Apple iPhone 3G vs Apple iPhone 3GS

Compare recorded specifications, size and practical differences.

+ Add a third phone

Key differences

Calculated from recorded specifications using minimum difference thresholds. These are differences, not an overall ranking. For three phones, numeric highlights compare the two extremes.

  • Release year

    iPhone 3G:
    2008
    iPhone 3GS:
    2009

Physical size

Relative size, not calibrated actual size. Front and side outlines share one scale and a bottom baseline. Generic outlines use recorded body dimensions, excluding camera bumps.

  1. 1. iPhone 3G

    Height:
    115.5 mm
    Width:
    62.1 mm
    Depth:
    12.3 mm
  2. 2. iPhone 3GS

    Height:
    115.5 mm
    Width:
    62.1 mm
    Depth:
    12.3 mm

Weight

Bars start at zero and share a scale within this chart.

  1. 1. iPhone 3G

    133 g

  2. 2. iPhone 3GS

    135 g

    +2 g versus iPhone 3G

Screen size

Approximate rectangular screens calculated from recorded diagonal and aspect ratio at one relative scale. Rounded corners and cutouts are not subtracted. These are not phone outlines or calibrated actual sizes.

  1. 1. iPhone 3G

    Screen diagonal:
    3.5 in
    Aspect ratio (height:width):
    3:2
    Approximate rectangular screen area:
    36.5 cm²
  2. 2. iPhone 3GS

    Screen diagonal:
    3.5 in
    Aspect ratio (height:width):
    3:2
    Approximate rectangular screen area:
    36.5 cm²

Memory variants

Each row compares the same storage capacity. Cells show recorded RAM alternatives, not combined maxima. Not recorded does not mean unavailable in every market.

No unambiguous storage/RAM pairings are recorded. See the original specifications below.

iPhone 3G: Original memory entry

8/16 GB · 128 MB RAM

iPhone 3GS: Original memory entry

8/16/32 GB · 256 MB RAM

Practical features

Explicit Yes and No values are shown directly. Qualified or regional records retain their details. Unknown means the record is missing.

1. iPhone 3G

NFC:
Unknown
Headphone jack:
Yes
Memory card support:
No

2. iPhone 3GS

NFC:
Unknown
Headphone jack:
Yes
Memory card support:
No

Battery capacity

Capacity is not battery life. No endurance test is implied.

At least two unambiguous positive capacity values are needed for a chart. Original entries remain in the specifications.

Specifications

Open a section for more detail. On narrow screens, swipe sideways or use Left/Right arrow keys while the table is focused. Unknown means missing data, not No. Recorded zero values are shown as recorded.

1. iPhone 3G2. iPhone 3GS

Everyday essentials
Everyday essentials — specifications for iPhone 3G, iPhone 3GS.
SpecificationiPhone 3GiPhone 3GS
Dimensions (HxWxD)
  • 115.5 Х 62.1 Х 12.3 mm
  • 115.5 Х 62.1 Х 12.3 mm
Weight
  • 133 g
  • 135 g
Technology
  • TFT
  • TFT
Screen size
  • 3.5" inch
  • 3.5" inch
Screen resolution
  • 320 x 480 px
  • 320 x 480 px
Internal memory Recorded storage / RAM variants. Entries are alternatives, not a combined maximum. Ambiguous formats stay as recorded.
  • 8/16 GB
  • 128 MB RAM
  • 8/16/32 GB
  • 256 MB RAM
Memory card support
  • No
  • No
Battery Capacity is not battery life. No endurance test is implied.
  • 0 mAh,
  • 0 mAh,
Operating system OS
  • iOS
  • upgradable to iOS 4.2.1
  • iOS 3
  • upgradable to iOS 6.1.6
Headphone jack
  • Yes
  • Yes
Display
Display — specifications for iPhone 3G, iPhone 3GS.
SpecificationiPhone 3GiPhone 3GS
Touchscreen
  • capacitive touchscreen
  • capacitive touchscreen
Display colors
  • 16M
  • 16M
Screen area
  • 36.5 cm2
  • 36.5 cm2
Screen format
  • 3:2 (height:width)
  • 3:2 (height:width)
Screen to body ratio
  • 50.9%
  • 50.9%
PPI /points per inch/
  • 165 PPI
  • 165 PPI
Screen protection
  • Corning Gorilla Glass
  • oleophobic coating
  • Corning Gorilla Glass
  • oleophobic coating
Camera and Video
Camera and Video — specifications for iPhone 3G, iPhone 3GS.
SpecificationiPhone 3GiPhone 3GS
Rear camera, main
  • 2 MP
  • Single
  • 3.15 MP
  • Single
Camera specs
  • 2 MP
  • 3.15 MP
  • AF
  • f/2.8
Video
  • No
  • 480p@30fps
Front camera, selfie
  • 0 MP,
  • 0 MP,
Performance

