New iPhone 3GS: Better Photos, but Buy an Iphone skin That Won’t Interfere
In case you've been living under a rock for the past month, you know that Apple released a long-awaited new model in their incredibly popular iPhone lineup, the iPhone 3GS. They're in stores now and if you did miss all the hoopla and happened to walk by the latest 'must have' gizmo from Cupertino, you could be forgiven for wondering what all the fuss is about. At a glance, there's not much difference between the 3GS and the model it replaces, the iPhone 3G. But underneath the similar appearance, the 3GS is a worthy upgrade.
Following is a primer of key features that make this such a big deal for gadget Geeks:
- Speed. That's what the 'S' stands for in GS. This new iPhone utilizes a faster CPU (600 MHz versus 400 MHz on the 3G) and doubles onboard RAM to 256 MB, making for a wickedly fast unit. Apple claims a speed boost for common tasks like launching apps of up to two times. That's significant! Early reports support this claim and point out that gameplay is vastly improved by the meatier hardware as well. Data download speed is also significantly boosted, making for faster web browsing.
- Video recording. Finally, the iPhone joins the rest of the Smart Phone and Cell Phone universe with the ability to record video. It may not be HD (although there are rumors that it is actually capable of 720p video, but has been disabled by Apple), but it's finally there. If it's true that Apple has hobbled HD video, it may be because the iPhone still lacks support for memory cards, so there's a risk that people could fill their device up with massive video files.
- Better Camera. Apple apparently listened to customer complaints and upped the resolution to 3 mega pixels, with an autofocus function. When you buy a protective case for your iPhone, make sure the lens is not obstructed because you'll probably be using the camera this time around.
- Voice Control. Apple is particularly excited about this, but the jury is still out in terms of user feedback. You can use voice control to tell your iPhone 3GS to place a call to a specific person or control music functions. You can ask the iPhone what song is currently playing and it will answer your question. Mixed reviews and your mileage will vary, but expect this one to improve with software upgrades.
- Other features include a compass, spotlight search and finally the iPhone OS supports cut and paste.
About the Author:
Joel Brampton is a journalist known for his work in covering Silicon Valley. His reviews of the latest gadgets and accessories for Apple products including the well-received iphone case are frequently featured on tech sites. One article written by Brampton featuring a list of must-have iPhone accessories (with an iphone skin taking top place), ended up being picked up as a technology feature on network TV.