iPhone 3GS - One Month Later

Apple released the iPhone 3GS on June 19th. Since then we've heard lots of raves for its speed and camera prowess, and some complaints about its battery life and iPhone 3.0 bugginess.
Now, one month later, if you're one of the million plus who's been using the iPhone 3GS, we want to know how it's working for you? What feature are you liking the most, and what does Apple really need to fix or improve in iPhone 3.1 or the next firmware update?
Likewise, if you still haven't picked up an iPhone 3GS yet, tell us (and Apple) what's holding you back.
iMore Newsletter
Get the best of iMore in your inbox, every day!
Rene Ritchie is one of the most respected Apple analysts in the business, reaching a combined audience of over 40 million readers a month. His YouTube channel, Vector, has over 90 thousand subscribers and 14 million views and his podcasts, including Debug, have been downloaded over 20 million times. He also regularly co-hosts MacBreak Weekly for the TWiT network and co-hosted CES Live! and Talk Mobile. Based in Montreal, Rene is a former director of product marketing, web developer, and graphic designer. He's authored several books and appeared on numerous television and radio segments to discuss Apple and the technology industry. When not working, he likes to cook, grapple, and spend time with his friends and family.
-
The only thing that has been holding me back is money but that won't soon be the problem. As soon as I get my paycheck this Friday, I am rushing out to the Apple Store to pick up the 32GB Black model. My original iPhone after 2 years is in horrible shape and has survived bouncing off concrete while dodging cars and falling in snow. I better take good care of my 3GS when I get it.
-
I am one of those younger ppl that couldnt afford an iphone in 2007, shouldnt afford one in 2008 and finally got one in 2009.
When i got it, i pretty much knew any stock application and setting from two years of roaming around the apple webiste.
I love this thing. Its crazy useful to have internet in your pocket. For iphone 2g users it must be the simplest thing in the world. For my friends and colleagues (who dont own one) its unimportant/crazy cool/unbelievable.
After being a little afraid when the phone got a little warm (also because of burnmark rumors, i have a white model)
my only "problem" is the batterylife. But thats just natural. If i use the phone, its empty at the end of the day. If i dont use it at all, therell be probably 80% battery left. THAT is sweet. -
I find it a very worthwhile upgrade from my first generation. Battery life is not better, but it's not any worse. I always use a battery case like the Power Slider in either case. Stability is good, new features for this model and those new to me from 1st gen are all great. Speed is greatly improved in all areas. So far, I'm very happy with it.
-
I have had sound distortion problems with my 3GS(16gb) black.Also,sometime i wont get a notifications for new txts and emails!
-
I love my so much I had to go out & get a Mac Book to go along with it. Also sign up for MobileMe to keep everything sync & so far everything's working together. Sweet!
-
hmm... I'm still use iPhone 2G... No real reason to change.
Why you ask... Because Apple is full of lies.
I'll not buy a product when the only new thing about it that it's faster, not from Apple.
Remember the iPhone 3G WiFi statement from one of Apple's executives in a class action lawsuit against them: "It's not our fault that our customers believe everything we say".
The hell with Apple! -
It's an amazing little machine, but the lack of innate MMS photo support really bugs me. I hate having to go to the mymessage website and type in the message ID and password. Ugh.
-
I'd very much like to upgrade my 3G for the 3GS, but I'm not prepared to be ripped off by the UK's network provider, O2.
I'd be more than happy to settle any outstanding subsidy that O2 provided for my 3G, but O2 also want me to pay the 8 remaining months of airtime and line rental from my original contract. It then want me to commit to a new 18 month contract (no problem so far) in which I must again pay for the next 8 months of airtime and rental! It wants to treat me as though I'm walking away from my original contract and desert the network, when I want to reaffirm my commitment to them (and don't forget, I appreciate the need to repay any outstanding subsidy, just am not prepared to pay O2 for 8 months of service and then pay for the same again).
It's a shame. This situation will certainly influence my decision to buy anything from O2 again, and that's not good for Apple. -
the only thing that has been holding me back is that i don't want to sign a contract with AT&T - and don't want to pay 700$ for it either - i think 500$ is enough why 700$? to get free from the contract - and even it will not be unlocked you will have to have AT&T sim for it to work.
-
Man, I came from a low end phone and I am completely taken aback at how much this phone can do. Before, I didn't want to waste money on a data plan because my phone ha a pretty bad browser. It was so much better being able to look up stuff with the touch of a finger!
I am sort of dissapointed with AT&T for not supporting MMS at launch, but I can live until then.
Overall, I have had the happiest experince of any cell phone I have ever had or tryed out! No matter what phones are released next, Apple will always stand on top o the world (by world I mean cell phone industries). -
I got myself a black 32GB one on launch day and its perfect. Like the guy above, then had to go get a Macbook and a MobileMe account and it all works brilliantly.
What could be done to improve? The usual RUBBISH Apple earphones and maybe a little more adjustability with volumes for email and txt alerts separate from ringer volume. Xenon flash like on SonyEricsson's would be nice to.
Apart from that, its perfect. -
I haven't got a 3gs because of O2 UK's 18 month contract/12 month product cycle retardedness.
I'll need to wait for the next one. -
i love my 3gs, no complaints at all, much better & faster than the orig 3g
-
Where is Flash Support? That's the only flaw I see. MMS is At&t's fault so I can't bash Apple for that.
-
My wife and I each have an iPhone 3G, but will not be upgrading to the 3GS. We will wait another year until the next upgrade comes out and see if we still have to stay with AT&T - then we will upgrade! If Apply keeps coming out with a new hardware upgrade every year, then I can't wait to see what next years upgrades will be!
