Three generations of the iPhone in chronological order. From left to right: original, 3G, 3GS.
Manufacturer Apple Inc.
Type Candybar smartphone
Release date Original: June 29, 2007[1]
3G: July 11, 2008[2]
3GS: June 19, 2009[3]
Units sold 21.17 million (as of Q2 2009)[update][4]
Operating system iPhone OS 3.1 (build 7C144), released 9 September 2009
Power Original: 3.7 V 1400 mAh
3G: 3.7 V 1150 mAh
3GS: 3.7 V 1219 mAh[5]
Internal rechargeable non-removable lithium-ion polymer battery[6]
CPU Original & 3G: Samsung 32-bit RISC ARM 1176JZ(F)-S v1.0[7]
620 MHz underclocked to 412 MHz[8]
PowerVR MBX Lite 3D GPU[9]
3GS: ARM Cortex-A8
833 MHz underclocked to 600 MHz
PowerVR SGX GPU[10][11]
Storage capacity Flash memory Original: 4, 8, & 16 GB
3G: 8 & 16 GB
3GS: 16 & 32 GB
Memory Original & 3G: 128 MB DRAM[12]
3GS: 256 MB DRAM[10]
Display 320 × 480 px, 3.5 in (89 mm), 2:3 aspect ratio, 262,144-color LCD at 163 pixels per inch (ppi)
Input Multi-touch touchscreen display, headset controls, proximity and ambient light sensors, 3-axis accelerometer[13]
3GS also includes: digital compass[14]
Camera Original & 3G: 2.0 megapixels with geotagging
3GS: 3.0 megapixels with video (VGA at 30 fps), geotagging, and automatic focus, white balance, & exposure
Connectivity Wi-Fi (802.11b/g), Bluetooth 2.0+EDR (3GS: 2.1), USB 2.0/Dock connector
Quad band GSM 850 900 1800 1900 MHz GPRS/EDGE[15]
3G also includes: A-GPS; Tri band UMTS/HSDPA 850, 1900, 2100 MHz[16]
3GS also supports: 7.2 Mbps HSDPA
Online services iTunes Store, App Store, MobileMe
Dimensions Original:
4.5 in (115 mm) (h)
2.4 in (61 mm) (w)
0.46 in (11.6 mm) (d)
3G & 3GS:
4.5 in (115.5 mm) (h)
2.4 in (62.1 mm) (w)
0.48 in (12.3 mm) (d)
Weight Original & 3GS: 135 g (4.8 oz)
3G: 133 g (4.7 oz)
Related articles iPod Touch (Comparison)
The iPhone is an Internet-connected, multimedia GSM smartphone designed and marketed by Apple Inc. Because its minimal hardware interface lacks a physical keyboard, the multi-touch screen renders a virtual keyboard when necessary. The iPhone functions as a camera phone (also including text messaging and visual voicemail), a portable media player (equivalent to a video iPod), and an Internet client (with email, web browsing, and Wi-Fi connectivity). The first-generation phone hardware was quad-band GSM with EDGE; the second generation added UMTS with 3.6 Mbps HSDPA;[17] the third generation adds support for 7.2 Mbps HSDPA downloading but remains limited to 384 Kbps uploading as Apple had not implemented the HSPA protocol.[18]
Apple announced the iPhone on January 9, 2007,[19] after months of rumors and speculation.[20] The original iPhone was introduced in the United States on June 29, 2007 before being marketed worldwide. Time magazine named it the Invention of the Year in 2007.[21] Released July 11, 2008, the iPhone 3G supports faster 3G data speeds and assisted GPS.[17] On March 17, 2009, Apple announced version 3.0 of the iPhone OS operating system for the iPhone (and iPod Touch), released on June 17, 2009.[22] The iPhone 3GS was announced on June 8, 2009, and has improved performance, a camera with more megapixels and video capability, and voice control.[23] It was released in the U.S., Canada and 6 European countries on June 19, 2009,[3] in Australia and Japan on June 26,[24] and saw international release in July and August, 2009.
