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  • Introduction

  • Product Tour

  • Color & Noise Performance

  • Motion & Sharpness Performance

  • Low Light Performance

  • Compression & Media

  • Manual Controls

  • Still Features

  • Handling & Use

  • Playback & Connectivity

  • Audio & Other Features

  • Samsung Omnia Comparison

  • Flip UltraHD Comparison

  • Sony MHS-PM1 Comparison

  • Conclusion

  • Photo Gallery

  • Specs and Ratings

  • Introduction
  • Product Tour
  • Color & Noise Performance
  • Motion & Sharpness Performance
  • Low Light Performance
  • Compression & Media
  • Manual Controls
  • Still Features
  • Handling & Use
  • Playback & Connectivity
  • Audio & Other Features
  • Samsung Omnia Comparison
  • Flip UltraHD Comparison
  • Sony MHS-PM1 Comparison
  • Conclusion
  • Photo Gallery
  • Specs and Ratings

Introduction

In short, the iPhone 3G S is a surprisingly capable camcorder. It's at least as good as the standard definition Flip Mino, and offers an exceptionally intuitive interface that far exceeds the typical, labyrinthine experience of a full-featured video camera. Lacking HD, it falls short of being a complete replacement, but we are very impressed with Apple's first time out on the field.

Product Tour

 

**Lens & Imaging System**


 

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 isn't 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.

 

**Front**


 

**Right**


 

**Back**


 

**Left**


 

**Top**


 

**Bottom**


 

**In the Box**


Color & Noise Performance

 

**Color***(7.42)*


The Apple iPhone 3G S captured good color in our bright light test. We were most impressed with the high saturation level (110.9%) and deep, vivid colors. The colors were decently accurate, measuring a 4.72 color error in our testing. This is far more accurate than the colors rendered by the Samsung Omnia, slightly better than the Flip UltraHD, and roughly on par with the Sony MHS-PM1. (More on how we test color.)

The Color Error Map above shows the iPhone 3G S had trouble producing red and brown colors accurately. Most of the other colors, especially light and dark blues were very accurate. There are no color modes on the iPhone 3G S, but below is a sample color image from our test footage. The phone offers good contrast in its video image, although some parts of the frame were underexposed (as you can see below).

The iPhone 3G S was light years ahead of the Samsung Omnia (another cell phone that records video) when it came to all things video. Below, you can see how much better the colors on the iPhone were compared to the Samsung. The iPhone even had stronger, more accurate colors than the Flip UltraHD, which records 1280 x 720 HD video. Out of the four models we used as comparisons in this review, the iPhone 3G S appeared to have the most vivid colors.

Below are some close-up color comparisons pulled from our color test footage. Notice how much darker the iPhone's red patch is than the rest of the devices in this set. This oversaturation of red is the main reason the iPhone 3G S didn't get a better score for color accuracy, as the phone did very well with most other colors.

Overall, the iPhone 3G S did a very good job in our bright light color test. Even though the camera captures a standard definition image, the colors were crisp, vivid, and strong. Its video image may be a bit dark for some people's tastes, but this darkness gives the footage better contrast and more pop.

 

**Noise***(12.06)*


The iPhone 3G S averaged very low noise levels in our bright light testing. The phone measured just 0.3825% noise, which is nearly the same amount of noise present on the Samsung Omnia's footage. Surprisingly, this is somewhat less noise than the Flip UltraHD picked up and far less than the Sony MHS-PM1 recorded. [(More on how we test noise.)

](https://reviewed.usatoday.com/camcorders/content/How-We-Test-Camcorders-36180.htm#noise)

When looking at the comparison crops above, keep in mind that the iPhone 3G S only captures standard definition video, while the Flip UltraHD and Sony MHS-PM1 both record HD video. The Samsung Omnia also tops out with a 640 x 480 video resolution, which is standard definition quality. This added resolution gives the Flip UltraHD and Sony MHS-PM1 a huge leg up when it comes to sharpness and detail (as seen above), but the iPhone 3G S has them beat when it comes to noise.

