Design
If you were looking for an iPhone with a new look, sorry; the iPhone 3G S is physically identical to the 3G. Available in either black or white, the 3GS can pass as an iPhone 3G -- not only at a glance, but upon close inspection. But, this isn't all bad. While it doesn't sport a thinner or sleeker look, its interchangeable form factor means accessories such as the cases and battery backpacks you bought for the iPhone 3G still work, and for many that's a great thing.
One external feature worth noting is the screen's new oleophobic coating. Meaning "oil fearing," this coating helps resist fingerprints, and in my testing it not only helped keep fingerprints from showing on the screen in the first place, but made it incredibly easy to remove them once visable. A single swipe with a cloth (or a pants leg) makes the screen pristine. This is a very good thing for a touchscreen device and a move I want to see copied across the handheld universe.
While I'm glad all of my iPhone 3G accessories will work the new iPhone, it would have been nice to see a thinner model. I'm not sure if Apple copped out on a new design given the cost involved, or if they're waiting on next-gen tech to make it happen. Either way, you can be sure that altruistic accessory-compatibility wasn't the reason.
The Screen
Like the design, the 3GS screen hasn't changed from the last model. It's still the same 3.5-inch 480x320 capacitive touchscreen. An OLED upgrade was suggested by many rumors before WWDC, and while I never believed Apple would introduce the superior display technology this year, it would have been a nice touch (and wouldn't have required, most likely, an external design change).
The Processor, Memory and GPU
The "S" in 3GS stands for speed, and the new iPhone has it. Applications start faster without question, though the increase isn't mind blowing. This is due to several factors. First, the iPhone 3GS has a new Samsung CPU, the Soc S5PC100 (PDF Link), which runs at 600MHz (v. 412MHz on older models). Clock speed isn't the metric it used to be for speed, but Apple claims the new Cortex A8 processor is about double the speed of its predecessor. Assuming this is true in some very specific benchmarking process, it doesn't feel twice as fast, but it is unquestionably zippier.
Second, the 3GS has double the RAM of previous models, 256MB v. 128MB. This gives active apps more room to groove and plays a role in the speed of the smartphone. Storage has also been increased, with 16GB and 32GB capacities, though this is not a factor in usable speed.
Third, Apple has bumped up the graphics processor. The new PowerVR SGX offers more graphics power than the PowerVR MBX-Lite inside the 3G. The true potential of this GPU is difficult to nail down today, but it does play a role in video playback, graphics-intensive apps and gaming. I tested the graphics power of the 3GS the best way I knew how: with Google Earth. On my 3G this app sputtered and lurched to the point that I stopped using it completely. On the 3GS, it's very smooth, with only the tiniest infrequent trips in zooming and rotating. It's hard to put a number on it, but I would say that Google Earth is at least 100% improved over its performance on the 3G. In any case, it runs beautifully with the new CPU and graphics chip.
Apple is intent on pushing iPhones as gaming systems, and the PowerVR SGX should help them do that. We'll likely know more about what this new GPU can do when new optimized games start to hit the App Store.
Aside from graphics-intensive apps like Google Earth, browsing the Web in Safari is the best example of the 3rd Generation iPhone's overall speed increase. Web pages load (or render) much faster, very noticeably so, and this alone makes the 3GS a worthy upgrade if you're a mobile Web jockey.
3MP Camera (Photo & Video)
The iPhone 3GS is a top-tier smartphone, and while it did get a megapixel bump (3MP from 2MP), Apple should have opted for a higher resolution camera. There are several 5MP smartphones on the market, and this would have been a wise upgrade for the 3GS.
That said, the new camera is a step forward, and in at least one way, innovative. I'll get to that in a moment, but first let me mention that the new camera not only shoots still photos, but video as well. In the Camera app, there's a slider that switches the camera from still to video mode. The 3GS can shoot VGA video at 30fps, and while this may not make for competitive resolution, the video you shoot is smooth at this frame rate. You can also edit video on the device, though editing is limited to chopping off from the beginning or the end -- no splicing (yet).
