Monday, June 8, 2009

Apple's New iPhone 3G S Review

Apple's New iPhone 3G S, as many have expected, Apple announced a third version of the iPhone, dubbed the iPhone 3G S (the S stands for speed) today at the keynote for WWDC 2009. This new version has several updates over the iPhone 3G model, and here are its powerpack features:

With its name, the new iPhone 3G S is supposed to be faster. Apple boasts that you can load Web pages and launch apps twice as fast as the previous model. It also promises improved 3D graphics for games.

A camera of 3-megapixel with autofocus. You can also focus by tapping on the screen. It will also have settings for white balance, exposure, low-light sensitivity, and a macro mode for close-up photos.

A camcorder that enables you to shoot VGA-quality video in 30 frames per second, and after you're done, you can trim the video by adjusting the start and end points. You can then send the video via MMS (included in iPhone OS 3.0) to a friend, to your MobileMe account, or even to YouTube, directly from your phone.

Voice activated control, but not just for calls. Not only can you manage phone calls with your voice, you can use your voice to play music. You can ask the phone what song is playing, ask it to play a particular song from an artist or an album, and even to play songs that are similar to the currently playing track.

A built-in digital compass for travellers. It automatically re-orients the map to the direction you're facing. It works in conjunction with Maps to give you street view as well.

Bluetooth tethering now is allowed, which means you can use the iPhone 3G S as a wireless modem with your laptop. However, this is not available from AT&T for now.

It has a Voiceover, an accessibility setting on the new iPhone 3G S that acts as a gesture-based screen reader.

Furthermore, it has the compatibility with Nike+ iPod, where it detects the Nike+ sensor in your shoe to track your runs.

Not only that, it was able to Improved battery life. Apple promises that the iPhone 3G S can hold up to 9 hours in Wi-Fi, 10 hours on video playback, 30 hours on audio playback, 12 hours talk time on 2G networks, and 5 hours talk time on 3G networks.

Do you think the price will be expensive? The 16GB model will be $199 with a new contract and the 32GB model will be $299 with a new contract. They will be available June 19, 2009.

With this recent features, it is in addition to the iPhone 3.0 features that were promised earlier this year, which include copy and paste, voice recording, and stereo Bluetooth. Older iPhones will be able to get the iPhone 3.0 update for free. The iPhone OS 3.0 update will be available June 17, 2009.

What would you prefer? an iPhone or Smart phone, the Pre