Apple iPhone 3GS vs Apple iPhone 4

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.

  • Width

    iPhone 4: 3.5 mm narrower

    iPhone 3GS:
    62.1 mm
    iPhone 4:
    58.6 mm
  • Depth

    iPhone 4: 3 mm thinner

    iPhone 3GS:
    12.3 mm
    iPhone 4:
    9.3 mm
  • Release year

    iPhone 3GS:
    2009
    iPhone 4:
    2010

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 3GS

    Height:
    115.5 mm
    Width:
    62.1 mm +3.5 mm versus iPhone 4
    Depth:
    12.3 mm +3 mm versus iPhone 4
  2. 2. iPhone 4

    Height:
    115.2 mm
    Width:
    58.6 mm
    Depth:
    9.3 mm

Weight

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

  1. 1. iPhone 3GS

    135 g

  2. 2. iPhone 4

    137 g

    +2 g versus iPhone 3GS

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 3GS

    Screen diagonal:
    3.5 in
    Aspect ratio (height:width):
    3:2
    Approximate rectangular screen area:
    36.5 cm²
  2. 2. iPhone 4

    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 3GS: Original memory entry

8/16/32 GB · 256 MB RAM

iPhone 4: Original memory entry

8/16/32 GB · 512 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 3GS

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

2. iPhone 4

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 3GS2. iPhone 4

Everyday essentials
Everyday essentials — specifications for iPhone 3GS, iPhone 4.
SpecificationiPhone 3GSiPhone 4
Dimensions (HxWxD)
  • 115.5 Х 62.1 Х 12.3 mm
  • 115.2 Х 58.6 Х 9.3 mm
Weight
  • 135 g
  • 137 g
Technology
  • TFT
  • LED-backlit IPS LCD
Screen size
  • 3.5" inch
  • 3.5" inch
Screen resolution
  • 320 x 480 px
  • 640 x 960 px
Internal memory Recorded storage / RAM variants. Entries are alternatives, not a combined maximum. Ambiguous formats stay as recorded.
  • 8/16/32 GB
  • 256 MB RAM
  • 8/16/32 GB
  • 512 MB RAM
Memory card support
  • No
  • No
Battery Capacity is not battery life. No endurance test is implied.
  • 0 mAh,
  • 1420 mAh
  • Non-removable Li-Po
Operating system OS
  • iOS 3
  • upgradable to iOS 6.1.6
  • iOS 4
  • upgradable to iOS 7.1.2
Chipset Unknown
  • Apple A4 (45 nm)
Headphone jack
  • Yes
  • Yes
Display
Display — specifications for iPhone 3GS, iPhone 4.
SpecificationiPhone 3GSiPhone 4
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%
  • 54.0%
PPI /points per inch/
  • 165 PPI
  • 330 PPI
Screen protection
  • Corning Gorilla Glass
  • oleophobic coating
  • Corning Gorilla Glass
  • oleophobic coating
Camera and Video
Camera and Video — specifications for iPhone 3GS, iPhone 4.
SpecificationiPhone 3GSiPhone 4
Rear camera, main
  • 3.15 MP
  • Single
  • 5 MP
  • Single
Camera specs
  • 3.15 MP
  • AF
  • f/2.8
  • 5 MP
  • f/2.8
  • 1/3.2''
  • 1.75µm
  • AF
Functions Unknown
  • LED flash
  • HDR
Video
  • 480p@30fps
  • 480p@30fps
Front camera, selfie
  • 0 MP,
  • 0.3 MP
  • Single
Specifications Unknown
  • VGA
  • Videocalling over Wi-Fi only
Performance

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

Performance — specifications for iPhone 3GS, iPhone 4.
SpecificationiPhone 3GSiPhone 4
Processor CPU
  • 600 MHz Cortex-A8
  • 1.0 GHz Cortex-A8
Graphics processor GPU
  • PowerVR SGX535
  • PowerVR SGX535
Antutu 7 score *
  • 6832
  • 4152
General specs
General specs — specifications for iPhone 3GS, iPhone 4.
SpecificationiPhone 3GSiPhone 4
Release date
  • 2009
  • June
  • 2010
  • June
Colors
  • Black
  • White
  • Black
  • White
Historical recorded price Legacy catalogue value; date unknown. Not a current offer.
  • 110 EUR
  • 200 EUR
Battery life
  • 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
  • Stand by time- Up to 300 h (2G) / Up to 300 h (3G) Talking time- Up to 14 h (2G) / Up to 7 h (3G) Music play - Up to 40 h
Body build Unknown
  • Front/back glass & aluminum frame
Communication and Connectivity
Communication and Connectivity — specifications for iPhone 3GS, iPhone 4.
SpecificationiPhone 3GSiPhone 4
SIM card
  • Mini-SIM
  • Micro-SIM
Network
  • Show all network frequencies: -2G - GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900
  • Show all network frequencies: -2G - GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900
Speed
  • HSPA 7.2/0.384 Mbps
  • HSPA 7.2/5.76 Mbps
GPRS
  • Yes
  • Class 10
Edge
  • Yes
  • Class 10
Wi-Fi
  • Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g
  • Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n
  • hotspot
GPS
  • Yes
  • with A-GPS
  • Yes
  • with A-GPS
USB
  • 2.0
  • 2.0
Bluetooth
  • 2.1
  • A2DP (headset support only)
  • 2.1
  • A2DP
Harmful irradiation
  • SAR - 0.26 W/kg (head) 0.79 W/kg (body) SAR EU - 0.45 W/kg (head) 0.40 W/kg (body)
  • SAR - 1.17 W/kg (head) 1.11 W/kg (body) SAR EU - 0.93 W/kg (head) 0.74 W/kg (body)
Music and Audio
Music and Audio — specifications for iPhone 3GS, iPhone 4.
SpecificationiPhone 3GSiPhone 4
Radio
  • No
  • No
Others Unknown
  • Active noise cancellation with dedicated mic
Other features
Other features — specifications for iPhone 3GS, iPhone 4.
SpecificationiPhone 3GSiPhone 4
Dop
  • Sensors Accelerometer
  • proximity
  • compass - iCloud cloud service -Maps -Organizer -TV-out -Audio/video player/editor -Photo viewer/editor -Voice command/dial -Predictive text input
  • Sensors Accelerometer
  • gyro
  • proximity
  • compass - Scratch-resistant glass back panel