[tan1415]

Hi,
 
I am considering using an older Iphone 3G/S as a musicplayer. Possibly in combination with GoDap GD03.
 
When looking at the secondhandmarket...i am quite surprised how cheap these are compared with an Ipod. hardly any markup in price.
 
Of course these are more heavily used compared with the music only players. but most people are selling them for around the same price of just 10/20€ premium.
 
What are the downsides of using these old iphones as musicplayers?
Would they last less than a music only player?
Is there soundquality as good as music only players?
 
Anyway beside the price...you get to use apps with them along with whatsapp. And when using it as a musicplayer...dont need your regular phone.
 
I use my smartphone for everything. Including reading ebooks etc. When i also play music...the battery gets empty out extremely fast.
So I resort to carrying two items. A dedicated musicplayer and a phone for everything else.
 
Anyway wonder what people think about using these phones as musiconly players,.

 

[jazzman7]

I still use an iPhone 3GS as my main phone as I don't have any strong reason to upgrade -- access to iTunes Store apps is the main selling point.  I've had the battery replaced once by a local shop.   I also have the GoDap GD03. 
 
Some advantages of the 3GS over other devices as a music player, particularly the iPod Touch:
 
1)  The battery is replaceable via a repair shop.  My local shops won't replace an iPod Touch battery as they simply won't work on them.  So there is longevity in the choice, ignoring other factors such as software updates. 
 
2)  The GoDap  GD03.  This is a great little amp and is very inexpensive.  It works great and is very convenient while walking around as it gives you a real volume knob that can be found by touch (i.e. don't need to look at the player). 
 
3)  Wi-Fi coverage is better (at least as compared to older iPod Touch models - 3rd gen and older). 
 
4)  The onboard DAC is decent (at least to my ears).  I prefer the line out on it using 30-pin connectors as compared to older Touch models but haven't compared it to the 4th gen. 
 
5)  It has a true line out with less expensive adapters available.  The Lightning connector devices (iPhone and iPod Touch) do not, and the Lightning adapter to 30-pin has a DAC in it which is another point of failure at a minimum. 
 
6)  The GoDap will charge the iPhone if you so choose, so you can manage your battery use more creatively with the combination. 
 
Now some disadvantages.
 
A)  To avoid the GSM noise from a nearby amp such as the GoDap, the 3GS needs to be put into Airplane mode.  Otherwise you will hear 'dit-dit-dit' through an external amp whenever the phone re-acquires a cellular connection.  There is no problem from the headphone out.  One fix for this might be to pull the SIM card, but I haven't tried this.  When you go to Airplane mode, you lose Wi-Fi too, so Spotify/Rdio will be a no-go unless you can solve it some other way. 
 
B)  The screen is lower resolution than newer models (phones and iPods).  Not a big deal if you don't watch movies/videos on it. 
 
C)  The iOS version is "the latest" at 6.1.3, but it is limited in some sense.  For example, it does not support notifications in the same way.  I found this out because I also have a Pebble smart watch that links to the 3GS, and it doesn't play as nice as the newer iPhones.   There may be other differences as well.  I am pretty sure it won't get updated to the next iOS, so it may be something where you find the apps you like now and never update it after that. 
 
D)  The processor is a little slow.  Again music apps don't take a lot of CPU power, but the interface is showing its (computational) age.
 
My post is a little long -- hope it helps.

 

[tan1415]

Wow one of the best replies that i ever got. Thanks a lot.

 

[jazzman7]

No problem -- glad to help.
 
Also, it looks like Apple has confirmed that there's no iOS 7 for the 3GS at WWDC today.  I suspect that this might drive prices down on the 3GS further.
 
http://cdn.imore.com/sites/imore.com/files/styles/large/public/field/image/2013/06/ios7-availability-keynote.jpg