Apple iPhone 3GS vs Palm Pre
A spec-by-spec comparison of the Apple iPhone 3GS and the Palm Pre, taken from their full specification sheets. Green marks the better value in each measured row.
Head to head
| Apple iPhone 3GS | Palm Pre |
|---|
| Price | $58 | $1,565 |
| Our rating | 8/10 | 7/10 |
| Battery | 1,220 mAh | 1,150 mAh |
| Storage (max) | 32 GB | — |
| Screen size | 3.5 in | 3.1 in |
| Main camera | 15 MP | 3.2 MP |
| Weight (lower is lighter) | 135 g | 135 g |
| Released | Jun 2009 | Jun 2009 |
Summary: Apple iPhone 3GS is ahead on our rating, battery, screen size, main camera.
★ 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 | Palm Pre |
|---|
| Type | TFT capacitive touchscreen, 16M colors | TFT capacitive touchscreen, 24-bit color LCD |
| Size | 3.5 inches | 3.1 inches, 28.6 cm2 (~47.9% screen-to-body ratio) |
| Resolution | 320 x 480 pixels | 320 x 480 pixels, 3:2 ratio (~186 ppi density) |
| Protection | Fingerprint-resistant oleophobic coating | — |
| Pixel Density | 163 ppi | — |
Platform
| Apple iPhone 3GS | Palm Pre |
|---|
| OS | iPhone OS 3, upgradable to iOS 6.1.6 | Palm webOS |
| Chipset | Samsung APL0298C05 (S5L8920) | Texas Instruments OMAP 3430 |
| CPU | 600 MHz ARM Cortex-A8 | 600 MHz Cortex-A8 (underclocked to 500 MHz) |
| GPU | PowerVR SGX535 | PowerVR SGX |
Memory
| Apple iPhone 3GS | Palm Pre |
|---|
| Card slot | No | No |
| Internal | 8GB, 16GB, 32GB storage, 256MB RAM | 8GB (approx. 7.4GB user available) |
| RAM | — | 256MB DDR DRAM |
Main Camera
| Apple iPhone 3GS | Palm Pre |
|---|
| Single | 3.15 MP, autofocus | 3.2 MP |
| Features | Tap to focus, geotagging | LED flash, Extended Depth of Field, Geotagging |
| Video | 480p@30fps | No |
Selfie Camera
| Apple iPhone 3GS | Palm Pre |
|---|
| Single | No | No |
Battery
| Apple iPhone 3GS | Palm Pre |
|---|
| Type | Built-in rechargeable lithium-ion battery | Removable Li-Ion 1150 mAh |
| Capacity | 1220 mAh | — |
| Talk time | Up to 12 h (2G) / Up to 5 h (3G) | — |
| Stand-by | Up to 300 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 | Palm Pre |
|---|
| Dimensions | 115.5 x 62.1 x 12.3 mm (4.55 x 2.44 x 0.48 in) | 100.5 x 59.6 x 17 mm (3.96 x 2.35 x 0.67 in) |
| Weight | 135 g (4.76 oz) | 135 g (4.8 oz) |
| SIM | Mini-SIM | Mini-SIM |
| Keyboard | — | Slide-out QWERTY keyboard |
Comms
| Apple iPhone 3GS | Palm Pre |
|---|
| WLAN | Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g | Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g |
| Bluetooth | 2.1, A2DP | 2.1 with A2DP (headset support only) |
| GPS | Yes, with A-GPS | — |
| Radio | No | No |
| USB | 2.0 (proprietary 30-pin connector) | microUSB 2.0 |
| Positioning | — | GPS, A-GPS |
Launch
| Apple iPhone 3GS | Palm Pre |
|---|
| Announced | June 8, 2009 | February 2009 |
| Status | Discontinued (8GB model discontinued September 12, 2012) | — |
| Released | June 19, 2009 | June 6, 2009 (US, Sprint Nextel) |
Frequently asked questions
Which has the better battery, Apple iPhone 3GS or Palm Pre?
Apple iPhone 3GS — 1,220 mAh for the Apple iPhone 3GS versus 1,150 mAh for the Palm Pre.
Which is newer, Apple iPhone 3GS or Palm Pre?
Apple iPhone 3GS — Jun 2009 for the Apple iPhone 3GS versus Jun 2009 for the Palm Pre.
Is the Apple iPhone 3GS or the Palm Pre rated higher?
We rate the Apple iPhone 3GS 8/10 and the Palm Pre 7/10.
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