Apple iPhone 3G vs HTC Dream (T-Mobile G1)

A spec-by-spec comparison of the Apple iPhone 3G and the HTC Dream (T-Mobile G1), taken from their full specification sheets. Green marks the better value in each measured row.

Head to head

Apple iPhone 3GHTC Dream (T-Mobile G1)
Price$7,495$90
Our rating4/107/10
Battery1,150 mAh1,150 mAh
Storage (max)16 GB16 GB
Screen size3.5 in3.2 in
Main camera2 MP15 MP
Weight (lower is lighter)133 g158 g
ReleasedJul 2008Oct 2008
Summary: Apple iPhone 3G is ahead on screen size, weight (lower is lighter). HTC Dream (T-Mobile G1) is ahead on our rating, main camera.
★ Which should you buy? Specs are close to an even split here, so HTC Dream (T-Mobile G1) is the better buy — the extra cost of the other one isn't matched by a clear spec advantage.

Display

Apple iPhone 3GHTC Dream (T-Mobile G1)
TypeTFT capacitive touchscreen, 16M colors (18-bit for 262,144 colors)TFT capacitive touchscreen, 65K colors
Size3.5 inches3.2 inches
Resolution320 x 480 pixels, 3:2 ratio (~163 ppi density)320 x 480 pixels, HVGA (~180 ppi density)
ProtectionScratch-resistant glassNot specified

Platform

Apple iPhone 3GHTC Dream (T-Mobile G1)
OSiPhone OS 2, upgradable to iOS 4.2.1Android 1.0 (upgradable to Android 1.6 Donut)
ChipsetSamsung 32-bit RISC ARM11 (APL0098)Qualcomm MSM7201A
CPU412 MHz ARM 11 (underclocked from 620 MHz)528 MHz ARM 11
GPUPowerVR MBX Lite 3DAdreno 130

Memory

Apple iPhone 3GHTC Dream (T-Mobile G1)
Card slotNomicroSD, up to 16 GB (1GB card often included)
Internal8GB, 16GB storage, 128MB DRAM256 MB ROM, 192 MB RAM

Main Camera

Apple iPhone 3GHTC Dream (T-Mobile G1)
Single2 MP3.15 MP, autofocus
FeaturesGeotaggingGeo-tagging (requires microSD card for saving photos)
VideoNo (native)No video recording at launch

Selfie Camera

Apple iPhone 3GHTC Dream (T-Mobile G1)
SingleNoNone

Battery

Apple iPhone 3GHTC Dream (T-Mobile G1)
TypeNon-removable Li-Ion 1150 mAh batteryRemovable Li-Ion 1150 mAh battery
Stand-byUp to 300 hUp to 130 h
Talk timeUp to 10 h (2G) / Up to 5 h (3G)Up to 5.8 h (3G) / 6.76 h (2G)
Music playUp to 24 h—

Body

Apple iPhone 3GHTC Dream (T-Mobile G1)
Dimensions115.5 x 62.1 x 12.3 mm (4.55 x 2.44 x 0.48 in)117.7 x 55.7 x 17.1 mm (4.63 x 2.19 x 0.67 in)
Weight133 g (4.7 oz)158 g (5.6 oz)
BuildPlastic backPlastic body with a slide-out QWERTY keyboard and a "chin" design.
SIMMini-SIMMini-SIM

Comms

Apple iPhone 3GHTC Dream (T-Mobile G1)
WLANWi-Fi 802.11 b/gWi-Fi 802.11b/g
Bluetooth2.0, A2DP2.0, A2DP
PositioningGPS, A-GPS—
RadioNoNo
USB2.0 (proprietary dock connector)ExtUSB (Mini-USB compatible)
GPS—A-GPS
NFC—No

Launch

Apple iPhone 3GHTC Dream (T-Mobile G1)
AnnouncedJune 9, 2008September 2008
StatusDiscontinued (June 7, 2010)Discontinued

Frequently asked questions

Which is lighter, Apple iPhone 3G or HTC Dream (T-Mobile G1)?

Apple iPhone 3G — 133 g for the Apple iPhone 3G versus 158 g for the HTC Dream (T-Mobile G1).

Which is newer, Apple iPhone 3G or HTC Dream (T-Mobile G1)?

HTC Dream (T-Mobile G1) — Jul 2008 for the Apple iPhone 3G versus Oct 2008 for the HTC Dream (T-Mobile G1).

Is the Apple iPhone 3G or the HTC Dream (T-Mobile G1) rated higher?

We rate the Apple iPhone 3G 4/10 and the HTC Dream (T-Mobile G1) 7/10.

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