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 |
@Nehemoth
Indeed. What is the RAM on the device? What about the A4 clock speed? Apple is flaunting the specs on almost everything else, why not on these two issues?
No wireless syncing, no flash or flash alternative, no task manager, no fm radio, no deal.
Yeah the screen is awesome and the design is a bit better, but overall this is a big letdown for me. Even if all this hadn't been leaked before, I can't see how I would have been impressed. Their overhyping of video chat is almost comical (how long has every computer made had a webcam and mic built in for, after all if it's only usable on Wifi, it's no different than using my macbook). Yeah the screen is cool and deserves a new release just for that, but to call this "the biggest step forward yet" is ridiculous. Please folks, don't get caught up in the hype, think what your getting excited about. Video chat, really? Maybe in 1995 that would have been a shocking addition. The iPhone is still the best phone on the market, but I didn't see anything innovative today, sadly.
Error in your graphic!!
The iPhone 3gs is not HSPA (HSDPA + HSUPA), it is only HSDPA.
how can anyone buy a phone with a half ass browser, the fact that Apple doesn't have flash after 5 years or any alternative of flash, its completely laughable.
@Passboss21 I see the lack of flash is really hurting the sales numbers.
@Passboss21, in saying, “the fact that Apple doesn't have flash after 5 [sic] years … its completely laughable,” got it wrong.
The fact that people obsess over Flash, 8 years after Palm invented smartphones and Adobe hasn't managed to have EVEN ONE SINGLE PHONE running production Flash, is pathetic.
I don't think it's pathetic that Adobe hasn't done it. I'd like it on my smartphone, but recognize that even the most powerful smartphones have barely 10% of the horsepower of modern laptops, which is about what Flash needs, not to mention that a smartphone battery would be burned out in 5 minutes of my laptop's Graphics chip (forget the Intel CPU).
After firing the Macromedia people who developed Flash Lite for phones (in 2005), Adobe diddled around a couple of years until Apple came out with the iPhone and they realized their developers were unhappy with their ads and vids not being on the hottest platform (smartphones in general, not just the iPhone). So they started a PR war on Apple, despite having NOTHING ready for ANY phone. Lots of promises, technology previews and a couple of "betas" later, still NO PRODUCTION FLASH ON ANY SMARTPHONE ANYWHERE IN THE WORLD.
Bunch of PR BullCrap, nothing more. Why Android fans think they're so much smarter because they buy into Adobe's BS instead of Apple's astonishes me. Apple ships damn fine products. Adobe puts upgrade features into 10-year-old products.
theyyyy're both great!
Wait.. Quadband HSPA? Does that mean T-Mobile or LTE?
@hfm
Oops fail.. answered my on Q by looking at apple.com.. self downrank..
whats the A4 clocked at?
Glass & metal--almost no plastic! This is a big change from the prior generation!
I love it actually - I had an EVO sitting by at BestBuy waiting for the "new" carrier news... but alas, ATT only (unless I missed something). So it's another no-go for me. It just reinforces my plans for one Apple product & one Android: buy an iPad for work, running the EVO for the tether - a nice combo.
Okay, those videos are crap...the video call shot would never look that clear on a VGA camera
iPhone4 has Quadband HSPA (3Gs is triband). Does this mean it'll work on Tmobile's 3G network is Jailbroken and unlocked? Could this be an indicator of another GSM carrier?
@Robocub No, the additional band supported is 900, not T-Mobile's 1700. For a truer universal phone, you have to wait for the Nokia N8 with its 5-band HSDPA.
The phone is kinda dull and plan its the ugliest iPhone I think I will keep my 3GS
Wait did Jobs say if this new phone can make phone calls? At 3 drop calls a day I can't imagine buying another iPhone. I think their new antenna design proves that the iPhone had issues with its internal antenna that had to be addressed in this version. Other people I know on AT&T don't have drop call issues so its most likely the software/hardware of the phone itself.
I just hope that this phone does a better job with actually doing the 'phone' part.
@LanMark I think this new antenna design is going to cause some issues. i hope it was well tested, but in all my other radio experience you don't usually want to be touching a radio's radiating antenna. aside from performance issues, for all those that think cell phones cause bad health effects, what could be the health effects of directly being in contact with the phone's bare metal antenna?
What happens if somehow the wifi/gps antenna becomes shorted to the cellular side of the antenna by say a coin in your pocket hitting that gap between the 2 antennas?
So let me be clear about this, I do not hate Steve Jobs, I just hate the way he manipulates people to make them think they came up with this idea on their own...
This is one example I found when he was presenting the new Iphone.