 

Motion & Sharpness Performance

Low Light Performance

 

**Low Light Sensitivity***(8.38)*


We often see good low light sensitivity scores on ultra-compact budget models because the camcorders automatically employ slow shutter speeds in dim light. The iPhone 3G S appears to be no different. The phone needed only 8 lux of light to reach 50 IRE on our waveform monitor, but it did so by using a slow shutter speed of roughly 1/30 of a second. Slow shutters will produce choppy, blurred motion, so we always turn them off for our low light testing when possible. With the iPhone, along with most budget-cams, these slow shutters cannot be disengaged. (More on how we test low light sensitivity.)

The Samsung Omnia and Flip UltraHD needed approximately the same amount of light as the iPhone to hit 50 IRE on our waveform monitor. They too made use of slow shutter speeds in low light, however. The Sony MHS-PM1 did horribly in this test and didn't show much improvement when we engaged its slow shutter, low light scene mode.

 

**Low Light Color***(9.24)*


The iPhone continued its strong color performance in our low light testing. The phone managed a color error of 3.38 in low light, which is actually a slightly better score than it earned in our bright light testing. The phone measured a saturation level of 110% in this test, which is nearly identical to its bright light performance. (More on how we test low light color.)

The iPhone 3G S was the best low light color performer in this set. It captured vivid, saturated colors, just like it did in bright light. This time, however, colors were even more accurate. The phone still had the most trouble with red colors and it continued to capture blues and purples with a high level of accuracy (see Color Error Map above).

The Sony MHS-PM1 had the closest color accuracy to the iPhone 3G S, but it was still nearly a full point behind. It also lacked the saturation that the iPhone's colors had. The Flip UltraHD had pretty good saturation (also 110%), but its image had a slight green/yellow hue in our low light testing.

 

**Low Light Noise***(11.14)*


In our low light testing the noise levels were low on the iPhone 3G S, but they weren't any better than the Flip UltraHD or Samsung Omnia. The Omnia actually scored the best in this test, while the Sony MHS-PM1 was the worst. None of these camcorders or devices had a major problem with noise, however, which is somewhat surprising. [(More on how we test low light noise.)

](https://reviewed.usatoday.com/camcorders/content/How-We-Test-Camcorders-36180.htm#lowlightnoise)

The iPhone 3G S maintained a good deal of sharpness in low light and its image didn't have the discoloration or artifacting that was prominent on the Flip UltraHD (see above). Also notice how much crisper the vertical trumpet on the iPhone is compared to the Samsung Omnia which is completely distorted.

 

Compression & Media

 

**Compression***(5.0)*


The iPhone 3G S uses the standard MPEG-4 AVC/H.264 compression. This is the same codec used by many of the ultra compact camcorders, including the Flip series. Although the codec is capable of handling high definition video—as it does for the high definition Flip and Webbie series—the iPhone records only standard definition video.

The .mov files that are created by the iPhone are easily compatible with iTunes or QuickTime. If you own a PC, you'll need to install the Windows versions of either program or use a conversion codec to read the files in Windows Media Player. If you own an iPhone, however, chances are that you'll already have iTunes installed.

These .mov files are not quite as versatile as the MP4 files that are used by most ultra compact camcorders. They are, however, much easier to handle than the .3g2 files that many cellphones output. The Samsung Omnia, which we tested as a comparison model for this review, is one such cellphone. The 3ivx compression is essentially just another MPEG-4 codec, but the resulting files are difficult to read unless you installed special software that came with the phone.

**Media***(7.52)*


The iPhone 3G S records still photos and videos to internal flash memory. There are two models available: 16GB and 32GB. This is an upgrade from last year's 3G, which offered 8GB and 16GB models. The iPhone does not support any kind of external memory, like microSD cards. Many cell phones, including the Samsung Omnia, offer you the option of recording to either internal memory or microSD. (The Omnia has 8 GB of internal memory and supports up to 16GB microSD cards.)