-
I didn't see much improvement, I don't need the voiceover or the new camera, as a 3G owner there is not way I'm going to pay 200 or 300 just for a few changes, I just going to wait until next year to see if they came up with a better version.
-
What's holding me back is: the 3GS isn't available here in Cebu and when it does come out the price will be over $800.00 and it will still be locked. The average person here makes $5.00/day. How can the iPhone cost so much? Can't have one fedex-ed here from the States as fedex is a super rip off here. One could wait up to two weeks for an over night delivery They say they're too busy, but the fact is they are just too lazy! Then they'll hit youn with a storage fee and customs tax. I'll have to get one in japan and unlock it.
-
Well, Im still using my 3G and the thing thats holding me back is the fact that next year Apple will come with a new processor of its own (PA Semi anyone?) another thing is that the new features of this one (3GS) doesnt get my attention, well yeah the processor and the memory RAM other than that im not very eager for this generation as I was for the 3G.
-
I'd happily buy a 3GS, but O2 insists I run out the remainder of my contract, despite the fact that I have an unsubsidised 2G handset which I paid US$500 for.
Thankfully, I have less than a month to run. I'm really looking forward to getting my hands on an iPhone with 32Gb storage capacity - 16Gb is killing me. -
I loved my 3G but 3.0 upgrade messed everything up so I bought the 3Gs only to find more bugs than ever....I should have left well enough alone!
-
I have had all three iphones and the new 3Gs is amazing. Anyone saying they dont see a reason to update from a 2g is silly, and have not spent a day really using a 3GS. The 3gs isnt just a few new features...it is a entire new piece if hardware...not just internet is faster..but normal task and loading apps are faster too. The battery life is fine...I can use mine all day...yes the battery is completely dead at the end of the day but remember..with speed comes the need for more power..plain and simple. Randy J. Gillingham, I have always told myself that I would never own a mac...but since owning all three iphones and realizing how awesome they are...I too just a week ago bought a mac book pro to go with my iPhones.
-
i love it. i was initially gonna get a balckberry bold but i'm glad the guy in the store talked me into getting the 3gs. everything is perfect.
improvements: i'd like to see it support flash. edit word documents i'd like it if both these worked without me having to purchase a seperate app to do these simple tasks. however, i love the phone so much, i dont mind waiting for the two. -
I just wanted to add that I too had own all 3 versions of the iPhone & very satisfied! As far as AT&T I've been with them now for 8yrs. & had no problems with them! Guess it's the area I live in? Baton Rouge, LA. Goooo LSU Tigers!
-
I went from 2g to the 3gs. Gps is cool. Cut, copy, paste I really use it the most. Don't have a mac yet but the video could have been better. Apple has the saying "there's an app for that" whatabout the app for taking multiple video clips (from your iPhone) and making a movie. What about editing a video clip from the middle of your clip instead of cutting each end off. It would be nice to be able to save the original clip and Have a new edited clip.
As a side note I bought a griffin hard case to put my phone in from the AT&T store. It has a leather cover and a clear lexan insert for the screen to protect it. It is the best phone case I have ever owned.
Hands down the iPhone 3gs is the best phone out there! -
Flash support.... What else oh yhe battery life sucks on my 3GS......
-
I got the 3GS on launch day, and I have to say I love it. I had a clunky BlackBerry Pearl before this and I'm trying to convert everyone to the iPhone. It's so slick and simple. It's easy to complain about no flash support and stuff...which I do...but then I have to remember that it's still a telephone.
-
Coming from a Motorola Razr V3 to the 3GS has been an absolute breathe of fresh air. It is practically attached to me like an umbilical cord nowadays. It is true though that the 3GS is not perfect. Being from Arizona, the operating temperture can be a bit of a concern. Flash support should be included though I have heard a mobile flash component is being developed by Adobe. Here's hoping it's implemented. A flash for the camera would be nice along with autofocus while recording video, not just before. Battery life can be bothersome. Since I'm always in front of a computer to keep it charged it's not that bug of a deal, but can see how it can be a huge inconvenience.
-
OH YHE WHEN I USE MY 3G WIFI WORKS GOOD AND THEN I USE WIFI PNY 3GS IT DOESN'T WORK
-
I upgraded from a 2G and I'm still in love with the new 3GS. People can say what they'd like but the upgrade I made was well worth it and much desired.
The overall difference from the 3G and the 2G is mind blowing to say the least. I understand alot of users don't want to upgrade from the 3G, however, the speed difference just makes it so much easier to use, more responsive, and snappy that it blows away the old one.
With that said, I have had a few issues with the 3GS (annoying... yes, but not enough to yield a negative opinion).
The messed up icons are a bit annoying, however, a recent restore seemed to have fixed that issue (temporarily, I would imagine). The dimming screen upon a lock/unlock. It appears the screen is at its darkest possible point (without being completely off) and I have to lock/unlock the phone for the screen to come back to full brightness. The recent 3.0 update also seems to be a bit laggy when receiving texts. Most of the time, the phone vibrates first and then pops the message up (very slight offset of timing, but it's enough to annoy me when awaiting a text and responding quickly). I've noticed the text "annoyance" with my 2G and the 3GS.
I have to say though, the addition of Push and copy/paste has been a long time coming. It should have happened two years ago, but I'm not complaining because I have it now.
