A few years old by now, the iPhone 3GS is still around and kicking, doing a great job as a smartphone. Despite its age, it is perfectly capable of running the latest version of iOS, the operating system Apple uses on the iPhone, the iPad and the iPod Touch. At the starting price of £319 it might be an interesting alternative still.
You will not get all the impressive features of the iPhone 4 or the iPhone 4S, but you get something that gets the job done. You can take perfectly OK still photos and capture videos at 640×480 resolution and easily share them with the world in relatively no-time.
Connectivity-wise you have access to a fairly fast 3G connection as well as the very common WiFi networks.
Since the iPhone 3GS lacks a front side camera you will not be able to enjoy video conferencing, but in terms of communication otherwise it is a well equipped device. As long as you have a solid connection to the mobile telephony network you can shovel videos, photos and text messages to your hearts content, as well as e-mail and any of the large number of communication apps available on the App Store.
Compared to the newer iPhone models the old 3GS does not have very impressive camera capabilities and it also lacks the LED flash that the newer models sport. You will also not find the same brilliant Retina display of the iPhone 4 or the iPhone 4S. While well adapted at the time it was designed, the iPhone 3GS does not have a very powerful processor today.
While the price is not too high today, you might be able to find an iPhone 3GS used on eBay, with a lot more storage space. It is still good value for your money.
Alternatives to the 3GS include the iPhone 4 or iPhone 4S