Apple iPhone 4 vs. iPhone 3GS: side by side

Introduction:

It has been a few days now since the iPhone 4 has been made available for purchase and there is no doubt that those early adopters are getting a crack at checking out the talked about smartphone. Apple just recently announced selling over 1.7 million units in the course of the first three days it has become available for sale – it's an astonishing figure in every way you look at it. However, we'd imagine there are many people still out there sporting the last-gen hardware, the iPhone 3GS in fact, that might have that slight inkling of moving up to the iPhone 4 in the near future. In this comparison, we're going to compare and contrast some of the different features between the two iPhone handsets so you can judge for yourself whether or not it's a compelling argument to jump up to the iPhone 4.

Design:

At its core, the basic design cues employed in previous iterations of the iPhone are quite prominent in the iPhone 4. From afar, you can instantly know that it's an iPhone without any doubt coming into mind as you conveniently recognize the home button. However, what's interesting to note between the two handsets is that the iPhone 4 is noticeably thinner (0.37”) than the iPhone 3GS (0.48”). Despite looking deceptively lightweight, the iPhone 4 (4.83 oz) packs a substantial amount of weight over the 3GS (4.76 oz), but thankfully it actually aids in making the handset feel a bit more complete. The chrome outer bezel on the iPhone 3GS has been replaced with a wider brushed stainless steel band which looks to conceal scratches a bit better. Finally, we prefer the glass like material used for the rear on the iPhone 4 as opposed to the piano black plastic in use with the 3GS. Although both are highly reflective, we love that Apple decided to place an oleophobic coating to both sides of the iPhone 4 – it just makes it look cleaner whenever we take it out of our pockets.


Every single iPhone that came out had one thing in common – it utilized a 3.5” display. Sure its screen size might've remained unchanged since the release of the original handset, but the iPhone 4 marks a stark overhaul under the hood which catapults it over every incarnation. The iPhone 3GS's LCD display has a resolution of 320x480 pixels, which we feel to be adequate for its screen size, but the iPhone 4's LED backlit IPS LCD display has a definitive advantage with its 640x960 resolution. Packing four times the amount of pixels, there is no denying the clarity and detail the iPhone 4's Retina Display radiates over the iPhone 3GS. For example, looking closely at some of the text and icons on the home screen, you can visibly see how much more detailed they look – as the iPhone 3GS looks a bit more jagged. When you're in a zoomed out view on our web site, you can easily read out the small fine print text on the iPhone 4, while on the iPhone 3GS, it's more garbled looking. Still, both handsets handle admirably in direct sunlight, but the iPhone 4 performed better at all viewing angles.


When you get down to it, the iPhone 4 still employs a lot of the design elements we've seen on the iPhone 3GS – making it a distinguishable product from Apple's camp. There's no question that we adore the updated look which provides for some modern dash to the nostalgic design, but the iPhone 4 is still at its core a recognizable iPhone that closely follows its predecessors. It's by no means a radical redesign that'll enthrall people to wonder what it is, instead, the iPhone 4 gracefully continues Apple's legacy of being a fine tuned handset that keeps in mind design and aesthetics to the utmost potential.

Software:

Thanks to the release of iOS 4, there is very little in regards to the look and feel of the platform on either handsets. But thanks to the faster A4 processor on board the iPhone 4, the meticulous eye can discern the subtle differences in how fluid and smooth the iPhone 4 runs versus the 3GS. However, it's only marginally better and almost insignificant when you look at the overall big picture. To tell you the truth, there is nothing that separates the two in terms of performance. The iPhone 3GS can hold its own ground even though it may not have the most up-to-date hardware running under the hood, but there is no denying that the experience is no different – but then again, don't you expect a faster performance out of a newer handset? Even after doing some comparisons on how long it took both smartphones to open up a specific app, say for an example the camera app, the iPhone 4 obviously loaded slightly faster – but not to the point blowing away the time that the 3GS put up. As far as the native apps are concerned, there is nothing different about them on either handsets thanks to iOS 4. If there are some reasons to side with the iPhone 4 over the 3GS, it has to be its ability to do video chat via FaceTime and its gaming prowess. Sure there is Fring that allows the iPhone 3GS to do one-way video chat, but the experience we had with FaceTime on the iPhone 4 makes it one compelling feature that stands out. In addition, we can foresee the front facing camera being used with a new level of innovative augmented reality apps. Even though the iPhone 3GS has been putting the heat on traditional portable console gaming manufacturers, the iPhone 4 adds in a gyroscope to enhance the gaming experience. Add in the fact that it sports faster internals, the iPhone 4 is a game developers dream handset thanks to its established user base and cutting edge hardware. You can read more about all the benefits of iOS 4 in our hands-on article with the iPhone 3GS. In the end, there's not much really separating the two in terms of the platform experience – it's still simple, straightforward, and just fast.



Data and Connectivity:

Still sporting the Safari mobile web browser that was in use with the original iPhone, both handsets are equally capable in providing one of the best web browsing experiences out there. No, there's no new features to be found with the iPhone 4 except for a very minor speed boost which we would naturally expect with a newer handset. The iPhone 3GS can still compete toe-to-toe with some of the newer smartphones in the market right now, so it would be a very weak argument to move up to the iPhone 4 if you're all about the web browsing experience.


Aside from the iPhone 4's inclusion of 802.11n Wi-Fi, there is nothing else to make it stand above the iPhone 3GS. Thanks to iOS 4 and Bluetooth 2.1 on board both handsets, you can now connect items such as Bluetooth keyboards on top of traditional wireless headsets.