Overall, I'm thrilled with my 3GS and wouldn't trade it for anything. Apple did it right again and kept another loyal customer happy. Now hurry up and get 3.1 out and fix some of my issues!! Haha! Cheers -
I went from a Blackberry Curve to the 3Gs (which I ordered a week ahead of launch from ATT and picked up after work on June 19th - awesome). Even having gone from one smartphone to another I'm much more attached to my iPhone than I was to my BB. For someone who doesn't need to get every email immediately to survive at work the iPhone is much more suited to me. The app store is fantastic and free. I can finally have games on my phone besides Brickbreaker! And that display is beautiful. I've not had any problems with ATT service, but I live in a major east coast city where most carriers get pretty good reception. Over all, VERY happy with my switch!
-
I haven't taken the plunge because of the sky high
data plan. $30 is just ridiculous. Verizon and ATT
have a cooperative monopoly going imo.
I'll just wait. -
I walked into my local O2 shop on Friday and hopped the iPhone bandwagon. I can honestly say its the best phone I have ever owned and was well worth the wait.
-
I'm happy to use my iPod touch 1st gen at the mo. My current phone is a blackberry and does what I need but yes I do WANT an iPhone 3 gs. My 18 month contract runs out in feb 2010 so will wait till Christmas and see.
-
Got the 16GB 3GS first iphone and have to say it is the dogs!!!!
BUT......
Flash come on guys also the TomTom app when will it come! -
I like the speed and video recording, the memory addition is a godsend
-
I upgraded from the 3G to the 3GS about a week after the release. I love it. The speed is so much faster. Apps open and close crazy fast. The camera and autofocus is amazing. One of my favorite features.
The battery life is horrible though. There is no reason that a fully charged phone in the morning, with moderate use (email, some internet, some music) dies before lunch. The battery percentage also seems to bounce up and down. One minute it'll say 46% and ten minutes later it'll say 73% without being plugged in. I'll be taking it in soon to have it replaced. There is definately something wrong with my battery.
I have also noticed a few other quirks that are very minimal. Overall I'm very glad I upgraded. I think the speed, camera, and direct upload to youtube are the best features. All the other good things are 3.0 based. -
I got a 32 GB 3GS upon launch to try for the AT&T 30 day period. I moved from an AT&T BB Bold and I will keep the iPhone. I loved the BB Bold but I use the iPhone much more with the faster Internet capabilities. I was nervous about the touch screen keyboard but I have adapted better than I thought. I have 4 email addresses and I did prefer the BB email because you can see all of them in one place. I would like to see Apple streamline the entire email system on the iPhone. It takes 3 clicks to see who an email is from when it should only take one.
The camera and video are unbelievably good and the ease to email it could not be better or easier. All in all it is a spectacular device. I also have had zero problems with AT&T. -
The best investment in a cell phone ever. I made the jump on release day from the 3g to 3gs. Everyone coplains about the cost but it was free for mr I sold my 3g on eBay for 300.00 witch covers the cost of the 3gs. My Treo got me 75 buck when I went to the iPhone a phone I hacked out 400 for with a 2 year sprint contract. Also was nervosous when I left sprint because I had a unlimited plan for 130 per month afther fees and tax. But thanks to rollover min my bill runs me 97 per month and I have never went over my minutes. Now for the phone itself it's in a leage of it's own. I'm yet to see a PDA that even comes near it. I have owned them all. I had the first color sidekick before people saw the future of PDAs. I had the blackberry, dash, treo and more. The major advantage of the iPhone is what it does do it does very well. Unlike old PDAs that I had u can acually use the internet it's not just a feature you pay 30 bucks a month for that u never use. Ask blackberry users how often they spend more than 5 minutes on the Internet on there phone I'm sure the would say never because it's a pain in the butt to use. I spend hours on mine. I writing this post using it I would of never even thought of doing such with my old PDA. I personaly think the phone is under priced and people should stop complaining. The phone is very durable, it holds it's value like no phone I have ever owned, and I love that apple doesn't try to milk the heck out of it by waiting forever to bring out better models. So yes thi phone doesn't have 100 new features compared 2 the 3g. But it is a better phone faster video is great and the best voice command I have seen on any phone. So I can wait a little longer for mms because I no when it does get activated in a few weeks it will do it better than most phones on the market. And please tell everyone to stop calling every new PDA that comes out the iPhone killer. I'm starting to think I'm watching the MTV awards a lot of rappers claiming to be something there not.
-
I'd love to tell you what I think of my new iPhone 3GS ... BUT, I am still waiting for mine to come in. They've been backordered here in Canada since the first week. Apparently, Apple has taken a page form the Nintendo Wii marketing book and are "building hype" by refusing to deliver product to their telecom partner, Rogers, in Canada.
-
@darklingwater
If I were you, I would save my contacts etc manually and do a restore. Don't restore from backup, but just do a fresh sync. The battery issue should go away.
Also, I noticed that if I have my brightness set to 50%, I get the 20% warning just after lunch. If I set it to about 30%, it lasts until bedtime (although less than 20% remaining). -
I love my 3G. I came from a free-with-ATT-plan, so in my eyes the 3G is the best. I've never had a phone with a video camera, so I don't really miss that. Maybe when the iPhone 4G comes out, or even when they put OLED screens on them, I'll upgrade. (Though one thing I miss from my old phone is being able to at least ZOOM in the camera. 3.0 broke Camera Zoom, and every other app that used the API iVidCam used.)