I mentioned an innovation; that's the auto focus. Now, auto focus in itself isn't a new feature for a smartphone, but the iPhone 3GS does it better. How? By allowing you to focus on what you want by touching the screen. Just select a scene in the viewfinder and tap to focus on a part of the scene. This is a fantastic idea, and while it may seem obvious, as far as I can tell it's never been done before. This makes the "center-box" and "best guess" auto focus models found on most cameras and smartphones seem primitive by comparison.
A sample photo and sample video (click to enlarge) taken with the iPhone 3GS:
Photos taken with the 3GS are better than those taken on the 3G, but nothing to write home about. The video and auto focus are the important features. You can send photos to email recipients and, eventually, as MMS messages. Apple has also added a Send to YouTube option for video.
Bluetooth Unshackled
After years of waiting, Apple has finally taken the cuffs off Bluetooth -- or to be more accurate, one cuff. You can now use Stereo Bluetooth headphones with the iPhone and free yourself from the cord. This feature isn't part of the 3GS so much as part of the OS. iPhone OS 3.0 adds A2DP Stereo Bluetooth to all iPhones and to the 2nd Gen iPod touch.
I was able to pair Wi-Gear iMuffs to the 3GS quickly, and though the controls on the iMuffs didn't control playback, I'm not sure if this is a limitation of the OS or of the iMuffs control system. Either way, Stereo Bluetooth is a feature I've been wanting since I first laid hands on an iPhone.
It's still unclear to what extent the Bluetooth profiles have been changed. It works with Bluetooth Stereo headphones and Bluetooth headsets, but I couldn't get the 3GS to see a Bluetooth keyboard (the remaining cuff). HID, or Human Interface Devices, may not be supported, or this may require specific apps for use with specific hardware. Hope it's the latter.
Voice Control
Voice control is another long-awaited feature. This is part of version 3 of the iPhone OS, but isn't available on earlier iPhone models. Why? That's a good question. It seems to me that there could be no iPhone or iPhone 3G hardware limitations that would make voice control unworkable. If I'm correct in my assumption, purposely leaving it out is pretty cruel. Voice control is a basic feature on many, many smartphones.
My rant aside, let me cover Voice Control basics. The iPhone 3GS ships with a similar headset to the one that comes with the newest iPod shuffle. There's a button in the center, and if you press and hold it, Voice Control opens (you can also initiate Voice Control by pressing and holding the Home button). From there, you can speak commands, including dialing contacts, dialing numbers (1-800-555-1212) and controlling iPod playback. Contact and number dialing works very well and in my testing it didn't make a single mistake. iPod control is another matter.
Controlling the iPod with Voice Control is a mixed bag. It works well with pre-defined commands like "Play," "Pause," and "Shuffle." But when indicating which playlist or artist, it's less reliable. In my testing, the 3GS misidentified about 30% of the playlists and artists I requested. And, unfortunately, you can't say "Play 'Song Title;'" commands are limited to album, artist or playlist. You can also use Genius to have the iPod play similar music to the song you're listening to, assuming that Genius has data for the song playing. You can say "Genius" or "Play more songs like this" to use the feature.
Background noise cripples Voice Control, reducing its accuracy by 50% or more.
So, Voice Control is a good feature, imperfectly implemented. Its most important functionality, calling, works well. But I hope its recognition improves with future updates. And Apple should add Voice Control to older iPhones it their hardware makes it possible. This is not a premier feature.
Compass
The addition of a digital compass, or magnetometer, has received a few chuckles (and more than a few shoulder shrugs), but I actually find this quite useful. In addition to the new Compass app, which is moderately useful if you're, say, hiking, the compass also augments the way that Maps works.
In Maps, you can tap the cross hair icon to turn on GPS location. Give it another tap and the map turns as you turn with a triangular beam showing the direction in which you're looking or moving. I think this is very useful (and sort of cool), and it'll be interesting to see what's done with this new functionality by app developers. We already know that turn-by-turn software is coming to the 3GS, and the compass could make some very cool things possible.
