After the initial hype of the new iPhone 3GS launch, it’s time to assess the reasons to upgrade in silence. As we already know the iPhone 3GS would be available starting with 19th June in several countries. followed by several other launched up until 9th July. So, why should I upgrade to the new device?
iPhone 3GS Hardware Features
The most important feature in the new iPhone 3GS seems to be the digital compass. Android has one, iPhone must have one to. For the iPhone developers this was something really natural, since the iPhone SDK already have some functions for determining not only the orientation, but the speed too. So, it was something expected.
The second most important feature, at least for me, it’s the speed. According to various sources, the iPhone 3GS processor is running now at 600 Mhz, which is around 25% faster than the actual iPhone 3G. To be honest, I like my iPhone 3G speed. I don’t do things extremely processor intensive, I don’t try to calculate PI in less than a second or stuff like that. I’m just using my iPhone to make phone calls, keep in touch with my tasks, watch movies and check twitter and email from time to time. For what I do, the processor it’s fine. Really.
iPhone 3GS Software Features
Apple has seeded the iPhone 3.0 OS GM release to the developers, which seems to be the final release before the launch. I already tested iPhone 3.0 on one of my iPhones and it’s great. It really is. I mean search “a la Spotlight” over the entire iPhone, cut, copy and paste between applications to name only the things I was able to test immediately, are great. There are also tons of goodies available to developers in the iPhone SDK 3.0, like Peer to Peer connectivity, In App Payment or In App Mail. Some of them I was able to test while I was prototyping my iPhone apps, and I’m telling you these are revolutionary stuff.
But, what I forgot to tell you is that I was able to install iPhone OS 3.0 on my iPhone 2G device without too much hassle. Yes, I know Apple says you can’t, but you can. Anyway, I did it for testing purposes only. The main point is that iPhone OS 3.0 doesn’t have a lot to do with iPhone 3GS. It would be available to owners of iPhone 3G also, starting with June 17th. So, why should I bother?
Is It Really Worth To Buy An iPhone 3GS Now?
The answer is: I don’t know. From a very narrow standpoint, I will say “no”, definitely. I can do my stuff with iPhone 3G just fine, without a digital compass and a 600Mhz processor (which may have some heating problems, I suppose). Since iPhone OS 3.0 would be available to all iPhone users there won’t be any issues.
From an iPhone developer standpoint, I will say “maybe yes” and that would be for testing purposes. It is important to see how an app is working on a genuine device, so a 3GS would be a must have.
Will see about that. 
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{ 7 comments… read them below or add one }
“so I don’t actually need it but I can justify getting it by the fact that i started to develop iPhone applications and need it for testing” – just reading between the lines
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sort of
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man I wish I knew some smart-ass iphone developers to kick start some ideas now …there is a huge cow to milk on that field
… or you could do it the old fashioned way: learn some Objective C
project managers don’t know how to code
but I’ll start sketching some wire-frames with the iphone stencil kit, just to be ready when I meet the smart-ass developer.
sorry for trolling your blog. I’m @webmyc on Twitter
This is exactly what I was saying right after the WWDC announcement.
No, the “upgrade” is not worth it. Unless you really want to test your apps on this device. But I think for simple apps they should work just fine anyway.
But it’s yet another thing that will bring AAPL huge $$, because all the fanboys out there will want to have the latest and greatest. That’s it. We live in a consumer economy, where fashion is put before actual need.
@ibz just remembered that I forgot some “hardware” feature and that will be the new 3 M camera. The autofocus looks nice but I will rely on my Canon EOS 450D for pictures
. Maybe at the first price drop I’ll buy one, just to test my apps.