GOOD TO KNOW: 

• 16GB and 32GB models 
• 3G connectivity (fast)
• Internet tethering (Vodacom network only
•  Extended battery life

I've coveted the iPhone ever since it was launched. Unfortunately my link to the yellow mobile network has meant that the iPhone has been out of my reach, until now. Being able to review the iPhone 3GS was super-exciting; this phone is smart and sexy. Superior Apple design marries ease-of-use to lightning fast 3G connectivity to make this phone really all that it's cracked up to be. Yes, I'm saying that all those fanboys out there were in fact right about this phone – it wasn't all just hollow praise.

The iPhone 3GS coped exceptionally well with all my needs – my multiple social networking accounts, IM and e-mail were all easy to setup. Most new iPhone users will be amazed by the screen size and clarity, which is evident especially when using the on-board Safari web browser. While we're talking about Safari, I must say that it's one of the only mobile browsers I've used that actually gives you the full browsing experience – making you feel like you're using your laptop and not merely browsing on your phone.

When it comes to actually being a mobile phone – the in-call sound is exceptional and for me the SMS threading (collecting all related SMSes into a conversation) is a killer feature.

In a world where customisation is king and the personal experience is more important than ever, Apple got it right with the iPhone App store. The app store is accessed directly from your phone and offers applications to do just about anything. This means that you can pimp your iPhone to the max so that it does exactly what you need it to do.

My favourite iPhone applications:

• 80% of my friends seem to be on BlackBerry Messenger so WhatsApp http://www.whatsapp.com/ is awesome. This app allows iPhone and BBM users to chat directly, IM style. Direct chatting means less texting and calling which obviously reduces your phone bill and leaves money for the important things like shoes and champagne and handbags.
•  I'm a music nut so Shazam http://www.shazam.com/ rocks, if you want to know sings a song that's playing, all you need do is activate Shazam which will 'listen' and then look up the song title and artist. This makes for a very sneaky way of impressing music buffs.
• I'm a heavy Twitter and Facebook user, and to this end Seesmic http://seesmic.com/seesmic_mobile/iphone/ for iPhone has a really awesome interface and multi-account support.

The iPhone 3GS is not only a stylish accessory, but it is smart, easy to use and most importantly, it's fast, which it needs to be, in order to keep up with me, In all fairness, I can honestly say that this phone lives up to the hype.

Turn ons:

•  Responsive touchscreen and accurate texting QWERTY keyboard.
• Very light (and oh so cool to look at.)
• Threaded SMS-conversations make it easier to keep track of messages.
• Like anything Apple it 'just works' no super-geek-tech knowledge required.

Turn offs:

• MTN users are currently not able to receive MMS or use the device as a modem – this is enough for me to not use it. (Latest News: my sources tell me that the new iPhone 4 will be offered by Vodacom and MTN later on this year – I'll be first in line.)
• Doesn't support multi-tasking but this may not be a big issue for some as apps start up pretty quickly. That being said if you close an application mid-task then info could be lost which is frustrating, but can apparently be solved by updating to the latest version of the operating system.

Rating: 4/5

SRP: