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What was the weakest update to iPhones

What was the weakest update to the iPhone line up?

  • iPhone to iPhone 3G

    Votes: 52 27.1%

  • 3G to 3GS

    Votes: 53 27.6%

  • 3GS to 4

    Votes: 3 1.6%

  • 4 to 4S

    Votes: 43 22.4%

  • 4S to 5

    Votes: 12 6.3%

  • 5 to 5S

    Votes: 29 15.1%
  • Total voters
    192
MrXiro

MrXiro

macrumors 68040
Original poster
Nov 2, 2007
3,850
604
Los Angeles
I'm skipping the iPhone 5S this time around because A. I'm switching networks in Dec and B. I don't think it's THAT significant an upgrade for me to blow $200 bucks on. (I'm not made of money)

It had me thinking though. What was the weakest update to the iPhone line up?
 
MrXiro said:
I'm skipping the iPhone 5S this time around because A. I'm switching networks in Dec and B. I don't think it's THAT significant an upgrade for me to blow $200 bucks on. (I'm not made of money)

It had me thinking though. What was the weakest update to the iPhone line up?
Click to expand...

4S. Beta Siri was the only really big game changer and it wasn't worth it IMO. Of course there were the typical performance and battery level improvements. I feel Touch ID is more valuable than Siri considering we all unlock our phones 50 times a day. How many times do you use Siri?
 
mbhforum said:
4S. Beta Siri was the only really big game changer and it wasn't worth it IMO. Of course there were the typical performance and battery level improvements. I feel Touch ID is more valuable than Siri considering we all unlock our phones 50 times a day. How many times do you use Siri?
Click to expand...

3GS had basically all the same improvements as the 4S. Except worse.
 
mbhforum said:
4S. Beta Siri was the only really big game changer and it wasn't worth it IMO. Of course there were the typical performance and battery level improvements. I feel Touch ID is more valuable than Siri considering we all unlock our phones 50 times a day. How many times do you use Siri?
Click to expand...

That's a ridiculous thing to say, sorry. The 4S may have looked like a 4 but it was all new inside - much better camera, dual core processor for the first time, completely re-engineered antenna (probably the first iPhone that was genuinely good as an actual phone), it's actually still a great phone and runs IOS 7 like a champ.

Weakest update? Probably the 3G in hindsight although it didn't really matter at the time. It really was just the original iPhone, with a plastic back and a 3G radio - everything else was the same, same awful camera, same processor (that quickly showed its age when IOS 4 was released) same everything.

The reason it didn't matter was because (a) it was much more widely available, and cheaper than the first so for most people it was their first iPhone, and (b) it came with IOS 2 and the very first App Store pre installed so quickly started doing things that the original hadn't been capable of (until the update).
 
Dented said:
That's a ridiculous thing to say, sorry. The 4S may have looked like a 4 but it was all new inside - much better camera, dual core processor for the first time, completely re-engineered antenna (probably the first iPhone that was genuinely good as an actual phone), it's actually still a great phone and runs IOS 7 like a champ.

Weakest update? Probably the 3G in hindsight although it didn't really matter at the time. It really was just the original iPhone, with a plastic back and a 3G radio - everything else was the same, same awful camera, same processor (that quickly showed its age when IOS 4 was released) same everything.

The reason it didn't matter was because (a) it was much more widely available, and cheaper than the first so for most people it was their first iPhone, and (b) it came with IOS 2 and the very first App Store pre installed so quickly started doing things that the original hadn't been capable of (until the update).
Click to expand...

My point is every upgrade offers the "faster, better processor and better camera". It's expected at this point. When I think of upgrades, I want to know what features I am getting. With the 4, it was Retina Display, new form factor. With the 5, it was slimmer profile, larger screen and LTE.
 
Carlanga said:
You guys didn't own one then, the 3GS was very fast compared to the 3G, very noticeable difference.

----

The original to the 3G was the weakest update hardware wise.
Click to expand...

this! mom had the 3G and I had the 3GS, hated looking anything up on her phone. slow as crap!
 
Carlanga said:
You guys didn't own one then, the 3GS was very fast compared to the 3G, very noticeable difference.
Click to expand...

I'm well aware that it was significantly faster than the 3G. However, I think overall that upgrade to the 4S was more significant. The 4S was the first usable camera for me (as far as taking photos that I want to keep). It had similar relative speed improvements as the 3GS. The antenna and microphone improvements made it a huge improvement as an actual phone. And Siri, despite its faults, was a much more significant improvement than voice control.

The original to the 3G was the weakest update hardware wise.
Click to expand...

