Apple's latest handset, the iPhone 3GS, is now available for pre-order, sporting looks that are 100% identical to its predecessor. Why fix a design that isn't broken, after all, right? Instead of focusing on remaking the aesthetics, Apple chose to focus the update on where it really counts: performance.
The "S" appended to the old name stands for speed, a trait which the device offers in spades. Sporting a new processor and more streamlined execution, the 3GS loads apps and renders websites up to 300% faster than the iPhone's previous iteration. HSDPA reception has been updated to 7.2 Mbps, twice the data connection speed previously available over AT&T's network.
Now sporting a 3.2 megapixel camera module, the handset boasts auto-focus, auto exposure and auto white balance, along with macro capabilities. Video support is also included (with geotagging, no less), allowing for 640 x 480 recordings at 30 fps, together with quick sharing of motion capture recordings via email, MMS, MobileMe and YouTube. Even better, the camera functions are opened up for access by all the apps, allowing for some nifty applications likely to come our way in the near future.
Remember how people were touting the iPhone as a potential gaming platform? That sounds even more realistic now, as the device comes fitted with hardware-based 3D support, paving the way for faster games with more complex graphics. Touchscreen comes reinforced with a special oleophobic coating, which should help keep off fingerprints much better than the handset's previous iterations.
Voice dialing also gets a nod, with the capability available both for making calls and issuing commands during media playback. Other features include a magnetometer (available to the onboard Compass app, along with any other software that wants to use it), greener building materials, data encryption and increased battery life (up to 12 hours of talk time on 2G).
The iPhone 3GS, which comes in both black and white colors, is scheduled to ship on June 19th, with 16GB ($199) and 32GB ($299) models.
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Photo Credit: Gizmodo
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