iPhone 3GS 16GB
Christo van Gemert

More of the same, right? Another year, another Apple product gets refreshed and sold as “new”. Well, that’s what the cynics want you to believe.

Yes, some of Apple’s marketing hype does tend to make people wary of what is offered by the fruity company, but it’s hardly ever a bad product. After all, 21 million iPhone users can’t be that brainwashed.

While the iPhone 3.0 software is largely responsible for bringing a lot of new features to the table (such as copy/paste functionality and improved stability), the 3GS does have a few hardware improvements. Most noticeable is the new camera.
It features a 3.2-megapixel sensor and an autofocus lens. Handily, the screen has touch to focus: simply touch, on screen, the bit you want the camera to focus on, and it’ll do the rest. Photo quality is greatly improved over the average 2.0-megapixel camera in the previous phones, but the addition of video recording really seals the deal. Video quality is great, when there is enough lighting, and the phone offers the ability to upload directly to YouTube.

Not quite as tangible, but possibly the most important upgrade of all, is the new processor. It’s a whack faster than the processor in the iPhone 3G and compared side by side, the 3GS trots to victory each time. Applications open a lot faster, there is no delay when scrolling around on large webpages, and in-application performance is super-swift.

It’s a much more pleasant device to use than its predecessors, or any of the competitors, but it’s not perfect. That fantastic touch interface, sleek design and zippy performance comes at a steep price. And Apple has tight restrictions on applications that get published in the App store, meaning that developers have restricted access to the phone’s full capabilities.
If you want one, this is the one to have. If you already have one, it’ll take a bit of persuasion to dish out the cash for an upgrade.

Digital Life says: Faster and snappier version of the phone we still love
Plus: New camera; faster processor and more memory; voice recognition
Minus: Very pricey; app limitations
Contact: Apple – www.zastore.co.za
R9 200