The Phones Show 85 (iPhone 3GS)

[sosodemi]

please hellp me.... iphone 3gs,htc hd or samsung i8910???what sould i bye?

[probulgarian]

The Iphone is great for gaming, watching movies or TV shows and has s great interface and is the best touch device while samsung i8910 stands up with its camera and HD video capture. HTC HD is the worst choice because it has a worse touch nor has a good camera. I've also had a dilema between these devices and finally decided to go woth the Iphone 3Gs. I am very happy with my choice because the camera is awsm eventhough it's no good for photocapturing in low-light.

[badopinion]

Quote "Although fine for most web browsing" . . . . . Seriously? Flash or no Flash, IT IS the best browser I've ever used on a mobile phone. Please comment if you've had a better browsing experience on another handset...... Merry Christmas!

[stevelitchfield]

Well, browsing is better on the Nokia N900. Though I'll admit that Flash is a bit overrated. The iPhone's Safari makes a right mess of many mobile sites though....

[badopinion]

Ooo, I must check it out. That's the reason I've stuck with the iPhone for so long. Thanks Steve!

[epgomez]

safari cannot render all sites properly. Sites with windows media player embeded, java, ajax, flash and silverlight cannot be accessed. In another handset you get everything. Use opera to access 95% content and skyfire for everything.

[stevelitchfield]

Well yes. Though quite a lot of that (e.g. Flash and Silverlight) are just used for ads, which I'm happy NOT to display 8-)

[epgomez]

It's like you're living in a fenced town and you don't want to venture outside bec you already said the outside world is not good for you while the rest can explore 100% of the world. which is better? having access to 100% content is still better.

[IrisFrance]

Like what leoni said, Backgrounder let you muliti task on iphone. "The real multi task"

iphone can do what ever you want to do, as long as you know how to really "use" it.

[bob91011]

Switching from a Blackberry some three weeks ago, it's obvious to me that the 3GS battery is a real lightweight, and probably the iphone's achilles heel, which drives other ommissions like backgrounding, camera flash, etc. I really don't think the battery could cope with these.

[misterleoni]

'Backrounder' (Cydia) brings REAL multitasking. though I have no need for it. i have iRealQuickSMS for SMS from within any app (something no other device can do), SBettings for comms management from within ANY app, and now Beejive with background push notification so I don't personally need 'true' multitasking. Beejive keeps me logged in on MSN/Facebook using no battery; Meebo on my G1 is constantly connected to packet data and drains within hours. Multitasking = efficient but batteries HATE it.

[stevelitchfield]

Ahem. Batteries may hate multitasking on the *iPhone* and G1 but 200 million S60 smartphones seem OK with it. All depends if the OS is good enough.

[misterleoni]

I don't think I made myself clear: I meant that for IM multitasking kills your battery. This is true of ALL phones, including S60 which I am very familiar with Steve, since I've owned lots Nokias (and still have a 5800 in fact, which has the best speakers on the market :-) ). I don't really need multitasking for anything else, but then it's all about needs. I've lived with a lot of OS's and iPhone OSx is my favourite right now, mainly for its pure usability and the pure joy that usage brings.

[stevelitchfield]

Ah ok. Yes, constant data kills any device, at least it does if there's any kind of travelling or weak signals/network cell traversal involved. Laws of phsics etc!

[misterleoni]

it certainly does.

Beejive (and IM+) keep you logged in server-side as a workaround for the lack of out-of-box multitasking on iPhone, but in FACT it is a very good system for IM addicts since it saves shedloads of battery. Great if your signal drops too since you set the amount of time to auto logout. I only wish it were offered as an option on other devices since my only choices with Meebo on the G1 or Nimbuzz on the 5800 are to be logged in and using 3g constantly or offline completely.

[NeDamoKosovo00]

N95 8GB has better speakers

[NeDamoKosovo00]

or maybe im wrong, but the n95 did have GREAT speakers

[waqasjehanxeb]

The backgrounder is a useful application without a doubt but its not compatible with apps that come with the OS. Like youtube and stuff. Is there any way to use YouTube in the background ?

[NovaScene]

LOL.

Looking at the video and seeing how amazed that other guy was about the nrw iPhone, I knew that you are gonna pop up and throw some trash at the phone for not supporting some nerdy features that are needed only by a smallish margin of people. :D Ur so predictable.

[stevelitchfield]

Nerdy? Hardly. e.g. multi tasking sounds nerdy, but actually means that a device can seem twice (or more) as fast as a phone OS without it. So, for example, on a WinMob or Android or S60 phone, I can switch between a game and Calendar and Web and go back to the game all within 5 SECONDS. Now go try that on the iPhone.

Personally, I think Apple should open up third party multitasking and level the playing field in this area.

[Str8isis]

Great informative show, as always! I was thinking of getting the HTC Magic (mytouch), but maybe I will wait for the hero!

[rufysufy]

steve, before recording anything about the omnia HD, take note that a new firmware update is out (currently available for italy but will come out soon for other places) which puts AAC audio in video recording, fixes Framerate drops, and increases keyboard/widget sensitivity and makes the internet browser much more smooth.

as always good show!