-
@Rene
Where can I get one of those sweet TiPB shirts? -
made the switch from the iphone killer (tmobile G1) to the 3gs....GREATEST PHONE IVE EVER HAD which i said about the G1 and now its the iphone...seriously haha but the one thing i do wish the phone had was a status light
-
I love my iPhone 3G very much. I would love to have a 3GS as well but since I have a year to go on the contract I can't afford to buy a $400 phone which also ups my contract an additional year. I'm eligible for a full subsidized upgrade in December but unless my 3G has a catastrophic meltdown, I'll be waiting until next summer for the next release.
-
I still have my old faithful, iPhone 3G (sans S) because AT&T wants me to pay upwards of $500 to get the 3GS since I am mid- contract. If I did buy it, they would also renew my 2 year contract, and also my ETF would go back to the original $175. Since I am leaving the USA I planned on canceling my contract anyway, so my pro-rated ETF shouldn't be too high. Then I will be able to pick up my shiny new iPhone 3GS from T-Mobile Netherlands for somewhere around $50 US :-D just 3 more weeks, then it is all mine!!
-
The 3gs will have to wait as saving up for a MacBook pro!
Apple could do a big discount if you buy a MacBook and iPhone at the same time!
What do you guys think? -
I just bought an iPhone yesterday. I'm very concerned about its battery life.. Not being able to replace it IS something serious with such low-performant battery...
Other than that it is almost perfect phone. -
@Alexandr3, just take AppleCare and in 2 years you wouldn't need to worry about, also 3.1 release should improve the battery life.
-
The new iPhone 3GS is very appealing to me, based on what I have read and comments other people have made. The thing that is holding me back from buying one is the continuous release of the phone. Right now I have a 3G and would rather wait until next year to get the 4G. For those of you who still have a 2G I would recommend the 3GS.
-
I am not upgrading. And I'm usually the guy in line who HAS to have the new product, even if it's a minor refresh. I had the 2G and upgraded last summer to get the 3G. The 3GS just doesn't give me enough new features to justify the cost. 32GB would be great, as when I travel overseas, I load the iPhone 3G up with movies, then throw the music onto my iPod nano. That way at least I have music with me. With 32GB I could do both on one device. Eh. Not a huge hassle. I don't care about the compass. More of a "gee, neat" factor. The improved speed sounds nice, but the 3G isn't unresponsive. I still get the Find my iPhone feature. I still have 3G, WiFi, and everything else. The voice control--I'd probably rarely use that. I just would get frustrated if it didn't get it right, everytime. I'm an efficiency nut--don't want to waste time teaching my iPhone what I want to do. Anyway, all that said, my contract is up in about a year, so then I'll take another look at the scene and see what's out there. A 64GB iPhone would be a killer for me.
-
I'm still waiting for the call from my local telco to collect my iPhone 3G S, which I reserved 1 week ago.
-
As tempting as the 3GS looks, at this point I am holding off upgrading my 3G because of AT&T. While there is a chance Apple will not renew the exclusivity agreement in 2010, I do not want to lock myself into another 2 year contract with a carrier with such spotty service. (In my part of the country; maybe they are good in yours.) By the time the exclusivity issue is settled, the next generation will be out, so I will decide then.
-
the 3gs is amazingggggg! love it! there's an endless amount of things you can do with it! i have zero issues with it so far. yes the battery life is a little surprising but it's really not like i wont have charging access for that long...the speed is super fast! i've never had an iphone but have played around with my friend's itouch and it's noticeably and definitely quicker in all aspects. get it if you've never owned an iphone! but if you have a 3g already, don't know if the switch is that appealing
-
I'm still using my original iPhone and am happy with it. Only thing keeping me from upgrading is AT&T. I can't see paying for a more expensive data plan when they don't even offer 3G service anywhere I live or work (which covers half the state of Virginia). I can't even make phone calls from my house due to no service. How AT&T can get away with saying "more bars in more places" should be criminal as it's not true on the east coast. I'm hoping Apple with announce a new carrier next year.
-
The iPhone is out of stock where I live, with the closest Apple store almost 3 hours away.. I will wait till the local AT&T store or Best Buy has them in stock again in a few weeks.. Then bye bye 3g hello 3gs...
-
It's a weird upgrade because after using it for a while you forget how slow your 3G was...until you use one and want to pull your hair out waiting for things to load. It's not an essential upgrade, but since you can get $350-$400 on ebay for a used, unlocked 16gb 3G, the $400 purchase of the 3GS on AT&T's semi-subsidized price is a no-brainer.
-
I just upgraded from the 3G and the speed alone makes the experience worth it. Simple things like typing are just that much smoother, it really is a new phone.
One note to anyone who considers cost a factor, I traded my 3G in for $200 bucks at flipswap and got the new 16g S for basically tax, plus I get the new warranty. Note that you have to qualify for the AT&T upgrade to get this deal, but if you do, I can't think of a reason not to jump into some speed. -
Why pay for video recording? I will wait for the next iPhone and it better have "real" changes than just a software update. Also, in regard to speed I guess it has that as well but I'm a patient guy, dont need hyperspeed.
-
I am loving all the new features and capabilities of the new iPhone, having come from a 2G. I was, however extremely disappointed in the battery life. I knew it wouldn't be as good, but this was abysmal. I did a restore and that seems to have improved things a lot. And Apple Genius told me that a restore will recalibrate the battery, and that seems to have been the fix in my case.
-
What is the obsession with MMS??? I don't understand the big hoopla behind MMS. Maybe it's because all of my friends and family use smartphones so we prefer email to craptastic MMS. Does anyone else prefer emailing pics rather than MMS? My friends and I prefer it because it is more compatible across multiple platforms, clients and it is easier to view on an actual computer...
maybe it's just me, but the MMS complaints are getting tired.... -
Oh yeah I forgot the point of the thread...I love my 3GS and wouldn't trade it for anything...I'm coming from BlackBerry and probably wouldn't go back...plus with MobileMe and the integration with my MBP & iMac, nothing compares.
