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.
Head to head
| Apple iPhone 3GS | Motorola Droid (Milestone) |
|---|
| Price | $58 | $3,399 |
| Our rating | 8/10 | 7/10 |
| Battery | 1,220 mAh | 1,400 mAh |
| Storage (max) | 32 GB | 64 GB |
| Screen size | 3.5 in | 3.7 in |
| Main camera | 15 MP | 5 MP |
| Weight (lower is lighter) | 135 g | 169 g |
| Released | Jun 2009 | Nov 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? Specs are close to an even split here, so Apple iPhone 3GS is the better buy — the extra cost of the other one isn't matched by a clear spec advantage.
Researched with AI assistance by infozme.com from manufacturer and retailer sources — see how we research & rate phones.
Display
| Apple iPhone 3GS | Motorola Droid (Milestone) |
|---|
| Type | TFT capacitive touchscreen, 16M colors | TFT capacitive touchscreen, 16M colors |
| Size | 3.5 inches | 3.7 inches |
| Resolution | 320 x 480 pixels | 480 x 854 pixels |
| Protection | Fingerprint-resistant oleophobic coating | Corning Gorilla Glass (on some variants) |
| Pixel Density | 163 ppi | — |
| Aspect Ratio | — | 16:9 |
| PPI | — | ~265 ppi density |
Platform
| Apple iPhone 3GS | Motorola Droid (Milestone) |
|---|
| OS | iPhone OS 3, upgradable to iOS 6.1.6 | Android 2.0 (Eclair), upgradable to 2.2 (Froyo) |
| Chipset | Samsung APL0298C05 (S5L8920) | TI OMAP 3430 |
| CPU | 600 MHz ARM Cortex-A8 | ARM Cortex-A8 600 MHz (underclocked to 550 MHz) |
| GPU | PowerVR SGX535 | PowerVR SGX 530 |
Memory
| Apple iPhone 3GS | Motorola Droid (Milestone) |
|---|
| Card slot | No | microSDHC, up to 32GB (expandable up to 64GB in some cases) |
| Internal | 8GB, 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 3GS | Motorola Droid (Milestone) |
|---|
| Single | 3.15 MP, autofocus | 5 MP, autofocus, dual-LED flash |
| Features | Tap to focus, geotagging | Geo-tagging, smile detection, white balance presets, multi-shot |
| Video | 480p@30fps | 720x480 pixels (D1) @ 24fps |
Selfie Camera
| Apple iPhone 3GS | Motorola Droid (Milestone) |
|---|
| Single | No | No |
Battery
| Apple iPhone 3GS | Motorola Droid (Milestone) |
|---|
| Type | Built-in rechargeable lithium-ion battery | Removable Li-Ion 1400 mAh battery |
| Capacity | 1220 mAh | — |
| Talk time | Up to 12 h (2G) / Up to 5 h (3G) | Up to 6 h 25 min |
| Stand-by | Up to 300 h | Up to 270 h |
| Internet use | Up to 9 h (Wi-Fi) / Up to 5 h (3G) | — |
| Video playback | Up to 10 h | — |
| Audio playback | Up to 30 h | — |
Body
| Apple iPhone 3GS | Motorola Droid (Milestone) |
|---|
| Dimensions | 115.5 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) |
| Weight | 135 g (4.76 oz) | 169 g (6.0 oz) |
| SIM | Mini-SIM | Mini-SIM |
| Keyboard | — | Sliding QWERTY keyboard |
Comms
| Apple iPhone 3GS | Motorola Droid (Milestone) |
|---|
| WLAN | Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g | Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g |
| Bluetooth | 2.1, A2DP | 2.1 with A2DP, EDR |
| GPS | Yes, with A-GPS | Yes, with A-GPS |
| Radio | No | — |
| USB | 2.0 (proprietary 30-pin connector) | microUSB 2.0 |
Launch
| Apple iPhone 3GS | Motorola Droid (Milestone) |
|---|
| Announced | June 8, 2009 | October 2009 |
| Status | Discontinued (8GB model discontinued September 12, 2012) | Discontinued |
| Released | June 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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