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iPhone 3GS

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Template:Infobox iPhone

The iPhone 3GS is the third generation of iPhone designed and marketed by Apple Inc. It was introduced on June 8, 2009 at the WWDC 2009 which took place at the Moscone Center, San Francisco.

Its features primarily consist of faster performance, a camera with higher resolution and video ability, voice control,[1] and support for 7.2 Mbit/s HSDPA downloading (but remains limited to 384 kbps uploading as Apple had not implemented the HSUPA protocol).[2] It was released in the U.S., Canada and six European countries on June 19, 2009,[3] in Australia and Japan on June 26, and internationally in July and August 2009.

The iPhone 3GS runs Apple's iOS operating system, as is used on the iPad and iPod touch. It is controlled mostly by a user's fingertips on a multi-touch display.

The iPhone 3GS is preceded by the iPhone 3G and succeeded by the iPhone 4.

History

The iPhone 3GS was made available for pre-order on June 8, 2009 and released on June 19 in Canada, the United States, and 7 European countries, and on June 26 in Australia and the United Kingdom. Within the first weekend of its release, over one million iPhone 3GS's were sold. July and August 2009 saw the release of the iPhone 3G[S] internationally.

Features

The new features of the iPhone 3G[S] are mainly internal changes regarding speed, for which the "S" in "iPhone 3GS" stands.[4] Though in addition to the upgrades mainly regarding performance, various software features were also introduced exclusive to the iPhone 3GS. All of the exclusive features were incorporated into the iPhone 4.

Display

The display on the device is designed by Apple and made by LG, it features an LCD capacitive touchscreen with a pixel density of 163 pixels per inch (ppi) on a 3.5 in (8.9 cm) 480-by-320 display. Improvements over its predecessor's screen include 24-bit color emulation (18-bit color display plus dithering)[5] for a more color rich display and oleophobic coating to help reduce fingerprints on the display. The capacitive touchscreen is designed for a bare finger, or multiple fingers for multi-touch sensing.

Camera

The iPhone 3GS features an improved 3 megapixel camera manufactured by OmniVision. In addition to the higher megapixel count, it also features auto-focus, auto white balance and auto macro and is capable of capturing VGA video.

The iPhone 3GS's Camera app features a slider which allows users to switch between capturing photos and recording videos, a tap-to-focus feature which allows users to tap on an area of the camera image to auto-focus on, 5x digital zoom (iOS 4 and 5), auto focus and auto exposure lock when holding an area down (iOS 5 only), and gridlines for composition (iOS 5 only).

Processor and memory

The iPhone 3GS is powered by the Samsung APL0298C05 chip, which was designed and manufactured by Samsung. This system-on-a-chip is composed of an ARM Cortex-A8 CPU core underclocked to 600 MHz (from 833 MHz), integrated with a PowerVR SGX 535 GPU.

It has 256 MB of eDRAM, twice the amount of the 3G, allowing for increased performance and multi-tasking.

Apple claims the iPhone 3GS is 2x faster than its predecessor, showing demonstrations of apps loading in just 2–10 seconds compared to 15–30 seconds on the iPhone 3G.

Storage

As on previous models, all data is stored in flash memory and not in the SIM and it does not offer any options to expand storage. Initially it was only available in 16 and 32 GB though an 8 GB model was later released, with Apple discontinuing the 16 and 32 GB models, forcing those needing more storage to select an iPhone 4, or buy an older model 3GS.

Power and battery

The iPhone 3GS is powered by an internal 3.7 V 1219 mAh rechargeable lithium-ion polymer battery and is designed to retain up to 80% of its original capacity after 400 full charge and discharge cycles. A battery life indicator in percentage was also exclusive to the iPhone 3GS.

Apple claims that the 3GS can last for up to ten hours of video, nine hours of web browsing on Wi-Fi, twelve hours of 2G talk time, or five on 3G, 30 hours of music, or 300 hours of standby.

Magnetometer

A magnetometer is also built-in the iPhone 3GS, which is used to measure the strength and/or direction of the magnetic field in the vicinity of the device. Sometimes certain devices or radio signals can interfere with the magnetometer requiring users to either move away from the interference or re-calibrate by moving the device in a figure 8 motion. The iPhone 3GS also features an exclusive Compass app which shows a compass that points in the direction of the magnetic field.

