No matter what I write in this review, there are people out there who will instantly accuse me and the TR team in general of being Apple fan boys, so I may as well throw the cat among the pigeons straight away. Put simply, the original iPhonechanged the face of mobile devices, and proved without a doubt that a great user interface is far more important than a long feature list.
For years iPhone haters have always been keen to point out all the features that are missing from the device and how their Windows Mobile/Nokia/other handset is better because it supports a host of features that the iPhone doesn't. Apple addressed some of these issues with the iPhone 3G that launched last year, adding (unsurprisingly) 3G data support along with GPS functionality.
Hardened tech-addicts may consider it foolish to even think of purchasing a phone that is over two years old, but there's clearly still a large market for the iPhone 3GS. According to recent US figures, it outsold every available Android model during the third quarter of 2011.
That's a remarkable achievement and is undoubtedly one of the main reasons why Apple has upgraded this vintage classic to iOS 5, its latest mobile operating system.
Granted, the 3GS misses out on the headline-grabbing voice-operated assistant Siri, but almost every other important feature of iOS 5 has made the cut. There's a completely overhauled notifications system, iCloud storage; an improved camera app; and a raft of new apps, including the Reminders app and access to Apple's new Newsstand service, which allows you to purchase digital copies of many famous magazines.
Of course, the 3GS has access to all of the other stuff that makes the iPhone brand so great. You can obtain thousands of games and applications, download music and podcasts and sync your phone with your home music library via Apple's iTunes desktop application.
There are moments when the 3GS does tend to show its age, however. The 600MHz processor occasionally becomes a little overwhelmed; it can stutter when you have a lot of activities occurring simultaneously. The 320x480-pixel, 3.5-inch screen also looks a tad small when compared to rival Android phones.
Ultimately, such issues matter little when you consider the current asking price of the 3GS. You can pick it up relatively cheaply on a monthly contract, or adopt the SIM-free route for around £200 to £250. The reduced pricing and continued software support from Apple effectively mean that the 3GS has almost unwittingly become the fabled budget iPhone that many industry experts were predicting would appear before the 4S was confirmed.
If you've enviously witnessed your friends picking up their shiny new iPhones and wished you could have a slice of the action, then the 3GS represents the perfect opportunity -- and it won't break the bank either.
