IPhone 3GS

Developer	Apple Inc.
Manufacturer	Foxconn (OEM)[1]
Slogan(s)	"The fastest, most powerful iPhone yet." (2009) "More to love, less to pay." (2010)
Form factor	Slate
Generation	3rd (3G)
Model	A1325 (China) A1303[2]
Release date	June 19, 2009 (2009-06-19)[3]
Units sold	1 million over first weekend[4]
Operating system	iOS 5.1.1 Released May 7, 2012; 50 days ago  (2012-05-07)
Power	Built-in rechargeable li-ion battery[5] 3.7 V 1219 mAh
SoC	Samsung S5PC100
CPU	600 MHz ARM Cortex-A8[6]
GPU	PowerVR SGX535
Storage capacity	8, 16 or 32 GB flash memory
Memory	256 MB eDRAM
Display	3.565 inch screen (diagonally) 320-by-480-pixel resolution at 163 ppi 2:3 aspect ratio 24-bit (16.76 million colors) LCD
Audio	One loudspeaker 3.5 mm TRRS, 20 Hz to 20 kHz frequency response (internal, headset) Microphone
Input	Multi-Touch touchscreen display 3-axis accelerometer Digital compass Proximity sensor Ambient light sensor Microphone Headset controls
Connectivity	Quad-band GSM/GPRS/EDGE (850 900 1800 1900 MHz) Tri-band UMTS/HSDPA (850 1900 2100 MHz) Wi-Fi (802.11 b/g) Bluetooth 2.1+EDR USB 2.0/Dock connector[7]
Online services	App Store, iTunes Store, iBooks Store, MobileMe
Dimensions	115.5 mm (4.55 in) H 62.1 mm (2.44 in) W 12.3 mm (0.48 in) D
Weight	135 g (4.8 oz)
Predecessor	iPhone 3G
Successor	iPhone 4
Related articles	iPad, iPod Touch (comparison)
Website	apple.com/iphone/iphone-3gs

The iPhone 3GS is a touchscreen smartphone, designed and marketed by Apple Inc.. It is the third generation iPhone, successor to the iPhone 3G. It was introduced on June 8, 2009 at the WWDC 2009 which took place at the Moscone Center, San Francisco.

Its features primarily consist of better performance, a camera with higher resolution and video ability, voice control,^[8] and support for 7.2 Mbit/s HSDPA downloading (but remains limited to 384 kbps uploading as Apple had not implemented the HSUPA protocol).^[9] It was released in the U.S., Canada and six European countries on June 19, 2009,^[3] in Australia and Japan on June 26, and internationally in July and August 2009.

The iPhone 3GS runs Apple's iOS operating system, as is used on the iPad and iPod touch. It is controlled mostly by a user's fingertips on a multi-touch display.

On June 7, 2010, at the WWDC 2010, the iPhone 4 was announced.

History[link]

Features[link]

The new features of the iPhone 3G[S] are mainly internal changes regarding speed, for which the "S" in "iPhone 3GS" stands.^[10] Though in addition to the upgrades mainly regarding performance, various software features were also introduced exclusive to the iPhone 3GS. All of the exclusive features were incorporated into the iPhone 4.

Display[link]

The LCD display on the device was designed by Apple and made by LG. It features a capacitive touchscreen with a pixel density of 163 pixels per inch (ppi) on a 3.5 in (8.9 cm) 480-by-320 display. Improvements over its predecessor's screen include 24-bit color emulation (18-bit color display plus dithering)^[11] for a more color rich display and oleophobic coating to help reduce fingerprints on the display. The capacitive touchscreen is designed for a bare finger, or multiple fingers for multi-touch sensing.

Camera[link]

The iPhone 3GS features an improved 3 megapixel camera manufactured by OmniVision. In addition to the higher megapixel count, it also features auto-focus, auto white balance and auto macro and is capable of capturing VGA video.

The iPhone 3GS's Camera app features a slider which allows users to switch between capturing photos and recording videos, a tap-to-focus feature which allows users to tap on an area of the camera image to auto-focus on, 5x digital zoom (iOS 4 and 5), auto focus and auto exposure lock when holding an area down (iOS 5 only), and gridlines for composition (iOS 5 only).

Processor and memory[link]

The iPhone 3GS is powered by the Samsung APL0298C05 chip, which was designed and manufactured by Samsung. This system-on-a-chip is composed of an ARM Cortex-A8 CPU core underclocked to 600 MHz (from 833 MHz), integrated with a PowerVR SGX 535 GPU.

It has 256 MB of eDRAM, twice the amount of the 3G, allowing for increased performance and multi-tasking.

Apple claims the iPhone 3GS is 2x faster than its predecessor, showing demonstrations of various apps loading in half the time its predecessor does.

Storage[link]

As on previous models, all data is stored in flash memory and not in the SIM and it does not offer any options to expand storage. Initially it was only available in 16 and 32 GB though an 8 GB model was later released, with Apple discontinuing the 16 and 32 GB models, forcing those needing more storage to select an iPhone 4, or buy an older model 3GS.