Connectivity

In addition to the iPhone 3G's Tri-band UMTS/HSDPA radio and quad-band GSM/GPRS/EDGE radio, the 3GS also adds support for 7.2 Mbit/s HSDPA allowing faster downlink speeds though upload speeds remain the same as Apple had not implemented the HSUPA protocol. Other updates include the addition of a built-in Nike+iPod sensor which eliminates the need for an external sensor and allows native Nike+iPod support. The Bluetooth server on the iPhone 3GS has also been slightly improved adding support for Bluetooth 2.1 specifications.

Voice control

Voice Control was introduced as an exclusive feature of the iPhone 3GS and allows for the controlling of the phone and music features of the phone by voice. There are two ways to activate Voice Control: hold the Home button while in the home screen for a few seconds; or, change the effect of what double-clicking the home button does so it will activate Voice Control (only before iOS 4, where double clicking the Home button opens the multitasking bar).

Accessibility features

VoiceOver, Color Inversion, and Text Zoom were introduced as exclusive features to the iPhone 3GS. VoiceOver is a feature that dictates music details, system menus, text, and other things which was first introduced on the third generation iPod shuffle. Color inversion reverses the color scheme from black on white to white on black, while Text Zoom allows users to zoom into a text on the screen .

Design

File:IPhone 3G and 3GS backs.jpg
The reverse of the iPhone 3G (left) is almost identical to that of the 3GS, differentiated only by the latter's reflective silver text which now matches the silver Apple logo, replacing the 3G's grey text.

The iPhone 3GS retains the same design its predecessor used which featured a glossy plastic back with tapered edges which gives users a better grip of the phone. It also features metal buttons just like its predecessor's.

The iPhone 3GS and its predecessor are almost identical though the 3GS is differentiated only by the latter's reflective silver text on the reverse side which now matches the silver Apple logo, replacing the 3G's grey text. Unlike its predecessor, the iPhone 3GS was available in white and black for both models (16 GB and 32 GB) although the current 8 GB model is only available in black.

Critical reception

Reviews

Reviews of the iPhone 3GS have been generally mixed to favorable. Walter Mossberg of The Wall Street Journal described the device packed with "new features that makes a great product even better, but for many users, the software may be enough of a boost to keep them from buying the new model."[6] Engadget also criticized that "the additions of video recording, a compass, and a speed bump just don't seem that compelling to us".[7]

The device managed to receive numerous favorable reviews, CNET gave the iPhone 3GS a 4/5 stars citing the battery life improvements and speed bump alone are good enough although it might leave you wanting more,[8] Engadget praised the performance improvements describing it "a bigger speed bump than you'll come to expect".[7] TechRadar gave the device a 4.5/5 stars describing the device "feature filled but certainly not worth upgrading for"

However the 8 GB version of the device has received more favorable reviews mainly because it comes pre-installed with iOS 4. Jason Snell of Macworld praised the iPhone 3GS citing that "The device's internal changes shines in the iOS 4 update, making the iPhone 3GS a worthwhile upgrade compared to its predecessor although a little too late compared to the iPhone 4".[9] TIPB cited that "aside from hardware specific features like FaceTime, Retina Display, and gyroscope support, the bottom line is iPhone 3GS users are getting the same software that makes the iPhone 4 great".[10]

Issues

Overheating

Shortly after the release of the iPhone 3GS, some users reported overheating of the device while in heavy use, and others reported discoloration of the device due to heat (particularly on the white models). The discoloration issues were largely discounted as being as a result of iPhone covers rubbing against the back of the iPhone.[11]

Apple responded to the heat issue reports by warning users against leaving their iPhones in a car on a hot day, leaving it in direct sunlight for extended periods of time, and refraining from heavy usage while in a hot/sunny environment.[12] It is also worth pointing out the temperature specifications in which the iPhone should be operated, which follows safety standards in the countries the 3GS was released.[13]

Continued support

iOS 5

After the release of the iPhone 4S, the 3GS was still offered for free until November 2011, when AT&T raised the price to 99 cents with no explanation as to why.[14] The 99c price is only available with a two-year contract on AT&T in the United States and a three-year contract on Telus, Rogers,Bell and Fido Solutions in Canada. This is a departure from Apple's previous trends, in which only two phones were sold.

There have been a few reports of users having lag on the 3GS running iOS 5. However, general consensus has shown that the performance on the 3GS has not been hit with iOS 5. In fact, Anandtech has reported a speed increase on the 3GS on iOS 5 versus iOS 4. In addition, a 3GS running iOS 5 has actually been benchmarked to be faster than an iPhone 4 running iOS 4 according to Anandtech as well.