In the budget camcorder category, recording media is anything but constant. The Flip series records entirely to internal memory, ranging from 2 GB to 8 GB. The Webbie HD series from Sony uses Sony's proprietary MemoryStick PRO Duo cards, while models from Kodak and RCA record to standard SD/SDHC memory cards. Internal memory is convenient, since it can't be misplaced and doesn't require a separate purchase. With memory cards, however, you can have a theoretically endless supply of memory cards; when one fills up, you can simply replace it with another, without the need to transfer files onto a computer.

Apple does not include specs on record times, but we found that about one minute of video was equivalent to about 25MB. Files sizes will vary greatly depending on what's being recording, but we expect you can cram about 18 hours of video onto the 32GB model—assuming you're not using that space for your epic iTunes library.

**Editing***(8.0)*


One of the big benefits of the iPhone 3G S is its ability to upload video directly from the phone to YouTube, email, or MobileMe. After you shoot a video, just click on the little export icon in the lower left of the screen. This brings up the export menu (see below). If you thought using the Flip camcorder to upload to YouTube was easy, you'll be blow away by the simplicity of the iPhone 3G S. You never have to connect to a computer to get your videos onto the web.

 

If you select YouTube upload as an option, a small box appears that asks you to enter your login info. After you enter this stuff, the phone begins the upload process and you're just seconds away from publishing your video on the net. You can also upload video to your MobileMe gallery in the same manner (if you have an account). MobileMe is a web service from Apple that, among other things, gives you online storage space for media and files. Friends and family can login to your MobileMe gallery and view the videos or photos you have uploaded directly from your iPhone.

 

 

Before we continue, we must mention a side note about the MMS capability of the iPhone 3G S. The phone can send multi-media text messages that include photos taken with the internal camera, but currently AT&T doesn't allow these messages to go through. This, effectively, makes the phone's MMS feature moot—until AT&T allows for the feature to work. You can still email videos and photos directly from the phone, however.

The iPhone 3G S also has a simple internal editing feature that allows you to trim clips that you have recorded. Many camcorders offer this feature, but none have implemented if as well as Apple. When you open a video, a small timeline appears at the top of the screen. Simply drag the ends of the timeline in order to set new start/stop points for the video. You can even play the trimmed selection before you actually save it as a new video. Once your satisfied with the edits, you can click the 'Trim' button and the new video is created in seconds. The feature is so darn simple and intuitive that we can actually imagine people using it quite often—something we rarely say about a camcorder's internal editing features.

 

Manual Controls

 

**Auto Mode***(4.0)*


Just like most of the ultra-compact budget camcorders it resembles, the iPhone 3G S has no manual controls. Auto mode is really the only mode for recording video, and, unfortunately, some of the phone's simplest auto controls aren't very good. Let's discuss focus first. Before you start recording, the phone has an autofocus system engaged. Whenever you point the lens at a subject, the system attempts to autofocus based on whatever is at the center of the LCD screen. We found the autofocus to be far too jumpy and quick—it didn't provide smooth transitions between focal distances and focusing often took too long. It felt more like the focus system you'd find on a still camera than on a traditional camcorder.

Once recording begins, focus is locked and does not change for the duration of the clip. This means, if your subject moves, or if you move the phone, it is likely that the image will go out of focus and become soft. Before recording begins, you can also focus by tapping on the iPhone's screen in the area that you want to bring into focus. This is similar to the spot focus system found on numerous traditional camcorders that utilize a touchscreen LCD. Unfortunately, the system doesn't work that well.

Once you move the phone just a little bit, the autofocus system seems to recalibrate immediately. So, in order to maintain the focus that you've selected, you have to start recording right away.

Auto exposure and auto white balance worked much better than focus. Yes, the phone did tend to blow-out bright portions of the image, but overall the system worked quite well. Even under fluorescent lights, which often give cheap camcorders trouble, the iPhone's white balance system worked well. The phone's excellent color scores are also a testament to its good auto white balance system.

Low Light Modes

There are no low light modes on the iPhone 3G S.

Scene Modes

There are also no scene modes on the iPhone.