Example:
"What do you think so far? I think it's a lot more than people thought it was. What do you think?"
He has a great product, it just annoys me that he doesn't give concrete points he just says nice words...
"Ipad is magical"...”Ipad is beautiful”
Man its crazy to think that in a years time, this phone will be in peoples hands for $99, like if you can't see how technology is constantly changing and getting better and cheaper...something is wrong w/ you.
What are the specs on front facing camera??? Can't find anywhere...
@deadfire55
It's vga. It's the same camera type that people were using on a MOTO razor 5yrs ago. Apple found the cheapest camera they can put on the front and slapped it on there
Wifi during the keynote. Did apple really have the wifi network they were using for the keynote wide open that everyone in the audience could jump on? I bet whoever made this decision is getting a nasty talking to by Steve, they should have had an encrypted AP just for the demo, and a "public" ap on another channel as far as possible from the demo AP
The new screen is the most exciting feature. it's something that I always like in a phone. I remember getting upgraded from 220x176 to 320x240 and that was a really big improvement. and now we're getting 336 ppi, I need to see this in person but that sounds sweet.
720p and an A4 are just side dishes
Werd!
Obvious free advertising is obvious.
Why don't you compare the iPhone 4 vs the EVO ? now that would be fair.
Or better iPhone 4 vs a real competitor, like some high end device that would be commercialised @ the same time : say Dell's best Android promise (lighting or storm or whatever I forgot the names) for instance.
Does look pretty sleek.
is this really having pentaband HSPA?? the iphone website shows only 4 bands..
@mail2vrp The 5th band is revealed by FCC, but it's 800 band which is only used in Japan.
All I hear is $200 shattering when I end up dropping this thing on the sidewalk... Glass all the way around??? I understand it will make for better reception, but also will increase the amount of non-warranty covered repairs Apple will handle at the stores. SMART!
@kobioshi
Watch the construction video, they developed a new "super glass" that is essentially bomb proof, they showed it being stress tested and it bent about 12mm without breaking. Unless you plan to run it over, I dont think a lot of these will be shattering. I don't see helicopters falling out of the sky from broken windows, and this is the same glass.
iPhone with iOs VS iBoard with Os Y???
http://www.hb-improving.com/fr/apple/exemples_apple.html
should i get this or just wait for the dell lightning
All cool and dandy but my 3gs is already in no service mode 8 hours a day, 5 days a week.
Billboard right next to our office reads, AT&T covers 97% of all Americans.
Ok, Geniuses, If you're gonna advertise your coverage, ADVERTISE IN A PLACE THAT "HAS" COVERAGE.
Morons running this company I tell you. Morons.
iPhone will not hold on for long, what I worry is, this whole lot of resources that go into it, are taken from OSX development teams as well. OSX is such a beautiful OS and I don't Apple to push it to sidelines.
For those not needing the fancy features of iPhone 4, currently the 3GS is on sale. 16GB for $149, and 32GB for $199. $199 for the 32GB 3GS is not bad at all, considering you'll get OS 4.0 anyway.
@pika2000 I think the 32 at that price makes more sense than the 3GS coming in @$99 with 8GB.
between the features alone I think iPhone 4 is 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.
I hate when they say 'face time' will change everything! Wow! As if phones haven't had video calling say since the first iPhone actually came out?!!!! Geezos!
Does anyone have an idea if this will pose problems if i'm running 10.4.11 Tiger? Still rockin' a Power PC, and holding onto it until I can afford a proper upgrade. Any insight would be awesome.
is it possible for the back camera to record at lower resolutions?
Did anyone take a TomTom car kit with them? Would be good to know if they fit with iPhone 4..
The iPhone 4:
Somewhat Inspiration or Copy of Porsche Design?
http://www.apple.com/
http://www.mobileporschedesign.com/P9522/index.html
http://www.porsche-design.com/international/en/products/p9000electronics/communication/mobilephones/4046901420963/
It might be like this in the future (with Apple incremental upgrade strategy):
2010 iPhone 4
2011 iPhone 4G
*adding network video calls and xenon flash + some other things
2012 iPhone 4GS
*adding more speed
...
saves on a name giving creativity also :D
In 2008 I bought Nokia N82 witch could do all the "magical" things + more (in terms of usability and functionality, touch screen and interface excluded) like this iPhone. Please compare Nokia N82 and iPhone 4 spec.
PS: iPhone 3GS owner and not Apple hater.
First, can it be used as a "mifi" device, like the Hero?
Second, does it blend?
anyone know what megapixel is for the front facing VGA camera?
i can't imagine it being anything really good with it being VGA...