back to article iPhone 3.0 adds cut-and-paste, search, new dev toys

The new iPhone 3.0 software will introduce copy-and-paste options, spotlight search, background notifications, stereo Bluetooth, MMS messages, and third-party access to the device's map application. Apple's third major software release for the iPhone was previewed today for a press gathering at the company's HQ in Cupertino. …

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  1. jai
    Jobs Halo

    summer

    seems like world+dog have suddenly become iPhone devs and are all trying to hit the download site at once. at this rate, us devs won't get to see it before summer either!!

  2. Rolf Howarth
    Thumb Up

    Interesting

    Looks like a very solid update. Things like micropayments, hardware integration, map integration, etc. will open up all sorts of interesting third party applications. It's starting to look a lot less like a phone and a lot more like a general purpose, portable, always connected computing device.

  3. David Edwards
    Thumb Up

    Vindicated

    I tried the BB storm first but poor IMAP support (no folders or sent box on a non-enterprise one) made me send it back. MMS wasnt a bother but Cut n Paste is a pain, as was no search. Id used a palm for years but it broke so needed to replace. Now wiht CnP and search I feel I have something my palm did and so much more. Notes sync is good but im now an evernote user so starting to buy into the whole cloud sync thing (mind you reception issues are blighting that)

    Its all a bit late for some, but as an Iphone user of 2 weeks this is great news.

  4. Si
    Jobs Horns

    Double tapping text to copy...

    I'm a bit concerned about how this copy & paste is going to work in Safari, I'm rather attached to what double tapping currently does, i.e. it zooms into the tapped paragraph so that it fits the screen width perfectly.

    If the copy & paste functionality overrides that I will be most displeased. Why couldn't they use tap and hold on a word to start the copy & paste functionality? That seems more intuitive to me...

    Still, it's nice to hear about enhanced YouTube support, I'm hoping my account's playlists will be accessible from the device. I just wish they'd made some headway on Flash...

  5. Ian Ferguson
    Thumb Up

    Nice

    For once the reality lives up to the hype. The bluetooth improvement is a big surprise, although it's not surprising that it's not opened up completely.

    The biggest news is surely the hardware link. It sounds like Apple are giving their blessing for all kinds of third party add-ons to be developed. I'm sure it won't be long until there'll be loads of cheap iOddities flooding out of Asia. What's the betting on an iVibrator being one of the first?

    My only disappointment is that I can't won't be able to get stereo bluetooth goodness from my original iPhone, but I suppose that's probably a hardware limitation.

    Oh and my first reaction to in-app micropayments is, I hope they have the security tight. It wouldn't be too hard to create a fake password request.

  6. Anonymous Coward
    Go

    Finally

    Cut and paste is coming and I for one am thankful. Not necessarily because I thought it was a deal breaking exclusion, but because as soon as it's released all the commetards around the world will no longer be able to trot out that same tired bull shit excuse and will have to move on to something else.

  7. James O'Brien
    Jobs Horns

    WTF??

    $10 for the iPod Touch? Why? We don't have subsidies to lower the cost of what we got yet we have to pay more? FUCK YOU APPLE.

  8. Anonymous Coward
    Go

    So does this mean...

    ... that now all other phones are truly inferior?

  9. Mark

    Can't wait...

    until there's a viable alternative to this locked-down dictatorial 30% of your graft is ours for the taking fashion accessory. Their attitude really is taking the piss.

  10. Ross Fleming
    Thumb Up

    Woohoo!

    Turn-by-turn sat nav. All I've been waiting for. The rest I could live without. I guess it won't be a problem for Tom Tom et al for licensing maps

    Posted from my iPhone :-)

  11. Nick Williams
    Jobs Halo

    Mail synchronisation?

    Any chance they will do anything about the bloody awful mail synchronisation (or rather, lack of it)? It's one of the few things which Windows Mobile does better and more intuitively.

  12. matthé
    Thumb Down

    MMS?

    only for 3G due to hardware limitations??

    they have got to be kidding me

  13. Anonymous Coward
    Flame

    @Mark

    Is that the best you can come up with now? Pathetic...

    All the new features from my POV are excellent additions - iWork mobile next?

  14. Anonymous Coward
    Linux

    Crap software on overpriced crap hardware

    Android is the way to go.

  15. Anonymous Coward
    Jobs Halo

    Title my arse!

    @James O'Brien

    > $10 for the iPod Touch? Why?

