As we said in the intro, there is nothing visually different about the iPhone 3GS versus the iPhone 3G, save for the lettering on the back, which is now mirrored like the Apple logo. While we had seen leaked images of a matte finish, bezel-free version of the device, when push came to shove, what we got was essentially a carbon copy of the iPhone 3G. In terms of the general elements of the phone -- the plastic casing, mute switch, home and power buttons, etc. -- there is no change at all. In fact, if you were to lay this phone and its predecessor next to one another face up, the new model would be indistinguishable. Of course, the 3GS is not just a clone of the previous device, and Apple has made most of its significant changes inside the phone.
First off, the company has supercharged the CPU of the 3GS (remember, the S is for speed), jacking up the processor numbers from 412MHz to a rumored 600MHz. Additionally, the RAM is said to have doubled from 128MB to 256MB, the phone is offered with 16GB or 32GB of storage, and Apple has swapped out the previous graphics chip for a new version -- dubbed the PowerVR SGX -- which adds support for more robust visuals via OpenGL ES 2.0. All this should mean that end users will see a noticeable difference in app speeds and loading times (Apple claims an average of 2x faster loads, though since the company has been cagey about upgrade details, it's hard to know what the real differences are)
We mentioned that Apple didn't really make any cosmetic changes to the phone, but that's not entirely accurate. While the 480 x 320 display on the iPhone 3GS is technically identical to its predecessor's screen, it adds one small feature which should make some users extremely happy.
The company has changed the treatment on the surface of the touchscreen, utilizing an oleophobic coating -- essentially a protectant that's highly resistant to fingerprint smudging. For those of you constantly wiping burger grease, WD40, and various other toxic materials from your iPhone, this will come as a tremendous little perk. The most surprising thing about the tech is that it actually does what the company says it will: namely, it resists new smudges and wipes almost entirely clean with a single swipe on a pant leg. This wasn't exactly the most pressing issue we had with the phone, but it's nice to know that Apple is innovating in the dirty screen space.
And more specitication :
Price $199 16GB, $299 32GB ($399 and $499 for ineligible upgraders)
Processor Unknown, "on average up to twice asfast"
Graphics capability OpenGL ES 2.0
Camera 3.0 megapixel autofocus with macro mode and auto white balance
Video recording 30fps VGA with on-device editing capability
Voice control Dialing, music control
Nike+ support Yes
Wireless technologies 7.2Mbps HSDPA, WiFi, Bluetooth 2.1 + EDR
Water- and oil-resistant
finish Yes
Integrated magnetic
compass Yes
Included headphones Inline remote for music control
Battery life Up to 5 hours talk time / data on 3G, 12 hours on 2G
Up to 9 hours data on WiFi
Up to 30 hours audio
Up to 10 hours video
Dimensions ;115.5 x 62.1 x 12.3mm
Weight 135 grams / 4.76 oz.