Power and battery[link]

The iPhone 3GS is powered by an internal 3.7 V 1219 mAh rechargeable lithium-ion polymer battery and is designed to retain up to 80% of its original capacity after 400 full charge and discharge cycles. A battery life indicator in percentage was also exclusive to the iPhone 3GS.

Apple claims that the 3GS can last for up to ten hours of video, nine hours of web browsing on Wi-Fi, twelve hours of 2G talk time, or five on 3G, 30 hours of music, or 300 hours of standby.

Magnetometer[link]

A magnetometer is also built-in the iPhone 3GS, which is used to measure the strength and/or direction of the magnetic field in the vicinity of the device. Sometimes certain devices or radio signals can interfere with the magnetometer requiring users to either move away from the interference or re-calibrate by moving the device in a figure 8 motion. The iPhone 3GS also features an exclusive Compass app which shows a compass that points in the direction of the magnetic field.

Connectivity[link]

In addition to the iPhone 3G's Tri-band UMTS/HSDPA radio and quad-band GSM/GPRS/EDGE radio, the 3GS also adds support for 7.2 Mbit/s HSDPA allowing faster downlink speeds though upload speeds remain the same as Apple had not implemented the HSUPA protocol. Other updates include the addition of a built-in Nike+iPod sensor which eliminates the need for an external sensor and allows native Nike+iPod support. The Bluetooth server on the iPhone 3GS has also been slightly improved adding support for Bluetooth 2.1 specifications.

Voice control[link]

Voice Control was introduced as an exclusive feature of the iPhone 3GS and allows for the controlling of the phone and music features of the phone by voice. There are two ways to activate Voice Control: hold the Home button while in the home screen for a few seconds; or, change the effect of what double-clicking the home button does so it will activate Voice Control (only before iOS 4, where double clicking the Home button opens the multitasking bar).

Accessibility features[link]

VoiceOver, Color Inversion, and Text Zoom were introduced as exclusive features to the iPhone 3GS. VoiceOver is a feature that dictates music details, system menus, text, and other things which was first introduced on the third generation iPod shuffle. Color inversion reverses the color scheme from black on white to white on black, while Text Zoom allows users to zoom into a text on the screen .

Design[link]

The reverse of the iPhone 3G (left) is almost identical to that of the 3GS, differentiated only by the latter's reflective silver text which now matches the silver Apple logo, replacing the 3G's grey text.

The iPhone 3GS retains the same design its predecessor used which featured a glossy plastic back with tapered edges which gives users a better grip of the phone. It also features metal buttons just like its predecessor's.

The iPhone 3GS and its predecessor are almost identical though the 3GS is differentiated only by the latter's reflective silver text on the reverse side which now matches the silver Apple logo, replacing the 3G's grey text. Unlike its predecessor, the iPhone 3GS was available in white and black for (16 GB and 32 GB) although the current 8 GB model is only available in black.

Critical reception[link]

Reviews of the iPhone 3GS have been generally mixed to favorable. Walter Mossberg of The Wall Street Journal described the device packed with "new features that makes a great product even better, but for many users, the software may be enough of a boost to keep them from buying the new model."^[12] Engadget also criticized that "the additions of video recording, a compass, and a speed bump just don't seem that compelling to us".^[13]

The device managed to receive numerous favorable reviews, CNET gave the iPhone 3GS a 4/5 stars citing the battery life improvements and speed bump alone are good enough although it might leave you wanting more,^[14] Engadget praised the performance improvements describing it "a bigger speed bump than you'll come to expect".^[13] TechRadar gave the device a 4.5/5 stars describing the device "feature filled but certainly not worth upgrading for"

However the 8 GB version of the device has received more favorable reviews mainly because it comes pre-installed with iOS 4. Jason Snell of Macworld praised the iPhone 3GS citing that "The device's internal changes shines in the iOS 4 update, making the iPhone 3GS a worthwhile upgrade compared to its predecessor although a little too late compared to the iPhone 4".^[15] TIPB cited that "aside from hardware specific features like FaceTime, Retina Display, and gyroscope support, the bottom line is iPhone 3GS users are getting the same software that makes the iPhone 4 great".^[16]

Issues[link]

Overheating[link]

Shortly after the release of the iPhone 3GS, some users reported overheating of the device while in heavy use, and others reported discoloration of the device due to heat (particularly on the white models). The discoloration issues were largely discounted as being as a result of iPhone covers rubbing against the back of the iPhone.^[17]

Apple responded to the heat issue reports by warning users against leaving their iPhones in a car on a hot day, leaving it in direct sunlight for extended periods of time, and refraining from heavy usage while in a hot/sunny environment.^[18] It is also worth pointing out the temperature specifications in which the iPhone should be operated, which follows safety standards in the countries the 3GS was released.^[19]

Timeline of iPhone models[link]

See also[link]

• List of iOS devices
• Comparison of smartphones

References[link]

External links[link]

Apple Inc. portal

• Official website
• Cool Mobiles Link

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