Apple introduces the new iPhone 3G S, in stores June 19th
All right boys and girls… It’s time for the big show. For months now, it has been glaringly obvious that Apple would introduce its third-generation handset at WWDC today and sure enough — it’s here. Apple addicts around the world are rejoicing and Apple haters around the world are refining their arguments as to why the iPhone is a non-factor. Love it or hate it, hit the jump to find out how the new iPhone 3G S shapes up.
What we all knew/was rumored:
- Size — The new iPhone 3G S comes with either 16GB or 32GB of internal storage, a 100% bump from the 8GB and 16GB iPhone 3G offerings.
- Guts — Many will tell you that the most significant improvements are found within the new iPhone’s guts. We knew A2DP support was coming, a nice addition of course, but Apple also confirmed today that the new iPhone sports a faster processor and a 7.2Mbps HSDPA-compatible radio. Huzzah.
- Camera — The old 2 megapixel sensor has been bumped up to 3.2 megapixels and there’s still no flash. Apple also added auto-focus and geotagging support.
- Video — This little guy is all about video — 30fps video recording, video editing, video sharing… Yay.
- Compass — Know where north is. Yay.
- Battery life — The new kit features 5 hours of 3G talk time and up to 24 hours of music playback — according to Apple at least.
- OS — Tethering is now covered, though we still don’t know how AT&T will handle it, and the Find My iPhone feature we scooped is a done deal (available to MobileMe subscribers only). Oh and turn-by-turn nav is game on… TomTom was on hand at the keynote to demonstrate its iPhone app/accessory combo. 3.0 will be available beginning June 17th — free for iPhone owners, $9.95 for iPod Touch owners.
- Price — As expected, the new iPhone 3G S will ring up at $199 for the 16GB version and $299 for the 32GB version. The current 8GB iPhone 3G will hang around and drop to $99 starting today.
What we didn’t know:
- The 3G S looks exactly like the 3G — no matte rubbery finish, no matching bezel.
- Voice Control is now built in, hi 2002, so you can dial by voice, control iPod playback by voice and so on. We have to admit though, saying “play more songs like this” to initiate the Genius feature is cool.
- Integrated hardware encryption.
- The iPhone 3G S goes on sale June 19th in the US.
In the end, the jump from second to third generation is very reminiscent of the jump from first to second generation; this is more of an upgrade announcement (as we expected) as opposed to a new product launch. The man of the hour is still OS 3.0 if you ask us, and most of its features are backwards compatible. Those of you in love with your current iPhone but looking for a little more oomph will certainly be pleased while those of you holding out for things like a physical keypad, modern camera with flash, etc will have to continue to look elsewhere for another year. Sound off in the comments section and let us know if there will be a new iPhone 3G S in your future.
if its so great, why don’t they eliminate the subsidy? Because at $700, its not good enough. At $200, its cheap.
By the way, my Windows laptop is great, and only $320. Try that, Macbook guy! Lol! But your laptop sure is cute. Looks cost, I guess. Its not $1k more functional…
If we had push and multitasking this would be the perfect device, thanks apple but im gonna get myself a pre
Listen, we all know the strenghts and weakness of each others device.Iphones crutch is AT&T, RIM is OS and web browsing, Nokia in many cases is price and not so user friendly OS. The bottom line is you like what you like. Remember, everybody swore by the Motorola Razor when it came out now its like razr who?????
Everything has peak and I’m not saying Iphone is at its peak, but they raised the bar, yet still have to jump over it just like everyone else. Apple has a cult following no different from BlackBerry users (I love my Storm and Curve 8900) and Palm users are surprising loyal even though many of their recent devices (minus Pre) are marginal at best.
Fucking agree to disagree finally; your device walks on water and mine sucks blah, blah, blah!!!
I originally had the 16gb first gen iPhone from last year, then replaced it with the BlackBerry Bold this past March for obvious reasons that the iphone was lacking. Now I’m going to pay the $500 for the 32gb, and hock a pretty new Blackberry on Ebay and hope to cover most of the cost.
not worth an upgrade… 3.0 will be just fine for me
@DRay
Apple said the batteryLIFE has improved, but they havent given any specs if and how the battery has actually improved. For example: the original has a 1400 mAh, the 3G a 1150 mAh. My guess is the same battery is installed as the 3G, but the 3.0 platform works slightly more energy efficient. Tests and reviews will tell in the coming weeks.
