Tag Archives: iPhone

Is the new iPhone 3Gs really that new?

Posted on by Brad Heap

Okay, firstly this is not a bash of the iPhone. I am sure they are great phones if you have one.

Apple are about to release in NZ the new iPhone 3Gs or the third version of the iPhone.

According to the Apple website this is a list of its features.

http://www.apple.com/iphone/iphone-3gs/

Now what really bugs me about this list is the fact that a lot of what they are advertising as being great features are neither new, exclusive to apple, or actually that exciting.

The main highlights are:

  • Video. Phone have been able to record video for the last few years so nothing new here.
  • 3 MegaPixel camera. That is a decent camera for a phone but nothing that hasn’t been done before.
  • Voice Control. Anyone remember that really old telecom ad for the old hag? Voice control has been around for ages.
  • Compass/GPS.  Cool, but not exclusive to the iPhone or first either.
  • Cut, Copy & Paste. Ever used Andriod?
  • Landscape Keyboard. Used a Palm?
  • Messages. Hmm, my very first cellphone ten years ago could text message.
  • Search. Interesting but not that new either.
  • Accessibility aides. Cool but not new.
  • Internet Tethering. Not exclusive or new.
  • Voice Memos/Recorder. A cellphone I had about 4 years ago could do that.
  • Nike + iPod. Okay that is exclusive, but an expensive exclusive. It will only work with special Nike shoes, and only when you are moving.
  • Stocks. Not new.
  • YouTube. Google Andriod beat them there.
  • Find my iPhone and Remote Wipe. Okay this is cool.

So out of a list of 15 features only 2 are really new/exclusive to Apple.

So what about the full list of features, the other stuff that make it great:

  • Phone. Well I am glad that it works as a phone.
  • iPod. Yeah well I guess this is what makes it an iPhone.
  • Safari. I have had a webbrowser on my cellphone for a while now. Not new.
  • Mail. Being able to check your mail on your phone has also been around for years.
  • Video Recording. You already said this!
  • Photos. Phones have been able to do this for years.
  • Voice Control. You already said this.
  • Messages. You already said this.
  • Maps + Compass. You already said this.
  • Keyboard. I am glad you can actually right things, otherwise how would you be able to call or text people?
  • Cut, Copy & Paste. You already said this.
  • Search. You already said this.
  • Voice Memos. You already said this.
  • Accessibility. You already said this.
  • Tethering. You already said this.
  • App Store. Nice, but not exclusive, Andriod also has this, and java apps have been around for phones for a number of years now.
  • iTunes. This doesn’t count you have already said iPod. Same thing, different name.
  • Home Screen. It must be sure nice to be able to use a phone that takes you back to the start, most phones have no/back buttons so what is so good about this?

So out of the full list of 18, 10 features have already been mentioned, leaving 8, of which the majority have existed for ages.

Now this is not a bash of the iPhone. I am sure it is a great phone, and puts everything together great, but the promotion of it on the Apple site, in particular advertising the fact that 15 features are made out to be brand new/exclusive seems a little odd. It is probaby good PR and many people will be sucked in, but can someone please tell me what is actually that great about the iPhone, or is it like the iPod, all hype but there are better devices out there?