Is the iPhone 3GS still worth buying?

[xAnthony]

I shake my head at this attitude. It makes me wonder if people know anything about technology.

The 4S and the 4 don't share any DNA. They are completely different phones. The 4S has a completely different chip architechture, GPU, SPU, etc.

The 4 and 3GS share the same chip architechture, have the exact same GPU, SPU, etc.

Let me put it this way: If you have two laptops, and both have Intel Pentium 4 chips in them, but one has a different case design, are they different laptops? If the insides are the same, then no.

But if you have two laptops with the same case, one has a P4 and the other cas an intel Core i7, are they the same? The case is the same, so they must be the same right?

They arent the same. Even a little bit.

The 4S is a MASSIVE uprade. 3-4X bigger then the 3GS to 4 upgrade. At least.

You keep telling yourself that. Apple's 'magical' ads must have gotten to you.

I own both phones, and the AVERAGE consumer most likely wouldn't even be able to tell which one is which if they were both sitting on a table and they had a few minutes to play around with them.

 

[kre62]

You keep telling yourself that. Apple's 'magical' ads must have gotten to you.

I own both phones, and the AVERAGE consumer most likely wouldn't even be able to tell which one is which if they were both sitting on a table and they had a few minutes to play around with them.

Doesnt matter if thats true today (even though id disagree with you as the 4 is stuttery and slow)

The real trick is the future. When the 3GS came out people like you said it was a minor upgrade to the 3G. In reality the 3G used the chips from the original iPhone. What did that mean? Well it meant that as time went on, and the original chips couldnt handle the new software, the 3G became obsolete at a faster rate.

Today, the 3GS and the 4 run iOS5 at a similar performance level. The 4S is much smoother, much better. How about iOS6? The 3GS and 4, which are near identical internally, will not be able to handle it. The 4S will handle it with ease. How about iOS7? The 4S, again, will likely handle it with ease due to its dual core chip.

So yeah, start thinking critically, dont look at the case and say "Durr looks the same, must be the same"

 

[xAnthony]

Doesnt matter if thats true today (even though id disagree with you as the 4 is stuttery and slow)

The real trick is the future. When the 3GS came out people like you said it was a minor upgrade to the 3G. In reality the 3G used the chips from the original iPhone. What did that mean? Well it meant that as time went on, and the original chips couldnt handle the new software, the 3G became obsolete at a faster rate.

Today, the 3GS and the 4 run iOS5 at a similar performance level. The 4S is much smoother, much better. How about iOS6? The 3GS and 4, which are near identical internally, will not be able to handle it. The 4S will handle it with ease. How about iOS7? The 4S, again, will likely handle it with ease due to its dual core chip.

So yeah, start thinking critically, dont look at the case and say "Durr looks the same, must be the same"

"When the 3GS came out people like you said it was a minor upgrade to the 3G." First of all I never once said the 3GS was a minor upgrade. You're assuming, and you're making an ass out of yourself. I personally never owned a 3G so I wouldn't even be able to make that statement. However, I did know people with the 3G and when I compared it to my 3GS, mine was night and day faster.

With the upgrade to the iPhone 4S, I didn't notice a massive increase in speed. There is definitely a speed improvement, but by no means could it be considered "MASSIVE". Apps maybe load a second faster, perhaps 2-3 seconds for webpages and to the average consumer you won't notice a difference. In fact, I'd like to see you try and sell an iPhone 4S to the average user (who owns an iPhone 4) for full retail price based on the fact that it loads webpages 2-3 seconds faster than the iPhone 4. You wouldn't sell one device. Watch some of Apple's TV adds. They hardly ever (If they even do) advertise the inside specs of an iPhone (Minus the A5 chip.. I think I've seen a few ads of those) because if you started talking about the CPU, no one would have any idea what that means. They focus on the camera, Siri, App store, iTunes, wireless syncing, facetime, the cloud, things that interest people.


The iPhone 4 on the other hand is still a perfectly usable device and it's quick enough for the average consumer. (There's actually nothing wrong with the 3GS either, and again, the average consumer would be perfectly happy with it)

Could the iPhone 4S handle iOS 7? It potentially could... But will it? Probably not. Apple would rather have you purchase a newer device instead of using a 2 or 3 year old iPhone.

