Apple iPhone 3GS
PrintFinally, a no-compromises smartphone suitable for mass consumption
Once upon a time, I dismissed the iPhone as a wannabe smartphone, lacking the key features that truly warranted that label. Since I wrote that column about two years ago, Apple has gone on a feature-adding rampage—adding push email, support for Exchange servers, third-party applications, and a veritable alphabet soup of new acronyms (GPS, MMS, and 3G, for starters). Two years into the iPhone era, the device is so much more than a phone with an iPod attached— it’s an instant-on, always-connected, pocket-sized computer.
On paper, the 3GS doesn’t seem like a major upgrade from the previous-generation iPhone, especially when you consider that many of the bullet points on the 3GS’s feature list came to older iPhones in the form of the 3.0 firmware release. And at first glance, even the new 3GS-exclusive features—a faster CPU, more memory, a more capable GPU, faster network connectivity, a higher-resolution camera that can finally shoot video, voice control for key features, and a compass—seem like a mixture of unsexy, incremental, shoulda-been-there-already features, and just plain meh. Worse, some of the features require carrier support, so things like MMS messages, higher-speed HSPDA support, and tethering won’t be available in the United States until AT&T deigns to support them.
The iPhone 3GS brings a faster CPU, more memory, and faster download speeds to Apple's do-everything wonder-phone.
But when you actually sit down and use the phone, the seemingly minor hardware tweaks bring a substantial performance boost to the phone. The OS is snappier, apps load noticeably faster, and the out-of-memory crashes that plagued Safari with earlier versions of the iPhone seem to be a thing of the past. The 3GS nearly halved the load times for some particularly slow-loading apps in my side-by-side testing with the 3G version. Depending on the way you use your phone and the apps you use, you could experience a substantial performance boost. I even find myself wiping finger grease off the phone less frequently, thanks to the new fingerprint-resistant coating that Apple uses on the phone’s glass touch screen.
While many of the new software features are also available to owners of older iPhones, I’d be remiss not to mention them. On the software front, the 3GS offers all the goodness of the 3.0 software update—phone-wide search, push notifications for apps, the voice recorder app, and a bunch of other smaller improvements.
In my admittedly unscientific battery-life tests, the iPhone 3GS seemed to have a shorter run than the first iPhone in common usage, although it still outperformed the 3G. The 3GS has real battery-life problems when you run CPU-intensive apps, like the video camera or most games. In the gaming test, the 3GS battery drained faster than a 3G. I have yet to run out of juice before the end of the day, but this is definitely a phone that requires a recharge after a full day of use.
Where does that leave the iPhone 3GS? For users of the original iPhone, it’s a great upgrade. Owners of the 3G should probably wait and see what Apple has planned for next year before they make the upgrade. And even if you have a moral objection to Apple, you have to be excited that the iPhone’s success has forced formerly moribund carriers and hardware manufacturers to innovate again, which is good news for anyone with a cell phone.
Apple iPhone 3GS
Fuji
Faster everything; improved camera is great; it's got a compass!
Granny Smith
Battery life could be better; still can't change some alert tones.
9
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TechJunkie
October 01, 2009 at 3:50pm
I agree with everyone here. Ok ...so the Iphone has over 70,000 apps! whoopti do! Is anyone...ANYONE...going to download 70,000 apps. Besides the phone can only hold what, 100? (I might be wrong but I know space is limited). 5000 calculator apps, 5000 feed apps, 5000 money conversion apps, the list goes on and on. Most of those apps are at best novelty items. Sure, there are some actual apps that people use everyday, but in all honesty, no one, not even iphone users, will use 100 different apps in a day so what's the freakin point??