About the storage: yeah, you’re right, probably millions will buy the 32 gb, Im just saying they dont need it. Then again, who am I to decide what people need.
Why wouldnt new users be better off with a second hand 16 gb iPhone 3G? It practically does and looks the same for a way lower price.
I have never been an apple fan… but I admit I really want an Iphone… I have been waiting because I didn’t want to get stuck with the 3g when the one was to come ouut and not be able to upgrade. I will wait to see what ATT tells me I can upgrade for and then make my decision. Iphone has fastest os hands down and now 2x as fast with 32GB? and now (soon anyways turn by turn gps?) thats I have had BB and palms and also the blackjack. I haven’t been impressed by them either. storm was a huge disappointment for me froze on me a lot. the iphones I have played with have impressed me. I was just waiting for a few more goodies… got some, but was a little disappointed with the camera specs.. but it a2dp now also? I won’t lie as a non apple person, I am starting to get excited about this phone.
Sprint is out for me… they may be fast… but I can’t get reception at my house or at my work…. how useful is that? Exchange feature would be nice for Iphone… but we have to remember who makes it LOL I know that VZ has best reception out of sprint and AT&T but crappy customer service and once you are a customer… if you have issues they won’t help you fix them… AT&T may need more cell power but at least they help you fix problems… at least in my experience. BB and Rim not a good reason for me to go to VZ again…I think what has me sold on the Iphone is the speed of the OS versus all of the other phones I have ever used. Storage cap? Nice. I think appearance for me as far as what the phone looks like is unimportant. Functionality is what gets me. I think an 8-10 MP cam and a slide out qkeyboard with front facing camera would make it the best phone for years to come. And soon (next gen) maybe? Apple will see that. None of these phones has everything we want. But this one has most of what I want. Maybe there will be a keyboard base clip we can clip on to Iphone for serious texting? Dunno, don’t do much texting. I am leaning heavy on the side of Iphone for my phone… but will not be switching to mac for my PC needs. With windows 7 coming out, and the fact I can build quad core machine with 24-32G of ram and dual boot windows with leopard and then buy a laptop and get both for hundreds less than Mac…. Apple… you’ve got my vote for phone… Let’s just stick with that.
To bad it didn’t have a higher resolution OLED display. They require less power and display better. Also a 5 mg camera instead of an out-dated 3 mg camera
It’s still an Apple, hence it’s still a POS and I don’t mean “Point of Sale.”
@christexaport:
Dude, it’s getting tiring refuting your drivel point by point.
It’s obvious you hate all things Apple, and love Nokia, which is fine. To each his own.
It’s strange though, that really no one here has attacked Nokia, but all you can do is attack Apple.
You obviously hate the American/Canadian subsidy system, but that’s not any more Apple’s fault than it is Palm or Nokia’s.
Have fun being a ‘global telecom reviewer’.
@ Wout:
You’re right, Apple hasn’t disclosed how the batter was improved, and they probably never will.
Some users might be better off getting the 16GB 3G while it’s still available, but don’t discount the advantages of the faster chipset.
I’ve always thought the chipset powering the original & 3G iPhone was barely enough to do the job, and that Apple had to optimize the hell out of the OS to make it as fluid as it is.
I’m glad to see them updating the CPU & GPU.
@DRay
Apple doesnt need to disclose the battery and the CPU details. There are tech-experts who are more interested in the insides of the iPhone than the actual use of the device. Its probably already being taken apart on launch day.
The funny thing about the CPU, is that the original iPhone was underclocked from 620 Mhz to 412 Mhz to reduce power consumption. The 3G has a 600 Mhz processor, which makes the original iPhone on full speed faster than the 3G. But I can imagine people being happy to see a CPU upgrade in the 3Gs. Nothing wrong with that.
I do still think the keynote was a bit of a disappointment. Apple’s strong points have mostly been on innovation (the first iPhone, mobile-me service) and software, not hardware, and this upgrade was all about hardware. I mean, if the rumors are true about the Omnia II, Samsung has a mobile device about to enter production, which has an AMOLED screen, 8.1 mp camera and a stronger battery than any previous iPhone. With that device coming up and still having to wait a whole year before finding out what the next iPhone is gonna be, 3.2 mp camera, HSDPA, a digital compass, double memory, a faster cpu and the promise of a longer batterylife just isnt much.
