Filed under: Analysis / Opinion, Features, Apple, iPhone
5 things you need to know about the iPhone 3G S
With only two more days to go until the launch of the iPhone 3G S, we have been getting a lot of questions from readers about things like cases, new features, and of course, upgrading from another iPhone.Can I use my 3G case with the 3G S?
Yes! While there are a few manufacturers that are now advertising cases for the 3G S, there are no physical differences from the 3G. So any existing cases or accessories you may have should work with the 3G S just fine.
Well then, what exactly is different about the 3G S?
Although the physical appearance didn't change, there are a few significant changes to the hardware in the 3G S. Most notably, the CPU, video chipset, and memory have all been upgraded, as well as the addition of a digital compass, faster 3G radio, and improved camera lens. There are also some software enhancements to allow voice control, video editing, and more.
Can't I just install 3.0 and get the same features?
Not quite. Installing the 3.0 update will get you several of the new features, such as copy and paste, voice notes, MMS, and tethering (if your carrier supports it, anyways), but some of the features will only be available on the 3G S. Things like voice control, video editing and sharing, compass navigation and accessibility improvements take advantage of the new hardware found in the 3G S to provide a better user experience, so Apple doesn't offer those features to users of older iPhones.
Can I upgrade from my iPhone or iPhone 3G?
Yes! From the hardware side of things, upgrading is as easy as plugging in your new iPhone to iTunes, then selecting that you want to restore your backup to the new phone. Alternatively, you can set it up as a new phone, and just sync the apps, music and other items that you want without restoring the full backup.
From the cell phone carrier side of things, upgrading is a bit more complicated, depending on when you purchased your phone, and the terms of your individual contract. Luckily, some providers are offering special terms to encourage customers to upgrade.
Where can I find out more about the iPhone 3G S?
If you're starving for details, our friends over at Engadget have a full review of the new iPhone, including an unboxing gallery and sample videos. If you're looking for a side-by-side comparison to the 3G, Walt Mossberg chimes in with his take on the All Things DIgital blog. And, as always, you can check out our iPhone 3G S articles here on TUAW.
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
Rudy said 3:27PM on 6-17-2009
i'll upgrade as soon as mms is enabled.
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Dhave said 3:34PM on 6-17-2009
---"MMS, and tethering (if your carrier supports it, anyways)"---
"Anyways" is not a word, please just use "Anyway" .
Reply
Michael Jones said 3:45PM on 6-17-2009
Dhave,
I appreciate your view, but 'anyways' is still a word, albeit a dialect form of 'anyway'. Either would be linguistically correct.
http://mw4.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/anyways
Desterado said 3:50PM on 6-17-2009
Wow, don't even bother commenting on the article. Just point out that he used a word you don't like.
Moron.
John said 5:15PM on 6-17-2009
Mooncalf!
A said 10:43AM on 6-18-2009
Since David actually took the time to respond to this (I don't really care about the word) I found the example sentence given by Apple dictionary to be hilarious. "you wouldn't understand all them long words anyways."
reggie001 said 3:37PM on 6-17-2009
why no voice control for iPhone3G with the 3.0 software? Is there a hardware reason for this?
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chesterbaker said 4:01PM on 6-17-2009
I'm betting that the processor speed bump makes that a lot more appealing.
Perhaps on the old software, while I'm sure it COULD work, it would be slower and aggravating so, Apple just choose to leave it off...
Anyways (lol) I'm excited about the iPhone 3G S!
dTondro said 8:29PM on 6-17-2009
If I remember correctly, the google app has voice dialing... and voice search... so its probably like the fact that they removed the "battery charge as a percentage" from the betas for 3G owners too...
Apple has become a very $hady, ¢heap company as of late... its a shame.
Reminds me of Microsoft OS software updates.
Michael Jones said 8:35PM on 6-17-2009
True and accurate voice recognition requires a fair amount of processing power. While it's true that the 3G could probably accomplish this, Apple likely opted for the faster hardware as a requirement to improve the experience associated with it.
Apps like Google Mobile are actually transmitting your sound clip to their servers for processing, and some other devices that feature audio feedback (like the iPod shuffle) have preprocessed text-to-speech files encoded. With the iPhone, all of this processing is happening real-time, every time you use the feature. So it's understandable that more processing power and memory would be used for the feature.
It would be nice if they offered the option to install some extra features to your device (while acknowledging that they would not work up to par), but that is not the Apple way of doing things. So instead they use the features to try and sway people towards the new hardware instead.
kc! said 4:05PM on 6-17-2009
Question about screen protectors:
Does the new anti-smudge screen work fine with screen protectors? WIll a screen protector damage the oleophobic screen at all? Any additional details you could provide around this?
Thanks
Reply
Michael Jones said 8:42PM on 6-17-2009
The oleophobic screen shows up as a feature on both the 3G and 3G S pages at Apple's website, so I really can't say for sure if the screen is improved or the same as what's on the 3G.
kc! said 10:17PM on 6-17-2009
Hmm... that is odd. Maybe they have always had the oleophobic thing and no one made a fuss about it until now? Good find.
I will probably be using a screen protector either way, just wanting to make sure it won't damage anything (not that it should... but you never know)
wildd86 said 3:58PM on 6-17-2009
Don't forget that the battery percentage indicator will not be available on the 3.0 update except for the 3GS... I really don't understand that at all...
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oktology said 4:12PM on 6-17-2009
Hardware issue, again. The 3G's battery interface hardware apparently doesn't have the resolution of the 3GS'.
chip said 7:44AM on 6-18-2009
Actually, jailbreak users have had battery percentage indicators (and fairly accurate ones at that) since 1.x, iirc.
FantomRedux said 10:19AM on 6-21-2009
As far as I know, that actually that works much like the battery indicator on the lock screen while charging, they just swapped the images for a numerical indicator, which changes dependant upon which image is being called as the battery indicator. Then again don't quote me on it, I'm a nub at this stuff really. Always a possibility though.
Nathan said 4:03PM on 6-17-2009
Mine is ordered and waiting to be shipped, arrival between 6/19 and 6/25, though I hope it gets here Friday.
Either way I have 3.0 to install on my original iPhone and my new MacBook Pro to play with until it gets here.
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SpaceGoatPriest said 4:10PM on 6-17-2009
I was reading that comparison by Walt Mossberg.
(Talking about new 3GS data)
" And some will want the new model because, unlike the current model, it’s capable of handling a new cellular network feature that, in the next few years, will offer double the current data speeds."
I know i am being negative, but seriously most of AT&T network is still on EDGE. By the time that can even be used, there will at *least* one (if not two new iphones models, so seriously that is a waste it even has it, at least in the USA).
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ben said 4:12PM on 6-17-2009
add a 6th thing: if you own an iPhone 3G and have been a loyal customer for years, you will get shafted...
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