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
BrandApple
love it
want it
have it
tag it
Pros & Cons42
Reviews43
Details
Buy It
Competitors16
Comments
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Pros & Cons

ProSCORE
41 reviews
65
negative
mixed
positive
21 positive
10 mixed
9 negative

[i] How is the ProSCORE calculated?

show me!

Pros:
Do you agree?
•
much faster processing
+21agreedisagree

•
larger storage capacities
+19agreedisagree

•
video recording
+19agreedisagree

•
oil and water resistant finish (fingerprint resistance)
+14agreedisagree

•
much longer battery life
+13agreedisagree

•
camera improvements are nice
+13agreedisagree

•
voice commands are convenient
+13agreedisagree

•
tethering in iPhone 3.0 OS (will work for 3G too)
+12agreedisagree

•
now compatible with Nike+
+11agreedisagree

•
built-in compass is very useful
+10agreedisagree

•
support for OpenGL ES 2.0 (opposed to the 3G only supporting 1.1)
+8agreedisagree

•
improved 7.2Mbps HSDPA WWAN data speed - twice as fast as the original
+7agreedisagree

•
On screen keyboard has larger sense areas than tiny physical keyboards built into other phones, making it easier to type with large fingers.
+6agreedisagree

•
forces price drop on old 3G to $99
+5agreedisagree

•
podcast integration is slick
+4agreedisagree

•
video uploading happens in the background letting you do other tasks at the same time
+3agreedisagree

•
Landscape typing works just fine in all apps in OS 3.0 and above
+3agreedisagree

•
On screen keyboard allows easy switching between different languages
+1agreedisagree

•
Made by Apple
0agreedisagree

Cons:
Do you agree?
•
no background running apps
+12agreedisagree

•
minor camera upgrades
+7agreedisagree

•
not a revolutionary upgrade
+7agreedisagree

•
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
+7agreedisagree

•
no upgrade to the screen
+5agreedisagree

•
no microSD slot or other memory expansion capability
+5agreedisagree

•
landscape typing only works in some applications/programs
+2agreedisagree

•
no video calling
+2agreedisagree

•
bit expensive
+2agreedisagree

•
no front-facing camera
+1agreedisagree

•
video recording crippled to VGA resolution (despite the hardware's 720p capabilities)
+1agreedisagree

•
Can't search a webpage (i.e. Ctrl F)
0agreedisagree

•
Apple charges extra $99/year for cloud integration (MobileMe)
0agreedisagree

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

•
doesn't play free lossless audio codec files
-2agreedisagree

•
camera has no flash
-2agreedisagree

•
no Adobe Flash support in Safari mobile browser
-2agreedisagree

•
Stuck with AT&T. Stupid Apple.
-3agreedisagree

•
Made by Apple
-4agreedisagree

•
tethering available in 3.0's free upgrade
-5agreedisagree

•
several compass apps already available for the iPhone 3G
-6agreedisagree

•
cannot disable accelerometer feature (iPod, Safari etc.)
-6agreedisagree

•
ever so slightly heavier than the previous generation
-9agreedisagree


42 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 Tuesday, 3:54 PM by Jesse Christopher McGinnis
This page has been viewed 4767 times, with 617 edits by 48 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 11th among it's competitors.  See the top picks in Smart Phones »
SciPhone N21

SciPhone N21

MSRP  --    Released  November, 2009
Pros
  • android
  • touch screen
  • wifi
Cons
  • EDGE, not 3G
  • No GPS
  • No compass
ProSCORE
2 reviews
70
Vote! (3 votes)
vote Apple iPhone 3GS 0% vs. vote SciPhone N21 100%
Google Nexus One

Google Nexus One

MSRP  $529.00    Released  January, 2010
Pros
  • available contract-free directly from Google - carrier agnostic (for the most part), no contracts
  • large 3.7" AMOLED display
  • 1GHz Snapdragon CPU
Cons
  • limited internal storage (512MB flash RAM for apps & data, 512MB ROM for OS & modem firmware)
  • no multitouch software (while the hardware / OS support it)
  • No sync with Exchange Calendar
ProSCORE
33 reviews
79
Vote! (2 votes)
vote Apple iPhone 3GS 0% vs. vote Google Nexus One 100%
Motorola MILESTONE