@christexaport
What you said about the digital compass isnt entirely true. It’s true that navigational devices like a TomTom use a digital compass, but the iPhone needs to be on its back to use the compass. In short: when on foot, you really dont need a compass when having a GPS enabled device, and in the car you cant really use the iPhone as a navigational device since it needs to be on its back for the compass to work.
@wout,
You’re wrong about the azimuth detector. The device doesn’t need to be on its back for the compass to work. It’s just like the compass in the TMobile G1. btw, the iPhone gets Tom Tom Navigator in the new version. Wonder where that puts lame Google Maps?
And DRay? Take a break if you’re lacking stamina. I’m a veteran in this, well before I began designing and reviewing phones and doing mobile industry analysis. I already caught you spouting false information (”the first iphone wasn’t subsidized. not until iphone 2 did at&t go exclusive…” NOT!), but I still appreciate your views and comments. I’m just stating my opinion from an educated and experience perspective.
I don’t hate Apple, just their marketing techniques and false claims. They have a long history of misleading consumers, and I’m shocked how many people without experience can make claims of the Symbian ecosystem, when few have held a device in hand.
The iPhone is a great device, just not in the class of a 3rd or 5th Edition Nseries, Samsung i8910 HD, or even the 5800 XM. It gets outclassed easily by them all. Just because its easy to use (because it has few functions) doesn’t make it best. If you can read and hit a left or right button, Symbian is just as simple.
I don’t attack Apple, but I will expose the false truths spread by the uninitiated and underexperienced. Without the big subsidy, the iPhone would have a hard time selling.
I will have fun as a reviewer, though. Maybe you should try some of the best devices in the world for perspective. It has inspired me to design a couple concept devices and take an active approach in moving the future of mobiles forward, not backward. Excuse me if my standards and requirements for a good convergence device hurt your feelings. Maybe the iPhone has a iHug app to make you feel better.
…now be gone!
@christexaport
I admit I still need to catch up on how an azimuth ‘detector’ actually works, but if what you’re saying is true, whats the use of a TomTom then? Not that I mind that much; people buying a TomTom stimulate the Dutch economy hehe.
Tom Tom isn’t just a navigation device, but an application. Alot of Symbian users used to use it, though Ovi Maps, which is built into all Nokia smartphones, is better now. It abandoned the Symbian platform because of hacking problems with their software, but had an agreement with RIM as an OEM embedded app for some Blackberries.
I can tell you, Tom Tom’s apps are great, much better than Google Maps, which is free on all smartphones by download anyway. If the Apple version of Tom Tom is anything like the Symbian version, it will have offline maps. That means if you get lost, and are in a place where there is no network signal, you can still plot a way home because the maps are stored in the device. This has been a feature of Nokia’s Ovi Maps built in all its non-branded devices since 2007, and once you’ve used it, you won’t accept web based maps again. What good is a navigator that can’t help you when you’re deserted? All good dedicated GPS navigators like Garmins and Tom Toms have this capability, as do most Nokia smartphones.
For insight into how a compass is utilized in a smartphone, go on YouTube and search for “tmobile g1 google maps street view” to see one in action. Detecting position is cool, but detecting direction while standing still is the function of the azimuth detector, and it is the bomb. It’ll open the door to developers to make more compelling apps.
