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# Is the iPhone 4 Worth the Upgrade?

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<!-- video src="https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/TSdtJZ1v.m3u8" -->
## Video: Is the iPhone 4 Worth the Upgrade?

[Watch (HLS stream): Is the iPhone 4 Worth the Upgrade?](https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/TSdtJZ1v.m3u8) (2:00)

![Is the iPhone 4 Worth the Upgrade?](https://cdn.jwplayer.com/v2/media/TSdtJZ1v/poster.jpg?width=720)

_Published 2010-06-08. Techland gadget critic Doug Aamoth compares Apple's 4th generation iPhone to the 3GS and determines if it's worth the $100 upgrade._


---

Jul 27, 2023 2:16 PM UTC

---

## More From This Series

[All Videos](https://time.com/video/)

[Apple's iPhone 5S and iPhone 5C: What You Should Know](/video/xWVkGCv3/)

### Apple's iPhone 5S and iPhone 5C: What You Should Know

[Is the 3G iPad Worth the Upgrade?](/video/NGnbd4Dw/)

### Is the 3G iPad Worth the Upgrade?

[Did We Just Get a Glimpse of Apple's New iPhone?](/video/RBJPEVfX/)

### Did We Just Get a Glimpse of Apple's New iPhone?

---


## Transcript

Should you get the discounted 3GS or the new iPhone 4, well let's just look at it, let's look at it calmly and rationally. Let's just-- here's what you get with the iPhone 4 that you cannot get in the iPhone 3GS, the higher resolution screen, it's much higher resolution. The text is gonna be much crisper, pictures are gonna be much more vivid. The iPhone 4 now has two cameras, the one on the back is a 5 megapixel camera, iPhone 3GS has a 3 megapixel camera. This one now has an LED flash and it's capable of recording video in high definition at 30 frames per second. Now the front facing camera is used with Apple's new FaceTime video chat feature.

In mid chat, you hit this button, it will show what's coming into the rear- facing camera. And with the iPhone 4, Apple has shifted to using its own custom CPU, it's the A4 chip, smaller than previous chips used which allowed Apple to put a higher capacity battery in the iPhone 4. And as far as durability is concerned, it looks like the iPhone 4 is gonna be more durable than the 3GS. There's a stainless steel band that goes around the outside of it then on the top and bottom of the iPhone 4, Apple has developed some sort of crazy glass that's apparently the same that is used in helicopters and high- speed trains.

If you already have an iPhone 3G or 3GS and you're up for a contract renewal, should you upgrade to the iPhone 4 for $ 200? Well, that depends, do you like AT & T? Are you happy with the service and the call quality and reliability? I'm not saying there's anything wrong with it. I'm just asking. And I'm not saying anyone has been saying anything about it. And I don't want AT & T snipers to come after me for any reason. But I'm saying if you're looking to switch networks, you gotta decide if you're gonna upgrade to this iPhone 4 and extend to your contract. With the higher resolution screen, the slightly extended battery life and what appears to be a much durable device, in my opinion, are some of the killer features of the iPhone 4, but if you're currently on a 3GS and you wanna maybe run out your contract for the next year or so, that's okay, you'll be happy with that for another year or so, just my opinion.

Just my opinion. Again , no snipers.

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