What I'm really waiting for is the iDisk app for the iPhone....when is that coming out?? -
Well... I'm waiting for the price to come down a bit. Here in Kuwait, its going for about $1600 unlocked. It will go down to about a $1000 in a month or so. Will get it then
-
Battery life on 3GS really sucks big time. On my 3G I get approximately 20% more battery life out of it. And yes, I installed everything from scratch and had neither data nor applications from backup - The battery on my 3Gs is just not keeping up with my 1 year old 3G... sad but true...
-
I like mine, the video camera is awesome and probably the best new feature. I also enjoy the 32 gig storage. My friend has been seeking out a 3gS in the last few weeks and cannot find one in the Sacramento area. I got my 32 gig on the 19th with 2 people in the line in front of me.
-
got the 32gb one last week, LOVE IT! the speed increase is by far my favorite upgrade. going from 8gb to 32 was also a nice addition.
had to preorder mine from at&t but it only took 2 days to get it. so happy with the upgrade -
I jumped from Verizon to get a 3GS when they came out -- I absolutely LOVE the phone and all the things it does are amazing, and having the Internet and all of those kickass apps at my disposal has already proven to make my life more easy just in the past month. However, I hate AT&T (since network coverage in Los Angeles is horrible) and I drop calls all the time. You'd think they'd have better service in the second-largest city in the country, but I have to leave my phone in one of two certain spots in my apartment and use the Bluetooth headset to make sure I have a working signal when I make/receive calls.
-
Am not buying 3GS for the simple fact that if I do, the new iphone(a true upgrade thats not going to have a 3G or an S attached to it) will come out this time next year. Thus leaving me with my upgrade unlike people who jumped on the iphone 3gs band wagon. Apple is just draining money out of consumers with hardware updates that the orginal iphone was capable of having from the jump. And dont give the excuse of the 3GS having more speed and improved graphics(when developers are not going to take full advantage of this until sometime next year). All am saying is that for the lost of an upgrade apple can keep its 3GS, my Original jailbroken iphone still crushes all competitors.
PS
Hope the million people enjoys not having an upgrade discount because the true Iphone 2, HD, or whatever its going to be called will have a plethora of abilities (IChat anyone). -
In Ireland, one month since the launch and it is still next to impossible to get hold of a 3GS. Stock shortages are chronic and we don't know whether to blame O2 or Apple. Not one single white iPhone 3GS has yet been delivered in Ireland.
-
I love everything about this phone! The camera is way beyond what the old one was, the video is spectacular and the speed is impressive compared to my old original iPhone. However, if it weren't for AT&T the phone would be perfect! Sadly AT&T has crippled what could be the perfect phone. I rarely have signal. Living in a major city like San Francisco you wouldn't think this to be a problem, but it is. I either get "Searching for signal" at home or maybe 1 bar. I get one bar at work and my service on the way to work is so spotty that I tend to drop my call a minimum of 3 times. My voicemail will pop up days later to alert me of a message and even with the 3GS I seem to always be on the Edge network because I hardly find 3G signal. And I haven't even mentioned the fact that AT&T has yet to enable the MMS feature. All my issues are with AT&T. Apple has created a phone that has kept me on AT&T despite the lack of "phone" features. Any other phone and I would have switched to Sprint a long time ago.
-
very happy with my 3GS running 3.1 beta 2. i'm getting great battery life. i can easily get through a day with moderate use (SMS, browsing, twitter, facebook, a few phone calls).
best feature:
-oleophobic screen (less smudges)
runner up features:
-speed
-video (taking many more video snippets than photos) -
AT&T's butt raping $200 fee is what's holding me back. The phone costs $200, plus the fees at the end of your contract, you have already paid $450, that is enough. They want to tack $200 more on top of that? they can get bent. My G-3 is not as good, but it will do.
-
As a few others have mentioned, I do not have a 3GS, yet, because AT&T is being a pain and telling me that people have to wait until their contracts are up on their existing lines. I was just told today again that Apple is dictating to AT&T the rules for upgrades and such.
If not, I could still pay $500 for it instead of $300. What a joke. -
I think the 3GS is almost without fault which is pretty amazing. I've had every iPhone so far.
My one gripe with the new features is the compass seems to need recalibrating a lot. Sometimes it just gives the wrong direction completely!
A recalibrate button is needed.
Apart from that, I'm disappointed with the slow up-take of the notifications feature. Also, I think we're all gonna be pretty bored with the unchanged design in 17 months time.
As a closing statement though...
The 3GS rules. -
Battery wasn't very good to begin with, after a good few cycles it seems to have gotten better.
I hate cover flow, it's pointless, I listen to music when I hit the hay and I'd like to be able to go thru my tunes with out having to sit up. I always search tracks by artist and cover flow only Shows albums... Lets us turn cover flow off pleaseeeeee apple!!! -
Kevin, its not that MMS is not better than email, in fact, its not. Its the fact that everybody can do it, but the best phone in the world that is. I wish I had a quarter for every time I had to explain to someone with a $50 phone that they have to enter my email address because my walk on water phone cannot receive their photo if they do it the way they can do it for everyone else. I have been a big Apple fan for a long time, and I can tell you they are the worst for abandoning technology. They are always right in what they do and offer, but sometimes they are a bit premature in their speed, as in this case!
