Apple iPhone 3GS

The iPhone 3GS is the successor to the iPhone 3G that features the same outer design but offers redesigned and upgraded internals. Apple claims the "S" stands for Speed (iPhone 3G Speed) and sees more powerful internal processing to offer a faster experience. According to Apple the apps open twice as fast as regular 3G, and web browsing is up to 3 times as fast. The other aspects of the iPhone that have undergone upgrades are the camera, internal battery and more built-in features such as Nike+.

Where to Buy

iPhone 3GS
MSRP $199.00
Release date June, 2009
Brand Apple
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tag it
Pros & Cons35
Reviews34
Details
Buy It1
Competitors10
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Pros & Cons

ProSCORE
32 reviews
68
negative
mixed
positive
19 positive
8 mixed
5 negative

[i] How is the ProSCORE calculated?

show me!

Pros:
Do you agree?
•
much faster processing
+18agreedisagree

•
video recording
+16agreedisagree

•
larger storage capacities
+15agreedisagree

•
oil and water resistant finish (fingerprint resistance)
+12agreedisagree

•
much longer battery life
+11agreedisagree

•
camera improvements are nice
+11agreedisagree

•
tethering in iPhone 3.0 OS (will work for 3G too)
+10agreedisagree

•
now compatible with Nike+
+10agreedisagree

•
voice commands are convenient
+9agreedisagree

•
built-in compass is very useful
+7agreedisagree

•
support for OpenGL ES 2.0 (opposed to the 3G only supporting 1.1)
+6agreedisagree

•
improved 7.2Mbps HSDPA WWAN data speed - twice as fast as the original
+4agreedisagree

•
On screen keyboard has larger sense areas than tiny physical keyboards built into other phones, making it easier to type with large fingers.
+4agreedisagree

•
forces price drop on old 3G to $99
+3agreedisagree

•
podcast integration is slick
+3agreedisagree

•
video uploading happens in the background letting you do other tasks at the same time
+2agreedisagree

•
Made by Apple
+2agreedisagree

•
Landscape typing works just fine in all apps in OS 3.0 and above
+2agreedisagree

•
On screen keyboard allows easy switching between different languages
0agreedisagree

Cons:
Do you agree?
•
AT&T is not supporting many of the new updates quite yet - 7.2Mbps HSDPA in 2011, no tethering information/pricing, no MMS until later this summer
+8agreedisagree

•
no background running apps
+7agreedisagree

•
not a revolutionary upgrade
+6agreedisagree

•
minor camera upgrades
+5agreedisagree

•
no upgrade to the screen
+4agreedisagree

•
no microSD slot or other memory expansion capability
+4agreedisagree

•
landscape typing only works in some applications/programs
+3agreedisagree

•
no front-facing camera
+1agreedisagree

•
doesn't play free lossless audio codec files
0agreedisagree

•
Stuck with AT&T. Stupid Apple.
-1agreedisagree

•
limited customization options - especially compared to HTC Sense UI
-1agreedisagree

•
tethering available in 3.0's free upgrade
-2agreedisagree

•
cannot disable accelerometer feature (iPod, Safari etc.)
-3agreedisagree

•
Made by Apple
-3agreedisagree

•
several compass apps already available for the iPhone 3G
-4agreedisagree

•
ever so slightly heavier than the previous generation
-6agreedisagree


34 people added to this review by submitting or voting on pros and cons. Add your say!
See individual votes »

Details

Differences between iPhone 3G and iPhone 3G S

  • upgrade to 3MP camera with auto-focus and white balance
  • video capture support, up to 30FPS in VGA resolution with Audio
  • voice commands
  • faster processing, open up apps twice as fast, and browse up to 3x as fast
  • built-in compass
  • built-in Nike+ support
  • longer battery, upgrade from 6 hours to 9 hours of WiFi browsing
  • 32GB model available
  • uses greener materials

