Nearly a year on since the iPhone 3GS release and it’s still as popular as ever – a lifespan helped significantly with its delay of reaching other mobile networks. Still other phones have come and gone since then, but why does the iPhone keep hanging around? Is it really that good?

The iPhone 3GS is the upgrade on the uber popular iPhone 3G. The important thing here is S stands for Speed. The look, size and display are all virtually the same as the 3G version, but on the 3GS, its not the look, but the mechanics that have been upgraded.

CPU
One of the 3GS’s main selling points is that the CPU is super-charged from 412mhz to 600mhz, but next to the likes of Nexus One and HTC Desire that both carry a 1Ghz Snapdragon processor, this seems a weak upgrade. Maybe we’ll see a 1Ghz processor on the iPhone 4G to bring it up to speed with the high-end market, but still the processor super-charging seems a little more like mediocre-charging.

Battery Life
OK, so battery life has also been highly extended. Has it? We didn’t notice – under intensive use of 3G the iPhone will give you around 5 hours life.

Web
That said though, internet browsing is a dream on the iPhone 3GS and you won’t find a much better phone for flicking through the web. And it’s here where the 3GS’s extra processing speed really tells. You can faultlessly navigate multiple tabs at once.

But its lack of Flash compatibility means the 3GS isn’t very futureproof. You think Apple would have got the idea on the iPad that Flash has now become a necessity for roaming internet browsing but even that can’t handle a bit of Flash.

Camera
The camera on the 3GS gets an upgrade from 2 megapixels to 3 megapixels. Err.. wow? High-end smartphones are consistently coming out with 5 megapixel cameras now. Keep up Apple.

Applications
Apps is in another area where Apple’s iPhone is, without fail, the best on the market. The app store is gargantuan in size with many flexible and great-looking apps. The 3GS particularly shows off with some advanced apps, such as a Compass App which is a nice idea, but often gets interference from other devices so unless your in the middle of the Nevada you’ll not get great use from this (however, I guess if you were in the Nevada a compass would be pretty handy). Google Maps is really essential and uses the compass for navigation and it’s one of the best Maps experience we’ve had with a phone… I’ve known iPhone users to struggle without it.

The iPhone obviously has many fantastic points, without even starting on its super sexy, super sleek, super minimal look but the 3GS seems at many junctures a bit pointless – a fingerprint-resistive screen is surely something that should’ve come as standard, not a selling point? The upgrades aren’t really outstanding and the battery life is poor. It will long be a mystery why Apple think we should pay over £400 for this anyway. Don’t get me wrong, the iPhone 3G was a truly amazing phone but specs-wise the 3GS won’t keep with the evolving smartphone market and it’s amazing it has thus far.

QUICK FEATURES
Display: 3.5″ TFT capacitive touch-screen
Weight: 135 grams
Dimensions: 115.5 x 62.1 x 12.3 mm
Battery life: 300 hours (standby)

Camera: 3 megapixel
Video: VGA Video Recording with Geotagging(30fps)
Music player: MP3 / WMA / WAV / eAAC+
Ringtones: MP3 / Polyphonic

Operating System: iPhone OS
Memory: 16 / 32GB Storage
Connectivity: Bluetooth 2.1 / USB 2.0 / 3.5mm audio jack
Internet: 7.2Mbps HSDPA / WiFi

RRP: £449
Released: June 2009

 ★★☆☆☆