Multimedia:

Even to this day, Cover Flow continues to be the standard that all music player interfaces must live up to. Not only does it offer one eye catching presentation, but it manages to draw people in at how intuitively it's able to scroll through all of your albums. Both handsets provide for that rich and surreal experience that other mobile phone owners covet. However, the only difference can be found with the iPhone 4's slightly louder speaker – and that's about it.


Watching videos on either handsets is such a joy seeing that they don't lag at all during playback, but the iPhone 4 has a slight edge due mostly to its highly detailed Retina Display. Nonetheless, the experience is nearly identical.



The more time playing around with the iPhone 4 and using its 5-megapixel auto-focus camera, the more we realized how stunning its images are. There is such a huge difference in performance between the iPhone 3GS's 3.0-megapixel camera versus the iPhone 4's 5-megapixel shooter – it's absolutely night and day; polar opposites. Not only do images come out with more detail and natural colors on the iPhone 4, but they performed cunningly in low lighting conditions. Throw in the LED flash on the iPhone 4, and you can substantially comprehend why people choose to leave their traditional point and shoot digital cameras at home. Without a doubt, the iPhone 4's camera and internal optics provide for some of the most stunning photos that can easily put to shame some handsets boasting larger megapixel count cameras.





At the same time, media buffs will adore knowing that the iPhone 4 has the ability to shoot videos in 720p – making the iPhone 3GS's VGA videos look miniscule. However, it's worth noting that both phones shoot video at a steady 30 frames per second – making them look quite smooth as opposed to jerky. The iPhone 3GS managed to retain a good white balance throughout shooting, but the iPhone 4 can sometimes change white balances through the course of a continuous shot – so it depends largely on the lighting condition you're shooting in. Still, you can't deny that the iPhone 4's videos looked extremely more detailed – which can be seen as a major plus for those who want to preserve some precious memories.
Some would've thought that Apple would increase the internal storage for the iPhone 4 to 32GB and 64GB capacities, but instead, they decided to keep it the same at 16GB and 32GB – the same exact capacities offered for the iPhone 3GS.

Performance:

Being plagued with some static noises in the background of our conversations, the iPhone 4's performance in calling quality was only marginally better than the one of the iPhone 3GS. However, our callers did say that our voices on their end sounded a bit better as they were sharper in tone in the beginning of our sentences – which could be attributed with the handset's noise cancellation microphone.

During the year long time we had with the iPhone 3GS, we never really questioned its ability to retain a signal to the network. But upon using the iPhone 4, we were somewhat a little envious of still seeing the iPhone 3GS manhandle the iPhone 4 in this category. At certain times when we glanced over the phones, the iPhone 4 would sometimes show less bars than what we see on the iPhone 3GS – and that's at the same location! Apple has touted that when holding the phone in the correct position, it should be able to provide owners an improved experience in signal strength. However, we still continue to see the iPhone 3GS outperform the newer iPhone 4 in this category.

Just as Steve Jobs commended the phone's ability to provide owners longer battery life with the iPhone 4, we were thoroughly impressed by its real world performance. The iPhone 4 easily beat out the iPhone 3GS as we were able to obtain 1 ½ days of normal usage on the smartphone. Not to be totally outdone by its newer successor, the iPhone 3GS managed to provide us at least a day of usage – which is something more than sufficient for most smartphone users.

Conclusion:

If you look closely at what we've gone over, you'll soon realize a consistent theme going on. On the exterior, Apple has retooled the design and look of the iPhone as it continues to present consumers with a top notch product which exudes a high level of construction that's been consistent with previous generations. Yeah, the iPhone 4 is one slim looking smartphone, but we still feel strongly that the iPhone 3GS still retains that same aura of elegance. However, the internals are surely what separates the men from the boys as the iPhone 4 sports some faster, better, and stronger hardware under the hood. The experience of iOS 4 on either handsets is almost identical though – except for the slightly smoother and buttery feel of the platform on the iPhone 4. Nonetheless, the experience on the iPhone 3GS is equally as satisfying seeing that there is still very little to no lag whatsoever to diminish its performance. Media buffs will undoubtedly be surprised by the iPhone 4's camera as it takes some of the most visually stunning images. Throw in 720p video recording and a front facing camera, you've got yourself all the necessities for sharing your favorite content with a mix of people.

Unless you're really intent on taking some decent photos and videos, there is very little reason to upgrade from the iPhone 3GS to the iPhone 4. When it comes down to functionality, both handsets perform equally thanks to iOS 4 – although there is a small, and we mean small, improvement in the speed department for the iPhone 4. Gamers will find the iPhone 4 more humbling seeing that its gyroscope will probably be heavily used in games down the road, but that doesn't mean that the iPhone 3GS can't excel in the graphics department. All in all, the iPhone 4 is a fantastic handset, but unless you're into games, videos, and photos, there really isn't a compelling argument to move up to the iPhone 4. Despite it being garnered as a last generation handset, the iPhone 3GS can still pack a decent punch as its performance and functionality can go toe-to-toe in most situations with the iPhone 4. However, if you still happen to sport either the first-gen iPhone or 3G model, it would be a wise investment in moving up to the iPhone 4 to experience all the new features that not only come along with newer hardware, but software as well with iOS 4 packing on some much wanted features.

Apple iPhone 4 vs. Apple iPhone 3GS Video Comparison: