Index
Internal performance
The "S" in iPhone 3G S stands for speed and the device promises to be quicker in two ways: not only will a new processor enable it to load apps faster, but it will utilise an upgraded AT&T 3G network for speedier web browsing. We expected both of these improvements, so we're not surprised that they are the new 3G S' prime selling points.
We'll start with the processor: Apple doesn't provide details on the processor's capabilities, but a T-Mobile Netherlands' website briefly reported that the iPhone 3G S has a 600MHz processor — similar to the Pre's — and 256MB RAM. In contrast, the earlier iPhone 3G had a 412MHz processor and 128MB RAM. As our colleagues at CNET Asia said, twice the memory "should speed things up a fair bit".
The promised change surprised us, since we never thought the iPhone 3G was that slow in the first place. But, whatever the reason for the improvement, we're certainly not going to refuse if Apple wants to dish it out. And from what we can tell, it's not an empty promise. We conducted side-by-side tests between an iPhone 3G and an iPhone 3G S. Both phones had identical contact lists, calendars, photos, apps and music libraries.
For most native applications that don't depend on a mobile or Wi-Fi connection, the iPhone 3G S was consistently faster. For the photo gallery, camera, calculator, calendar, notes, clock and contacts list, the iPhone 3G lagged about two seconds behind. No, that's not a huge difference, but it was a difference nonetheless. We noticed a similar change when using the Spotlight feature and opening the Settings menu.
We saw a bigger change in other areas. The iPhone 3G S opened the iPod player almost five seconds faster, and it was much quicker at loading some notoriously slow apps. For example, Bejewled 2, which can take up to 12 seconds to load on the iPhone 3G, started in just five seconds on the 3G S. Even better, Pocket God went from opening in almost 30 seconds to starting in just 11. The iPhone 3G S also started up much quicker than the iPhone 3G — we were up and running in 26 seconds instead of 50 seconds.
We realise that the above tests aren't very scientific or exact, but they do reflect everyday use. Indeed, the iPhone 3G S appears to delivers speedier internal performance; people should notice a difference. In the coming days, CNET Labs will conduct more thorough tests to complement our general observations.
Browser and data
On the other hand, we didn't notice any differences in data and browser speeds over AT&T's 3G network (or through Wi-Fi, for that matter). We'd certainly welcome any improvements that should come from the carrier's forthcoming HSPA network upgrade to 7.2Mbps, but there's an important caveat for the moment: AT&T won't start rolling out the faster network until later this year. What's more, full deployment is scheduled for 2011. Though we expect urban areas will be first, coverage will vary widely for the next year, at least. As such, we don't predict any miracles soon. CNET Labs will test the browser over the next week, so check back soon.
Call quality and reception
We tested the quad-band (GSM 850/900/1800/1900) iPhone 3G S world phone in San Francisco. Call quality was virtually unchanged from the iPhone 3G. When the calls could connect, and when they weren't dropping, the audio quality was decent. Voices sounded natural and we heard a satisfactorily low amount of "side noise", which is the sound of your own voice coming back through the phone. Wind noise was apparent in some instances, and the volume could be louder, but the 3G S lacks the sensitive sweet spot that we encountered on the first iPhone.
On their end, callers didn't report any differences from the caller experience on the iPhone 3G. They could hear us under most conditions, and, while they could tell that we were on a mobile phone, that's not unusual. The only complaints mentioned occasional background noise. Automated calling systems could understand as well, but we had the best experiences when using the phone inside. We'll test the iPhone 3G S in more places over the next few weeks.
Speakerphone calls were good, but not great. The external speaker was rather soft, but voices weren't distorted, except at the highest volumes. Also, as long as we were in a quiet room, we didn't have to speak close to the phone if we wanted to be heard on the other end. We connected to the BlueAnt Q1 Bluetooth headset without any problems. Call quality was mostly satisfactory, though we noticed a slight amount of static. That could be from the headset, however.
Unfortunately, we saw no change in overall signal strength and reception. The hand off between EDGE and 3G remains shaky, and the iPhone still tries to latch onto the 3G signal even when it's barely detectable. As we found with the iPhone 3G, the reception jumped if we switched off the handset's 3G radio on the Settings menu. Constantly doing that, however, can be a pain.
While testing the iPhone 3G S with the iPhone 3G in areas of San Francisco with reliably poor AT&T coverage, we noticed no difference in the number of bars or in the capability of each to establish a connection and make a call. What's more, the iPhone 3G S dropped calls as frequently as its predecessor in the "semi-dead zones". We also used the iPhone's internal Field Test application, which is a more accurate test of signal strength than the number of bars on the display. In most cases the iPhone 3G S had a stronger signal, but not by much. Dial *3001#12345#* to run the test yourself. You'll see the signal strength in decibels in the upper-left corner of the display — the lower the number, the better the signal.
According to FCC radiation tests, the iPhone 3G S has a rating of 0.79 Watt per kilogram. That is the highest at-ear SAR for voice calls. Data use and at-body use can result in different SARs.
Audio and video quality
Editors' note: senior editor Donald Bell contributed to this section.
For all the small tweaks and improvements made to the iPhone 3G S, music and video playback quality is indistinguishable from the 3G model. Fortunately, in this department, the iPhone can afford to rest on its laurels. Audio is crisp and full, with a suite of iPod EQ presets, ample volume and minimum background hiss. A range of audio files and resolutions are supported, starting at basic MP3 and AAC, all the way up to CD-quality formats, such as AIFF, WAV and Apple Lossless.
Video playback quality is still the same bright, smooth experience we enjoyed on the 3G model. If there's a story to be told about video improvements, it's the fact that the 3G S is the first iPhone to both play and record video. Apple has also updated the mobile version of the iTunes store to include movie, television and music video downloads, in addition to the music and podcast downloads offered prior to the OS 3.0 update.
Music quality on the LG HBS-250 stereo Bluetooth headset was quite satisfactory — a big improvement over the iPhone's external speaker and better than the standard wired headset. Of course, your experience will vary depending on which stereo headset you choose.
Battery life
Battery life remains one of the iPhone 3G's biggest detractions. Indeed, you're lucky if your handset lasts longer than a day with heavy use. Fortunately, the iPhone 3G S offers some hope. It should offer nine hours of Wi-Fi battery life, 10 hours of video playback, 30 hours of audio playback, 12 hours of 2G talk time, and five hours of 3G talk time. And, in another change, you now can see the percentage of battery charge left on the Home screen.
In our initial tests, the iPhone 3G S' battery lasted longer than its predecessor's. We could go longer during a day of heavy use before having to recharge. Yet, we can't make a firm assessment until we conduct a full range of battery tests. We're doing that now, and we'll update this review when we complete them.
8%
1%
i'm lovin' it :X :X :X :X