Type Candybar smartphone
Release date Original: June 29, 2007[1]
3G: July 11, 2008[2]
3GS: June 19, 2009[3]
Units sold 21.17 million (as of Q2 2009)[update][4]
Operating system iPhone OS 3.1 (build 7C144), released 9 September 2009
Power Original: 3.7 V 1400 mAh
3G: 3.7 V 1150 mAh
3GS: 3.7 V 1219 mAh[5]
Internal rechargeable non-removable lithium-ion polymer battery[6]
CPU Original & 3G: Samsung 32-bit RISC ARM 1176JZ(F)-S v1.0[7]
620 MHz underclocked to 412 MHz[8]
PowerVR MBX Lite 3D GPU[9]
3GS: ARM Cortex-A8
833 MHz underclocked to 600 MHz
PowerVR SGX GPU[10][11]
Storage capacity Flash memory Original: 4, 8, & 16 GB
3G: 8 & 16 GB
3GS: 16 & 32 GB
Memory Original & 3G: 128 MB DRAM[12]
3GS: 256 MB DRAM[10]
Display 320 × 480 px, 3.5 in (89 mm), 2:3 aspect ratio, 262,144-color LCD at 163 pixels per inch (ppi)
Input Multi-touch touchscreen display, headset controls, proximity and ambient light sensors, 3-axis accelerometer[13]
3GS also includes: digital compass[14]
Camera Original & 3G: 2.0 megapixels with geotagging
3GS: 3.0 megapixels with video (VGA at 30 fps), geotagging, and automatic focus, white balance, & exposure
Connectivity Wi-Fi (802.11b/g), Bluetooth 2.0+EDR (3GS: 2.1), USB 2.0/Dock connector
Quad band GSM 850 900 1800 1900 MHz GPRS/EDGE[15]
3G also includes: A-GPS; Tri band UMTS/HSDPA 850, 1900, 2100 MHz[16]
3GS also supports: 7.2 Mbps HSDPA
Online services iTunes Store, App Store, MobileMe
Dimensions Original:
4.5 in (115 mm) (h)
2.4 in (61 mm) (w)
0.46 in (11.6 mm) (d)
3G & 3GS:
4.5 in (115.5 mm) (h)
2.4 in (62.1 mm) (w)
0.48 in (12.3 mm) (d)
Weight Original & 3GS: 135 g (4.8 oz)
3G: 133 g (4.7 oz)
Related articles iPod Touch (Comparison)
The iPhone is an Internet-connected, multimedia GSM smartphone designed and marketed by Apple Inc. Because its minimal hardware interface lacks a physical keyboard, the multi-touch screen renders a virtual keyboard when necessary. The iPhone functions as a camera phone (also including text messaging and visual voicemail), a portable media player (equivalent to a video iPod), and an Internet client (with email, web browsing, and Wi-Fi connectivity). The first-generation phone hardware was quad-band GSM with EDGE; the second generation added UMTS with 3.6 Mbps HSDPA;[17] the third generation adds support for 7.2 Mbps HSDPA downloading but remains limited to 384 Kbps uploading as Apple had not implemented the HSPA protocol.[18]
Apple announced the iPhone on January 9, 2007,[19] after months of rumors and speculation.[20] The original iPhone was introduced in the United States on June 29, 2007 before being marketed worldwide. Time magazine named it the Invention of the Year in 2007.[21] Released July 11, 2008, the iPhone 3G supports faster 3G data speeds and assisted GPS.[17] On March 17, 2009, Apple announced version 3.0 of the iPhone OS operating system for the iPhone (and iPod Touch), released on June 17, 2009.[22] The iPhone 3GS was announced on June 8, 2009, and has improved performance, a camera with more megapixels and video capability, and voice control.[23] It was released in the U.S., Canada and 6 European countries on June 19, 2009,[3] in Australia and Japan on June 26,[24] and saw international release in July and August, 2009.
IPhone OS version 3.0 on the iPhone 3GS
Company / developer Apple Inc.