Not everyone is like you and cares about the specs of a device. Most people on a forum like this may care about the specs, but we're also a very small percentage compared to the average consumer who doesn't care about specs and just wants 'cool features'.

 

[kre62]

"When the 3GS came out people like you said it was a minor upgrade to the 3G." First of all I never once said the 3GS was a minor upgrade. You're assuming, and you're making an ass out of yourself. I personally never owned a 3G so I wouldn't even be able to make that statement. However, I did know people with the 3G and when I compared it to my 3GS, mine was night and day faster.

With the upgrade to the iPhone 4S, I didn't notice a massive increase in speed. There is definitely a speed improvement, but by no means could it be considered "MASSIVE". Apps maybe load a second faster, perhaps 2-3 seconds for webpages and to the average consumer you won't notice a difference. In fact, I'd like to see you try and sell an iPhone 4S to the average user (who owns an iPhone 4) for full retail price based on the fact that it loads webpages 2-3 seconds faster than the iPhone 4. You wouldn't sell one device. Watch some of Apple's TV adds. They hardly ever (If they even do) advertise the inside specs of an iPhone (Minus the A5 chip.. I think I've seen a few ads of those) because if you started talking about the CPU, no one would have any idea what that means. They focus on the camera, Siri, App store, iTunes, wireless syncing, facetime, the cloud, things that interest people.


The iPhone 4 on the other hand is still a perfectly usable device and it's quick enough for the average consumer. (There's actually nothing wrong with the 3GS either, and again, the average consumer would be perfectly happy with it)

Could the iPhone 4S handle iOS 7? It potentially could... But will it? Probably not. Apple would rather have you purchase a newer device instead of using a 2 or 3 year old iPhone.

Not everyone is like you and cares about the specs of a device. Most people on a forum like this may care about the specs, but we're also a very small percentage compared to the average consumer who doesn't care about specs and just wants 'cool features'.

I specifically said people "like you" instead of "you" so you wouldnt get all ruffled up and think I was saying you personally said that. But looks like that didnt quite compute.

Also, the A5 is the CPU.

The graphical performance of the A5 is night and day beter than the iPhone 4 (9X faster). It's a massive upgrade. The CPU is 2x faster, which like you said may open things a few seconds faster. But if something takes 5 seconds to open before, and it now takes 2 seconds, thats a huge jump, and very noticeable.

Also, know all those "cool features"? Well, new ones get added with each release. The 3GS got hundreds of new features over time because it could run the latest OS. Why could it run the latest OS? It has newer chip architechture/better technology over the 3G.

Just like that, the 4S has much more advanced tech compared to the 4. The 4 has the same 3GS tech, from 2009.

Consumers would be a lot better off if they pay attention to the insides instead of out. Then they could buy devices that would provide the best value by lasting the longest.

 

[BiggAW]

The one big upgrade on the 4S is the radio architecture. It's using a Qualcomm baseband, which offer class-leading reception. The 4 is medicore with it's Infineon baseband.

 

[Hosei]

iPhone 3GS

I am also a student and i have used my 3GS for almost 3 years and i say it is a very capable phone. Its also a huge step up from Blackberry devices if you ask me, the only problem with the 3GS and the latest firmware is "lag", the 3GS isn't perfectly smooth with version 5.0.1, other than that i would say this is a solid device and worth the money, if you can please try to step up to the iPhone 4 though, worth the money!

 

[gustavoQ]

I'm in the same dilemma. But I want to trade my Huawei IDEOS X5 for a iPhone 3GS 16GB plus, max, 50€. What do you thing?

 

[xnickitynickx]

What it boils down to is how do you want it to work for you? The 3GS is perfectly fine for now, especially on a budget. It can be had on AT&T for like a buck. Brand new. But from a longevity perspective, the iPhone 4 would probably be better. On contract, it can be had for $99. Once again, brand new. Theres really no reason not to get either of those if you're strapped for cash, which I totally understand. The iPhone 4 would obviously be the better option for now, but I really don't think you'll be disappointed by the 3GS. Anything is better than a black berry

 

[riveting]

On used market, I believe a used iphone 4 is almost twice as expensive as a used iphon 3gs, so I think it is still fairly good value to get a iphone 3gs if you are after a used one, at least it runs latest iOS at the moment smoothly.

I don't think it is worth to sign a contract for a new iphone 3gs though.