Motorola MILESTONE

MSRP  $689.50    Released  November, 2009
Pros
  • large 3.7" touchscreen with high resolution (854 x 480px)
  • now includes multitouch functionality, pinch-to-zoom, etc...
  • WiFi
Cons
  • all plastic enclosure
  • no Google Maps Navigation
  • flash memory isn't integrated into the device, the only option is microSDHC (not as fast)
ProSCORE
3 reviews
57
Vote! (2 votes)
vote Apple iPhone 3GS 0% vs. vote Motorola MILESTONE 100%
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
  • open source Linux-based operating system (called Maemo)
Cons
  • currently there is no portrait mode support in Maemo 5 except for phone call functions (will be in Maemo 6, but uncertain if the N900 will see that update in late 2010)
  • unconfirmed battery life
  • beta app store isn't as good as competitors offerings
ProSCORE
10 reviews
85
Vote! (4 votes)
vote Apple iPhone 3GS 25% vs. vote Nokia N900 75%
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
  • no lens cover
  • not much smaller than the N97
  • keyboard is worse than that on the original
ProSCORE
5 reviews
75
Vote! (4 votes)
vote Apple iPhone 3GS 25% vs. vote Nokia N97 Mini 75%
Motorola Droid (Sholes)

Motorola Droid (Sholes)

MSRP  $299.00    Released  November, 2009
Pros
  • WiFi
  • large 3.7" touchscreen with high resolution (854 x 480px)
  • open Android 2.0 OS
Cons
  • no multi-touch as in the GSM version for Europe (and though Android 2.0 would support it)
  • camera is slow to take photos, properly focusing is hit or miss
  • annoying $100 mail in rebate to get to $199 price point
ProSCORE
19 reviews
82
Vote! (6 votes)
vote Apple iPhone 3GS 33% vs. vote Motorola Droid (Sholes) 67%
Acer Liquid

Acer Liquid

MSRP  --    Released  December, 2009
Pros
  • large 3.5" 800 x 480px touchscreen display
  • runs Android OS 1.6
  • 5MP geo-tagging enabled camera
Cons
  • no physical QWERTY keyboard
  • Acer is not known as a quality phone manufacturer (this is among the first few of their phones)
  • based on reviews of the neoTouch this probably won't be so great
ProSCORE
2 reviews
86
Vote! (3 votes)
vote Apple iPhone 3GS 33% vs. vote Acer Liquid 67%
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!
  • No 3.5mm headphone jack
  • slow switching between landscape and portrait
ProSCORE
3 reviews
74
Vote! (3 votes)
vote Apple iPhone 3GS 33% vs. vote Sony Ericsson Satio (Idou) 67%
HTC HD2

HTC HD2

MSRP  --    Released  January, 2010
Pros
  • amazingly well designed interface - feels like it's not a Windows based device
  • packs a next-gen 1GHz snapdragon CPU
  • 5MP autofocus camera with dual LED flash
Cons
  • slightly larger than the iPhone (which is already quite large)
  • no internal storage
  • Only comes with 2gb standard micro sdhc
ProSCORE
5 reviews
84
Vote! (5 votes)
vote Apple iPhone 3GS 40% vs. vote HTC HD2 60%
HTC Hero

HTC Hero

MSRP  $600.00    Released  October, 2009
Pros
  • 3.5mm Headphone Jack.
  • Support for (even fullscreen) Flash.
  • Expandable memory (Up to 16GB) via microSD slot.
Cons
  • need a better processor
  • No camera flash.
  • Uses an older generation ARM 11 CPU, considerably slower than that used by Pre and iPhone
ProSCORE
24 reviews
75
Vote! (7 votes)
vote Apple iPhone 3GS 43% vs. vote HTC Hero 57%
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
25 reviews
76
Vote! (6 votes)
vote Apple iPhone 3GS 50% vs. vote Palm Pre 50%
Motorola Cliq

Motorola Cliq

MSRP  $699.00    Released  August, 2009
Pros
  • WiFi
  • 5MP camera with auto-focus
  • full QWERTY keyboard
Cons
  • software is still buggy - can lead to freezeups
  • Early reports suggest battery is "...woefully inadequate" (e.g. http://tiny.cc/DT9lq)
  • alert lighting becomes redundant
ProSCORE
7 reviews
74
Vote! (4 votes)
vote Apple iPhone 3GS 50% vs. vote Motorola Cliq 50%
Samsung OMNIA II

Samsung OMNIA II

MSRP  $700.00    Released  September, 2009
Pros
  • large 3.7" AMOLED touchscreen - great colours, viewing angles
  • 5MP camera with LED flash
  • up to 16GB of built in storage
Cons
  • Windows Mobile OS
  • interface looks busy, cobbled / hacked together
  • high price unsubsidized by a contract
ProSCORE
1 review
65
Vote! (2 votes)
vote Apple iPhone 3GS 50% vs. vote Samsung OMNIA II 50%
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
4 reviews
84
Vote! (5 votes)
vote Apple iPhone 3GS 60% vs. vote RIM BlackBerry Storm 2 40%
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
83 reviews
51
Vote! (4 votes)
vote Apple iPhone 3GS 75% vs. vote Apple iPhone 3G 25%
Palm Pre Plus

Palm Pre Plus

MSRP  $149.99    Released  January, 2010
Pros
  • double the internal storage of the original Pre - 8 to 16GB
  • doubles the RAM of the original
  • great webOS operating system
Cons
  • small update - no real need to upgrade from the original
  • lower sound quality (earpiece and speaker) than the cheaper / lower-end Pixi
  • poor battery life - worse than the original!
ProSCORE
2 reviews
62
Vote! (0 votes)
vote Apple iPhone 3GS   vs. vote Palm Pre Plus  

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Comments

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Reviews

Sort by: Most helpful  •  Newest  •  Most positive

Erik

avatar
December 17, 2009
approved
reviewer
ProSCORE
60
negative
mixed
positive
12 pros
8 cons
trustedtrusted
love itlove it
3 out of 3 people found this review helpful.