OS family Mac OS X / Unix-like
Working state Current
Source model Closed source (with open source components)
Latest stable release 3.1 / 2009-9-09; 15 days ago[1]
Supported platforms ARMv6 and ARMv7-A (iPhone and iPod Touch)
Kernel type Hybrid (Apple Darwin)
Default user interface Cocoa Touch (Multi-touch, GUI)
License Proprietary EULA except for open source components
Website iPhone Dev Center
User interface
iPhone OS' user interface is based on the concept of direct manipulation, using multi-touch gestures. Interface control elements consist of sliders, switches, and buttons. The response to user input is supposed to be immediate to provide a fluid interface. Interaction with the OS includes gestures such as swiping, tapping, pinching, and reverse pinching. Additionally, using internal accelerometers, rotating the device on its y-axis[clarification needed] alters the screen orientation in some applications.
A home screen (rendered by "SpringBoard") with application icons, and a dock at the bottom of the screen, showing icons for the applications the user accesses the most, is presented when the device is turned on or whenever the home button is pressed. The screen has a status bar across the top to display data, such as time, battery level, and signal strength. The rest of the screen is devoted to the current application. There is no concept of starting or quitting applications, only opening an application from the home screen, and leaving the application to return to the home screen. It is possible to force an application to quit by holding down the power button until the "slide to power off" slider appears, and then holding the home button down, however. While some multitasking is permitted it is not obtrusive or obvious. However, it is limited to Apple's own applications. Third-party apps are quit when left, but with the 3.0 software update, notifications will be able to be pushed from Apple's servers to the iPhone or iPod Touch. Many of the included applications were designed to work together; allowing for the sharing or cross-propagation of data from one application to another (e.g., a phone number can be selected from an email and saved as a contact or dialed for a phone call.)
[edit] Application support
See also: List of iPhone OS applications
The central processing unit used in the iPhone and iPod Touch is an ARM-based processor instead of the x86 (and previous PowerPC or MC680x0) processors used in Apple's Macintosh computers, and it uses OpenGL ES 1.1[8] rendering by the PowerVR 3D graphics hardware accelerator co-processor.[9] Mac OS X applications cannot be copied to and run on an iPhone OS device. They need to be written and compiled specifically for the iPhone OS and the ARM architecture. However, the Safari web browser supports "web applications," as noted below. Authorized third-party native applications are available for devices with iPhone OS 2.0 and later through Apple's App Store.
[edit] Included applications
In version 3.0, the iPhone home screen contains these default applications: Messages (Text messaging, MMS), Calendar, Photos, Camera (Video recording and auto-focus enabled in iPhone 3GS), YouTube, Stocks, Maps (Google Maps, with Assisted GPS on iPhone 3G and 3GS), Weather, Clock, Calculator, Voice Memos, Notes, Settings, iTunes (with access to the iTunes Music Store and iTunes Podcast Directory), App Store, Compass (on the 3GS), and Contacts. Four other applications delineate the iPhone's main purposes: Phone, Mail, Safari, and iPod.[10][11]
The iPod Touch retains many of the same applications that are present by default on the iPhone, with the exception of the Phone, Messages, and Camera apps. The "iPod" App present on the iPhone is split into two apps on the iPod Touch: Music, and Videos. The bottom row of applications is also used to delineate the iPod Touch's main purposes: Safari, Music, Videos, and App Store (Dock Layout was changed in 3.0 Update).
[edit] Web applications
At the 2007 Apple Worldwide Developers Conference Apple announced that the iPhone and iPod Touch will support third-party "applications" via the Safari web browser, referred to as web applications. The applications can be created using web technologies such as AJAX.[12]
[edit] Unsupported third-party native applications
Currently, the iPhone and iPod Touch can only officially install full programs through the App Store.[13] However, from version 1.0 unauthorized third-party native applications are available.[14] Such applications face the possibility of being broken by any iPhone OS update, though Apple has stated it will not design software updates specifically to break native applications (other than applications that perform SIM unlocking).[15] The main distribution methods for these applications are the Installer, Icy, and Cydia utilities, which can be installed on the iPhone after major methods of jailbreaking.
Company / developer Apple Inc.
