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Apple iPhone 3G S

First Impressions Review
Apple iPhone 3G S
Part 1

Product Tour Summary



• The lens and sensor seem to be about the same as what you find in ultra compact camcorders like the Flip UltraHD and others
• The iPhone looks like neither a cellphone nor a camcorder—good if you are a bit technophobic, but bad if you are more comfortable with familiarity
• Most people will find the iPhone to be an attractive piece of hardware
• No tripod mount (or image stabilisation) means shaky video

Lens & Imaging System

The lens is tiny, but offers a wide angle for recording

Even though the iPhone 3G S has a tiny lens, it was able to capture video at a very wide angle. We tested the phone's wide angle at 49 degrees, which is significantly wider than the Flip UltraHD (42 degrees) and far wider than the Sony MHS-PM1 (34 degrees). The lens is not fixed, as the phone utilizes an autofocus system before recording begins. Once you start shooting, however, the lens locks and focus doesn't change. The lens has no optical or digital zoom.

Lens   Sensor
Filter Diameter none   Type unknown
Focal Range 3.85mm   Size unknown
Focal Range (35mm equiv.) 37mm   Pixel Count (Gross) 3,000,000
Aperture f/2.8   Pixel Count (Effective) unknown
Lab Tested Wide Angle* 49°
* How We Test Wide Angle

Front

The heart of it all, for our purposes. The lens has a fixed f/2.8 aperture. According to our estimations, the focus
The 'front' of the iPhone, at least when considering it as a camera.

Right

Not a blessed thing on this side.

Back

Speaker (for the ear) for phone conversations. A separate speaker on the bottom is used for rings, music, etc.
The Home button is used for multiple functions.

Left

Ringer/silent mode switch
Volume up/down

Top

Power on/off Headphone jack
SIM card tray

Bottom

Dock/data connector
Loudspeaker Microphone
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Apple iPhone 3G S
First Impressions Review