iPhone 4 vs. iPhone 3GS: the tale of the tape
By Chris Ziegler 
posted June 7th 2010 3:02PM
posted June 7th 2010 3:02PM
iPhone 4 |
iPhone 3GS |
| Price (on contract) | $199 16GB, $299 32GB | $99 8GB |
| Processor | Apple A4 | 600MHz, Cortex-A8 architecture |
| Display | 3.5-inch IPS 960 x 640 | 3.5-inch 480 x 320, no IPS |
| Primary camera | 5 megapixel AF with flash | 3 megapixel AF |
| Secondary camera | VGA | No |
| Video recording | 720p at 30fps, optional iMovie | VGA at 30fps, basic editing capabilities built-in |
| Cellular | Quadband GSM, pentaband HSPA | Quadband GSM, triband HSPA |
| WiFi | 802.11b/g/n | 802.11b/g |
| Orientation sensing | Accelerometer, compass, gyroscope | Accelerometer, compass |
| FaceTime video calling | Yes | No |
| SIM standard | Micro SIM | SIM |
| Battery life | Up to 7 hours talk time on 3G, 14 hours on 2G Up to 10 hours data on WiFi Up to 40 hours audio Up to 10 hours video |
Up to 5 hours talk time / data on 3G, 12 hours on 2G Up to 9 hours data on WiFi Up to 30 hours audio Up to 10 hours video |
| Weight | 137 grams / 4.8 oz. | 135 grams / 4.76 oz. |
| Dimensions | 115.2 x 58.6 x 9.3mm | 115.5 x 62.1 x 12.3mm |
http://i.imgur.com/DHP8p.jpg
/giggle
Sorry but we knew EVERYTHING already!
NO big surprise! What a letdown!
@Almo Apple's "innovation" at its finest!
@Almo
Never in my life, have I been so emotionally attracted to a Phone.
The new iphone 4, is everything I ever wanted, and it really makes me happy to know it is being produced by a company that has a passion, and understands what the community wants.
Thank you Apple, thank you!
@Technologeee
Wow, I hope that was sarcasm.
@HateiPhoneFanboys
...and cameras?
So... can we get a comparison to the HTC Desire or the Evo then?
@Almo Do one with the EVO4G
@Technologeee me too doc. although i wish they'd throw in an A5 processor, make the screen larger, and add a dedicated multitasking button/s, those are the only things i would really change.
@noodles2k
Yeah, once again a whole lotta "innovation". "Video calls will change the way we interact forever". LOL
@Ashley32 no you didn't and your still going to buy one.
@HateiPhoneFanboys i would very much like the new screen and ebook store. Great news for me.
Is it just me or is the only thing that really stands out the display? Everything else is pretty much standard now, isn't it?
@Ashley32
Apple didnt purposely leak their new Iphone, so I dont know why people are complaining that its nothing surprising. Yeah, its nothing new- in terms of something new to phone period, but in terms of Iphones- it alot new. It seems like people are bashing to fit in.
Now we know why Jobs tried to stop the EVO from launching. The EVO runs circles around the marginal upgrade.
@HateiPhoneFanboys the screen. i was planning on switching to android, and probably still will, but that screen is tempting.
@Beatnik -- "What a shame, the iphone 4 could not hold a candle to the HTC EVO 4G the REAL iphone KILLER."
It's simple... the EVO is the best Android phone ever made...
And the iPhone 4 is the best iPhone ever made.
Do you remember all of the previous "iPhone Killers" there were before the EVO? None of them did a damn thing to the iPhone.
I admit... if I was on Sprint... I'd certainly grab the EVO. But I'm on Verizon, so I'm gonna get an Incredible.
But, the whole notion of an "iPhone Killer" is just silly. You know damn well that the EVO will NOT kill the iPhone in any way.
@maveric101 The pixel density is rather cool, but I'd rather have a larger screen (like 4-4.5"). I have a Nexus One, and even at 3.7" I can't make out the pixels on it at 800x480. I mean, I guess if I get a new prescription (I haven't worn glasses in a few years) and really try, I'm sure I could. But having a larger display and holding the phone at a comfortable distance would be a LOT nicer.
Well yes its true. I bought and still use the original iPhone 2G model. I never found either the 3G or 3GS worthy of upgrading. However the new 4 model is perfect. It is a big enough step for me.
Dual cameras
higher megapixel
camera flash (as apposed to the other flash :P)
multitasking
higher screen res.
HD video
video chat
better battery life
gyroscope (to add to GPS & compass which the 2G doesn't have)
@Beatnik
Heh. So, I really like that Apple has made its video calling an open standard with no set-up involved. I think there are certain things that make something catch-on culturally and others that don't. EVO's video calling using Qik is a "neat" thing, but hardly a game-changer, as HTC has been making front-camera capable phones forever, with exactly that kind of "system's integrator" type smarts needed to get it going. Did you see the DEMO of the EVO they showed at Google I/O?