Features

  • 3.5" multi-touch screen
  • 480x320 resolution with 163ppi
  • WiFi B/G access
  • UTMS, and HSDPA connectivity (GSM only)
  • Bluetooth 2.1 + EDR
  • 3MP camera
  • Assisted GPS
  • Battery
    • 12 hours 2G talk
    • 5 hours 3G Talk
    • 300 hours standby
    • 9hrs Wi-Fi browsing
    • 5 hours 3G browsing
    • 10 hours of video playback
    • 30 hours for audio
  • Price: $199 for 16GB | $299 for 32GB. Contract required.
  • Firmware 3.0
  • Release date: June 19th, 2009

Submit a link

This report was started June 8, 2009 at 3:08 pm by Omar
with the last edit occurring Today, 3:53 AM by fractalhorizon
This page has been viewed 3030 times, with 451 edits by 35 contributors.
See the full report history »

Buy It

Apple iPhone 3GS | 16 GB - Black

• iPhone 3G S 16GB Black Smartphone

UPC: 885909317752

MPN: MB715LLA

Apple iPhone 3GS | 32 GB - Black

• Iphone 16gb 3gs Brand New

• iPhone 3G S 32GB Black Smartphone

UPC: 885909317776

EAN: 885909317776

MPN: MB717LLA

Apple iPhone 3GS | 16 GB - Black

• iPhone 3G Black Cell Phone

UPC: 607375045331

MPN: MB704LLA

Apple iPhone 3GS | 16 GB - Black

• iPhone 16GB Smartphone

UPC: 885909212132

MPN: MB384LLA

Competitors

Apple iPhone 3GS is ranked 4th among it's competitors.  See the top picks in Smart Phones »
HTC Hero

HTC Hero

MSRP  --    Released  October, 2009
Pros
  • 3.5mm Headphone Jack.
  • Expandable memory (Up to 16GB) via microSD slot.
  • Support for (even fullscreen) Flash.
Cons
  • need a better processor
  • The "Chin"
  • If you don't buy it sim-free you will wait too much time to install the android updates
ProSCORE
17 reviews
75
Vote! (4 votes)
vote Apple iPhone 3GS 25% vs. vote HTC Hero 75%
Motorola Droid (Sholes)

Motorola Droid (Sholes)

MSRP  $299.00    Released  November, 2009
Pros
  • open Android 2.0 OS
  • WiFi
  • large 3.7" touchscreen with high resolution (854 x 480px)
Cons
  • annoying $100 mail in rebate to get to $199 price point
  • flash memory isn't integrated into the device, the only option is microSDHC (not as fast)
  • no multi-touch as in the GSM version for Europe (and though Android 2.0 would support it)
ProSCORE
7 reviews
82
Vote! (2 votes)
vote Apple iPhone 3GS 50% vs. vote Motorola Droid (Sholes) 50%
Palm Pre

Palm Pre

MSRP  $199.99    Released  June, 2009
Pros
  • full 3.5mm headphone jack
  • removable battery
  • backlit QWERTY keyboard
Cons
  • no higher capacity models
  • exclusive to Sprint for the first half of 2009
  • no expandable memory
ProSCORE
21 reviews
71
Vote! (4 votes)
vote Apple iPhone 3GS 75% vs. vote Palm Pre 25%
Apple iPhone 3G

Apple iPhone 3G

MSRP  $199.00    Released  July, 2008
Pros
  • GPS Support
  • High speed 3G
  • Good selection of free apps available
Cons
  • Can't replace the battery yourself, can't replace with a "spare"
  • Crippled Bluetooth (only hands-free devices supported)
  • Battery life is disappointing when using 3G
ProSCORE
75 reviews
49
Vote! (1 vote)
vote Apple iPhone 3GS 100% vs. vote Apple iPhone 3G 0%
Sony Ericsson Satio (Idou)

Sony Ericsson Satio (Idou)