-
Yeah one month later and my 3gs still has yet to gain mms capabilities AT&T you suck giant balls!!!!
-
I like the phone a little better than my 3G. My primary complaint is the camera. The quality isn't really much better than the 2 MP camera in the 3G. The touch to focus is nice, but it doesn't make a huge difference. The quality of pictures in somewhat dark environments are really grainy. Battery life is still pretty bad.
The phone is solid. And everything Apple does, they do well. You can count on the phone working when you need it to and not crashing. But that is offset by being locked out of the file system. You can't, for instance, download a sound clip off the internet and send it as an MMS (when it's available). You have no access to the filesystem at all, which is frustrating. But you also know that iTunes will almost always sync flawlessly and you'll have no difficulty getting your music on the phone. It's a trade-off.
Lack of MMS and Video recording drove me away from the iPhone in the past. I'm giving it another go now that they've added them. Whether or not I stick with it depends on the MMS implementation. From what I have seen, it doesn't look like you can send a picture and a sound clip in the same MMS, which would suck. Leave it to Apple to find a way to screw up something as simple as MMS when they do everything else so well. -
I researched both the 3G and the 3Gs before I bought an iPhone (I had a Blackberry) and decided it wasn't worth the extra money for the latest version. My 3G is awesome, it has and does everything I need and I don't feel like I'm missing out on anything other than video. Which I had on my Berry and never used. 16GBs is more than enough for me and since I use Wi-Fi almost always, the network isn't an issue.
-
Speaking from the UK where we have MMS already, I have to say I just don't use it. I can't see the point when you have such powerful email in your hand. Apple was right to leave it out in V1. Loving the smear free screen. Not loving the fact that my expensive V-Mode headphone's button-functions don't work on the 3GS due to new Voice Control feature.
-
Oh, and there's one thing that I haven't seen mentioned in any review anywhere across the whole interweb.... The 3GS charger (UK) is the most amazingly tiny and incredible piece of design I've ever seen. It is smaller than a standard UK plug!! Is the U.S. charger equally small? (I'd post a pic if I could).
-
I have a 3g and I'm waiting for a year in the hopes that Verizon will get the iPhone and I'll switch.
-
Whell to me it seems that the only thing
and the only thing everyones been begging for is. FLASH SUPPORT. gosh i swear. Dnt they check their damn feedbaks. Geesh. I mean i have a 3Gs now and everything is great. Push email and safari work great. But for some reason. YOUTUBE is tripping on me. It loads slow and stalls completely and then a "youtube is not available " comes up and that gets me mad -
Whell to me it seems that the only thing and the only thing everyones been begging for is. FLASH SUPPORT. gosh i swear. Dnt they check their damn feedbaks. Geesh. I mean i have a 3Gs now and everything is great. Push email and safari work great. But for some reason. YOUTUBE is tripping on me. It loads slow and stalls completely and then a “youtube is not available ” comes up and that gets me mad
-
I'm a 2nd generation adapter. I blessed with an early upgrade from AT&T. I love the thing. My best feature is the additional storage face. I had the 2nd gen 8g black bit know I'm a 32g white.
My next favorite feature is the stereo bluetooth. I have a wireless speaker box upstairs in my bedroom. I love been able to play movies downstairs from the speaker on the top floor. Also I am able to view movies on the phone while laying in bed and use the speaker for surround sound.
I still waiting on GPS and mms? -
Sounds like a lot of happy people with the speed upgrade in 3GS I can get one at the end of the month, should I?
-
After hearing so much about the iPhone I gave up my blackberry pearl which I loved to try it. I love the iPhone. I didn't realize how much I missed reading HTML emails and real Internet.
The blackberry is still way ahead for it's profile settings and is better for typing one handed.
Flash would make Internet perfect.
Am looking forward to more apps using push notifications. -
Using 3g as for now. Waiting for next upgrade after 3gs. I dont need my macBook anymore for browsing web. Except for word editing etc. Wish better battery life.
Life is good with iphone. -
It took awhile to get mine, but I'm a proud owner of the 3GS now. Coming from a regular boring flip phone, I am in love with this thing. I rarely let it out of my sight. Even I'm surprised by how much I use it. Then again, I'm probably one of the few people who used Notes and Contacts on the iPod Classic. :)
-
I have a 3g I bought last year, but AT&T wants me to pay 399 or 499 for 3gs
-
What's holding from getting a 3Gs? AT&T contract. I'll hold to my iPhone and NOT upgrade, until we get another Provider.
-
I had an iPod Touch for almost a year, and loved it. I just didn't want to leave my $30/mo SERO plan from Sprint - unlimited data, text, 7pm nights, 500 min voice... I wanted to get a Pre while staying in that plan, but Sprint said no. For a little more a month, I rather pay AT&T and get an iPhone instead. I had a lot of issues with Apple (read my review in www.epinions.com/user-nad_masters ), but after threatening to leave AT&T (I was within my 30 day trial period), they finally gave me a new replacement phone.
Battery life seems to get better as time goes on, but not with my other phones - they actually got WORSE. I'm testing this last phone heavily, because I only have 5 days left before that 30 day period is over.
I, too, bought a MacBook (a week before I bought the iPhone), as well as a 60-day trial of MobileMe. While I like the MobileMe concept, I just couldn't justify the cost while there are free options out there (sans iDisk and the phone tracker, of course).
I have quality issues with the MacBook, too (again, read my review), but at this point, I will have to live with it since the Geniuses think it's normal to have a mushy trackpad and the keyboard to be soft and mushy on the right side. Again, crap service. Also, it's been longer than 30-days, so I cannot return it.