[stevelitchfield]

Thanks, noted, yes, I'll make sure I use latest firmware!

[brandonlacavera]

the guy talks about how good the video is on the iphone jesus ur sadly mistaken man

[stevelitchfield]

Really? Have you tried video on the 3GS? I'd love some more samples and data points!

[are07s]

And you´re right, of course.

[stevelitchfield]

Actually, James didn't use a particularly useful clip as an example, since he focussed on something close up and then panned away. One of the problems of focussing in video, of course - but I'd still rather have it than not!

[jamesburland]

'The guy' is me, and I stand by my comment. Relatively, the 3GS produces excellent video in good light conditions and average video in poor light. It's as simple as that.

[gavrilaeugen]

steve if y connect my n86 on my pc whit data cable the phone will charge ? like samsung j700 ?

[stevelitchfield]

Yes, it charges via microUSB.

[gavrilaeugen]

one more question u record the last part of the pgone show whit iphone 3gs or a nokia ? what nokia ? i have the n86 & if y make a picture whit a desk the sharphess are horible

[stevelitchfield]

N86. Don't understand your post though. 'Make a picture whit a desk'?

[gavrilaeugen]

on the edge of eny object is some lines example a desk

[stevelitchfield]

Yes, Nokia do like upping the edge enhancement in their cameras.... I agree it's not an attractive trait...

[mykelala01]

Unless Nokia come out with new operating system, Iphone will overtake Symbian S60. Symbian is so out dated. Nokia makes good phone a lot of feature but the operating system is medicore. And the ease of use of Iphone and app store make the Fruit phone the no1 phone on the market. Its all about the App right now. No one cares anymore if you got the most megapixel.

[stevelitchfield]

I just haven't got the time to sit you down for an hour and explain all the things that are wrong with your comments..... Maybe I'll address it in a future article.

[lovestosplooge111]

haha dont do it. its an obvious troll.

or maybe iphone users are really like that. maybe u should...

[polo99a9]

i hate to say but... the iphone 3gs looks great. it can entertain like no other. as for working with ofice or other tools, it is just beter to buy another phone like n97 or some android or wm model. and that adds up to what? 1000EURO? :(

[stevelitchfield]

Yeah, the iPhone 3GS is currently possible number 1 in the world - but it's also just about the most expensive, in terms of total cost of ownership.

[vastenmielinen]

the 3gs seems nice... but it is still mainly a "toy phone though

but nice improvements nevertheless

[jamesburland]

What other 'toy phone' could you paint the front cover the The Newyorker Magazine?

I believe this concept of the iPhone being just a toy speaks volumes about the diversity of human nature and less about Apple as a company.

People have been saying the Mac's are toy computers for the last 25 years. A bizarre statement. I guess Apple's focus on reduced complexity inspires some people to consider their products childlike, when quite the opposite is true.

[lovestosplooge111]

also, given apples reputation for being known as the innovative and different yet stylish, and its standing in american culture. how could it not be on the cover. apple marketing is truly marvelous.

i have been a mac user for some time now. the iphone is probably their only product i do not use. what if leopard did not allow you to run multiple applications and install any app u want lol. thats not really a fair comparison but it is what other companies offer.

[structurebe1]

Hmm...don't think the video is better than the N95.

[simpl3lang]

o yah....ive search around and heard that the O2 branded version of i8910 is slow and buggy. if youre gonna do a review of the i8910 can you do a hands on the debranded version. to fully exploit the potential of the phone. O2 branded ones restricts the full potention of its hardware.

lastly....i live in the USA. is the 3G compatible?

thanks in advance!!!!!

[stevelitchfield]

O2? You mean Orange? 3G? No idea, you'll have to research what frequencies your carrier gives you!

[simpl3lang]

steve...thanks for the reviews. really great. always waiting to watch your reviews. in the end of show 85......is that the samsung omnia hd (i8910)?

i know you did a review of it already...but that was like a prototype. it had bugs. its out now. it would be appreciated if you review it...and compare it with the iphone 3GS (which i have right now). the i8910 just looks tempting.

[stevelitchfield]

Yes, it was the i8910 HD - I'm fairly confident to have one by the next show. Mind you I've said that before!! 8-)

[stevelitchfield]

I'd got for the N95 8GB and cheaper contract - it's still a great phone. But yes, an iPhone 3GS does look tempting. Just costs the earth!!

[trevsweb]

thanks again steve that iphone review was really good.

my contract is due today having a tough decision weither to stick with a cheaper contract and my n95 8gb or move off vodafone to 02 and get an iphone...

doesnt help when vodafone ring and give me a crap deal :/ rather depressing seeing as ive been with them for 9 years...

[BuDaddy2]

Speaking as a long time mobile content developer... There really is no better mobile gamming platform than the iPhone, and the 3G S takes this up a good notch. But, as a lover of Nokias media capture... The 3G S supposedly takes great videos in good lighting conditions (O.o), but what about its audio capture & sync with said videos? All the 3G S reviews seem to pass over that on. Nokia does it so damn well.