Critics have often said the 3GS is outdated, due to its lower end specs, citing its 600mhz processor, and 256 mb of RAM to be lackluster. However, one must keep in mind that the iOS 5 system requirements are very light, requiring a mere 100 mb of RAM to run. This leaves nearly 150+mb of system RAM that the 3GS can allocate to running processes allowing for moderate multitasking capability as well. Factoring in the lightweight OS, the 3GS's performance still is comparable to moderate-end Android devices.

New Bootrom and 2011 Baseband Update

On September 9, 2009, Apple launched an updated model of the iPhone 3GS that patched a segment overflow in the SecureROM of the Device that had allowed loading an unsigned LLB. [15]

After the release of the iPhone 4S, Apple killed the unlock for the new iPhone 3GS devices that were produced after week 36th of 2011 by quietly updating its baseband hardware from a Infineon Baseband chip to a Toshiba Baseband chip. Although the new chip uses the same modem firmware as the Infineon chip, it cannot be updated to iPad baseband 06.15.00 that is still vulnerable to the AT+XAPP exploit.

Timeline of iPhone models

Timeline of iPhone models
iPhone 16 ProiPhone 16 ProiPhone 15 ProiPhone 15 ProiPhone 14 ProiPhone 14 ProiPhone 13 ProiPhone 13 ProiPhone 12 ProiPhone 12 ProiPhone 11 ProiPhone 11 ProiPhone XSiPhone XSiPhone XiPhone 16iPhone 16iPhone 15iPhone 15iPhone 14iPhone 14iPhone 13iPhone 13iPhone 12 MiniiPhone 12iPhone 11iPhone XRiPhone 8iPhone 8iPhone 7iPhone 7iPhone 6SiPhone 6SiPhone 6iPhone 6iPhone 5iPhone 5SiPhone 4SiPhone 4iPhone 3GSiPhone 3GiPhone (1st generation)iPhone SE (3rd generation)iPhone SE (2nd generation)iPhone SE (1st generation)iPhone 5C
See also: Timeline of Apple Inc. products

Source: Apple Newsroom Archive[16]

See also

References

  1. ^ "Compare iPhone 3GS and iPhone 3G". Apple Inc. August 18, 2009.
  2. ^ "iPhone 3GS upload limited to 384 Kbps upstream". Macworld.co.uk. June 9, 2009. Retrieved July 31, 2009.
  3. ^ "Apple Announces the New iPhone 3GS—The Fastest, Most Powerful iPhone Yet". June 8, 2009. Retrieved June 8, 2009.
  4. ^ "Apple iPhone 3GS offers speed boost, video capture, new OS". Clone2go.com. Retrieved July 5, 2011.
  5. ^ "Display Showdown Part IIa: iPhone 3GS". DisplayBlog. February 23, 2010. Retrieved July 5, 2011.
  6. ^ Mossberg, Walter S. (June 19, 2009). "Apple iPhone 3G S Is Better Model – Or Just Get OS 3.0". The Wall Street Journal.
  7. ^ a b "iPhone 3GS review". Engadget. Retrieved July 5, 2011.
  8. ^ "Apple iPhone 3GS Review – Watch CNET's Video Review". Reviews.cnet.com. Retrieved July 5, 2011.
  9. ^ "Apple 8GB iPhone 3GS Smartphone Product Information". Macworld. June 25, 2010. Retrieved July 5, 2011.
  10. ^ "$99 iPhone 3GS review". TiPb. July 4, 2010. Retrieved July 5, 2011.
  11. ^ by David (CNET) Martin (July 9, 2009). "Apple says cases cause iPhone 3GS discoloration | iPhone Atlas – CNET Reviews". Reviews.cnet.com. Retrieved July 5, 2011.
  12. ^ "Apple Admits iPhone 3GS Overheats – News". Trusted Reviews. Retrieved July 5, 2011.
  13. ^ "iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch (4th generation): Keeping device within acceptable operating temperatures". Support.apple.com. March 24, 2011. Retrieved July 5, 2011.
  14. ^ "Apple drops iPhone prices: 8GB 3GS free, iPhone 4 now $99". Engadget.
  15. ^ http://theiphonewiki.com/wiki/index.php?title=0x24000_Segment_Overflow "0x24000 Segment Overflow"
  16. ^ Apple Inc. (2007–2024). iPhone News - Newsroom Archive. Retrieved September 9, 2024.
Preceded by iPhone 3GS
3rd generation 		Succeeded by
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