I wouldn't argue with that. Just depends on how much you value 3G service.
 
Ha ha. U guys are all wrong.

The worst update for iPhones was iPhone 2007 (original iPhone) to iPhone 3G (2008).

1. Same processor
2. Same ram
3. Same camera.

Only thing difference was GPS and 3G chip. Oh yeah they changed aluminum back cause of antenna problems to cheaper plastic back.

Apple made bank ($$$$) with the 3G. Absolutely zero research and development money. No manufactuer can get away with that type of upgrade except....Apple.

----------
Carlanga said:
You guys didn't own one then, the 3GS was very fast compared to the 3G, very noticeable difference.

----

The original to the 3G was the weakest update hardware wise.
Click to expand...

Agreed. Original to 3G was weakest upgrade.

The "S" updates are probably the most stable.
 
aneftp said:
Apple made bank ($$$$) with the 3G. Absolutely zero research and development money. No manufactuer can get away with that type of upgrade except....Apple.
Click to expand...

It was a weak upgrade compared to all of the others that have followed, but you must remember that this was back in 2008 and there was absolutely nothing out there that could remotely touch the iPhone at the time. There wasn't even an App Store yet until its release, so they really didn't need to do much of anything.
 
mbhforum said:
My point is every upgrade offers the "faster, better processor and better camera". It's expected at this point. When I think of upgrades, I want to know what features I am getting. With the 4, it was Retina Display, new form factor.
Click to expand...

...but the 4 was also missing the "faster, better processor" that you expect.


mbhforum said:
My point is every upgrade offers the "faster, better processor and better camera". It's expected at this point.
Click to expand...

It may be expected at this point, but that wasn't always the case.

Unless you're asking what the worst upgrade is since the 4S, you have to take processor and other internals into consideration.
 
Last edited:
cyks said:
...but the 4 was also missing the "faster, better processor" that you expect.




It may be expected at this point, but that wasn't always the case.

Unless you're asking what the worst upgrade is since the 4S, you have to take processor and other internals into consideration.
Click to expand...

What? iPhone 4 had 1gz processor (down clocked to 800mhz) 512mb ram plus retina display and 5mp camera with BSI

Compare to 3 GS 320x480 screen 256ram and 3mp camera.
 
3G to 3GS was a huge bump in performance meaning the 3GS had an outstanding lifetime.
 
3G to 3GS was the weakest. That's the one upgrade that was literally the spec bump upgrade that some people try to bash Apple with today for their "S" phone upgrades. The 3G-3GS was the only case where it was true. Also was the only iPhone I skipped.
 
CEmajr said:
3G to 3GS was the weakest. That's the one upgrade that was literally the spec bump upgrade that some people try to bash Apple with today for their "S" phone upgrades. The 3G-3GS was the only case where it was true. Also was the only iPhone I skipped.
Click to expand...

So u upgraded from iPhone 5 to 5s?

3G 600 MHz (running at 400 MHz), 2mp camera, 128mb ram

Vs 3GS 800mhz(running at 600 MHz). 256mb ram 3mp camera.

If u upgraded to 5s from 5
A6 processor 1gb ram 8mp camera (better low light mp than 4s),

A7 64bit (that has no real use), 1gb ram 8mp camera (auto focus faster, more burst mode f 2.2 than iPhone 5 camera).
 
aneftp said:
So u upgraded from iPhone 5 to 5s?

3G 600 MHz (running at 400 MHz), 2mp camera, 128mb ram

Vs 3GS 800mhz(running at 600 MHz). 256mb ram 3mp camera.

If u upgraded to 5s from 5
A6 processor 1gb ram 8mp camera (better low light mp than 4s),

A7 64bit (that has no real use), 1gb ram 8mp camera (auto focus faster, more burst mode f 2.2 than iPhone 5 camera).
Click to expand...

You forgot the Fingerprint scanner that makes it more than the spec upgrade that the 3GS was. 4S had Siri+ better specs, 5S has FP scanner+ better specs, 3GS had just better specs.
 
Original to 3G.

Comparatively, little was changed, except the radio which many felt should have been in the original iPhone. They also dropped the recessed headphone jack and adopted a plastic back case. Internally it also received a very tiny speed bump. Sadly the iPod touch 2nd generation received a faster processor than the more expensive iPhone 3G.

CEmajr said:
You forgot the Fingerprint scanner that makes it more than the spec upgrade that the 3GS was. 4S had Siri+ better specs, 5S has FP scanner+ better specs, 3GS had just better specs.
Click to expand...

Audio out of the 5s is improved according to people who have tested likely due to the new cirrus logic chips on the 5c and 5s.
 
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