MSRP  $999.00    Released  October, 2009
Pros
  • excellent camera: can replace a regular point-and-shoot, though no optical zoom
  • modern operating system (Symbian S60 5th Edition: multi-tasking, touchscreen etc)
  • powerful processor (ARM Cortex A8 600 MHz)
Cons
  • too expensive!
  • slow switching between landscape and portrait
  • landscape on-screen keyboard is either too small (not full width) or fullscreen (can't see the rest of the screen any more)
ProSCORE
2 reviews
77
Vote! (0 votes)
vote Apple iPhone 3GS   vs. vote Sony Ericsson Satio (Idou)  
Nokia N900

Nokia N900

MSRP  $649.00    Released  October, 2009
Pros
  • slide out QWERTY keyboard
  • 5MP camera with dual LED flash, Carl Zeiss lens, lens protector
  • 3.5mm headphone jack
Cons
  • unconfirmed battery life
  • relatively unknown operating system means there won't be that many applications / might not take off
  • currently there is no portrait mode support in Maemo 5 (will be in Maemo 6, but uncertain if the N900 will see that update in late 2010)
ProSCORE
6 reviews
83
Vote! (1 vote)
vote Apple iPhone 3GS 100% vs. vote Nokia N900 0%
HTC HD2

HTC HD2

MSRP  --    Releases  January, 2010
Pros
  • massive high resolution (480 x 800px) 4.3-inch touchscreen display
  • amazingly well designed interface - feels like it's not a Windows based device
  • packs a next-gen 1GHz snapdragon CPU
Cons
  • slightly larger than the iPhone (which is already quite large)
  • no internal storage
  • Windows Mobile based
ProSCORE
2 reviews
75
Vote! (1 vote)
vote Apple iPhone 3GS 100% vs. vote HTC HD2 0%
Nokia N97 Mini

Nokia N97 Mini

MSRP  $700.00    Released  September, 2009
Pros
  • 3.2" touchscreen display
  • full QWERTY keyboard
  • 8GB of internal storage
Cons
  • not much smaller than the N97
  • no lens cover
  • keyboard is worse than that on the original
ProSCORE
3 reviews
68
Vote! (1 vote)
vote Apple iPhone 3GS 100% vs. vote Nokia N97 Mini 0%
Motorola Cliq

Motorola Cliq

MSRP  $699.00    Released  August, 2009
Pros
  • full QWERTY keyboard
  • WiFi
  • 5MP camera with auto-focus
Cons
  • software is still buggy - can lead to freezeups
  • enhanced BLUR widgets (eg/ "Happenings") cannot be resized, relocated or removed altogether
  • no internal storage
ProSCORE
3 reviews
70
Vote! (1 vote)
vote Apple iPhone 3GS 100% vs. vote Motorola Cliq 0%
RIM BlackBerry Storm 2

RIM BlackBerry Storm 2

MSRP  $649.99    Released  September, 2009
Pros
  • now includes WiFi
  • 3.2MP camera
  • 3.5mm headphone jack
Cons
  • no QWERTY keyboard
  • heavy
  • limited internal storage compared to other consumer targeted offerings
ProSCORE
3 reviews
84
Vote! (2 votes)
vote Apple iPhone 3GS 100% vs. vote RIM BlackBerry Storm 2 0%

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Reviews

Sort by: Most helpful  •  Newest  •  Most positive

Erik

avatar
August 20, 2009
approved
reviewer
ProSCORE
67
negative
mixed
positive
12 pros
6 cons
trustedtrusted
want itwant it
3 out of 3 people found this review helpful.

Pros

  • much faster processing
  • video recording
  • larger storage capacities
  • oil and water resistant finish (fingerprint resistance)
  • much longer battery life
  • camera improvements are nice
  • tethering in iPhone 3.0 OS (will work for 3G too)
  • voice commands are convenient
  • built-in compass is very useful
  • On screen keyboard has larger sense areas than tiny physical keyboards built into other phones, making it easier to type with large fingers.
  • forces price drop on old 3G to $99
  • podcast integration is slick

Cons

  • no background running apps
  • not a revolutionary upgrade
  • minor camera upgrades
  • no upgrade to the screen
  • no front-facing camera
  • limited customization options - especially compared to HTC Sense UI

Competitors

Erik prefers HTC Hero over Apple iPhone 3GS
Erik prefers Apple iPhone 3GS over RIM BlackBerry Storm 2
Did you find this review helpful?
Yes
 / 
No

Yale

avatar
June 10, 2009
approved
reviewer
ProSCORE
67
negative
mixed
positive
8 pros
4 cons
trustedtrusted
3 out of 3 people found this review helpful.