I must say, as a Windows enthusiast, I really do like the MacOS X, and specifically iPhoto. Again, there's always Picasa on Windows... iTunes is much better on the Mac vs on Windows, too. -
My original iphone still works great for me. I would like the gps, the compass sounds interesting, and the faster processor would help some of my apps. The extra $10 a month for the new data plan is the biggest reason I haven't upgraded.
-
The only problem I've been having is that my wifi signal will drop lower and lower at completely random rimes. The speed will also continue to drop off. I took it into apple and they replaced it. The staff at the genius bar said this has been a recurring problem. The new 3GS does the same thing. I hope it's a software issue.
-
It not in India yet, i'll buy it the first day of its release here....
-
I've had the 3G for almost a year and I love it.. Once AT&T gets the MMS going, i'll be really happy!!
-
I have a 3g, waiting in line for 3gs here. I would like A2DP, Flash, Turn by turn GPS (Garmin, what are you waiting for??) Call recording and caller blacklist without jailbreak.. spotify would be really great, and I know I´m asking for a miracle, but skype over 3g too. Battery life is fine. Not excellent, neither bad. just fine. Ah! Come on! why can´t use my own mp3 as ringtones? are you dumb silly apple?
-
I'd like to be able to copy something (like a phone number)out of an SMS without copying the whole SMS.
-
The 3GS is my first iPhone. Bought it unlocked in Brussels. It hasn't been a month yet, more like a week, but I can't understand why I didn't buy one until now. Coupled with MobileMe it's such a seamless experience, I love it!
-
Keeping my 3G and saving my AT&T upgrade for the real new iPhone next year. Not enough for me this year especially since I don't get upgrade pricing right now.
-
I have a doubt regarding purchasing the 3Gs from my own country or elsewr. The price difference is of INR 9000. Nevertheless, I would be provided services for free until waranty if i purchase it from my home country. I wosh to know if the I-Phone 3 GS wud come up with any such issues for which I will have to seek services.
-
@Leif - How much is the unlocked 3GS in Brussels?
I am not moving to the iPhone because of a lack of background processing. As a business user that does not care too much about media but email and messaging I don't like the fact that I can't have a messaging program operating in the background to send messages irrespective of what I am doing on the phone. We use Yahoo, AIM and MSN messaging at work.
Initially, I didn't pick one up because of a lack of cut/paste. Now waiting for a solution for background processing. -
I have da iphone 3G, so y should i upgrade for a few new features that the 3G can handling... Apple is a big rip off when it comes to da iphones... buying the 3GS is like buying da same car with a bigger engine; it just not worth it.... At this point i'm missing my bb, but RIM is still coming out with none 3G bb's.. smh
-
this sucks! i just got the iphone 3G, 16GB white, in april and now they come out with an iphone that does video?! are you serious?! i am beyon frustrated with at&t/apple! the only way they could make it better, is if they add an app for taking videos, id gladly pay money for it!
-
I just got my 3GS and I do have too say that my favorite new feature is definatly the speed, it REALLY is WAY faster than my 3G, from the keyboard too launching apps too even sending a text it is way faster.......and I can't tell with the battery,I think the percentage meeter is a little off but I think it does last longer.....but if you have battery percent turned on then I think it is displaying less battery when you have more
-
Just got my 3GS yesterday and so far am loving it. Big curve trying to get used to the soft k-board. I love the ingenuity of this phone. I am converting from a Blackberry Curve that i had for about 4 mos. And I am missing the trackball, but my G/F is LOVING IT! LOL
-
Is anyone having problems with the iPhone 3g s Internet not wifi
-
The iPhone 3GS is amazing!
I live in Australia, where Apple actually sells the iPhone direct and unlocked from their store for AUD$879.
The 3GS is soo much better than the 3G -
I got a 3g as a gift and when it stopped working I sold it for $165 on ebay, broken! Then used my Motorola Q 9h global (that was cool when new, but sucks now). 3Gs was in order, and I held out to get the white 16gb. I should have gotten the 32! I have a 16gb touch (2g), that i will use to save batt on the air planes and whatnot. I'd trade somebody straight up for a 32 (plus $$)
-
iLove iPhone two ;)
-
The sound for music playback is absolutely awful on my new white 3GS. It's all distorted no matter what volume and I have switched off the EQ. I also tried other than the bundled crappy headphones that Aplle provides. I really hope this is a faulty phone and that it's not meant to sound like this cause if it is this must be the biggest rip-off ever...I also want to add that I've been lsiteing to tracks bought and downloaded directly from I-tunes to the phone. I am VERY disappointed!
-
I bought an ipod touch 2g last year and I thought it would be perfect if it had a micro so that I can make audio records and phone calls with it ;) I loved it so much that I decided to buy the new iPod 3GS this June... For me, iPhone is a real micro PC. Just beautiful! Very easy to use. The only problem I can report is that people talking to me over the phone told me that the sound quality was not paricularly good... But apart from it, I am very happy with everything.
P.S.: Much better than my Nokia N95 in every respect. -
Just got a 3gs and loving it! My only complaint is that the phone cannot sync with my mac via Bluetooth, nor with other mobile phones. My former Nokia phones can do this with ease. Maybe Apple can include this in the next software update- together with update over the air. Overall, 3gs kicks ass!
