We Get It — iPhone 3GS is Faster than Fast Fast!
We’ve been talking about the zippiness of the iPhone 3GS — S as in Speed — since it launched, and report after report has confirmed that not only is it fast, it’s faster than we initially thought.
Here’s more of the same. Running OpenGL 1.x like the iPhone 3G (never mind that it can run OpenGL 2.0 which the iPhone 3G can’t), the results are most impressive:
- The CPU performance is Faster by 40-70%
- The fillrate* is 3x to 4x higher
- Texture effects and filters are about 10x faster
These are probably better indicators for now, since game developers likely won’t abandon the 40 million previous generation users (and their money) any time soon. Does make you wonder when it will happen, though, and what the games — and other apps — will eventually look like.
[via Gizmodo via glbenchmark via Extremetech viaUbergizmo -- phew!]
June 30th, 2009 at 2:09 pm
seriously? another one of these?
STFU!!!
June 30th, 2009 at 2:13 pm
They will probably look like every other game out there. Animations made up of moving colors and shapes. Brilliant! Now of we could just figure out how to get these devices to do our jobs for us…then we would really have the time we deserve to devout to our gaming.
June 30th, 2009 at 2:44 pm
I just like that it opens apps faster, I could care less about games
June 30th, 2009 at 2:46 pm
The lack of physical buttons will always prevent iphone from ever being a good gaming device. The only games I find fun on the iphone are puzzles because you do not need to move around
June 30th, 2009 at 2:55 pm
I have sold my iphone 3g and i have now nokia e71. This posts claiming the iphone 3gs super speed are just a publicity for a device that is far away from people expectations. Apple get a lesson.
June 30th, 2009 at 2:55 pm
@arty I think you are forgetting about the fact that developers can use the 30pin port to make their own peripherals now.
On topic: Honestly, games don’t really appeal to me at all, I don’t really like to have to stop in the middle of the game to answer a text message.
June 30th, 2009 at 3:05 pm
So again this is why my battery drains 40-70% faster?
June 30th, 2009 at 3:19 pm
I’m OK with this, developers often build games so the screenshots look awesome but the game is laggy. Now that they build games that barely run on the 3G, I’ll get to play them like they SHOULD run.
June 30th, 2009 at 3:20 pm
dmys, always some troll that can’t bring himself to say ‘first’ but will say something equally useless to the conversation (or lack therefor, being the first one to post I guess). I know I know, don’t feed the troll. Sorry, the rest of you intelligent folks.
June 30th, 2009 at 3:28 pm
@Daniel:
The developers should be able to add simple routines to their games to reduce the quality for slower processors. Fewer triangles, fewer paint operations.
Game devs have been doing this for years.
I agree with Arty, the lack of buttons limits games fairly severely. Even add on controllers is just another thing you have to buy and carry around. I think most would opt for a hand-held game platform if they need to purchase something additional.
June 30th, 2009 at 3:33 pm
I just want more Firmware rumors for my 3G iPhone!
June 30th, 2009 at 3:43 pm
@visi I had the 3g and now a 3 gs. It is fast and makes the iPhone much better. Why are you still on these forums if you don’t like The iPhone , bitter are we?
June 30th, 2009 at 3:45 pm
@Mr E:
What battery?
If you mean the 3Gs battery the answer is NO: http://crave.cnet.co.uk/mobiles/0,39029453,49302814,00.htm
It might be something about the configuration. Try rebooting the phone. Try fetching mail rather than pushing. Delete and re-establish your mail and calendar accounts on the phone. Those things have solved battery drain problems in prior releases. Maybe they will work for you.
I see slightly more drain now that I have a few notification enabled apps, but not a lot more.
June 30th, 2009 at 3:51 pm
Oh, and also check out this thread at Apple: http://discussions.apple.com/thread.jspa?threadID=2063567&tstart=0
June 30th, 2009 at 3:59 pm
@ Daniel
You don’t represent every one. Especially the “intelligent” folks.
To me, these, “omfg the phone is faster” is annoying. Just like you’re annoyed by my comments, I’m annoyed by these threads that are dumb to me and some others. So stop trying to e-crusade from “trolls”.
We KNOW that’s it’s faster, in every single way.
Apple mentioned it, many times, so has this blog, and t-report, anandtech, arstechnica, macrumors, appleinsider + many many more.
I would however love some comparison of battery life. No one has done one that is side by side.
June 30th, 2009 at 4:06 pm
@Dmys:
Check the link: http://crave.cnet.co.uk/mobiles/0,39029453,49302814,00.htm
But there is a lot of chatter on the Apple forums about battery life, so clearly there are problems that some people are seeing.
June 30th, 2009 at 4:20 pm
Would OpenGL 2.0 optimizations (GS only) help for the: YouTube player picture viewer document/pdf viewer?
June 30th, 2009 at 4:21 pm
You know what annoys me (and 99% of other readers) complaining about the stories! If you see anywhere in the title “speed” then don’t read it if you don’t want to be reminded how fast the 3gs is. Please quit complaining.
On to battery life. I’ve found the battery, when compared to the 2g iPhone is actually better. This probably isn’t the same for everyone, but so far I’ve been surprised by the speed (aahh) and impressed by the battery life.