 

[BiggAW]

On used market, I believe a used iphone 4 is almost twice as expensive as a used iphon 3gs, so I think it is still fairly good value to get a iphone 3gs if you are after a used one, at least it runs latest iOS at the moment smoothly.

I don't think it is worth to sign a contract for a new iphone 3gs though.

Correct. I can think of a lot of light users who would be well served by a 3GS.

 

[terminatorp]

Entirely Agreed

I specifically said people "like you" instead of "you" so you wouldnt get all ruffled up and think I was saying you personally said that. But looks like that didnt quite compute.

Also, the A5 is the CPU.

The graphical performance of the A5 is night and day beter than the iPhone 4 (9X faster). It's a massive upgrade. The CPU is 2x faster, which like you said may open things a few seconds faster. But if something takes 5 seconds to open before, and it now takes 2 seconds, thats a huge jump, and very noticeable.

Also, know all those "cool features"? Well, new ones get added with each release. The 3GS got hundreds of new features over time because it could run the latest OS. Why could it run the latest OS? It has newer chip architechture/better technology over the 3G.

Just like that, the 4S has much more advanced tech compared to the 4. The 4 has the same 3GS tech, from 2009.

Consumers would be a lot better off if they pay attention to the insides instead of out. Then they could buy devices that would provide the best value by lasting the longest.

I couldn't agree more. As a developer, I actually rank the 3GS as a higher performance target than the iPhone 4. However, the 4S is miles ahead of the rest of the devices, no contest there. The 3GS has a display with 4 times less pixels, yet basically the same GPU. In my experience, displaying complex games on the 3GS actually yields a higher framerate than the 4. Since the 4 has a slightly higher clocked CPU, day to day applications are only a bit faster, but still not noticeable.

One might say that the 4S doesn't "feel" faster...and is "only" a couple of seconds faster. But, after one year, after iOS 6 comes out, the iPhone 4 will be slowly approaching a situation similar to the iPhone 3G (not S). I remember when the 3GS came out, my 3G was snappy, and there were only a couple of seconds difference between day to day applications. That was because most applications were optimized for the 3G, not 3GS. Now, the 3G is 2 generations behind in hardware, therefore, effectively completely obsoleted, and quite slow even in basic tasks, despite looking nearly identical to its younger brother, 3GS, which quite nicely handles iOS 5.

I am nearly betting that the iPhone 5 (or whatever the next iphone is called) will be powered by nearly the same internals as the iPhone 4S. Apple generally tends to upgrade internal hardware every two years. This would mean that the 4S would be in a position similar to how the 3GS is today. It might still probably sell after 3 years by Apple, with decent performance.

Because of the 3GS's performance boost, this devices as of this writing CONTINUES to be sold today, and recently, according to many rumors, will still be sold for an astounding extra year as a prepaid option to underdeveloped countries abroad.

Internal performance is more important than the external goodies you might see.

 

[mushtama]

Personally I would spend a bit more and get the iPhone 4, or if you can wait, the 4S. When my then-current phone came to the end of it's contract, the iPhone 4 was 5 months old and so I debated getting the 3GS or the 4. I almost bought the 3GS until I went to an apple store to have a look at the 4 properly, and boy I was blown away with it - amazing screen and camera, facetime and all that jazz. I'm really glad I didn't go for the 3GS as it now feels a tad out of date, yet the 4 is still a very capable phone and I hope to keep it for a couple more years still

Plus it is very likely that iOS6 will run on it bar special features exclusive to the new iPhone.

 

[blackhand1001]

It is abolutely not worth signing a contract on. It may be worth it used but it really is outdated. Like very outdated. I would honestly consider androids that are in the same price range.

 

[ScottNWDW]

Isn't the iPhone 4 something like $99 right now with a contract. I know the 3GS is free with a contract. If it were me I would go for the 4 at the minimum. I am coming up to the end of my 2 year contract on the iPhone 4 since I got it on the day it was launched and am looking forward to upgrading to the iPhone 5.

I still have my 3G and it has been working great as an iPod touch even if it is now 4 years old.

 

[Jcrdesign]

The iPhone 3GS can actually be updated to iOS 6 and benefits from most of its features.

You probably should buy an iPhone 4, which has now (Oct 2012) replaced the iPhone 3GS on apple.com for the equivalent price.

