apple.ism

So, Apple has announced the new iteration of the iPhone hardware, the 3G S. It's going to be faster, have better graphics, be able to record video and edit them, have digital compass and voice control, and capable of faster Internet speeds (although AT&T is not holding up on this part).

Now, while this new iPhone is surely impressive, there has been more outpour over the price of upgrading from a 3G to a 3G S. The $199/$299 pricing is only for new customers or those that are eligible for upgrade, while the 3G users that want it will either have to pay $399/$499 on 'early upgrade' or $599/$699 for non-contract pricing. While I did complain about this for the first few days, I finally decided that I really wanted the upgrade and got rid of my shiny Palm Pre to use the money for an 32GB iPhone 3G S.

Why do I think it's worth upgrading from a 3G? Well, a few reasons.

1. Faster processor and RAM. Need I really say more? The current 3G only has a 412mhz processor and 128 MB of RAM. The 3G S has 600 mhz processor and 256MB RAM. That's double the speed. Have you played the Tap Tap Revenge series of games? You probably would have noticed that at some point, you know you hit the notes perfectly, but the phone lags a bit and you don't get those notes. That's because of the current processor speed and RAM - it's not as fast as it can be. Sure, the 3.0 software improves the speed of the iPhone a bit, but that does not change the fact that the hardware is still not up to speed, at least with the 3G S. So the faster processor and more RAM will indeed make a difference. It's like getting a new computer - the new computer will surely run faster than your old one. Same thing for the iPhone 3G S.
2. 3.0MP camera/video recording/editing. This has been missing from the first two generations, and now it's finally here. Though the 3G could have been capable of video recording, I think the faster hardware was a decision to just keep it with the 3G S. The autofocus and macro mode of the new 3.0 MP camera is a big factor in helping me decide to upgrade alone. Maybe because I take so many photos, and the Griffin Clarifi case I use just doesn't cut it sometimes. And video recording and editing will make capturing moments as they happen so much easier. As well as the ease of publishing the video online to MobileMe or Youtube.
3. Digital compass. May not be a that big of a deal, but have you ever tried to use your iPhone to navigate around a new place? I did while in San Francisco, and boy, I kept getting confused in which direction to go. So with the digital compass, maybe it will help get rid of the confusing when trying to navigate around somewhere new.
4. Voice Control. It makes life simple, okay? What more do you want?

Now, about the pricing. If you're a 3G user, just shut up now. The more I think about it, there's nothing wrong with what AT&T is doing - this is just standard cell phone company policy. You signed a contract when you got the 3G, right? You're not done with that contract, so you're not eligible for the new customer/upgrade pricing. If you're lucky enough to get it for the $399/$499 'early upgrade' price like I did, then TAKE IT. Unless you want to wait it out. But just be aware that developers are not going to wait for you - waiting to take advantage of the 3G S features will only allow the competition (Android, BlackBerry, Palm, [dare I say] WinMo) to catch up.

If you have the $599/$699 pricing, well, just wait it out, or sell your 3G to help cover the costs. There's an answer for whichever predicament you're in.

Contract. This is what the cell phone industry is all about. Now I'm not sure what you're all bitching about, this is just a standard practice. The iPhone is still a cell phone - you are not different from any other cell phone user. The truth hurts, doesn't it?

Yes, I bitched at first, but I've already sucked it up and paid $499 for my white 32GB iPhone 3G S. So I suggest you shut up and do the same or just keep your mouth shut.

Update on Friday, June 12, 2009 at 5:44PM by Christine Chan

Also, the 3G S already has split the iPhone platform - some devs won't be straggling with outdated technology. The capabilities of the 3G S should not be ignored to cater to the universal platform. Yeah, this is going to cause an outrage, but catch up!

http://www.theiphoneblog.com/2009/06/11/iphone-3g-developers-splitting-platform/