While the iPhone 3GS and the 3G are most obviously cut from the same cloth, you'd be glad to know that there are some differentiating factors that can perhaps be worth your cash:
iPhone 3GS advantages over iPhone 3G:
• A faster 600MHz CPU and double the RAM at 256MB
• Noticeably faster performance
• Faster network speeds of HSDPA 7.2Mbps
• 3.2 megapixel auto focus camera with VGA@30fps video recording, touch focus with subject tracking, macro mode from as close as 10 cm
• Double the storage space - 3GS is selling in 16GB and 32GB versions
• Digital compass with automatic map orientation in Maps app
• Better audio quality (as recorded and analyzed in our office)
• Louder loudspeaker results (with performance gains primarily in music playback)
• Purportedly better battery life
• Oleophobic display coating supposed to make fingerprints easier to clean
• Voice Control, speaker independent. Can be use to call a phone number, play music by song/album/artist name, shuffle music
• Built-in support for Nike+ jogging system
• TV-out outputs 480p instead 480i resolution
• Text-to-speech feature called VoiceOver is included in the new Accessibility menu
• System-wide Screen Zoom is also included in the Accessibility menu
Main disadvantages of iPhone 3GS (OS disadvantages not counted here):
• The new iPhone 3GS lacks the same novelty factor as its predecessors - the lack of design changes is a turn-down
• 3 megapixel camera with limited feature set hardly cuts it for a high-end device
• There's still no flash or hardware shutter key for the camera
• Despite the upgrade, battery life is still generally poor (2-year old iPhone 2G are still doing way better)
• No stereo speakers (or are we pushing it too far already?)
Since the iPhone 3GS is the first iPhone to come with the iPhone OS 3.0 factory preinstalled, we'll most definitely have a detailed look in this review at the changes it brings about - no matter that iPhone 2G and 3G have both received the update for free.