**Zoom***(0.0)*


There is no optical zoom on the Apple iPhone 3G S. This isn't a significant disadvantage, since the vast majority of ultra compact camcorders are also missing this feature. The fact is, it's very difficult to fit a lens with any moving parts into a body as slim as the iPhone—or any similar device.

What most ultra compact camcorders offer is a meager 2x digital zoom. The iPhone does not ship with this capability, but there are photography applications available for previous generations of the iPhone—apps that included digital zoom. We imagine that the 3G S will soon have both photo and video apps that give the user some level of digital zoom. Of course, digital zoom always degrades image quality, so we're content to go without.

If you really want to use the 3G S as rudimentary digital binoculars, you can use the double-tap feature that zooms in on the screen. You won't be able to take a photo that way, but you can get a slightly zoomed-in, pixelated view of... something.

**Zoom Ratio***(0.0)*


Again, there is no optical or digital zoom on the iPhone 3G S. Future apps may make digital zoom possible, but this feature is not available straight out of the box.

**Focus***(0.5)*


There is no manual focus available on the iPhone 3G S. Instead, you will have to rely on one of the two auto focus methods: standard auto focus and spot focus. Worse still, once you start recording, the focus is fixed; if your subject changes position, the camera will not compensate with a new autofocus. This is unheard of for a standard camcorder—even the ultra compact Flip cams and their competitors. It is, however, akin to the focus available on Digital SLR cameras: the Nikon D5000 and Canon T1i, which we reviewed earlier this month, maintained a fixed focus once recording began.

 

**Exposure***(0.0)*


There is no manual exposure control available on the iPhone 3G S. This is common for ultra compact camcorders, like the Flip UltraHD. Other cellphones, however, often have a rudimentary exposure control. The Samsung Omnia, for instance, offers nine exposure increments that can be used in either video or still photo mode.

**Aperture***(0.0)*


Since the iPhone is equipped with a fixed lens, the aperture is constant at f/2.8. There is no way to manually alter the aperture. Cellphones and budget camcorders rarely offer manual aperture adjustment.

**Shutter Speed***(0.0)*


Shutter speed is automatically adjusted by the iPhone. We expect the shutter speed range may be approximately 1/10 to 1/3500, but the phone does not actually provide the user with this information. You cannot manually adjust shutter speed, so be prepared for a slow shutter speed whenever you're shooting in low lighting conditions. Cellphones and budget camcorders rarely offer any control over shutter speed—or any way of knowing what shutter speed is being used.

**White Balance***(0.0)*


White balance is entirely automatic on the iPhone 3G S. You'll find the same thing in most ultra compact camcorders, including the Flip series. Some cellphones, however, do allow basic control over white balance. The Samsung Omnia, for instance, has five white balance presets: auto, daylight, cloudy, tungsten, and fluorescent. Like the iPhone, the Omnia does not have a manual white balance option.

**Gain***(0.0)*


Having so few manual controls, it is hardly surprising that the iPhone 3G S does not have manual gain control. Very few consumer camcorders—least of all ultra compacts and cellphones—offer this feature. The iPhone will activate some digital gain boost in low light conditions, but it will not allow you to control the gain level manually.

**Color & Image Controls***(0.0)*


There are no additional controls on the iPhone. Most budget camcorders do not offer the kind of image controls you'll find on top-of-the-line high definition models. That means no color depth, sharpness, soft skin detail, or contrast.

**Other Manual Controls***(0.0)*


The iPhone lacks any of the additional bells and whistles that you find on some dedicated video cameras. Even the inexpensive Sony Webbie HD series has a live histogram and the Kodak Zi6 has a tele macro feature. More expensive camcorders will probably get you guide frames or even prosumer options like an ND filter or noise reduction. You won't find anything like this on the iPhone—nor on most cellphones.

Still Features

 

**Still Features***(5.47)*


Along with the added feature of video recording, Apple also significantly improved the still image capability on the iPhone 3G S. The phone can take 3-megapixel stills and the same spot focus system that works in video mode also works for photos. All photos are captured at 2048 x 1536 and there are no size or quality options to choose from.