OS family Mac OS X / Unix-like
Working state Current
Source model Closed source (with open source components)
Latest stable release 3.1 / 2009-9-09; 15 days ago[1]
Supported platforms ARMv6 and ARMv7-A (iPhone and iPod Touch)
Kernel type Hybrid (Apple Darwin)
Default user interface Cocoa Touch (Multi-touch, GUI)
License Proprietary EULA except for open source components
Website iPhone Dev Center
User interface
iPhone OS' user interface is based on the concept of direct manipulation, using multi-touch gestures. Interface control elements consist of sliders, switches, and buttons. The response to user input is supposed to be immediate to provide a fluid interface. Interaction with the OS includes gestures such as swiping, tapping, pinching, and reverse pinching. Additionally, using internal accelerometers, rotating the device on its y-axis[clarification needed] alters the screen orientation in some applications.
A home screen (rendered by "SpringBoard") with application icons, and a dock at the bottom of the screen, showing icons for the applications the user accesses the most, is presented when the device is turned on or whenever the home button is pressed. The screen has a status bar across the top to display data, such as time, battery level, and signal strength. The rest of the screen is devoted to the current application. There is no concept of starting or quitting applications, only opening an application from the home screen, and leaving the application to return to the home screen. It is possible to force an application to quit by holding down the power button until the "slide to power off" slider appears, and then holding the home button down, however. While some multitasking is permitted it is not obtrusive or obvious. However, it is limited to Apple's own applications. Third-party apps are quit when left, but with the 3.0 software update, notifications will be able to be pushed from Apple's servers to the iPhone or iPod Touch. Many of the included applications were designed to work together; allowing for the sharing or cross-propagation of data from one application to another (e.g., a phone number can be selected from an email and saved as a contact or dialed for a phone call.)
[edit] Application support
See also: List of iPhone OS applications
The central processing unit used in the iPhone and iPod Touch is an ARM-based processor instead of the x86 (and previous PowerPC or MC680x0) processors used in Apple's Macintosh computers, and it uses OpenGL ES 1.1[8] rendering by the PowerVR 3D graphics hardware accelerator co-processor.[9] Mac OS X applications cannot be copied to and run on an iPhone OS device. They need to be written and compiled specifically for the iPhone OS and the ARM architecture. However, the Safari web browser supports "web applications," as noted below. Authorized third-party native applications are available for devices with iPhone OS 2.0 and later through Apple's App Store.
[edit] Included applications
In version 3.0, the iPhone home screen contains these default applications: Messages (Text messaging, MMS), Calendar, Photos, Camera (Video recording and auto-focus enabled in iPhone 3GS), YouTube, Stocks, Maps (Google Maps, with Assisted GPS on iPhone 3G and 3GS), Weather, Clock, Calculator, Voice Memos, Notes, Settings, iTunes (with access to the iTunes Music Store and iTunes Podcast Directory), App Store, Compass (on the 3GS), and Contacts. Four other applications delineate the iPhone's main purposes: Phone, Mail, Safari, and iPod.[10][11]
The iPod Touch retains many of the same applications that are present by default on the iPhone, with the exception of the Phone, Messages, and Camera apps. The "iPod" App present on the iPhone is split into two apps on the iPod Touch: Music, and Videos. The bottom row of applications is also used to delineate the iPod Touch's main purposes: Safari, Music, Videos, and App Store (Dock Layout was changed in 3.0 Update).
[edit] Web applications
At the 2007 Apple Worldwide Developers Conference Apple announced that the iPhone and iPod Touch will support third-party "applications" via the Safari web browser, referred to as web applications. The applications can be created using web technologies such as AJAX.[12]
[edit] Unsupported third-party native applications
Currently, the iPhone and iPod Touch can only officially install full programs through the App Store.[13] However, from version 1.0 unauthorized third-party native applications are available.[14] Such applications face the possibility of being broken by any iPhone OS update, though Apple has stated it will not design software updates specifically to break native applications (other than applications that perform SIM unlocking).[15] The main distribution methods for these applications are the Installer, Icy, and Cydia utilities, which can be installed on the iPhone after major methods of jailbreaking.
.jpg)