[jamesburland]

Apple have made the decision to drop the frame rate when the available like reaches a certain point. Was it the right decision? For viewing on the iPhone screen and standard YT uploads, yes, most definitely. For viewing on a larger screen, no they didn't make the right decision. The mic is not as sensitive as an N95 for example, but this is only going to cause problems in a limited number of situations.

The reduced frame rate in low light is hands down the worst thing about video capture on 3GS

[stevelitchfield]

Interesting that you say the mike isn't as good. People have been saying that captured audio in AudioBoo is excellent, so presumably the mike is good and the sample rates used in the Camera app are too low?

[vastenmielinen]

ive noticed my n85 has by far the best mike of phones ive had..

the sound is crisp n clear without sacrificing low tones either.

and it alway gets my breathing on film ,even when im trying to be extra quiet

hehe..

[MultiKdizzle]

hmmm looks like someone is slowly starting to mobve away from symbian and on to the iphone, as far as prefreerd mobile. Same with me, symbian 5th edition was an incredible disapointment. the n97 is a joke for a flagship device

[stevelitchfield]

Yes, though I may have some exciting news on the N97 front shortly.... Don't write it off completely yet....

[jo3mck]

great show!!!

is there a nokia 5800 firmware update?

thank you.

[betterbenice]

Normally I didn't like the Iphone, hated that overpriced and way overrated phone.

BUT the Iphone 3GS impresses me to be honest. There are many improvements and especialy the new camera seems te be very very good, as well as in taking pictures as in capturing video's.

However there are still some irritating downsides like Steve mentioned, I have to say the 3GS surprised me in a positive way, and believe me, that is special.

thanks Steve again!

[adtrea]

Great show from both of you, Steve and James.

Judging from the end of the video I take it that the N86 is your new favorite camera phone, Steve? :P

Also, what is your opinion on the video capture of the iPhone 3GS compared to the N86?

[stevelitchfield]

James and I are planning a few video head to heads. Watch this space!

[jamesburland]

Frame rate is really important to me, as is auto-focus in video capture. Something like the N82 does have a tad more detail when capturing video, but it's spoilt by dropped frames (as many as 4 every second, depending on the scene) and excessive compression artefacts due to the usage of the older and less exacting MP4 codec. The 3GS uses H.264 at a similar bit-rate.

Massive thanks to Steve for letting me loose on his Phones Show! ^_^

[adtrea]

I just want to be a bit mean, but the N82 uses the H.263 video codec , MP4 is only the container format :P

Though from what I can see in this video the iPhone 3GS is very good when it comes to video capture, so I have to agree with you in that respect.

[jamesburland]

Good call. I figured it was H.263. But wasn't sure where to look for the answer. Thank you.

[emkwan]

Another rock solid show. Great work Steve. :-) better quality then some silly gadget shows iv watched on the box. 10/10.

[stevelitchfield]

Thanks, though 90% of the effort for this show was done by James - so credit to him this time!!

[ichi1082]

i compared the video recording between the 3gs and the n82. the n82 is better in all areas, especially the frame rate.

Watch my videos. If you try to record fast penspinning combos with the iPhone 3gs you won't be satisfied.

[jamesburland]

Interesting... I won't go into huge detail here as I believe Steve has a direct video comparison in mind. But my personal reasons for choosing 3GS video capture over Nseries are many, however the top three would be... 1. Auto-focus. 2. H.264 codec. 3. Colour accuracy.

Having said all that I've not tried the N86, I'm still waiting for the review sample to arrive.

[RouTechKid]

What's the game name?

[stevelitchfield]

Which one?

[heshere2001]

Hey Steve, excellent video as always. I was wondering if you were going to give a full review of the HTC Hero? I'm definitely considering buying one, but am stuck between the Hero and the Samsung Galaxy. Help me choose an Android device will yah!?

Thanks in advance.

[stevelitchfield]

I'm in the queue to review the Hero - might even make the next show if the Samsung is STILL not here 8-(

[mihaiRMD]

iphone 3GS better than nokia nseries at video recording ... i don't think so... only if you use the n70 or n73 as comparation , anyway keep up the good work steve .

[jamesburland]

What happens if you want to record something up close (i.e. less than 1 metre away) on an Nseries device? This a big problem.

[stevelitchfield]

N95/N95 8GB/N82/E90/N86 are all fine for subjects a metre or so away, other Nseries camera optics aren't currently pre-focussed.

Closer than a metre and you really need specific focus. But non-continual focus also has its problems. Hmm.... there's an article in here, i think.

[PoetryRocksAlot]

No file system yet. Hey do you know if the Palm Pre have a file system? Have you tried WebOS?

[jaxx751]

the dynamic range of the 3GS looks great. Still thinking that my next phone is going to be the N86.

What's up with no feed to the podcast, Steve? :) Thanks for the videos.

[stevelitchfield]

Give me a chance!! Takes a couple of hours to upload 200MB of video to the feed FTP server 8-) And the show's not supposed to be up for a few *days*!