 

Photos can be exported to MobileMe or sent via email just like videos can (see the Editing section of this review). You can also assign photos to people in your phone contact list and set images as the background wallpaper on the phone. The phone does have MMS capability, but AT&T is not yet allowing them to go through. The option should be available later this summer.

Photos can also be played as a slideshow on the iPhone 3G S. Transition settings and speed options can be set so you can configure exactly how you want the phone to playback your photos.

 

**Still Color***(7.03)*


The iPhone's still color results weren't much different than its video color scores. The phone measured a color error of 4.98 with a saturation level of 120.7%. This is slightly more saturation than we saw in the video test, but the color accuracy is about the same. (More on how we test still color.)

 

The phone oversaturated red colors, which is something we've seen throughout our testing with the product. Portions of the image also appeared dark and underexposed, which you can see in our sample image below. Compared to the Samsung Omnia, the iPhone 3G S was okay, but not quite as good. The Samsung offers numerous controls for fine tuning its photos (white balance presets, exposure levels, etc.) and it can take photos at a number of different resolutions—with 5-megapixels being the maximum.

 

**Still Noise***(2.07)*


Noise levels on the iPhone's still images was higher than we expected it would be. The phone measured 1.08% noise in our tests, which is almost double what the Samsung Omnia scored. Since the iPhone had such low noise levels in our video testing we expected it to do better in this category. (More on how we test still noise.)

 

**Still Sharpness***(0.0)*


While the iPhone 3G S is capable of taking 3-megapixel images, the photos themselves didn't do very well in our still sharpness testing. For horizontal sharpness, the phone managed 1139 lw/ph with 26.9% undersharpening. Vertical sharpness was almost the same, with 1181 lw/ph and 26% undersharpening. These are decent line widths per picture height measurements, but the undersharpening is too high. This effectively makes the images softer and more difficult to work with in Photoshop or another image editing program.  (More on how we test still sharpness.)

Handling & Use

 

**Ease of Use***(7.0)*


 

The iPhone 3G S is one of the easiest 'camcorders' you'll ever see. Video mode doesn't really offer any settings or features, other than the simple spot focus option, and the menu system is essentially non-existent. Uploading video to YouTube or email is a snap—you just click a button, fill out some info, and the phone does the rest. Of course, if the thought of doing all this stuff on a tiny, pocket-sized cell phone bothers you, then the iPhone may give you some headaches. The keyboard is small and can be frustrating, and the touchscreen system isn't for everyone. Still, as far as video recording goes, there really isn't anything simpler.

Things can get a bit complicated if you want to export video to a computer. To do this you'll need to learn the ins and outs of iTunes and the process of syncing, but this really isn't anything too difficult to master. Plus, Apple provides excellent documentation on the web to assist you with troubleshooting issues or any problems you may have.

 

 

**Handling***(6.15)*


The Apple iPhone 3G S can be handled much like the upright form factors of a Flip Mino or similar ultracompact camcorder. The body rests easily in your hand and uses the same 'cellphone' grip that has been used ever since the advent of cellphone cameras. One notable difference is in the location of the shutter button: when held in the portrait orientation, the shutter button is an onscreen tap low on the back of the cellphone. This results in either an awkward thumb position or less support for the upper half of the cellphone. Most phones have a shutter button more centrally located so that the body of the phone is easy to support and the button lies under the natural resting position of the thumb. Such is the case for the Flip variety of camcorder as well.

One significant advantage that you will find with the iPhone is that it can be held in the traditional vertical cellphone grip, but also in a horizontal position, much like a point-and-shoot digital camera. This allows for a stable, two-handed grip. The only danger with this handhold is that your left hand will accidentally block the lens. While most point-and-shoot cameras place the lens in the center of the camera, the small iPhone lens is on the far upper-left corner.

 

Many cellphone cameras these days offer this orientation, but they usually place the shutter button directly under the right index finger—right where you would find it on a digital camera. The iPhone's shutter button is in the same place whether you're holding the phone vertically or horizontally. That onscreen tap, however, is in a convenient location: you can reach it easily with either thumb. In fact, the thumb can reach the shutter button more comfortably in this position than in the traditional vertical 'cellphone grip.'

