T-Mobile Netherlands, the country's iPhone carrier, posted the processor and RAM on their site that Apple's been so cagey about confirming, and it's exactly what we thought: 600MHz CPU (up from 412MHz) and 256MB of RAM, double the previous models. Quoted from Gizmodo.
And don't forget the other major change, going from MBX-lite to SGX. But this is what I don't understand. Why did Apple feel the need to change the GPU...so soon at that? It really wasn't necessary and will wind up being under supported.
The new GPU allows cusotm shaders, otherwise I don't know how much it will effect anything. 600mhz sounds lovely, the 2g touch has 533mhz and it helps make games run that little bit smoother and helps loading (with it's extra ram too), but the phone will need a little more power since it has a few more things always running like the phone , imo it would be a worthwhile upgrade if your 3g contract is nearly over.
Actually, apparently the CPU has changed. ARM Cortex A8, upgraded from the ARM 11. And double the RAM. So current iTouch/Phone line is: CPU: ARM 11 GPU: PowerVR MBX-lite RAM: 128 MB There are some slight differences in terms of CPU clockspeed and speed of RAM between the 1st "gen" iTouch and iPhone, 2nd "gen" iTouch and the iPhone 3G, but they all use the same basic internal hardware. Same CPU, GPU, amount of RAM. But the new iPhone 3Gs is: CPU: ARM Cortex A8 GPU: PowerVR SGX RAM: 256 MB That's a substantial all around upgrade. True next gen upgrade. Again, though...too soon, IMHO. Much too soon.
This is what I'm thinking too. While my first gen iPhone could definitely use an upgrade, I feel that developers won't take advantage of the 3GS for a good amount of months and by that time the fourth generation iPhone will be right around the corner.
I'm not even thinking that. Months? Try about a year. Maybe two. The current hardware has an install base of 40 million users. Selling the 3G @ $99 with contract as they will be, and possibly lowering the prices on the 2nd gen iPod touch over time, would've greatly increased that install base. Again, I still think Apple could've waited a year or two, get the 3Gs out there at that point, and then follow that up quickly with a new iPod touch using the same base hardware, and at that point more owners of current hardware would be willing to upgrade.
They could be thinking about the software front. Maybe they want to release the 3GS sooner, before they make too many games or apps obsolete. But then who knows what they're thinking. Anyways, after seeing that they claim PSP has nothing on the 3GS (which, still yet to be seen, we don't know if it's just slightly better or way better, since I'm not familiar with PSP hardware), I'm too excited As a PC gamer I think we'd love nothing more than a "good" portable gaming device (and laptops can't do jack, unless they cost 3000 - 6000) that's not just a gaming device. So this is basically a dream come true, and a highlight of my gaming life, literally (I couldn't even careless when PS3 or 360 came out, cause I'm not a console player).
