iPhone 3G S

Apple’s iPhone 3G S marks the third generation of the popular handset since the original one launched two years ago. The 3G S (the “S” stands for “speed”) is virtually identical in appearance to the iPhone 3G that launched in the U.S. and other countries just 11 months ago, except that the screen now has a film over it that helps it better resist the fingerprint marks and smudges that inevitably happen with a touchscreen phone like the iPhone.

On the inside, though, the iPhone 3G S packs more power to enable it to run twice as fast, which is very noticeable when doing simple things like opening and closing applications. The battery life is better, so you can talk, surf the Web, watch video or listen to music for longer periods of time. And the camera has been overhauled by upgrading the 2-megapixel sensor of the iPhone 3G and implementing a 3-megapixel one in the 3G S that also supports video recording.

But to put some of this in perspective, it’s important to note that two things are happening between June 17-19. On the 17th, Apple released the latest update for the iPhone’s operating system, known as 3.0. All iPhone users, be they original iPhone users or those with the iPhone 3G are eligible to download and install the update for free. Those who have the iPod touch can upgrade to the 3.0 OS, but it will cost $9.99 to do so. The iPhone 3G S, meanwhile, already comes with 3.0 built-in.

On the 19th, Apple, along with AT&T, launches the iPhone 3G S to the masses. The phone comes in either black or white, and costs $199 for the 16GB model, and $299 for the 32GB model. A two-year contract is required to get the 3G S at those prices, however. Without a contract, the phone will be considerably more, though no exact pricing has been announced yet. The iPhone 3G 8GB model is now available for $99 on a two-year contract.

The bulk of the new features Apple has been touting are found in the OS 3.0 update, and not in the 3G S itself. But when combined together, the 3G S is formidable phone that may entice some to go out and get it.

The features found in the OS 3.0 update
As many as 100 new features have been included in the 3.0 update, with the highlights being the ability to copy and paste text and images, a landscape keyboard for typing text messages and emails, a Voice Memo application for audio recording and Spotlight, which allows you to search for any contents you have on the phone like a search engine.

No tethering or MMS — for now
There is already some controversy aimed at the fact that two of the most anticipated features are currently being blocked by AT&T, the exclusive carrier of the iPhone in the U.S. Tethering is a 3.0 feature that allows you to log onto the Internet on your laptop by using the iPhone as a broadband modem, though that won’t “initially” be available in the U.S. like it will in other countries. The other feature is multimedia messaging, better known by the acronym MMS, which allows you to send photos and video with text messages and email. This, too, will not be available for the near term.

Voice Memo
The Voice Memo application mentioned earlier will serve those who need to record audio for any reason. When holding the microphone towards the direction of a person talking or where the sound is coming from, the image onscreen will actually flip over so that the controls are easier for you to navigate. Once the recording is done, you have the option of placing it in a certain folder, depending on the criteria. It’s a nice app, but will only be worthwhile if you have a need for audio recording for any reason.

Stereo Bluetooth
There is also stereo Bluetooth included in the set of features, which means that you can listen to audio using a stereo set of wireless headphones. The one caveat to this is that the original iPhone (from 2007) can’t handle stereo Bluetooth because the hardware inside wasn’t designed for it, so only the iPhone 3G and the new 3G S can do it. Again, if it’s a feature that matters to you, then it will certainly come in handy.

Notes Sync and iTunes account access
Others that stand out are the ability to synchronize your Notes application with your Mac or PC, something long overdue for the iPhone. You can also log into your iTunes account and rent or buy movies directly from the phone with the film’s size and resolution made for the iPhone. If you also want the high-definition (HD) version for your computer or TV, then you just need to plug in the phone to your Mac or PC and iTunes can automatically download it for you. It’s cool to see it work, but the prices are a bit steep at $19.99 for a movie purchase and $4.99 for a rental.

YouTube account access
Your YouTube account is also readily accessible from the phone, which makes it easy to upload video clips you shoot with the iPhone 3G S directly from the phone. Personally, I’m more of a spectator on YouTube than a contributor, so having access to my YouTube account didn’t make a huge difference.

Shake to Shuffle
Then there’s the Shake to Shuffle feature. It comes across as more of a novelty than anything else, but it’s ultimately a feature you either really feel drawn to, or feel totally indifferent about.

Push notifications
One feature that has shown little so far, but offers so much promise, is push notifications. Up to now, Apple’s apps have enjoyed the privilege of “pushing” information to the forefront of the phone, no matter what you were doing on it. It’s expected that third-party developers will apply the same function to their own apps, thereby making it possible to get a notification when someone has written on your wall on Facebook, for example. Time will tell how that turns out.

