Apple’s New iPhone 3G S – review of features.
9 June, 2009
Apple® today introduced the new iPhone™ 3G S, according to Apple “the fastest, most powerful iPhone yet”. This thing was pretty much conceived while Steve Jobs was either very ill or had already left the office for his sick leave. As such, it offers us a first glimpse of what life without Jobs could be like for Apple. Interesting. Let’s take a look at the new features.
Big features
The 2 really big features of this new iPhone are improved speed —up to twice as fast as the last iPhone, according to Apple —and longer battery life. I will be VERY interested in seeing exactly how much longer, because to me the battery was always really the Achilles’heel of the iPhone. I’d like my phone’s energy to last until I get home at night, even if I choose to play around with it for a few hours. The first 2 iPhones couldn’t live up to that promise.
Speed & Camera
What really surprised me was the speed increase. I have never heard anybody claim that their iPhone was slow, so that seems to be a fix for a non-existent problem. I guess Super Monkey Ball’s 3D might be faster though. Also, the 3GS now has a 3 megapixel autofocus camera and allows video recording. Hmm. I’m not exactly overwhelmed. Every top-line Smartphone nowadays does video and has a better camera than that. Then again, where the iPhone is coming from it’s still an improvement I guess. Meh.
Hands free voice control
Next up is “hands free voice control” (is there any other sort of voice control? duh). This was a feature in every Smartphone around the year 2000. I have NEVER seen anybody use it, and I know a fair share of REALLY nerdy people. The programming of the voice control feature, using keywords, setting it up etc, has always proven a hurdle no consumer was ever willing to take, on any phone. Anyway, who needs it when you have a touch interface as good as the iPhone’s?
iPhone OS 3.0
Then, the new iPhone OS 3.0 apparently has 100 new features. If the four most important ones that Apple can mention out of a 100 are copy/paste, MMS, search and a landscape keyboard I do not even want to know what the other 96 are. Yawn. However, Apple’s App Store still remains a very nice feature. The largest application store in the world with a fantastic ease of use – I love it. But it’s not really a new feature, is it?
Nike+ iPod support
And then, the iPhone 3G S also features built-in Nike+ iPod support. Wow.This means users can now place the (optional) Nike sensor ($19) in their Nike running shoe ($150) to connect with iPhone 3G S to track miles run or sync with workout equipment. Hello? The app store already has several apps that cost only a couple of bucks and that allow you to have your runs tracked by the GPS on the previous iPhone – without buying a 19 dollar sensor or a pair of 150 dollar running shoes!
Best feature
I guess the best feature about the 3GS is that it’s a new model, because having a new version means that the “old” 8GB iPhone 3G will be sold at $99 from now on. The iPhone 3G S is available as a 16GB model for $199 and a 32GB model for just $299 in the US, if you take a new 2 year AT&T rate plan subscription. I think the iPhone 2 at 99 dollars is a bargain though, if you can live with the subpar battery life.
Conclusion
Concluding: The iPhone 1 with its’ amazing screen, interface and tilt function was a revolution. The iPhone 3G was a huge improvement, with added high speed internet and GPS. But this one? A bit faster, a somewhat better camera, and voice control. Meh. Get the “old” 3G at the new price, if you really have to. Apple just hasn’t been pushing hard enough, and I say, it’s the absence of Jobs. He was the one always pushing for the impossible, driving suppliers and Apple employees insane but ending up with amazing products as a result.
Apple’s stock price was down a dollar today, on the day the iPhone 3G S launched (!). Apparently life without Jobs has not been easy for Apple, because this is the first iPhone that generally fails to impress. The iPod had already been commoditized, now the new iPhone turns out to be more of the same… Steve, it’s time to pull a new rabbit out of the hat. Welcome back, it’s time to save Apple once again!
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[…] The app store already has several apps that cost only a couple of bucks and that allow you to have your runs tracked by the GPS on the previous iPhone without buying a 19 dollar sensor or a pair of 150 dollar running shoes! … […]…
Trackback by Shoe Home — Jun 9, 2009 @ 02:16
Is it fare to state, Steve should come back to ‘bing’ the iPhone for its next release?
(note: from the verb ‘to bing’ means making a suprisingly positive impression via a product upgrade :-)).
Comment by CamielK — Jun 9, 2009 @ 08:03
Yeah I guess that’s the point I was trying to make - it just took me more words :) In all fairness though, I guess it gets harder with each new version to amaze. I get that. But this version just misses the point. I mean, it even has a built-in magnetic compass. Wow. I’m not usually so drunk that I can’t figure out which way I’m facing…
Comment by Jeroen Verkroost — Jun 9, 2009 @ 13:27
Nice review!
I’d like to know if T-Mobile will still be the only provider in Holland with subscriptions. I’m with T-Mobile at the moment you see ;)
Comment by kerpelo — Jun 10, 2009 @ 11:41