-
I returned my 3GS at the very end of my initial 30 days. I kept in a hard shell slider case the entire time only taking it out every few days to remove any dust. Today I found a crack in the middle of the back plastic casing. This was really frustrating considering I treated it with kid gloves the entire time. My 2G iphone has never been in a case and only has a few light scratches after 2 years of service.
-
PLEASE LET US TURN COVER FLOW OFF!! THERES AN OPTION FOR IPOD NANO SO WHY NOT IPHONE?!?!?!!?
god it pisses me off.....its not useful anyways -.- -
Brand new mobile phones 12 months international warranty. This phone is unlocked and can be used with any SIM card. No activation required. All with GUARANTEE & WARRANTY Certificate.
DELIVERY: 2DAYS( WORLDWIDE)
BUY 2Units Get 1FREE!!!
BUY 5Units Get 2FREE!!!
NEW UNLOCKED APPLE IPHONE 3GS 32GB $250USD
NEW UNLOCKED APPLE IPHONE 3GS 16GB $220USD
NEW UNLOCKED NOKIA N900 $270USD
Mr Abdulmalek Ahmad Jaber
Tel#:+20194016239
Tel#:+447031807024
Yahoo chat id:Electronicsinc2010@yahoo.com
Google Chatid:Electronicsinc2010@gmail.com
Msn Chat Id :Electronicsinc2010@hotmail.com -
We are distributor in all kinds of latest Cellphones & PDA, All our products are brand new Unlocked (Original) sealed in box with complete accessories and it comes with 1 year Warranty and 8 months Return Policy.
PROMO: Buy 2Units And Get 1 Unit FREE
Carrier: AT&T (GSM based), T-Mobile
Technology: 3G EURO Standard, Quad Band 850/900/1800/1900
3Gs Apple iPhone 32GB (Unlocked) at $300USD
Apple iPad 64GB Wifi at $330USD
Nokia N900 Internet Tablet (Unlocked) GSM PHONE at $360USD
Blackberry Bold 2 9700 (Unlocked) at $280USD
HTC Google Nexus One (Unlocked) at $290USD
Sony Ericsson Xperia X10 (Unlocked) at $310USD
Contact us as below :
Email: paylessinc@gmail.com
Tel: +20148404558
MSN: techmob213 -
COMPASS TECH LIMITED a professional and influential supplier.
Specifically, we can supply Mobile phones (GSM and CDMA),Video
Games ,Apple Ipods , Iphones (Introducing the latest APPLE
IPHONE 3GS 32GB)
,HTC,Digital camera,laptops musical instrument/DJ Equipments such
DJ Mixers, DJ Turn Tables,
Sampler,Speakers,Keyboards E.t.c.
You can also visit our website for more products we have for sale
and our company full informations.
================================================== ====
================================
Introducing New Apple Iphone 3GS 32GB and HTC G1 Google
Phone Now RELEASED.
Feature: 3+ Megapixel Camera, Bluetooth, Calendar, Camera,
Candy Bar Form, Edge, Email Client, GPS /Location, High-Speed
Data GPRS, Megapixel Camera, MP3, Smartphone, Speaker Phone,
Touch Screen, Video
Capture, Video Clip, Voice Dialing, Wi-Fi.
The phones are brand new,100% UNLOCKED and can be used with
any SIM card. No activation required.Insert
Your SIM CARD and start using the phone. Made By Apple
California.
================================================== ====
=================================
PROMO! PROMO!! PROMO!!!
BUY 2 UNITS AND GET 1 UNIT FREE + FREE SHIPPING
================================================== ====
=================================
We ship and deliver to you within 2days of purchase through
Fedex courier services.
Interested buyers can contact Us direct via:
Email: [compasstech01@gmail.com],
[compasstech01@yahoo.com]
MSN MESSENGER....phonecomltd01@live.com
SKYPE ID: icesolate
Contact Number #: +447-0359-73007
Gielis Aaron
Compass Tech Limited
Thank you and god bless you as you patronize us.
On Sale,Apple Iphone 3g BlackBerry 9700, HTC G1 Google Nexus
Phone -
i’m selling my iphone 4G 32GB, definitely authentic, openline to all
network,price is negotiable. pm me if you’re interested.
And many more in stock.
Buy 3unit get 1unit for free, it's a new promo going on now.
Any Interested Buyer should Contact us Via Our Email Below.shopatdirect@gmail.com
chart with me Our Sales Manager on:buyltd02@hotmail.com -
Dear user
take care, the COMPASS TECH LIMITED by Gielis Aaron, is fake company, cheaters, they will not send you any units, just cheater not more that, they cheat me with 4 units of Ipad, no company name, fake track number, -
brand new unlocked 4g apple iphone 32gb with complete accessories and compatible with network operator perfectly.
see contact info below **
email: trade22inc@gmail.com
tel: +12192325277
skype: pa.2008 -
I haunt gotten it because iPhone is partnered with sprint network.
-
Congrats! Dennis well done what a great honor.
-
Ca efface aussi les apps ?Car moi j'ai essayer de synchroniser les apps mais ça me met des erreur,il n'arrive pas à synchroniser tous les apps !Moi je savais restauré mais j'avais peur de perdre mes apps !
-
Hate his video because he is trying so so hard to be sexy and bad!! He is a hot guy but trying way too hard. Would have liked the video to focus on the song and his music rather than attempt at being controversial to break out from Disney.
-
An interesting collection of responsive websites. There seems to be mixed opinions on such sites, but there's no getting away from the fact that it's pretty clever stuff!
-
There aren't very many up-to-the-minute rap videos on the issue of suicidal thoughts...this is one that I have found...http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7DCb-b6lHUc