FaceTime, hopefully, deployed on a popular gadget like the iPhone (hopefully Google does something like this soon on the OS level), will really have the possibility of taking off. I'd love it if Skype upgrades to suppot "Facetime" on the desktop and the mobile versions. I'm tired of the tech demo tinkering. Let's move forward already.
I can appreciate why FaceTime is WiFi only. Apple wants this to all work. They don't want networks flipping out (and killing customer experience) just yet until they all go 4G.
@MarkAnderson
I'm sure after the WWDC announcement, a lot of folks went right to the Sprint EVO and Droid Incredible sites.
I admit, the only thing going for IP4 is iOS4, which looks great and much more refined. EVO and Incredible have the iPhone4's H/W beat.
@Almo All the iPhone 4 has is a better screen (a very nice one though), and a few spec bumps to keep it in line with the Snapdragon Android crowd. Nothing really noteworthy otherwise.
@HateiPhoneFanboys
Um, the gyroscope? Pixel density with screen? No other phone has a gyroscope yet. Gee were you sleeping?
@recharged95 And also AT&T's site, which is currently impossible to sign into.
@recharged95
I duuno.. I think if you want an iPhone you'll buy this. It's a lot nicer than the 3GS.
@vanwazltoff I think they have that already. It's called an iPad.
@Almo I POSTED IT FIRST! Lol.
@Michael Scrip
The only thing killing iPhones is the next released iPhone. Apple has too rabid a following.
I talked to one of my co-workers the other day who was talking bad about the Evo. He had never seen one, didn't care it was 4G, didn't care about the screen size. He said he had read in the paper it was crap, and that the new iPhone will dominate all.
You can't compete with that. If it's in the paper it has to be true.
@Student Driver Yeah, the difference between 800x480 and 960x640 is going to be pretty negligible at these screen sizes, but obviously it makes a lot of sense for backwards compatibility.
@Beatnik
before you're shocked when the iphone 4 sells like crazy. Here are some reasons why it's better than the EVO:
1. Style/design/aesthetics. The Evo looks downright plain and geeky next to this.
2. better media player - audio, video and books.
3. better gaming system - 6 axis, higher resolution screen and much better library.
4. better camera software and implementation (still and video). If you're still one of those who believe that better camera means higher MP, then stop reading and get educated first...
5. better video chat software implementation. Apple just did a great demo on how it will be used. Also, shows that having the feature isn't as important as how well it is implementated. Video chat has been around for ages - but with really shitty implementation.
6. better integration with corporate systems. Evo would not meet our corporate VPN requirements. The iphone 3gs already does.
7. better battery life.
8. better screen quality. Apple uses higher quality glass and always had better color than HTC, now they also add higher resolution and contrast....this is no brainer which has the better display - qualitatively.
Only the most desperate tech geek would buy an EVO over an iphone. The only reason most people buy products like the EVO or Android phones is because they don't have iphone available on their network.
The only feature that Evo has that would be desirable on an iphone is 4G, but when you consider that most places don't have 4G coverage and that almost anything you can do with an Evo you can do better with an iphone the decision is a no brainer.
@Funkendoodles It depends on your intended use of the phone. if your going to game heavily with it then yeah the gyroscope might come in handy, otherwise who cares? there's other specs more important and others have iphone 4 beat. for a majority of users about the only use for positional sensing on their phones is for the camera to detect landscape and portrait, and to rotate the screen depending on orientation, current sensors already do those functions perfectly fine
@Michael Scrip I would get the Droid Extreme if anything. The Incredible has issues.
@Michael Scrip
Till june when Galaxy S is out....
@HateiPhoneFanboys
Why upgrade?
Better Camera
HD video recording
Second Mic
A4 Processor
Retina Display
Thinner body
Battery Life
Better looking
... Need more reasons?
But yeah haha, it really does look like that Vizio TV. XD
@jaffreywali
You forgot better processor, the A4 (with the SGX 535 graphics processor) is more powerful than the 1ghz snapdragon
@ddddd -- "But the EVO have what people want today! HDMI, True Video Chatting, True Multi, True Web With Flash......."
If you're correct.... then more people will buy an EVO instead of the new iPhone.
I know sales numbers don't prove which device is the better device... but your statement says that more people want what the EVO has.
We'll see...
@Student Driver
The iPhone 4 has everything the 3GS had, plus a ridiculously sharp screen. No it doesn't have the 8MP camera or the larger screen that the droid does, but there's something about the iPhone I like more than anything Android has made up till now. Its just personal preference.
I have a 3G and never upgraded to the 3GS. Upgrading to the 4 is gonna be great for me.
