iPhone 3GS Vs iPhone 4
back in 2007 cellphones were those ugly black button hazards with a screen matched by high-end calculators. Then Apple stepped in and the iPhone had changed the market forever, forcing competitors to dump their ancient ideas and copy the concept. Now the smartphone is for the mass and the iPhone earned an entry in the national dictionary. But is the latest iPhone 4 better than its predecessor?
iPhone 3GS
Well, not if the 3GS is concerned. This 2009 model, announced by Phil Schiller, featured a much needed speed injection and finally added video support. Of course there were more changes like: a compass, 32gb model, screen-fingerprint-coating and voice-control.
But not all was perfect according to fans and media alike, they particularly attacked the design, which hadn’t changed. According to some it felt like a cheap upgrade because of it. But it still sold like crazy, until a curtain prototype came out…
iPhone 4
That prototype became the iPhone 4 in June. It was announced by good old Steve as the biggest leap yet. Cornerstrone being the all-new design of two pieces of special glass, armed by a stainless-steel band. Other new features included a HD camera, more battery, better screen, front-facing camera and the Apple A4 chip, although clocked slower than the iPad.
But problems were lurking in the shadows. Just a week after release reports came out about a “death grip” engaged by holding the antenna stripes on the side, which can completely destroy the signal in low reception areas. Apple held a press conference explaining that every phone has it and ultimately offering free cases to keep the fans happy.
Versus
So which phone is better? Well for me it’s easy. The iPhone 4’s design is on a world of its own. The glass seems really durable and is very scratch resistant, in contrast to the hardened plastic on previous iPhones, which feels very cheap.
And really big problems have been improved. The camera of the new phone is genuinely good and the battery is drastically better, being 60% of the iPhone’s size and weight. And don’t be fooled by the death grip, it’s a problem but in real world circumstances won’t occur too often.
With that said the iPhone 3GS is still very good phone and the perfect smartphone for people looking in the second hand market or buyers on slightly more of a budget. It’s almost equally fast and has almost identical features, apart from the front-facing camera and a few enhancements.
Conclusions
The iPhone is leading the phone industry. See the new iPhone 4 as a Ferrari and the 3GS as a brand new Porsche. Of course the iPhone 4 has the legs, but the 3GS still represents near perfection and will be good enough for the majority of smartphone buyers.