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16GB iPhone 3GS

Macworld Rating

4.5 out of 5 Mice, Jun 22, 2009

Pros

  • Bright, high-quality fingerprint-resistant touchscreen
  • Built-in GPS and compass
  • Decent autofocus camera with SD video capability
  • Extremely fast and responsive
  • All the new features of iPhone OS 3.0 Software Update
  • Voice control for phone dialing and music

Cons

  • Onboard video trimming is destructive
  • Requires two-year commitment to AT&T Wireless for lowest prices
  • Soft-looking video
  • Voice Control lacks some polish

$199 (with two-year contract); varies for other levels of AT&T contract commitment; $599 (no commitment)

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Macworld's 16GB iPhone 3GS Coverage

  • iPhone 3GS The iPhone 3G S is, without a doubt, the finest iPhone Apple has made. If you’ve never had an iPhone before, but are considering the purchase of a smartphone for the first time, you will not find a better Internet-connected phone than the iPhone 3G S. But if you already own a phone, there's a lot here that you'll find appealing.
  • Hackers release iOS 4.2.1 unlock for iPhone 3GS Hacking-happy users of iPhone 3G and 3GS models can now unlock their phones to work with other carriers, thanks to a new hack.
  • SquareTrade launches new iPhone warranty SquareTrade launched an extended iPad warranty plan last April, and now it's covering the iPhone, too. For an up-front fee and low per-incident deductible, your iPhone can be covered and replaced in just about any situation outside of leaving it on a bar stool.
  • AT&T tweaks mobile data plans, provides U.S. tethering details AT&T has announced significant changes to the company's U.S. wireless-data plans, offering less data for lower monthly fees compared to the current options. The company also provided additional details about iPhone data tethering in the U.S.
  • iPhone security flaw: Using a PIN won't help you Using a four-digit PIN to lock your iPhone doesn't really protect your data, security and IT blogger Bernd Marienfeldt has discovered.
  • Walmart drops iPhone 3GS price to $97 Walmart drops the price of the iPhone 3GS by to just $97, likely in anticipation of Apple’s forthcoming announcement about the next generation iPhone at WWDC.
  • AT&T raises some early termination fees Come June 1, AT&T will raise its early termination for smartphones and netbooks, sparking speculation about the next iPhone and Apple's potential for offering it on Verizon. Customers of "feature phones," however, can enjoy a lowered fee.
  • iPhone mobile payments trial to begin soon Visa has partnered with a company that has made a special case the iPhone that enables contactless payments, with trials expected to begin soon.
  • What the mobile patent fight is all about Apple and others are at war over who owns the key technologies such multitouch in the burgeoning mobile market
  • Talk to your iPod: Inside Apple's Voice Control You can control music playback on the iPod touch (late 2009) and iPhone 3GS with Apple's Voice Control feature. Here's how.
  • Apple, AT&T struck five-year deal in 2007; now, who knows? Recently unsealed court documents shed light on Apple and AT&T's exclusive deal--circa 2007. But where the contract stands now, nobody has any clue.
  • Apple becomes top U.S. phone maker during 2010 first quarter After less than three years on the market, Apple's iPhone has knocked Motorola off the throne of Top U.S. cell phone maker.
  • Android smartphones gaining ground on iPhones Apple continues to dominate the worldwide and U.S. mobile handset markets with its iPhone and iPod touch devices, but makers of Android phones are gaining ground, AdMob says.
  • Inside the numbers: Apple's great quarter Jason Snell takes a look at some of the less noticeable numbers that tell the story of Apple's latest remarkable financial performance.
  • AT&T coverage a concern, not speed ABI Research has a provocative message for AT&T: Just because you have the fastest 3G network, that doesn't make it the best.
  • Summary: Apple showcases iPhone 4.0 features At a press conference on Thursday, Apple offered a preview of its upcoming iPhone 4.0 OS update, which is highlighted by the addition of multitasking capabilities, changes to the Mail application, and a built-in advertising platform for app developers.
  • Apple debuts iAd advertising platform for iPhone OS If you ever had any doubt that that battle between Google and Apple was only beginning, wait until you hear what the Cupertino company has in store for iPhone OS-based advertising.
  • Apple: iPad sales, App Store downloads climbing Apple led off its iPhone 4.0 preview event with some numbers about the iPad. The company has sold 450,000 tablets since launching the device over the weekend. And users have downloaded more than 3.5 million iPad apps.
  • Live Update: iPhone OS 4.0 Event Jason Snell, Dan Frakes and the Macworld team will be on hand as Apple hosts an invitation-only event to "peek into the future of iPhone OS" on April 8.
  • Analysis: What Apple has in store for iPhone event If you're curious as to what Apple will and won't announce at Thursday's iPhone 4.0 event, a look back at the past two OS sneak previews offers some clues.
  • Apps turn your iPhone into an iPad camera add-on Disappointed at the lack of a camera on the iPad? Fear not—there are solutions out there, even though they are far from perfect.
  • Seven features we'd like Apple to add in iPhone OS 4.0 As we wait for Apple to unveil the next major iPhone OS revision, here are a few features we'd like to see that would change the iPhone experience for the better.
  • iPhone tops J.D. Power smartphone wireless survey again Apple stays at the top of the research firm smartphone survey for yet another year—blowing away its competitors in all but one category.
  • Has AT&T's network improvement plan helped enough? The Wall Street Journal reports on AT&T's ongoing plans to improve its network. They've helped improve service in some places, but is it enough to keep customers happy?
  • As Verizon iPhone rumors flare, AT&T customers ponder change Although AT&T has been aggressively improving its 3G network in recent months, the company could still struggle to retain iPhone users if rival Verizon began offering Apple's smartphone.
  • iPhone 3GS (16GB) Third-generation Apple mobile phone
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