iPhone 3GS Complete Feature Guide
As expected, the new Apple iPhone 3GS is out. We were right: The photos of the new iPhone were real. Here you have a comprehensive guide to the iPhone 3GS' new features: — Speed — The “S” stands for “SPEED!” And according to Apple …
Context & Ripple Effects
Apple’s iPhone line had already been framed around the 3G transition, while a March guide to iPhone 3.0 documented the software changes coming to the platform. The 3GS shifts the June 2009 story back to the handset itself, with speed presented as a central upgrade.
Pre-launch reports had repeatedly anticipated an improved iPhone at WWDC, but those claims were unconfirmed at the time. The feature guide supplies the concrete product framing behind that buildup.
First-order effects
- Apple gains a speed-led reason to differentiate the iPhone 3GS from the existing iPhone lineup, rather than relying only on new software capabilities.
- Prospective iPhone buyers get a new model whose feature set is organized around performance as well as the broader list of additions.
Second-order effects
- Apple’s handset messaging must connect the 3GS hardware upgrade with the iPhone 3.0 software story, making the value of the platform depend on both device and operating-system improvements.
Third-order effects
- If Apple continues pairing operating-system releases with refreshed hardware, iPhone competition will increasingly be defined by the combined device-and-software upgrade cycle rather than either layer alone.
The trend: The iPhone is developing as an integrated product cycle in which hardware refreshes and operating-system advances reinforce one another.