Pros

  • much faster processing
  • video recording
  • larger storage capacities
  • oil and water resistant finish (fingerprint resistance)
  • much longer battery life
  • now compatible with Nike+
  • support for OpenGL ES 2.0 (opposed to the 3G only supporting 1.1)
  • improved 7.2Mbps HSDPA WWAN data speed - twice as fast as the original

Cons

  • AT&T is not supporting many of the new updates quite yet - 7.2Mbps HSDPA in 2011, no tethering information/pricing, no MMS until later this summer
  • not a revolutionary upgrade
  • no upgrade to the screen
  • ever so slightly heavier than the previous generation

Competitors

Yale prefers Apple iPhone 3GS over Palm Pre
Did you find this review helpful?
Yes
 / 
No

Omar

avatar
July 30, 2009
approved
reviewer
ProSCORE
82
negative
mixed
positive
9 pros
2 cons
trustedtrusted
have ithave it
love itlove it
4 out of 4 people found this review helpful.

Pros

  • much faster processing
  • video recording
  • oil and water resistant finish (fingerprint resistance)
  • much longer battery life
  • camera improvements are nice
  • now compatible with Nike+
  • voice commands are convenient
  • built-in compass is very useful
  • video uploading happens in the background letting you do other tasks at the same time

Cons

  • minor camera upgrades
  • no upgrade to the screen

Did you find this review helpful?
Yes
 / 
No

goyhman

avatar
July 19, 2009
approved
reviewer
ProSCORE
53
negative
mixed
positive
10 pros
9 cons
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

Pros

  • much faster processing
  • video recording
  • larger storage capacities
  • oil and water resistant finish (fingerprint resistance)
  • much longer battery life
  • tethering in iPhone 3.0 OS (will work for 3G too)
  • support for OpenGL ES 2.0 (opposed to the 3G only supporting 1.1)
  • improved 7.2Mbps HSDPA WWAN data speed - twice as fast as the original
  • On screen keyboard has larger sense areas than tiny physical keyboards built into other phones, making it easier to type with large fingers.
  • forces price drop on old 3G to $99

Cons

  • AT&T is not supporting many of the new updates quite yet - 7.2Mbps HSDPA in 2011, no tethering information/pricing, no MMS until later this summer
  • not a revolutionary upgrade
  • minor camera upgrades
  • no upgrade to the screen
  • landscape typing only works in some applications/programs
  • no front-facing camera
  • Stuck with AT&T. Stupid Apple.
  • tethering available in 3.0's free upgrade
  • several compass apps already available for the iPhone 3G

Did you find this review helpful?
Yes
 / 
No

shadowtech

avatar
June 22, 2009
approved
reviewer
ProSCORE
53
negative
mixed
positive
9 pros
8 cons
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

Pros

  • much faster processing
  • video recording
  • larger storage capacities
  • oil and water resistant finish (fingerprint resistance)
  • much longer battery life
  • now compatible with Nike+
  • voice commands are convenient
  • support for OpenGL ES 2.0 (opposed to the 3G only supporting 1.1)
  • forces price drop on old 3G to $99

Cons

  • AT&T is not supporting many of the new updates quite yet - 7.2Mbps HSDPA in 2011, no tethering information/pricing, no MMS until later this summer
  • not a revolutionary upgrade
  • minor camera upgrades
  • no upgrade to the screen
  • tethering available in 3.0's free upgrade
  • cannot disable accelerometer feature (iPod, Safari etc.)
  • several compass apps already available for the iPhone 3G
  • ever so slightly heavier than the previous generation