Call Quality
The call quality on the 3GS is indistinguishable - at least to me - from the 3G, which is to say that it's quite good, but not great.
Battery Life
Apple says the 3GS has better battery life. Up to 12 hours of talk time on 2G networks, 5 on 3G. Up to 30 hours audio playback and 10 hours of video on a full charge. Like all mobile gadget battery claims, we're sure these are optimized numbers, but the 3GS does seem to have a better battery than the 3G, at least in my initial testing. More on this as testing continues.
Nike Support Built-In
You no longer need a dongle to use the Nike + iPod pedometer; it's built right in. You do need the sensor that goes in your shoe, though.
Other iPhone 3.0 OS Add-Ons
Since the following features are not those of the iPhone 3GS itself, but of version three of the iPhone OS, I won't spend too much time on them. If you already have an iPhone, you can upgrade for free, or you can read about them at the Apple web site. I will go over a few high points, however.
Cut, Copy & Paste: This was a no-brainer, but took years to be added to the iPhone's bag of tricks. Using it is easy -- just tap and hold over the text you'd like to select. A set of blue bullets will appear around the text allowing a specific selection. Select Cut, Copy or Paste. Next, tap and press (or double tap) in a text-ready app. Select Paste. All done. If you make a mistake, just give the iPhone a shake and you'll see the option to undo. Endlessly useful.
Spotlight Search: Very useful, and while not revolutionary in concept, this is search done right. To the left of the first Home screen panel is the new search screen -- and you can search everything: email, apps, notes, songs, audiobooks, contacts. Love this feature. It is limited to native iPhone apps, however.
Voice Memo: Allows you to record voice memos. Not much to be said. You can trim the memos, email them and (eventually) send them via MMS (see below).
Tethering: AT&T doesn't offer this service yet, but it's a nice addition on paper. This allows you to use your iPhone as a wireless modem for a laptop (or desktop) over USB or Bluetooth. Bet it'll cost an arm and a leg. $5 sounds good to me... oh, you think that's funny, too? Thanks. Here all week.
MMS: AT&T won't offer this service until later in the summer (is there an echo in here?). MMS is text messaging, but with video and audio. It'll be nice to test it when it's, you know, working. Not Apple's fault. Direct your rage at AT&T.
Landscape Keyboard: All core iPhone apps are now landscape friendly (except the Weather app). Very useful for typing emails.
Remaining Gripes
Apple has taken a hammer to most of my longest-lived iPhone gripes, mostly with its new OS. But I still have some complaints (ain't it always the way?).
First, the Alarm Clock function in the Clock app STILL won't let me wake to music. This is insane! Apple, please hear me on this... we need wake to music on the iPhone!
Second, there doesn't seem to be support for Bluetooth keyboards, as I mentioned earlier. Perhaps this is coming, and if it does it's likely to be so tightly controlled that you'll have to buy an overpriced BT keyboard from approved partners. The inability to use a hardware keyboard remains the barrier to ultimate iPhone usability.
Third, and this one's for AT&T. Did you happen to read the "Other iPhone 3.0 OS Add-Ons" section of this review? Did you?! Why you can't get MMS and tethering to work immediately as you claim seems far fetched. These features are already available on other AT&T handsets, so... let's get to work on it, shall we?
Conclusion
A step up from the 3G, the iPhone 3GS builds on a proven model with a new OS and upgraded hardware to get the job done quicker. The 3GS is faster than its predecessor, but is that enough?
If you don't care about a processing speed bump, voice control or the new video camera, just upgrade your 3G to OS v3.0 (as if you haven't already) and enjoy the new features while we wait for the 4th Gen iPhone. If, on the other hand, you're a true-blue power user and want the upgraded hardware in addition to the new OS, you can't go wrong with the iPhone 3GS. It's everything I loved about the 3G improved -- and more. If you can get in on AT&T's new upgrade policy, all the better.
If you're not an iPhone user and have been looking to make the switch, the iPhone 3GS is the best model yet. And, the 3G isn't bad either and it's now under $100. |