Scores marked * are historical catalogue entries. Test conditions are unspecified; no new testing is implied.

Performance — specifications for iPhone 3G, iPhone 3GS.
SpecificationiPhone 3GiPhone 3GS
Processor CPU
  • 412 MHz ARM 11
  • 600 MHz Cortex-A8
Graphics processor GPU
  • PowerVR MBX
  • PowerVR SGX535
Antutu 7 score * Unknown
  • 6832
General specs
General specs — specifications for iPhone 3G, iPhone 3GS.
SpecificationiPhone 3GiPhone 3GS
Release date
  • 2008
  • June
  • 2009
  • June
Colors
  • Black(8/16 GB)
  • White (16 GB)
  • Black
  • White
Historical recorded price Legacy catalogue value; date unknown. Not a current offer.
  • 90 EUR
  • 110 EUR
Battery life
  • Stand by time- Up to 300 h Talking time- Up to 10 h Music play - Up to 24 h
  • Stand by time- Up to 300 h Talking time- Up to 12 h (2G) / Up to 5 h (3G) Music play - Up to 30 h
Communication and Connectivity
Communication and Connectivity — specifications for iPhone 3G, iPhone 3GS.
SpecificationiPhone 3GiPhone 3GS
SIM card
  • Mini-SIM
  • Mini-SIM
Network
  • Show all network frequencies: -2G - GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900
  • Show all network frequencies: -2G - GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900
Speed
  • HSPA
  • HSPA 7.2/0.384 Mbps
GPRS
  • Yes
  • Yes
Edge
  • Yes
  • Yes
Wi-Fi
  • Wi-Fi 802.11b/g
  • Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g
GPS
  • Yes
  • with A-GPS
  • Yes
  • with A-GPS
USB
  • 2.0
  • 2.0
Bluetooth
  • 2.0
  • A2DP (headset support only)
  • 2.1
  • A2DP (headset support only)
Harmful irradiation
  • SAR - 0.52 W/kg (head) 1.29 W/kg (body) SAR EU - 0.56 W/kg (head) 0.23 W/kg (body)
  • SAR - 0.26 W/kg (head) 0.79 W/kg (body) SAR EU - 0.45 W/kg (head) 0.40 W/kg (body)
Music and Audio
Music and Audio — specifications for iPhone 3G, iPhone 3GS.
SpecificationiPhone 3GiPhone 3GS
Radio
  • No
  • No
Other features
Other features — specifications for iPhone 3G, iPhone 3GS.
SpecificationiPhone 3GiPhone 3GS
Dop
  • Sensors Accelerometer
  • proximity - Audio/video player -TV-out -Organizer -Document viewer -Photo viewer -Predictive text input
  • Sensors Accelerometer
  • proximity
  • compass - iCloud cloud service -Maps -Organizer -TV-out -Audio/video player/editor -Photo viewer/editor -Voice command/dial -Predictive text input