Apple iPhone 3GS vs Nokia N97
A spec-by-spec comparison of the Apple iPhone 3GS and the Nokia N97, taken from their full specification sheets. Green marks the better value in each measured row.
Head to head
| Apple iPhone 3GS | Nokia N97 |
|---|
| Price | $58 | $6,788 |
| Our rating | 8/10 | 6/10 |
| Battery | 1,220 mAh | 1,500 mAh |
| Storage (max) | 32 GB | 32 GB |
| Screen size | 3.5 in | 3.5 in |
| Main camera | 15 MP | 5 MP |
| Weight (lower is lighter) | 135 g | 150 g |
| Released | Jun 2009 | Jun 2009 |
Summary: Apple iPhone 3GS is ahead on our rating, main camera, weight (lower is lighter). Nokia N97 is ahead on battery.
★ Which should you buy? Apple iPhone 3GS is the stronger overall pick on the measured specs.
Reviewed by the infozme.com Editorial Team — see how we research & rate phones.
Display
| Apple iPhone 3GS | Nokia N97 |
|---|
| Type | TFT capacitive touchscreen, 16M colors | TFT resistive touchscreen, 16M colors |
| Size | 3.5 inches | 3.5 inches |
| Resolution | 320 x 480 pixels | 360 x 640 pixels |
| Protection | Fingerprint-resistant oleophobic coating | — |
| Pixel Density | 163 ppi | — |
Platform
| Apple iPhone 3GS | Nokia N97 |
|---|
| OS | iPhone OS 3, upgradable to iOS 6.1.6 | Symbian OS 9.4, Series 60 rel. 5 (Symbian^1/S60 5th Edition) |
| Chipset | Samsung APL0298C05 (S5L8920) | — |
| CPU | 600 MHz ARM Cortex-A8 | ARM 11 434 MHz |
| GPU | PowerVR SGX535 | — |
Memory
| Apple iPhone 3GS | Nokia N97 |
|---|
| Card slot | No | microSDHC, up to 16GB (dedicated slot) |
| Internal | 8GB, 16GB, 32GB storage, 256MB RAM | — |
| Internal Storage | — | 32 GB |
| RAM | — | 128 MB SDRAM |
Main Camera
| Apple iPhone 3GS | Nokia N97 |
|---|
| Single | 3.15 MP, autofocus | 5 MP, autofocus, Carl Zeiss optics, dual-LED flash |
| Features | Tap to focus, geotagging | Geotagging |
| Video | 480p@30fps | 480p@30fps (VGA@30fps) |
Selfie Camera
| Apple iPhone 3GS | Nokia N97 |
|---|
| Single | No | VGA videocall camera |
Battery
| Apple iPhone 3GS | Nokia N97 |
|---|
| Type | Built-in rechargeable lithium-ion battery | Removable Li-Ion 1500 mAh battery (BP-4L) |
| Capacity | 1220 mAh | — |
| Talk time | Up to 12 h (2G) / Up to 5 h (3G) | Up to 9 h 30 min (2G) / 6 h (3G) |
| Stand-by | Up to 300 h | Up to 432 h (2G) / 408 h (3G) |
| 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 | Nokia N97 |
|---|
| Dimensions | 115.5 x 62.1 x 12.3 mm (4.55 x 2.44 x 0.48 in) | 117.2 x 55.3 x 15.9 mm (18.25 mm at camera area) |
| Weight | 135 g (4.76 oz) | 150 g |
| SIM | Mini-SIM | Mini-SIM |
| Keyboard | — | Slide-out QWERTY keyboard |
Comms
| Apple iPhone 3GS | Nokia N97 |
|---|
| WLAN | Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g | Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g, UPnP technology |
| Bluetooth | 2.1, A2DP | 2.0, A2DP |
| GPS | Yes, with A-GPS | Yes, with A-GPS; Ovi Maps |
| Radio | No | Stereo FM radio with RDS, FM transmitter |
| USB | 2.0 (proprietary 30-pin connector) | microUSB 2.0 |
Launch
| Apple iPhone 3GS | Nokia N97 |
|---|
| Announced | June 8, 2009 | December 2008 |
| Status | Discontinued (8GB model discontinued September 12, 2012) | Discontinued, October 2010 |
| Released | June 19, 2009 | — |
| Release Date | — | June 2009 |
Frequently asked questions
Which has the better battery, Apple iPhone 3GS or Nokia N97?
Nokia N97 — 1,220 mAh for the Apple iPhone 3GS versus 1,500 mAh for the Nokia N97.
Which is lighter, Apple iPhone 3GS or Nokia N97?
Apple iPhone 3GS — 135 g for the Apple iPhone 3GS versus 150 g for the Nokia N97.
Which is newer, Apple iPhone 3GS or Nokia N97?
Apple iPhone 3GS — Jun 2009 for the Apple iPhone 3GS versus Jun 2009 for the Nokia N97.
Is the Apple iPhone 3GS or the Nokia N97 rated higher?
We rate the Apple iPhone 3GS 8/10 and the Nokia N97 6/10.
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