Mobile Phones Guide
Design
Looks Swagger
Some wise man once uttered that if a fence isn't broken, you shouldn't be wasting time trying to fix it. Apple obviously heeded to this comment when they brought about the new iPhone 3GS. Instead of reinventing the wheel and coming up with a new look, Apple stuck to the bold step of sticking with the same old design. And we are only too thankful for that. For one, many manufacturers have come and gone, in their attempts to copy and emulate the popular iPhone touchscreen design. In fact, it seems that whenever a manufacturer comes out with a 'new' touchscreen phone, it's more or less a carbon copy of the iPhone series. Case in point: the Samsung Omnia, LG Arena and BlackBerry Storm.
Though many might disagree, we feel that having a refurbished design is unnecessary. Yes, it might be fun to lay your hands on a sleek slide-out QWERTY keyboard, or even a handset with a slimmer girth and larger screen, but we have to admit that the current 3.5-inch touch screen and single button layout is simply enough. Radically changing the design, on the other hand, might hamper the user experience
which is one area that the iPhone is miles ahead from its competitors.
The only difference in the design between the iPhone 3G and 3GS is that the latter's screen is slightly more reflective because of the new coating that is supposed to be grease resistant. Though this coating didn't succeed in fully eliminating fingerprints and smudges, it did manage to reduce the amount of face grease, and it allows the screen to be responsive even when it is marred with smudges and oil.
Like its predecessors, the 3GS also comes with a glossy black or white casing that advocate the minimalist look. But too bad for neat-freaks, the casings are still a magnet for smudges and fingerprints. Good news is that with dimensions of 115.5 x 62.1 x 12.3mm, the length of the phone makes it so easy to hold and navigate with one hand. Oddly, this phone is also the heaviest iPhone yet at 136 grams as it tips the scales slightly more than the iPhone 3G and the original iPhone.
The new iPhone 3GS also comes in two variations - 16GB and 32GB, whereas last year's models only featured smaller 8GB and 16GB capacities. This means more room for more pictures, more songs, more videos and definitely more apps.
