The iPhone has more rivals than a west coast rapper, and in the last nine months it’s faced an angry mobile mob, wielding sharper software, slicker design and smarter network deals. How does the iPhone 3GS stack up against this new wave of contenders? Our review will stack up the most serious threats.
Read the rest of our iPhone review: 3GS nine months on
Apple iPhone review: 3GS 9 months on
Apple iPhone review: 3GS Design and build
Apple iPhone review: 3GS Speed
HTC Legend
Without a doubt, this is the most serious threat to Cupertino’s offspring. Crafted from a single block of aluminium, it has the looks of a device straight from Jonny Ive’s workdesk. To make matters worse, it’s running Apple’s arch-nemesis: Google Android.
On paper, there’s a superior AMOLED screen inside too, although it has to be said we struggled to see a real difference between it and the iPhone 3GS’ LCD display side by side.
What makes the Legend special isn’t its specs, no matter how many more megapixels, megahertz or gigabytes it has. It’s the skill with which HTC has made its software mesh to seamlessly with Android. This is the most luxurious, and well thought out Google phone to date. Its outward design is enough to make the iPhone look like a pensioner, and the software inside breezy and sharp. Only the iPhone’s superior app library gives it the edge.
Apple iPhone review: 3GS speed
Motorola Milestone
Motorola’s rebirth came with the Motorola Milestone, a stonking smartphone that promised to out-do the iPhone in every respect. It didn’t disappoint, but it didn’t manage to topple the Apple phone either. Its greatest strength, running vanilla Android software with no Motorola enhancements, is also its greatest weakness. It’s a blisteringly quick phone, but without the range of apps that the iPhone has, it’s left spinning its wheels on a few mediocre offerings from Google’s Android Marketplace.
Still, its slide-out QWERTY keyboard showed it was possible to make a beautiful handset without skimping on the exterior features. It’s a fantastic phone, and one for Android purists, but the keyboard’s not quite as comfy as it could be, and the software inside doesn’t quite max out its processor, leaving us hungry for more. A Milestone, yes, but one that’s significantly behind the iPhone on the smartphone superhighway.
Nokia N900
Nokia’s N900 is the closest thing the Finnish phone makers have to an iPhone battler. Its Maemo software throws down the gauntlet to Apple by multitasking with aplomb and running Flash to cope with any website you can throw at it. A healthy developer community means there’re tons of apps available for it too, although you’ll need to go hunting for them.
The N900 is, from a software perspective, a hammer-blow to the iPhone. It’s slick, clever and performs admirably without leaning on Google for support. Its battery life leaves the iPhone gasping for breath, and neat hardware touches like a kick-stand and optional stylus make it a true jack of all trades.
There’s bad news too though. The N900 doesn’t have the same polished interface as the iPhone. It’s still rough around the edges, with inconsistent menus and occasionally unresponsive icons. An admirable effort from Nokia, but its bulky frame and not-quite-there software mean it’s an easy win for Apple.
Apple iPhone review: 3GS design and build
Google Nexus One
After months of rumours, the Big G finally started selling its own phone, and what a peach it is. With a slimmer shell, a similarly grime-resistant screen to the iPhone 3GS, a super-speedy processor and new Android 2.1 software, it’s a true contender for its crown.
Nexus One owners in the US can also enjoy Google Maps Navigation, turning the Google phone into a full blown satnav. That’s on top of a tweaked interface from Google’s designers, bringing prettier menus, a more cohesive navigation and thumbnail views of multiple homescreens.
Unfortunately, the Nexus One is still not a real iPhone alternative for prospective purchasers in the UK. Google has yet to release its handset for sale on a network, and although Vodafone has first dibs, at the time of writing the only way to get hold of the search giant’s superphone is to import it SIM-free, and at considerable cost. For now at least, the iPhone 3GS has nothing to worry about.
Read the rest of our iPhone review: 3GS nine months on
Apple iPhone review: 3GS 9 months on