One final difference that you might notice between the iPhone and many other cellphones is that the playback interface and other options are all controlled via the trademark iPhone touchscreen style. With many cellphones, you use some kind of directional pad to navigate through thumbnails, edit and/or upload videos, and activate menu features. The iPhone, however, can rest in one hand while the other hand uses the touchscreen interface. On cell phones, touch screens are still the exception rather than the rule. Ultracompact camcorders like the Flip avoid touchscreens, since they would increase the price of the product.

With more and more camcorders incorporating touchscreen technology, navigating through the iPhone's video menus feels surprisingly like navigating the menus of a top-of-the-line consumer camcorder—only with no manual controls and far fewer options. We're also a big fan of the new 'fingerprint-resistant oleophobiccoating.' If only Sony and Panasonic could get their hands on this technology!

**Stabilization***(0.0)*


The Apple iPhone 3G S does not have any kind of image stabilization system. That means your videos will have that shaky Cloverfield look to it... unless you've managed to mount the iPhone on a tripod. Since the iPhone doesn't actually have a tripod mount, you would have to use a tripod clamp accessory or just keep your hands as steady as possible. You would be in the same boat with most budget camcorders, as they don't have any kind of stabilization either. (More on how we test stabilization.)

**Portability***(12.1)*


The iPhone 3G S is the same size as previous incarnations of the iPhone. It is, however, wider and taller than most ultracompact camcorders, especially the Flip Mino and Flip MinoHD. On the other hand, it is slimmer than most of these camcorders—half the thickness of the Flip Ultra and Flip UltraHD.

The biggest drawback to portability is the relatively fragile nature of the iPhone compared to most budget cams. The huge screen is less durable than the small LCDs on Flip cams. You also have slightly more limited storage, since the camera cannot record to removable memory cards.

On the other hand, 16GB or 32GB of internal memory isn't bad, especially if you don't fill it up with music and movies. Plus, on the iPhone, you can take your videos/photos and upload them straight to YouTube or your MobileMe account, using the iPhone's built-in WiFi. That's something you can't do on any consumer camcorder.

 

**Battery Life***(7.65)*


We ran the battery test on the iPhone 3G S with the phone in Airplane mode, which disengages all wireless and cell-phone network connection activity. In this mode, the phone recorded video for 2 hours, 33 minutes, and 9 seconds before the battery died. This is a very good battery life and it is better than most ultra-compact camcorders are capable of. In our test, we also noticed the phone stopped recording video after roughly 1 hour and 15 minutes of straight recording. This must be due to the phone having a maximum clip length restriction of some sort. (More on how we test battery life.)

The iPhone can charge via USB by plugging the cellphone into your computer or into the small wall outlet adapter. The phone conveniently ships with the both the USB cable and the wall adapter.

**LCD & Viewfinder***(7.66)*


The iPhone features a massive 3.5-inch touchscreen LCD with a resolution of 153,600 pixels. This is significantly larger than anything you'll find on a camcorder and is larger than most cellphone screens—even those with a touchscreen. The large LCD accounts for the larger size of the phone as well; most ultracompact camcorders are neither as wide, nor as tall as the iPhone 3G S.

Though this LCD is the same size as the screen that was on previous generation iPhones, the 3G S features a new 'fingerprint-resistant oleophobic coating,' which will keep your iPhone from looking like a pan of bacon three minutes out of the box. This is a technology we wouldn't mind seeing on the touchscreens of traditional consumer camcorders.

 

Of course, the iPhone does not have any kind of viewfinder for lining up your shots; you'll have to rely on the massive LCD for that. It's not that it would be impossible to include a viewfinder—some tiny point-and-shoot cameras have a minuscule viewfinder—but Apple obviously didn't think a viewfinder was necessary on the iPhone. We agree.

