Apple iPhone 3GS vs Motorola Droid (Milestone)

A spec-by-spec comparison of the Apple iPhone 3GS and the Motorola Droid (Milestone), taken from their full specification sheets. Green marks the better value in each measured row.

Apple iPhone 3GS smartphone

Apple iPhone 3GS

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VS
Motorola Droid (Milestone) smartphone

Motorola Droid (Milestone)

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Full specs, price & review →

Head to head

Apple iPhone 3GSMotorola Droid (Milestone)
Our rating8/107/10
Battery1,220 mAh1,400 mAh
Storage (max)32 GB64 GB
Screen size3.5 in3.7 in
Main camera15 MP5 MP
Weight (lower is lighter)135 g169 g
ReleasedJun 2009Nov 2009
Summary: Apple iPhone 3GS is ahead on our rating, main camera, weight (lower is lighter). Motorola Droid (Milestone) is ahead on battery, storage (max), screen size.
★ Which should you buy? Apple iPhone 3GS and Motorola Droid (Milestone) are evenly matched — either is a safe buy.

Researched with AI assistance by infozme.com from manufacturer and retailer sources — see how we research & rate phones.

Display

Apple iPhone 3GSMotorola Droid (Milestone)
TypeTFT capacitive touchscreen, 16M colorsTFT capacitive touchscreen, 16M colors
Size3.5 inches3.7 inches
Resolution320 x 480 pixels480 x 854 pixels
ProtectionFingerprint-resistant oleophobic coatingCorning Gorilla Glass (on some variants)
Pixel Density163 ppi—
Aspect Ratio—16:9
PPI—~265 ppi density

Platform

Apple iPhone 3GSMotorola Droid (Milestone)
OSiPhone OS 3, upgradable to iOS 6.1.6Android 2.0 (Eclair), upgradable to 2.2 (Froyo)
ChipsetSamsung APL0298C05 (S5L8920)TI OMAP 3430
CPU600 MHz ARM Cortex-A8ARM Cortex-A8 600 MHz (underclocked to 550 MHz)
GPUPowerVR SGX535PowerVR SGX 530

Memory

Apple iPhone 3GSMotorola Droid (Milestone)
Card slotNomicroSDHC, up to 32GB (expandable up to 64GB in some cases)
Internal8GB, 16GB, 32GB storage, 256MB RAM—
RAM—256 MB Mobile DDR SDRAM
Internal Storage—512 MB flash memory (often bundled with 16 GB microSD card)

Main Camera

Apple iPhone 3GSMotorola Droid (Milestone)
Single3.15 MP, autofocus5 MP, autofocus, dual-LED flash
FeaturesTap to focus, geotaggingGeo-tagging, smile detection, white balance presets, multi-shot
Video480p@30fps720x480 pixels (D1) @ 24fps

Selfie Camera

Apple iPhone 3GSMotorola Droid (Milestone)
SingleNoNo

Battery

Apple iPhone 3GSMotorola Droid (Milestone)
TypeBuilt-in rechargeable lithium-ion batteryRemovable Li-Ion 1400 mAh battery
Capacity1220 mAh—
Talk timeUp to 12 h (2G) / Up to 5 h (3G)Up to 6 h 25 min
Stand-byUp to 300 hUp to 270 h
Internet useUp to 9 h (Wi-Fi) / Up to 5 h (3G)—
Video playbackUp to 10 h—
Audio playbackUp to 30 h—

Body

Apple iPhone 3GSMotorola Droid (Milestone)
Dimensions115.5 x 62.1 x 12.3 mm (4.55 x 2.44 x 0.48 in)115.8 x 60 x 13.7 mm (4.56 x 2.36 x 0.54 in)
Weight135 g (4.76 oz)169 g (6.0 oz)
SIMMini-SIMMini-SIM
Keyboard—Sliding QWERTY keyboard

Comms

Apple iPhone 3GSMotorola Droid (Milestone)
WLANWi-Fi 802.11 b/gWi-Fi 802.11 b/g
Bluetooth2.1, A2DP2.1 with A2DP, EDR
GPSYes, with A-GPSYes, with A-GPS
RadioNo—
USB2.0 (proprietary 30-pin connector)microUSB 2.0

Launch

Apple iPhone 3GSMotorola Droid (Milestone)
AnnouncedJune 8, 2009October 2009
StatusDiscontinued (8GB model discontinued September 12, 2012)Discontinued
ReleasedJune 19, 2009—

Frequently asked questions

Which has the better battery, Apple iPhone 3GS or Motorola Droid (Milestone)?

Motorola Droid (Milestone) — 1,220 mAh for the Apple iPhone 3GS versus 1,400 mAh for the Motorola Droid (Milestone).

Which is lighter, Apple iPhone 3GS or Motorola Droid (Milestone)?

Apple iPhone 3GS — 135 g for the Apple iPhone 3GS versus 169 g for the Motorola Droid (Milestone).

Which is newer, Apple iPhone 3GS or Motorola Droid (Milestone)?

Motorola Droid (Milestone) — Jun 2009 for the Apple iPhone 3GS versus Nov 2009 for the Motorola Droid (Milestone).

Is the Apple iPhone 3GS or the Motorola Droid (Milestone) rated higher?

We rate the Apple iPhone 3GS 8/10 and the Motorola Droid (Milestone) 7/10.

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