@ Wout As far as Samsung goes… I have had 3 of those and my wife has a 4th… The A737 slider for my daughter, black jackII, The impression, and The (Endstink) neat Idea…. But I have to say Samsung cannot ever to have claimed having anything with better battery life than anyone else. They have the single worst battery life of any maker out there. Make a couple of phone calls and use the gps a couple of times and play some music… stick it back on the charger. Don’t expect the Omnia II will have any kind of battery life any different than what it has now. Even with the oled screen it won’t save it too much. The one thing I have come to hate is Windows mobile 6 it’s slow and freezes a lot. I have never owned an apple product before, but I have played around with many Iphones… it doesn’t have everything… but it’s the best phone at the subsidized price of any $299 out there (that I have tried) in my opinion. I cannot claim to have tried every phone on the market. I have looked at the stats for the N97 (looks sweet much more high end). But I cannot justify $700 or more for a phone… $300 yes $700… no. Pre is already a dead dog. The one I tried out had all kinds of slowness about it and was hard to manage some of the menus. Seemed kind of qwerky to me. Loved the look and the concept… just not there in this version. My best friend complains about his BBstorm all the time… so that’s out. Any Samsung is out until it can be proven a decent phone with a solid OS… so where does that leave me?? Regrettably sticking with AT&T so I can get the 32GB white phone with some paint artistry done on it to customize it… a look no other Iphone will get. Kind of like tattoos for Iphone… Who knows??? Maybe I just started a trend. I’m sure someone will steal that Idea from me lol. And something with the fastest processor and most storage and most solid OS for 300 buckaroos. Never liked apple. But I am falling in love with this phone. Soon it will have turn by turn and mms with tethering capability… and if AT&T decides to leave us out in the cold for tethering… there’s always someone who has a hack that can make it happen and not even pay AT&T for it. This phone has everything I need. I don’t speak for anyone else… Like all these business tycoons and magnates we seem to have on here.
What a major disappointment this “Iphone 3GS” is. It’s time to go back to Nokia. The Nokia n97 which was just released has more stuff in it then iPhone will have for the next 5 years. My original iPhone’s battery is dying and I need to upgrade. So should I pay 299.00 for a new battery?
If you actually had an original iPhone, you’d know how to deal with a cheap battery replacement, moron. Where do these kids with mommy’s money but without a clue come from? STFU and deal with life!
@ Larry,
Don’t assume because the low to midrange devices you mentioned had issues, all Samsungs do. Judge their high end stuff, like the i8910 HD, the Innov8, and the Bresson. These are top of the class devices, and a better guage of Samsung’s abilities. You seem to be maligned by the American carriers’ choice of devices. They eschew the high end devices for low end so they can profit big and sell services from their deck, while most high end phones have their own services which are better than the carrier.
maybe the top of the line Samsung (not offered by any carriers I will use in the US west coast) are crap… but I have used and owned 4 in 4 different classes and they all sucked… all I have is the experience from using them. That’s all. I gave them a ton of chances… point was that even the slider which runs no apps at all couldn’t keep acharge in the battery past 5 hours.
@christexport
Ive watched the video, but Im still not that impressed with the azimuth detector. I just dont see the need for streetview on a mobile device of a compass in google maps
@Larry
The Omnia II was just an example. My point is that the iPhone 3Gs is ok for now, but way better hardware from other manufacturers is just a few weeks away and the upgrade to the next iPhone (iPhone 4G?) a whole year. Maybe Apple will come up with some service, like free mobileme accounts with an iPhone 3Gs. Otherwise Im really curious how the iPhone hardware is gonna hold up against newer smartphones.
The Omnia II may be better hardware, but WinMo 6.1 makes it automatically inferior IMO. Now if, finally, an Android device came out with the Omnia’s hardware specs, then they’d have something.
I googled the Google phone Android and saw 2 devices on youtube. Both look unimpressive to me. I can’t imagine going to T-mobile to get it And people said At&T was bad. good luck with that.
@larry,
I guess Google Maps on the iPhone is so much better… yeah right. It’s the same basic free app on all other phones. The street view on the G1 is like a window into that location. Turn it, it shows a panoramic view. Very nice.
@ Wout,
imagine you have your device mounted on the dash like a Tom Tom or a Garmin, and you have the Map in 3D Mode like on Ovi Maps, and turn by turn. The map’s streets would look exactly like the ones in front of you. The arrows point to something in your perspective because it has your bearing.
Also, with it being able to figure your bearing, apps will know what you can see in front of you, and can target ads and pertinent information for things within view.
I think you’re not looking outside the box, which is typical of Apple. They remove most features, keep it dumb, which makes it easy to use, and claim to be best. Seriously?? Call me when the iPhone has all of the features of Nokia Nseries and Samsung Symbian phones like the i8910 HD, or similarly priced devices. Bet it won’t be so simple to use then… If it were, why haven’t these features made it here in nearly 3 years. My N90 had most of the iPhones features, save Wifi and accelerometer, and my N80 and N95 have outclassed it from day one.
I remember the lying iPhone commercials stating, “The first cellphone able to access YouTube” while I was actually watching YouTube on my N95-1! Just a bunch of lying hype monsters, those Cupertino bastards. But they’re great marketers.