**Menus***(5.75)*


 

There's a lot to recommend the entire handling experience with iPhones, which has been covered in exhaustive detail across the Internet for two years. We'll limit ourselves to the menu functions in the video mode. Even after several software upgrades since its inception, the hallmark of the iPhone's menu has been simplicity and intuitiveness. Usually, if you want to engage a setting, you simply tap the screen. If the screen is completely absent of items, just tap the screen to un-hide them.

 

 

 

In video recording mode, the only menu items are along the bottom of the touchscreen—an icon to shift to Playback mode, a record button, and a still/video switch. Playback, discussed more thoroughly on the next page of this review, couldn't be simpler.

 

The complete absence of manual controls practically necessitates a minimum amount of menu clutter, but it's iPhone's smart design that makes simplicity a benefit rather than a frustration. Take, for instance, the Kodak Zx1,  another video device lacking in manual controls. To access the menu, it requires that you press down any two buttons simultaneously—an arcane, unmarked, and completely unintuitive process. Well done, Apple (as if you haven't heard that enough by now).

 

 

Playback & Connectivity

 

**Playback***(4.6)*


 

The video playback on the iPhone 3G S is more straightforward than the average camcorder, though its features rival those of the best camcorder.

When you tap the Camera icon from the home page, the phone is immediately shifted into pre-record mode for still photos. Even if you were last shooting in video mode, it always defaults to still mode. In the lower-left corner of the screen is a thumbnail of your last video or still photo. Tap that to enter playback mode. You can also tap the Photos button from the home page.

All of your videos and still are presented in a table of thumbnails (seen below), four across. Rather than making you flip through page after page of thumbnails, as so many camcorders do, the iPhone allows for an apparently infinite number of rows. You simply flick up and down to scroll through them all. This alone makes the iPhone a stand-out video device. There are also buttons at the top to filter for just photos or just videos.

 

 

To view a video, just tap the thumbnail. The screen will appear as above, with a large play button in the center and some menu options on the top and the bottom. The most intriguing feature is the in-camera editing control. It's not terribly ambitious in its scope – it simply allows you to trim the clips beginning and end points – but the controls are damn near perfect in its intuitive interface. This is far simpler than the average camcorder. Sure, most modern camcorders offer advanced functionality like joining clips together, or tacking on a pre-loaded soundtrack, but the interface is so convoluted we can't imagine that the tools see much use. On the iPhone, the Trim tool is always at the top of the screen if you need it, but it's not screen clutter.

The other key feature is almost a holy grail of camcorders – instant, in-camera upload to YouTube. It must sting the big manufacturers (including Pure Digital) terribly to see the iPhone get there ahead of them. On the heels of the Flip camcorder's prowess at smoothing the YouTube upload process, nearly every 2009 camcorder included some form of upload software, ranging from the simple to the completely obtuse. But every one of these camcorders required a computer as the intermediary device for uploading. Pure Digital's recent acquisition by Cisco promises some interesting technologies down the line, but the iPhone is here right now offering that very service. True, it's certainly not HD video, but it's a start.

 

 

 

**Connectivity***(2.88)*


The iPhone is limited in its connectivity, but only compared to most camcorders. Being a media player, the 3G S obviously has a headphone jack and, in fact, ships with a pair of standard white Apple in-ear headphones. For file transfer, the iPhone includes a proprietary USB cable, which can plug into your computer or into the included wall outlet adapter. You can also purchase a separate composite AV cable, which will allow you to view photos and videos on a television.

 

Perhaps the handiest connectivity feature on the iPhone 3G S is its WiFi connection, which allows you to upload videos directly to YouTube or your Apple MobileMe account. That means you can share your videos from anywhere, without the hassle of exporting to a computer. Some digital cameras now include WiFi and we expect camcorders will eventually have this feature as well. For now, however, this is a pretty unique feature that the iPhone does not share with traditional camcorders.

 

Audio & Other Features

 

**Audio Features***(1.75)*


 

Audio is recorded in mono, not stereo. Some ultra-compact camcorders, like the Flip Ultra and UltraHD offer stereo recording, while the Mino series does not. The Sony Webbie camcorders are also mono. How important is it? Well, one school of thought would say that the video is pretty cheap looking, so why not the audio, too? However, we think that's a bad attitude. Also, it's important to consider the fact that your audience is more apt to be bothered on bad audio than bad video, something hammered home in every film student's Production 101 class.

