1. My understanding is that Apple shifted from the firewire charging method (even though it used a USB connector) to the USB charging mechanism/method. So, some older charges won't work (for example, my car stereo connectors will no longer charge the 3G, but will charge the original iPhone).
Having said this, I just plugged my 3G iPhone into my old iPhone charger, and it worked just fine. If you are using an older, third party charger, you may have the issue I have outlined above.
Thanks to all. Still, Apple should be more like Apple and less like Microsoft and give its consumers a better idea of what will work with the iPhone 3G. The phone should work with these old chargers. The waste they -Apple-produces by forced obsolescence is hardly "green"-just wasteful.
My Belkin will charge the phone, but the phone complains about the device is not compatible with the iPhone and asks me to put the phone in Airport mode. Also when playing songs through the Belkin the phone will sometimes go into automatic pause.
So my $80.00 belkin that worked just fine with my 32G iPod Touch is useless for my phone. If I don't give it to my wife to use, I'm just gonna cut the base off it and use the headphone jack to plug into my aux radio port, and only spend $19.00 for a simple car adapter.
I can only say that I have used incompatible chargers for a year now (my adapter for my car stereo that runs through the CD changer port) has always given the "this device is not compatible with the iPhone" message. And, my 1st Gen iPhone worked just fine for the past year (and my wife has had zero complaints since I gave it to her). So, based on my experience, it's no big deal. I really think the incompatibility comes from not being shielded for cell phone interference. So, I would think if it charges at all, it's fine. Since the 3G phones won't charge at all, presumably b/c it would harm it or the battery.
Now, whether it hurts the 3G iPhone, I cannot say since my charger won't even charge the 3G, even after I refuse to go into airplane mode.
In my opinion, Apple should be ashamed at themselves. We continue to buy their latest products every time there's a new release, and they don't even have the decency to build in connectivity with our old adapters/chargers. I've bought 2 new car chargers and neither worked with 3g! I've head this lame excuse about firewire vs. USB...common, give me a break! This isn't rocket science, if they wanted it to work, it would work--no one forced them, for example, to get rid of the firewire circuitry in the phone. Apple is always trying to make an extra buck cutting corners (since they know they have superior products), example--getting rid of the dock with the new iphone 3g release--how cheap was that?? And "half price, twice the speed," again, this is just false. Everyone knows you more than pay for the $200 saving throughout the course of the more-expensive 2-year service agreement! It's time they stop cutting corners!