For those who have never owned an iPhone, the additional speed and memory plus improved features in the iPhone 3GS means it’s one of if not the best smartphone ever created. It’s certainly the best iPhone ever made, but it’s questionable whether current iPhone 3G owners should upgrade, especially as the free 3.0 software update already adds plenty of extra features.

Historically, the iPhone 3GS is the third version in Apple’s smartphone series. Internally, it has a faster processor, more memory and better overall performance than the previous iPhone 3G. Externally, the phone is exactly the same size and shape, with only a couple tiny design alterations, the main one being the display’s new coating. Apple is now using a state-of-the-art oleophobic, fingerprint-resistant surface. This reduces the amount of potential smudges, and makes the screen easier to clean.

Apple named the ‘S’ in the iPhone 3GS for ‘speed’, and it lives up to its word. Faster and more responsive than its predecessor, applications open and close instantaneously. You’ll be hard-pressed to find any keystroke lag in any applications, which is a big improvement on the previous model. When using Mail, Safari, Maps and Notes applications the speed is exceptionally quick, and nearly all third-party applications from the Application Store are faster. You can also get more storage, with the top tier iPhone 3GS now having 32GB of memory, up from the iPhone 3G’s maximum of 16GB.