The microphone is located on the bottom of the iPhone. Most protective cases make room for sound to pass through undisturbed. Just remember not to cover it with your thumb.

 

 

 

 

 

**Other Features***(3.0)*


Did you know the iPhone 3G S is more than just a camcorder?

Cell Phone

It makes, as well as receives, phone calls.

Text Messaging

Now with MMS, although Americans stuck with AT&T can only send and receive text.

Geotagging

All of your videos can be tagged with a location via the phone's built-in GPS.

Calendar

To save your dates.

Voice/Text Notations

It stores both.

Video and Audio iPod

Watch and listen to all your favorite music and movies.

Email and Internet Device

The globe is your village with this internet-ready camcorder.

Calculator

Don't do it in your head when the iPhone can do the heavy lifting.

Compass

Which way's north? Now you'll always know.

 

Samsung Omnia Comparison

As far as video recording goes, there really isn't anything the Samsung Omnia does better than the iPhone 3G S. The iPhone absolutely kills the Omnia in nearly every performance category (except noise) and it is much easier to work with. The Samsung does offer more control—multiple video resolutions, exposure adjustment, white balance presets—but it lacks the sleek, intuitive design that the iPhone takes for granted. Of course, the Samsung Omnia does have better still image capability than the iPhone, but we're primarily concerned with video quality and performance in this review, and the iPhone wins in that category hands down.

 

 

 

 

Flip UltraHD Comparison

Flip camcorders are extremely popular right now and you can bet Apple is hoping to sink its teeth into part of that market with the iPhone 3G S. Of course, while the iPhone is primarily a phone, the Flip UltraHD is just a camcorder, so the two devices aren't exactly competitors. Comparing the performance of both models, however, suggest that the two are very similar products when it comes to video. The Flip UltraHD has a huge advantage in video sharpness, although that's entirely because it can record 1280 x 720 HD video, while the iPhone is stuck in the world of standard definition. What we did garner from our testing, however, is that the iPhone 3G S is a very strong video recorder compared to the Flip series of camcorders. Its sleek design and the ease of which videos can be uploaded to YouTube makes it the first device to truly rival the Flip's simplicity. Will people start abandoning Flip camcorders in favor of the iPhone? Probably not right away, but it is safe to assume that any iPhone 3G S owner would have no use for a Flip camcorder—unless you truly desire HD video capability or prefer to mount your camcorder to a tripod. 

 

 

 

 

Sony MHS-PM1 Comparison

Sony's foray into the ultra-compact budget camcorder market began this year with the Webbie HD line of camcorders: the Sony MHS-PM1 and MHS-CM1. While the MHS-PM1 offers more features than most budget cams, it's also more difficult to use. It has a poor interface, confusing menus, and too many options for novice users. This is an area where the iPhone 3G S shines—its video mode is extremely easy to use and everything is very intuitive. The MHS-PM1 does, of course, offer HD video capability and it did better than the iPhone in a number of performance categories. It also has a tripod mount to reduce the effect of shaky hands while recording. 

 

 

 

 

Conclusion

Specs and Ratings

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Meet the testers

Jeremy Stamas

Jeremy Stamas

Managing Editor, Video

@nematode9

Jeremy is the video expert of our imaging team and Reviewed.com's head of video production. Originally from Pennsylvania and upstate NY, he graduated from Bard college with a degree in film and electronic media. He has been living and working in New England since 2005.

See all of Jeremy Stamas's reviews
Kaitlyn Chantry

Kaitlyn Chantry

Vice President, Editorial Management

@WhyKaitlyn

Vice President of Editorial Management, Kaitlyn oversees the editorial departments of Reviewed.com’s various sites. She has been writing about technology since the turn of the century. Outside of her Reviewed.com home, Kaitlyn is also a theatre director and avid gamer.

See all of Kaitlyn Chantry's reviews

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