June 30th, 2009 at 4:27 pm
@Blake: Amen. God forbid that we should discuss the iPhone in length in a forum who’s name and web address is THE IPHONE BLOG!
You idiots go back to the your device’s dedicated forums. I’ve seen little to no posts there about how fast anything else is….
June 30th, 2009 at 4:36 pm
@Dmys
the iphone is super fast and it well always make us iphone users all the more happier … don’t come here and complain just because you can … go make yourself useful and write something positive instead .. just not here or anywhere else in the matter.
June 30th, 2009 at 5:02 pm
On my second 3GS. I bought one for my wife and we both loved it. Setup was easy and experience painless. Then a week later I decided I wanted one for me. What a clusterfk that turned out to be. Delayed shipping since they were out of the 32GB black version. Finally got it first thing Monday AM and went onto iTunes to set it all up. Message from Apple: “Due to volume of activations it will take up to 48 hours to activate your new iPhone”. What? A couple weeks after launch? You shtin me? So, after the first 8 hours I called Apple. Rep: “Yeah, we’re experiencing alot of activiations. Sorry, can’t help you.” Nice job, loser. This afternoon, about 33 hours later, I called AT&T. This gal had no idea what to do, poor thing. But, she put me on hold and went to ask questions. Before we put me on hold she asked me if it had the SIM card in it. Hmmm. I never checked since they’re supposed to ship with it installed. While on hold, I checked. When I re-installed, it reset the network search and everything worked. If you have this problem, don’t waste your time with Apple techs, AT&T reps, or waste a day and a half without service. (I couldn’t use my old phone as once you accept agreement on iTunes it shuts your old service off even before it activates the new phone.) This is a business line, so thanks Apple and AT&T for all that lost service. I’d like to send you the bill for your incompetence!!!
June 30th, 2009 at 5:07 pm
I love reading forum/comment arguments. They’re so pointless! It makes my day! Please…continue! We are all a voice without a face. Ahhhhh….technology.
June 30th, 2009 at 5:12 pm
Well said Adrian. I think i speak for the majority of all the readers on here when I say that these forums are for fellow fanboys of the iPhone/3G/3GS not singleing any certain one person out. Everybody is free to read these articles as well as when comment on them. But please, to everybody, keep rude remarks to a dull roar. It’s common courtesy. It’s okay to question another ones comment but keep it straight forward and polite enough to be considered positive feedback.
June 30th, 2009 at 5:37 pm
Well Kevin I’d put down your bad experience to your stupidity…sim card=cell reception
June 30th, 2009 at 6:02 pm
Dmys,
You’re a troll because you’re posting non-essential information. Nobody is gathering useful insight or interesting comment from your silly little rant. You obviously just like to see your name on the comments. End of story.
Fortunately, your reply to me was a lot more insightful, perhaps if you’d stick to “non-first-post-Dmys” instead of “omg-im-first-Dmys” you’d avoid e-crusaders like me from counter-trolling you
June 30th, 2009 at 6:14 pm
Hakala: that’s why I try to flame myself a bit when I flame others! :.D
June 30th, 2009 at 8:43 pm
So pretty much if I was the second to post something you would have been okay, hmm looks like you have a first-itis.
June 30th, 2009 at 9:18 pm
No, YOU would have been ok, read your two posts: the first one was dumb, the one where you replied to me was intelligent.
June 30th, 2009 at 10:16 pm
We clearly have different definition of trolling, you seem to be (opinion, I’m allowed to have one so are you).
You assumed that I was trolling by your standards, once again, you have your opinion. If people agree with you that’s fine, but I don’t really care what everyone thinks, and if I step on a few toes while voicing what is obvious I’m okay with it. I’m obviosuly able to dish it out.
I personally think we’ve seen more than enough of “omg it’s faster!!” if you don’t think so, that’s perfectly okay with me. But I’m tired of seeing it as I’ve mentioned I’ve seen it in pretty much all the tech blogs I mentioned.
In common sense of humans, things being told over and over again usually bothers people. Maybe you’re not one of them, once again, not a problem with me.
I actually think it is essential to the topic because I did speak the truth didn’t I? I did state that there were too many of these already and we’ve seen it several times even on TiPB. Maybe it’s my fault for visiting too many tech sites but again, personal habit, we’re all allowed to have one.
Where the problem lies is how you define my attitude, and trying to do that is trying to do that online is quiet impossible. While you thought I was “trolling” I’m genuinely annoyed by “It’s faster” blogs. Maybe to some people it is big news, to some people it’s extremely exciting. Good for them, but it’s been news to me since the WWDC, it’s time to let go. We know it’s fast, we love it, but how many blogs can a person see before he gets tired of it? For me it was about 7 or 8.
It’s like listening to a broken record over and over again, it’s not news anymore to be quiet honest. In my sense, I wasn’t being rude, if Rene thought that I was being rude, I’m sure he would have said something. We’ve all seen him defend himself and he’s quiet good at it.
You say my comment is useless, I say this particular post is useless. And it’s not to offend Rene but, like I said repeat of information that is getting old real fast.
So please, no more speed comparisons. Time to move onto the other aspects of the 3GS.
July 1st, 2009 at 2:09 pm
Great now can we see the power used beyond gaming?