A little over a year since iPhone (some even called it 'Jesus Phone') mania struck the world and it's once again threatening to spiral out of control as we approach the second coming of Apple's iconic device.

With Friday the 11th (and not the 13th) of July drawing closer, myriad reports are flying in from all parts of the world -- showing iPhone-mad people queuing up outside Apple stores and other such -- in the hope they might be the first ones to get grabs on an iPhone 3G. Jonny Gladwell is one such iPhone crazy dude. Read his story here

If you thought the madness is confined only to the western world, think again. In our very own continent too, fans have been queuing up two days ahead of the launch. See what Reuters has to say about it.

Yes, the newest iteration iPhone boasts AT&T's very fast 3G cellular network that promises to unfold Web pages in less than half the time taken by the original iPhone. And yes, there's no stopping all the euphoria, and all those hard-core geeks waiting to tell the world what they thought about the iPhone 3G.

Here's looking at some of their opinions:

Edward C Baig of "USA Today" gives his verdict -- "Apple's new iPhone 3G is still not perfect, but really close"; about iPhone 3G's predecessor, he'd said, "iPhone isn't perfect, or even the most ideal smart phone for every user." His current verdict comes even without trying the most awaited online Apps Store of the new iPhone. Once this new feature goes live on Friday, it will allow for purchasing programs from outside developers covering everything from social networking tools to games. Check out Baig's review here.

David Pogue of the "New York Times" says iPhone 3G may not get as warm a welcome as its predecessor, partly because the mystery is gone. Pogue makes a pointed reference to AT&T's 3G capability saying it isn't available everywhere and that you need to be in one of AT&T's network coverage areas to get that kind of speed. As for Apple claiming that the iPhone 3G is being made available at "half the price" of the original iPhone, it's really not so, Pogue asserts. The basic AT&T plan that now costs $70 per month instead of the earlier $60 (plus taxes and fees) more than makes up for the slash in price.

However, Pogue has a word of praise for the Apps Store, calling it "one towering tsunami of a feature that may well shut up" all the critics of the newest iPhone. More on what Pogue has to say here.

Meanwhile, Walter S Mossberg of "Personal Technology" says that while the iPhone 3G does address both of the problems that plagued its predecessor -- namely price and the lack of speed -- there are hidden costs to these pluses.

For one, the iPhone 3G's battery drains much more quickly in a typical day of use as compared to that of the original iPhone. And that AT&T (like Pogue said) has negated the iPhone 3G's price cut by jacking up monthly fees for unlimited data use by $10. Read Mossberg's article here.

All said, we thought we'd leave you with some images that claim to capture the first unboxing of Apple's iconic gizmo.