times', David Pogue, and USA Today Edward Baig have all received their nice shiny phones a month ago and all written reviews which are startlingly good.

However they are also reviews that are short on facts, and full of statements that Apple wants people to say, often.

Pogue, after listing all the Iphone's qualities, which he failed to point out it has in common with any 3G phone, with orgasmic messianic overtones said that tomorrow is the "Iphone's second coming".

However what is the killer application for the Iphone? According to Pogue the "towering tsunami of a feature" that will silence the critics is the Iphone App Store!

This is a central, complete, drop-dead simple online catalogue of new programs for the Iphone. They don’t have to be transferred from a computer, and you don’t have to hack the phone to use them. Most of the programs will be free or cheap, he enthuses.

USA Today's Edward Baig comes up with the line that the Iphone is " close to being perfect". His introduction line could have been cut and pasted from an Apple press release, only it's too full of hyperbole.

Extra, extra: Iphone 3G: The Sequel, 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.

Walt Mossberg was a bit more balanced than his other tame Apple hacks. Despite the fact he wrote under the headline "Newer, Faster, Cheaper Iphone 3G" he did moan about the Iphone's short battery life and other problems that should bother users.

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…. 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.

But he should be careful. Newsweek’s Steven Levy who is normally on a list of tame Apple journos wasn’t allowed to play with the Iphone 3G with Mossberg, Pogue and Baig after he wrote a slightly scathing review of the MacBook Air. µ

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