Pros

  • much faster processing
  • larger storage capacities
  • video recording
  • oil and water resistant finish (fingerprint resistance)
  • much longer battery life
  • camera improvements are nice
  • voice commands are convenient
  • tethering in iPhone 3.0 OS (will work for 3G too)
  • 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
  • minor camera upgrades
  • not a revolutionary upgrade
  • no upgrade to the screen
  • no video calling
  • no front-facing camera
  • Can't search a webpage (i.e. Ctrl F)
  • limited customization options - especially compared to HTC Sense UI

Competitors

Erik prefers HTC Hero, Google Nexus One 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
4 out of 4 people found this review helpful.

Pros

  • much faster processing
  • larger storage capacities
  • video recording
  • 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

  • not a revolutionary upgrade
  • 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
  • ever so slightly heavier than the previous generation

Competitors

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
  • voice commands are convenient
  • now compatible with Nike+
  • 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

Competitors

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

dom

avatar
December 9, 2009
approved
reviewer
ProSCORE
35
negative
mixed
positive
6 pros
11 cons
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful.

Pros

  • larger storage capacities
  • voice commands are convenient
  • now compatible with Nike+
  • 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

Cons

  • no background running apps
  • not a revolutionary upgrade
  • no upgrade to the screen
  • no microSD slot or other memory expansion capability
  • no video calling
  • bit expensive
  • no front-facing camera
  • video recording crippled to VGA resolution (despite the hardware's 720p capabilities)
  • Apple charges extra $99/year for cloud integration (MobileMe)
  • camera has no flash
  • no Adobe Flash support in Safari mobile browser

Competitors

dom prefers Apple iPhone 3GS over Apple 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
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful.

Pros

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

Cons

  • minor camera upgrades
  • not a revolutionary upgrade
  • 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
  • tethering available in 3.0's free upgrade
  • several compass apps already available for the iPhone 3G
  • cannot disable accelerometer feature (iPod, Safari etc.)
  • 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
  • larger storage capacities
  • video recording
  • oil and water resistant finish (fingerprint resistance)
  • voice commands are convenient
  • tethering in iPhone 3.0 OS (will work for 3G too)
  • now compatible with Nike+
  • 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
  • minor camera upgrades
  • not a revolutionary upgrade
  • 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

goyhman

avatar
July 19, 2009
approved
reviewer
ProSCORE
53
negative
mixed
positive
10 pros
9 cons
1 out of 2 people found this review helpful.

Pros

  • much faster processing
  • larger storage capacities
  • video recording
  • 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

  • minor camera upgrades
  • not a revolutionary upgrade
  • 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
  • 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

Marco Nietlisbach

avatar
January 19, 2010
approved
reviewer
ProSCORE
95
negative
mixed
positive
19 pros
1 con
0 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

Pros

  • much faster processing
  • larger storage capacities
  • video recording
  • oil and water resistant finish (fingerprint resistance)
  • much longer battery life
  • camera improvements are nice
  • voice commands are convenient
  • tethering in iPhone 3.0 OS (will work for 3G too)
  • now compatible with Nike+
  • 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.
  • forces price drop on old 3G to $99
  • podcast integration is slick
  • video uploading happens in the background letting you do other tasks at the same time
  • Landscape typing works just fine in all apps in OS 3.0 and above
  • On screen keyboard allows easy switching between different languages
  • Made by Apple

Cons

  • no background running apps

Did you find this review helpful?
Yes
 / 
No

Kameron Briggs

avatar
November 8, 2009
approved
reviewer
ProSCORE
100
negative
mixed
positive
17 pros
0 cons
0 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

Pros

  • much faster processing
  • larger storage capacities
  • video recording
  • oil and water resistant finish (fingerprint resistance)
  • much longer battery life
  • camera improvements are nice
  • voice commands are convenient
  • tethering in iPhone 3.0 OS (will work for 3G too)
  • now compatible with Nike+
  • 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
  • Landscape typing works just fine in all apps in OS 3.0 and above
  • On screen keyboard allows easy switching between different languages
  • Made by Apple

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

Cons

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

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

3, GS, 3GS