Guide to the iPhone family
The iPhone was a groundbreaking mobile phone, first introduced in January 2007 by Steve Jobs, CEO of Apple. It combined a mobile phone with an iPod MP3 player, camera, web browser and email client all controlled via an amazing touch screen interface. Since it's introduction, the iPhone has been improved and more features added, including in the latest iPhone 4, an HD video camera and face-to-face video calling. This guide will help you to understand the different models that make up the iPhone range and together with our guide to choosing the right iPhone, will help you to make an informed purchasing decision.
The original iPhone - iPhone 2G
The very first iPhone introduced in 2007. The brand new touch interface astonished the world as it set new standards in interactivity, allowing you to simply touch a number on a web page to dial it and to scroll by flicking, or to zoom in or out by pinching your fingertips together. It incorporates a 2.0 megapixel camera allowing you to take still digital images, but doesn’t have a built in flash or an autofocus feature. It has a built-in iPod with an 8GB hard drive for storing photos and music. For the original iPhone Apple had to develop a new operating system based on Mac OS X, this operating system is designed and created specifically for the iPhone to deliver an outstanding user experience. The touch screen almost fills the entire front panel and measures in at 3.5” with a resolution to deliver clear and crisp images. It connects to Wi-Fi and 2G (EDGE) allowing for fast data transfer. Although it has been eclipsed by later models in terms of features and performance, it is still one heck of a phone that can now be picked up for next to nothing.
iPhone 3G
With the arrival of the iPhone 3G came a new way of internet browsing. 3G allows users to connect to the Internet wherever they are, depending on signal strength, and allowed for even faster data transfer. It uses Safari, Apple’s own web browser, for powerful internet browsing much like that of a computer. It has several built in apps that come on the phone, these include YouTube to view videos on the go, an app to check the Weather and a mail application like that on Macs but redesigned for the iPhone. The iPhone 3G has a new glossy plastic design, replacing the aluminium back on the original iPhone, and the 16GB version can be purchased in either black or white. You can get an 8GB or a 16GB hard drive in the iPhone 3G which gives plenty of space for you to fill up with music, photos and apps. The camera is still 2.0 megapixels and does not support video recording much like its predecessor. One of the best additions to the iPhone 3G was the Assisted GPS which allows you to use the Google Maps app to find your way around.
iPhone 3GS
The iPhone 3GS was released in June 2009 and added quite a few new hardware and software features. The camera is no longer 2 megapixels like the previous 2 iPhones, but it is now 3.15MP. The software behind the camera has also been improved, it is capable of recording good quality video and sound, has a tap to focus feature to reduce blurriness and also has geo-tagging which records location where the photo was taken. A faster processor makes the iPhone 3GS nearly twice as fast as it's predecessor. A new compass app was added which allows the user to see which direction they are facing using the Assisted GPS - handy for walkers and orienteers! This model comes with iPhone OS 3 but is easily upgradeable to the new iOS 4 through iTunes. This particular model is available in black or white, and comes with either a 16GB or 32GB hard drive.
iPhone 4
The newest iPhone currently on the market, released in June 2010. It comes pre-loaded with the new iOS 4 allowing multitasking of apps, folders to organise your apps better and improved voice controls to make a phone call or to play a song. It has a new sleek design with a steel frame which acts as the antenna. This iPhone has two cameras, one on the front and one on the back which allows face-to-face video calling. The camera has been improved to 5 megapixels and is capable of recording video in 720p high definition with a built in flash for taking pictures and video in low light areas. It connects via Wi-Fi, 3G and Bluetooth allowing Internet connection no matter where you are. The display of this iPhone is even sharper and clearer than before allowing text and images to be rendered in extremely high quality. A further addition is the iBooks app. Released along with the iPad, iBooks is a place to download books for your iPhone and the quality of the screen allows for easy reading. The 8GB model is only available in black, whereas the 16GB and 32GB models come in black or white.