I would love to see how a hiker on a 5 day trek through the sierra's use his COMPASS when he gets lost and his phone is DEAD.....whoops....can't change the battery!!
ceegee
October 01, 2009 at 12:17pm
Maybe it's just me but i want a phone that is a phone, just saw an article that the iphone drops (on average) 30% of it's calls huh? also want a phone that is more comfortable to use not a slab of plastic held to my head, why i like clamshells they fit better. don't know how bluetooth works with it but i do like hands free devices to talk and listen - easier when one drives. Voice calling works well to,why would i want to play games on my phone is beyond me, i have a psp for that. and is anybody so important that their phone has to get their email? And to pay for the data rates for what $1 apps? Not to mention ITunes and it's cram it down your throat upgrades of software you didn't want in the first place (including it). no thank you just give me a phone that is realible and the battery lasts longer than a day, that i can change out when it does fail. technology is supposed to better our lives not just make us look cool and hip. If somebody has an urgent email, guess what they can call me with that info, timely and to the point. what are phones for?
Geeksquadmyss
October 01, 2009 at 3:13pm
Damn right, were so concerned with ours phones doing email, word, excel editing, texting video, powerpoint....get a notebook PC, for the price of an iphone or 2 models cuz lets face it you epgrade everytime apple releases a "new" iphone you can get a decent notebook with a wireless broadband card.
Plus im tired of listening to every Ass who has a smartphone rave about features and "oh look at this it can do..." blah blah blah...my phone calls people and sends texts. for the other stuff i have a laptop
TechJunkie
October 01, 2009 at 3:54pm
Damn near! :) Wear some FUBU jeans and it might just fit with them deep ass pockets....
DBsantos77
October 01, 2009 at 11:47am
What is this "smart phone" you speak of...What is this device?
XD
I Jedi
October 01, 2009 at 11:14am
The iPhone has definitely claimed its spot in the smartphone market. There's no denying its potential, wealth of apps, and ability to do the needs of the many. However, it has one critical flaw that I think will eventually lead to its second place position: Open-source.
While you can make apps. for the iPhone, it still has to get through the door and past Apple's app. team for approval. Apple has been critized a lot in the past for doing this, and choosing what users can and cannot experience. The majority of iPhone users never jailbreak their phones, as most are just your average American teenager/young adult. Open-source, or more closely, Android, paves the way for more innovation and creativity. You don't have to get your apps. approved to be able to get it onto Android. While the Android Market may be monitored for potential hazards, there are other markets to choose from.
Apple was smart at gearing this as a sexy, sleek, and hip device, and aiming it towards the younger generation. I must admit that even I find the iPhone nice to look at, and if there was no other competition in the market, I would choose to use the iPhone, rather than nothing. However, there is competition out there, and we call it Android.
Again, there are great qualities that make the iPhone what it is: a smartphone. I simply believe, though, that as time progresses on, the market will begin to shift more towards Open-Source for smartphones.The iPhone will not disappear for many more years to come, but I am confident that it will not always retain its first place position.
Carbon
October 01, 2009 at 10:47am
Will is an Apple fanboy and takes every chance he gets to promote Apple. Every issue of MAXPC his drops in some Apple or Mac comment.
I say we impeach him......8)
TechJunkie
October 01, 2009 at 8:25am
first off, the iphone is the epitome of socialite wannabees with its sleek hardware. I would love to have a contest with iphone users in two areas: multitasking and spare battery changing. Niether of which the iphone can do. I have played with the iphone enough to know that I will take my Pre over crapple's phone anyday!
van_helblaze
October 01, 2009 at 10:07am
I'll give you the battery life, but the iphone can mutlitask if it's jailbroken, via backgrounder app.
And no jailbreaking is not illegal -- it does not directly let you pirate apps, it simply lets you install custom apps that aren't included in itunes. Though you can pirate apps if you know the right repositories.
Caboose
October 01, 2009 at 1:00pm
So, unless you modify the firmware, the iPhone can't multitask.
How many iPhone owners are going to know how to Jailbreak theirphone? I'm guessing not many
-= I don't want to be dead, I want to be alive! Or... a cowboy! =-
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