Did you find this review helpful?
Yes
 / 
No

VesNL

avatar
October 29, 2009
approved
reviewer
ProSCORE
60
negative
mixed
positive
9 pros
6 cons
have ithave it
love itlove it
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

Pros

  • much faster processing
  • video recording
  • larger storage capacities
  • oil and water resistant finish (fingerprint resistance)
  • tethering in iPhone 3.0 OS (will work for 3G too)
  • now compatible with Nike+
  • voice commands are convenient
  • built-in compass is very useful
  • support for OpenGL ES 2.0 (opposed to the 3G only supporting 1.1)

Cons

  • no background running apps
  • not a revolutionary upgrade
  • minor camera upgrades
  • no microSD slot or other memory expansion capability
  • landscape typing only works in some applications/programs
  • no front-facing camera

Competitors

VesNL prefers Apple iPhone 3GS over Palm Pre
Did you find this review helpful?
Yes
 / 
No

dom

avatar
September 30, 2009
approved
reviewer
ProSCORE
33
negative
mixed
positive
1 pro
2 cons
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

Pros

  • now compatible with Nike+

Cons

  • no background running apps
  • no microSD slot or other memory expansion capability

Competitors

dom prefers Motorola Droid (Sholes) over Apple iPhone 3GS
Did you find this review helpful?
Yes
 / 
No

Kameron Briggs

avatar
Today, 1:18 AM
approved
reviewer
ProSCORE
100
negative
mixed
positive
17 pros
0 cons

Pros

  • much faster processing
  • video recording
  • larger storage capacities
  • oil and water resistant finish (fingerprint resistance)
  • much longer battery life
  • camera improvements are nice
  • tethering in iPhone 3.0 OS (will work for 3G too)
  • now compatible with Nike+
  • voice commands are convenient
  • built-in compass is very useful
  • support for OpenGL ES 2.0 (opposed to the 3G only supporting 1.1)
  • improved 7.2Mbps HSDPA WWAN data speed - twice as fast as the original
  • On screen keyboard has larger sense areas than tiny physical keyboards built into other phones, making it easier to type with large fingers.
  • podcast integration is slick
  • Made by Apple
  • Landscape typing works just fine in all apps in OS 3.0 and above
  • On screen keyboard allows easy switching between different languages

Cons

Did not agree with any cons

Did you find this review helpful?
Yes
 / 
No

Lefty10

avatar
August 20, 2009
approved
reviewer
ProSCORE
71
negative
mixed
positive
10 pros
4 cons

Pros

  • much faster processing
  • video recording
  • larger storage capacities
  • oil and water resistant finish (fingerprint resistance)
  • much longer battery life
  • camera improvements are nice
  • tethering in iPhone 3.0 OS (will work for 3G too)
  • now compatible with Nike+
  • voice commands are convenient
  • built-in compass is very useful

Cons

  • no background running apps
  • not a revolutionary upgrade
  • minor camera upgrades
  • limited customization options - especially compared to HTC Sense UI

Did you find this review helpful?
Yes
 / 
No

salimfadhley

avatar
October 15, 2009
approved
reviewer
ProSCORE
54
negative
mixed
positive
7 pros
6 cons

Pros

  • much faster processing
  • video recording
  • larger storage capacities
  • oil and water resistant finish (fingerprint resistance)
  • tethering in iPhone 3.0 OS (will work for 3G too)
  • now compatible with Nike+
  • voice commands are convenient

Cons

  • AT&T is not supporting many of the new updates quite yet - 7.2Mbps HSDPA in 2011, no tethering information/pricing, no MMS until later this summer
  • no upgrade to the screen
  • no microSD slot or other memory expansion capability
  • landscape typing only works in some applications/programs
  • no front-facing camera
  • doesn't play free lossless audio codec files

Did you find this review helpful?
Yes
 / 
No
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This product is also known as:

3, GS, 3GS