My iPhone 3G S arrived today, right on schedule (and not a day too soon as UPS originally predicted). I gotta say, the preorder route with delivery was the way to go. No waiting in lines, not dealing with Apple personnel…just a little box shipped to my office. It was easy enough to activate and I was up and running over my lunch break.
First impressions?
The video camera is a winner. TJFKAK has this little pocket video camera that is super convenient and easy to use, and I think the iPhone 3G S is just as convenient, if not more. I used it to take videos at the golf course today, and the quality is surprisingly good. The frame rate is high enough so I can analyze my swing, and the camera performed well even in low light environments.
The only thing that I don’t like about the video is that it records mov files, which require Quicktime. I don’t like Quicktime because the files are large and the interface isn’t great. Still, you can upload mov files to Youtube so that’s good enough for most people, I’d assume.
The speed increase is also nice. I opened apps side by side next to a regular 3G, and apps did open about twice as fast on the 3G S. I also noticed that web browsing was faster, which is a huge benefit.
One thing I don’t think I’ll be using, however, is voice navigation. I mean, it is a neat feature, but there really isn’t enough payoff for me. I was deterred after reading the instructions on how it works and I ended up not even trying it.
The compass works, well, like a compass should. Too bad there aren’t any turn-by-turn GPS apps available yet to make full use of the compass and GPS.
The increased storage is also a big plus. My 3G was always near the 16GB storage limit, so it is nice to have that added cushion…although videos will surely be taking up a lot of that space.
The verdict?
Well, I have to say it was tough to be without my iPhone for a week. Really, really tough. I hate that a device has become so central to my daily routine, but hey, it has.
Is it worth the upgrade? Well, it depends on how you use your iPhone. If you take a lot of videos and don’t really need a super high quality camera then the iPhone 3G S is perfect.
The speed increase is a nice improvement, but unless you’re really strapped for time this isn’t a huge deal. Sure, things open up more quickly on the 3G S, but you’re only really saving a few seconds with each app, if that.
Storage may be an issue for some iPhone users, but if its not, then the 3G S probably isn’t worth the upgrade. I know several people that just rotate songs in and out as needed, and I think that approach with work for most.
Anyone else making the upgrade?