iPhone 3GS Review

Personally, I have always been a big fan of smart phones. I used to envy Blackberry owners. They're just so cool. I remember a few years ago, a friend told me that he had a phone that could receive email. I went nuts. Nowadays, every phone come full of features like that.

Well, the iPhone 3GS is like a Swiss Army phone. It has everything you need, and tons of stuff you don't need, but you want anyway.

First and foremost, according to Apple.com, the release of the iPhone 3GS coincided with the launch of the iPhone OS 3.0, which Apple.com tells us has a load of great new features including copy/paste, stereo bluetooth, tethering, landscape keyboard option, and my personal favorite, video recording.

When I first took it out of the box, I actually had to check to make sure they sent me the right one. It looks almost identical to the 3G, (which is fine by me, because I thought the 3G looked pretty slick anyway) but it did frighten me a little bit. After all, I had just paid full price for a phone that might be an exact copy of my last one. (My girlfriend accidentally dropped my last one out of her car window, but that's another story involving lots of tears... my tears, because she broke my iPhone.)

The first thing you'll notice after turning it on is that it moves much faster than the 3G. For example, I'm something of a gamer, and according to Apple.com, there is a revamped CPU in this phone which makes games load quicker, and play easier.

Www.iPhoneappreviews.net explains that the 3GS has a smudge resistant coating on the screen, which reduces fingerprint smudging, and makes it easier to wipe away grease or anything else from the screen without leaving marks.

Now, with the 3G, I was hugely disappointed with the camera. It was a mere 2 megapixel travesty. I mean, this is Apple computers, and they give me 2 megapixels? Come on. The 3GS has a 3 megapixel camera, not professional quality or anything, but a majorly noticeable difference. I noticed that an autofocus feature is also an addition to this model's camera, and it gives you the ability to focus on certain features, by touching them on-screen. For some reason, every picture I take seems to be ridiculously bright, but I have photoshop, so that's rarely a problem.

If this were all the 3GS had to offer, I would say stay away, but for me, it's always about the software. What can I say? I'm a softy for software.

One of the features is the "Push notification" system, which, according to Apple.com gives instant alerts for messages, emails, etc.

But, the real star of the iPhone, the one that totally makes it worth upgrading... Video recording.

I'm a huge video geek. I record... well, everything. So, the fact that the iPhone camera was better than my camcorder is astounding. The quality is just so good. Not only that, but the phone itself has an editing program, so you can edit without moving the video to your computer. I have some pretty expensive editing programs, so I don't use this, but the fact that they give me the option is awesome. Techcrunch.com reports that mobile uploads are up 400% since the launch of the 3GS, because you can upload straight to YouTube, another cool feature.

Remember when I said the 3GS has features you don't need, but want anyway. Nothing illustrates this better than voice control.

You can actually play a certain song or artist just by saying the name. Now, I know that the iPhone isn't the first piece of technology to have this feature, but it's the first piece of technology I've had that has it, so again I felt like a twelve-year-old going nuts over this superfluous feature.

Finally, I have used the Google map/compass feature countless times already. If you don't leave your house much, you won't really use this, but if you have a terrible sense of direction (like me) then this feature will be your best friend. It works a lot like a Tom Tom navigator, in that while viewing the map, it changes the position of the map in relation to the position you're standing in. So, if you turn left, the map turns left. It makes it a LOT less confusing, when you're navigating unfamiliar areas.

In conclusion, I have to admit something. I technically received this phone as a gift (from a girlfriend who felt guilty) So, naturally I went with the upgrade, but is it worth it if you have a 3G and it works fine? Well, if you can afford it, I say go for it, but if you're operating on a budget and you don't mind not having the new features, you may want to wait for the 4G or whatever they come out with next. If you have an old blackberry or if you've never owned a smart phone, I say, go for it. (Or you could just wait for your girlfriend to drop your phone out a window and offer to buy you a new one.)

Sources:
www.Apple.com
www.iPhoneappreviews.net
www.techcrunch.com