Find My iPhone
There are already third-party iPhone that help you track your iPhone if it’s been lost or stolen, but the Find My iPhone feature expands on that by allowing you to wipe all traces of yourself and your data remotely, and in the case of the 3G S, instantaneously. Though the feature will work with the iPhone 3G and 3G S, the process of locating the phone and wiping data takes longer with the 3G. The 3G S, on the other hand, can receive and execute those functions in seconds, even from a considerable distance.

The added bonus is that you can trigger an alarm on the phone, even if it’s on silent mode, thus revealing where the phone is, in case you’ve misplaced it at home, or embarrass and expose someone who has stolen it. But there’s a catch — Find My iPhone is only available to subscribers of Apple’s MobileMe service, so non-members are unfortunately out of luck in utilizing the feature.

Features you will only find on the iPhone 3G S

Camera
Video recording, long a demand from iPhone users, comes in the 3G S, and performs well, despite limitations. You can shoot clips in portrait or landscape mode at 30 frames per second and trim unwanted elements from those clips. A timeline at the top gives you a great perspective of where certain scenes are.

The still camera, meanwhile, takes better photos than its predecessor. One cool thing it does is let you determine where the lens focuses by simply touching the part of the image you want in focus. A white box covers the focal point, much like face detection features work on digital cameras. The sensor then adjusts the white balance and exposure to compensate for your chosen focal point. It’s interesting to watch it happen, but the camera can sometimes darken or lighten an image too much if the focal point is too far to the side.

The camera’s best performance is usually during daylight and well-lit settings. Photos in low-light are good, too, but the subject has to be sufficiently illuminated in order to even make the photo acceptable. Without a built-in flash, the camera struggles to handle darker settings. Still, I did a comparison by shooting the same dimly-lit subject with both the iPhone 3G (left) and 3G S (right).

The difference is fairly noticeable, especially since the 3G S generally has softer tones and more natural lighting than the 3G. Overall, the improved camera is definitely a step up from previous iPhones, though you might start to lament the lack of a flash.

Voice Control
Another feature exclusive to the 3G S is Voice Control, which basically enables you to issue commands to the handset by speaking them into the microphone. By holding down the Home button for a couple seconds, the Voice Control screen pops up and beeps, which is your cue to tell it what you want. In my first test, I asked it to call a number by simply saying, ‘call’ and then reciting the number. But I could also just follow ‘call’ and say the name of a contact, and even specify between ‘home’ and ‘mobile’.

More than that, I told it to ‘play only songs from U2’, or ‘play 80s retro playlist’. I even asked it to ‘play more songs like this one’ and it basically shuffled songs together that matched what was playing. Voice Control always repeats what you’ve said, so you can confirm its accuracy, of which you’ll find it doesn’t always get it right.

Even with its flaws, Voice Control is still impressive. It isn’t trained by your voice, so it can understand commands from anyone, regardless of gender, age and accent. And it does a good job of hearing you, even when you’re a little distance away. The only issue is that background and ambient noise can really confuse it.

Unfortunately, this feature won’t work with Bluetooth headsets, so you’re somewhat limited in the ability to drive hands-free and make and take calls using only your voice. Your only option is to use the speaker or try the included earbuds that come with the phone, which are the same ones introduced with the latest iPod Shuffle. The controls are on the right cord, and holding down the middle button can launch Voice Control.

Compass
The inclusion of a digital compass is interesting on its own, but it’s true benefit comes in how it integrates with the Maps app. The Compass app can face True North (by default) or Magnetic North, depending on your preference. The little reticle at the bottom left launches the Maps app to pinpoint your location.

By tapping the reticle at the bottom left twice on the Maps app, the GPS map will flip to match your orientation so that it faces the direction you’re facing. Its execution is simple and comes in real handy when you’re not sure which way you’re heading. On top of that, you also get traffic reports (depending on the area and streets you’re on), so you can gauge your route. Seeing streets in red means there’s some gridlock, while green means go. Grey means there’s no data for that street.

Unfortunately, this doesn’t mean you will get voiced turn-by-turn directions as you drive along, since Apple hasn’t included that in Maps. But sometime in the fall, TomTom announced it will be releasing a GPS app that will offer this feature and more, so we’ll have to wait and see.

Final thoughts
Should you ultimately upgrade to the iPhone 3G S? Well, that depends on whether you find its exclusive features to be necessary. It also depends on if you’re really interested in the increased speed, power and battery life of the handset. While the iPhone 3G will get the bulk of the features because they come from the OS 3.0 update, that phone can’t match the overall performance of the 3G S, not to mention the exclusive features.

The lack of tethering and MMS is a glaring loss, but AT&T says it will offer these services once their network can handle them. If that’s not in the short-term, then there’s a problem looming. But those are two 3.0 features, so they matter for both 3G S and 3G users alike. If you’re an existing iPhone user, your best bet is to go to an Apple Store or AT&T location and play around with the 3G S to appreciate its speedy performance and exclusive features. How you feel during that time may be enough to sell you or dissuade you from going with it.