iPhone 3GS review

Over the past year, the iPhone has built up a steady momentum, largely due to the variety of software available on the one-year-old App Store.

The recent release of iPhone OS 3.0, a free update for older models, filled gaps in older models by adding MMS, copy and paste, landscape email and text composition, and many other features. This is great news if you already have an iPhone, so what does the 3GS have to offer and is it worth paying more when you can pick up the 3G model for nothing on a two-year contract?

Well, if you need 16GB or 32GB of storage, the 3GS is your only option. Apple only makes the iPhone 3G with 8GB now, which you might find restrictive if you want to use larger applications such as the 1.65GB European version of MobileNavigator.

Some features are exclusive to the 3GS, such as a compass that shows the direction you're facing in Maps, voice recognition, and accessibility features that assist with sight and hearing impairments. If you're a fitness fanatic, you can monitor your routine with the optional Nike+ sensor and footwear.

The iPhone's camera has drawn much criticism because it produces photos that are merely adequate and best used online. Two years on, it has been upgraded with a three-megapixel sensor and automatic focusing. Tap on the screen, and the focal point and white balance are adjusted. They can't be set independently (cue more third-party camera apps), but the results with quick snaps are visibly improved. Even macro shots look good.

You can also shoot video at 640 x 480 pixels. White balancing takes a couple of seconds to catch up if you turn towards light or darkness, while the mic held up remarkably well when we tested it against the busy background of London's Embankment, where it captured narration loud and clear. You can trim the ends of videos, and share the results via email, MMS, MobileMe and YouTube.

Far and away the most practical new feature is Voice Control, which reduces the amount of physical contact required to control the iPhone and iPod apps. It's activated by briefly holding down the Home button and then telling the iPhone who to call, or which song or artist you want to hear. Contact and artist names are recognised immediately, without additional setup, although we had to train ourselves to say 'zero' instead of 'oh', which it misinterpreted as 'four'.

Recognition is good but it occasionally mistook instructions, although they're recited back to you, allowing a very short time to cancel an action. It can also be activated from the bundled headphones, which include and inline remote and microphone, but we were disappointed that incoming caller names and numbers aren't announced.

A feature that Apple has made less fuss about is the new oleophobic screen coating, designed to repel natural oils from your skin and, to a point, resist fingerprints. It took four days of heavy use before we needed to wipe the screen, although Apple warns that it will wear out with time and use, but in its brand-new state, it definitely attracted fewer marks.

Apple boasts that this is the fastest iPhone so far, but it's tight-lipped on the exact specifications, which are reported to include a faster CPU and a new graphics processor. The difference is immediately noticeable: HTML emails and other content render more quickly, while some games show improved frame rates. It makes for a smoother experience, especially when jumping between applications to copy and paste text, or respond to a push notification, because applications launch quickly and become responsive sooner.