@jaffreywali But you can only video chat on wifi.
The camera is better? how do you know unless you have used them side by side.
Better design?
Folks lets get this clear they are RECTANGLES.
The battery life is nice if real but please right now most of your post is fan boi extreme.
Honestly they are both good phones. For me the Evo may win because the calling plan is a LOT cheaper and over two years I will save A LOT of money on Sprint.
@jaffreywali Amen to that. At last, someone making sense...
"If you're still one of those who believe that better camera means higher MP, then stop reading and get educated first..." Way too many people believe that the higher the MP, the better the picture, but they totally forget about the lens and sensor. Why have a super-large 8MP photo in okay-ish quality, when you can have 5MP in superb quality?
@CleverB Since it's WiFi only, I don't think it will be used by a lot of people.
I never connect my phone to WiFi and I'm not going to start now.
@jaffreywali
Are you retarted? You are really saying the evolution is crap and just some geek phone? I have used it and was so impressed with it. The screen is so amazing and nice. It has so many features the iPhone can't have and wont ever have like the mini HDMI out to hook up your phone to a TV. The wifi hotspot the almost 1 inch bigger screen. And don't try and say 4g coverage doesn't cover anywhere by the end of the year they might have more 4g than att&t has for 3g. Stop giving Steve blow jobs and wake up. The iPhone just added enough new features to maybe compete with other phones the next 3 months. And I know the phone will sell plenty of units cause apple has a fanbase that loves anything apple even when apple intentionally leave out features. A upgrade for them is 5mp camera and flash. Well phones now are all getting 8mp and dual flash. They are always going to being adding features slowly and apple fans love paying money for minor upgrades.
@jaffreywali
1. "Style/design/aesthetics. The Evo looks downright plain and geeky next to this."
your right the new iphone looks gorgeous.
2. "better media player - audio, video and books."
you right about audio, and it stops right there id rather have a 4.3 inch screen to watch videos on than a 3.5
3. "better gaming system - 6 axis, higher resolution screen and much better library."
that high resolution, yup but my droid isnt far behind and the droids screen is bigger as well soo...
4. "better camera software and implementation (still and video)."
cant speak on this because i havent seen the device in action. and i doubt you have either (real life experience)
5. "better video chat software implementation. Apple just did a great demo on how it will be used."
lol ok enjoy your video chat with ONLY MOBILE phones and wifi
6. "better integration with corporate systems. Evo would not meet our corporate VPN requirements. The iphone 3gs already does."
have you seen froyo??
7. "better battery life."
iphone 4 doesnt have 4g...
"Only the most desperate tech geek would buy an EVO over an iphone. The only reason most people buy products like the EVO or Android phones is because they don't have iphone available on their network."
Im no geek and trust me not everyone with an android phone is either.
"The only feature that Evo has that would be desirable on an iphone is 4G, but when you consider that most places don't have 4G coverage and that almost anything you can do with an Evo you can do better with an iphone the decision is a no brainer."
ohh ok so i guess you can say the same thing with my droid. you have to consider that verizons 3g is clearly exceptional and at&ts... is not soo my droid wins there too :), even sprint has better coverage than at&t w/ help from roaming
@gpmoo7 Then what do you do with your phone??? If you're not connecting to wifi, you're probably not streaming video/music; doing any multi-player games; or up/downloading files because if you were, you'd be looking for the fastest connection available. ... And if you're not doing those things, you don't need this, or any other smartphone.
@CleverB It always amuses me how many people insulting Apple 'fan boys' always seem to have gay fantasies of them giving Steve Jobs a blow job... But seriously, if you can't have an argument without insulting people, don't bother.
@Student Driver Give the iPhone a 4.0" screen and I would buy one yesterday.
@Michael Scrip it is what they want today, but they'll get it tommorrow, spread over the next 2-3 iphone iterations.
@HTCAndroidTre
No offense here, but I think everybody to commented here in Engadget are somehow 'pre-qualified' as geek. Normal consumer seldom comment on tech, they just consume the hype.
@CleverB
You can get a little app for Android called Fring. I make video calls to anyone with skype via Evo or computer. I today called a windows 7 computer a mac and a linux computer.
@MarkAnderson between the features alone it's worth $100 more. Add to the fact that at 8GB for the 3GS you're really gimping your ability to put good quality content on there if you want to finish out your content.
I honestly thought Apple was going to do something aggressive to take #1 in the U.S. market share, my main prediction was the possibility of a $0 phone, iPhone 3GS w/8GB internal should be free on contract IMHO. For $99 they should give 16GB. I think anyone who buys it strictly wants to get an iPhone and/or into the app store for as cheap as possible....ignorance is bliss.
@nswprop
lol geek is suck and ugly word.
and engadget is my secret life lol