 

[guruindian24]

Iphone 3GS, Is it worth buying now.?

The iPhone 3GS can actually be updated to iOS 6 and benefits from most of its features.

You probably should buy an iPhone 4, which has now (Oct 2012) replaced the iPhone 3GS on apple.com for the equivalent price.

Is it worth buying new Unlocked iPhone 3Gs for $150, Can you please let me know if it still has same ios as Iphone5, Any chance that soon they would stop updates for 3GS.

Please let me know.

 

[KeanosMagicHat]

Is it worth buying new Unlocked iPhone 3Gs for $150, Can you please let me know if it still has same ios as Iphone5, Any chance that soon they would stop updates for 3GS.

Please let me know.

Good that you took the time to resurrect an old thread rather than start anew.

It really depends what you want from your phone.

The 3GS will shortly be 4 generations old, so will be one step closer to becoming unsupported in terms of spares etc.

It is also not compatible with the upcoming iOS 7 software release. Although it will still continue to function well on iOS 6, there will be an increasing number of apps that move to iOS 7 only as time goes by - especially as it has a considerable UI redesign.

On the positive side, the 3GS is pretty much the most rugged iPhone design produced to date if that's important to you.

My personal recommendation (if you look after your gadgets and can stretch your budget) would be to look for a best priced iPhone 4/4S which will allow you to run iOS 7.

 

[TheProFTW]

Is it worth buying new Unlocked iPhone 3Gs for $150, Can you please let me know if it still has same ios as Iphone5, Any chance that soon they would stop updates for 3GS.

Please let me know.

It's got iOS 4, and $150 is just too much for an old phone, for that price you can get newer android phones.

If you can get it as low as $100 it might be a good deal.

 

[guruindian24]

It's got iOS 4, and $150 is just too much for an old phone, for that price you can get newer android phones.

If you can get it as low as $100 it might be a good deal.

Thanks for your reply, I am checking ebay, Should i go for $125 - 3G or $150 - 3GS.? Can you please point me for better price site.

 

[TheProFTW]

Craigslist maybe?

 

[Beyinsis]

It's got iOS 4, and $150 is just too much for an old phone, for that price you can get newer android phones.

If you can get it as low as $100 it might be a good deal.

That's not true 3gs can upgrade ios 6.1.3 which currently ios for 4s too and it works fine with 6.1.3.
But it has just 256mb ram and some applications like instagram run slow

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Thanks for your reply, I am checking ebay, Should i go for $125 - 3G or $150 - 3GS.? Can you please point me for better price site.

Don't buy 3g
3g supports ios 4.2.1, 3gs 6.1.3
3g doesn't support multitasking
3g has 128mb ram, 3gs has 256
Almost all major apps needs at least ios 4.3

I advice 3gs. It supports last ios. Maybe it doesn't have best hardware but has best mobile os

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Is it worth buying new Unlocked iPhone 3Gs for $150, Can you please let me know if it still has same ios as Iphone5, Any chance that soon they would stop updates for 3GS.

Please let me know.

3gs supports ios 6.1.3, 5 supports 6.1.4. This's just a bug upgrade for 5. I still use 6.1.2 with mine 5

 

[Droidrage729]

I iPhone 3GS is currently available on the daily steals website for 99 bucks. Useless for me but it will make a good first smartphone for my mother in law. It still has it's purposes . I ordered one here's the site http://www.dailysteals.com/heist/11...ail&utm_term=0_df9b59ce87-178f73f6d6-30854217

 

[guruindian24]

I iPhone 3GS is currently available on the daily steals website for 99 bucks. Useless for me but it will make a good first smartphone for my mother in law. It still has it's purposes . I ordered one here's the site http://www.dailysteals.com/heist/11...ail&utm_term=0_df9b59ce87-178f73f6d6-30854217

Thanks for your response, I am going to opt for new 3GS -$150 on ebay as its available on expedited shipping.

I tried for Iphone4 but couldn't find anything less than 250.

 

[Appl3FTW]

5c

 

[BiggAW]

Buying anything in the smartphone world that's not that latest generation is pretty dumb. Stuff moves so fast. With a 3GS, you'd be stuck with a slow smartphone, but also 3.6mbps 3G, while iPhone 5 and newer users have 73mbps LTE.