    Er, because software costs money to develop. Was Windows Vista a free upgrade? Apple gets money from phone contracts to cover on-going iPhone software updates.

    @Mark

    > alternative to this locked-down dictatorial 30% of your graft is ours for the taking

    Yeah, cos taking card payments, hosting, bandwidth & running the iTunes store is free right? I suppose you could do it cheaper?

    @ matthé

    > MMS only for 3G due to hardware limitations??

    Yep. Apparently MMS is sent using a different radio chip which the 1st gen doesn't possess.

  16. Richard Taylor
    Thumb Down

    Slick but incomplete

    Ummm, which of the 100 improvements was revolutionary again?

    I think not. Hello gPhone...

  17. Ed
    Thumb Up

    A good update

    I'm looking forward to the update - loads of little things that will really help. I think the potential for the bluetooth, dock connector and turn by turn navigation are massive.

    I'd pay a fair amount of money for TomTom for the iPhone - if it was done well. I don't think I'd pay the £87 they charge for TomTom Navigator on other phones though...

    It'll be interesting to see what they bring to the table next year...

  18. Ivan Headache

    @Mark

    You obviously don't work in the world of real business. 30% is a fantastic rate. Photo agencies take 55% - they get more of my earnings than I do.

  19. Anonymous Coward
    Jobs Halo

    @James the total git

    $10 for iPod yes how poor your memory is. This has been brought up many times. There is a law in place preventing upgrades that add new features to consumer devices after they have been sold. Bizzare but true. Mobiles are exempt so free for the phone but all other devices pay a fee that covers all the costs involved only got processing and collecting the fee under the regulation. That's why you are not charged $120 for a new OS. Patches and bug fixed can be distributed so no charge for updates to the existing OS.

  20. Steven Knox
    Coat

    Joswiak?

    Really? SJ finally managed to create that clone from his DNA and some scraps of SW he saved while they were working together, or what?

    On a serious note, it sounds like the iPhone is finally becoming something to possibly consider. Now if only my employer would allow any access to e-mail other than through Blackberries...

  21. Ted
    Boffin

    $10 for iPod Touch, it's the Law

    @James O'Brien

    Since the iPod Touch isn't a subscription based device the Sarbanes-Oxley Act forces Apple to charge for any feature upgrades to an existing device. Yes, it's a problem, but don't get mad at Apple, they have no choice.

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sarbanes-Oxley_Act

    Keep in mind, once the update is released... it will be all over bit torrent, so if you want to screw the Government, you'll have that option :)

  22. Ted
    Thumb Up

    Watch the iPhone/Touch Announcement

    here is the whole 3.0 event that happened today, worth watching if you are a geek...

    http://www.apple.com/iphone/preview-iphone-os/

  23. Monkey

    Finally...

    ... other phone manufacturers and phone OS producers have got no place to hide.

    I don't really like the iphone for quite genuine reasons to do with my specific needs from a device, BUT thank god for the iphone. Look what it has done to the mobile market. With copy and paste the other companies have got no places left to hide and no excuses left to make with rubbish/ badly put together phone features and their 'let them live with it' attitude.

  24. Bad Beaver
    Thumb Up

    hmmm CalDAV

    Now how nice would that be? Useful calendars, that's unheard of...

    I have to say this update eliminates a whole bunch of serious shortcomings. Won't help though if I am still supposed to have T-Mobile sink their rusted harpoon in my rectum to extract whatever money possible. German tariffs are a sick joke. You hear that, Palm?

  25. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Good to see...

    ...thank Apple have finally managed to release these ground-breaking and revolutionary new features in their third major firmware version. Good effort, chaps. :-\

  26. Anonymous Coward
    Thumb Up

    Amazing....

    ...what a bit of competition will do. Version 2 appears - it's got some glaring ommissions on an otherwise pretty good device. With Android etc coming out, along with better interfaces for Windows Mobile, Apple decide to get off their backsides and fill in the blanks for version 3.

    Oh, wouldn't touch Android. It's crap. But you get what you pay for - I'd sooner go Windows than Android.

  27. Anonymous Coward
    Go

    @Finally

    Come on, if you're a regular reader of the reg you should know by now, all the commentards will start moaning about the fact that its taking so long to add these features.

    I for one think some of the stuff is great thats gonna be added, albeit a bit late but hey ho its on its way.

  28. Dave Ross

    Not bad...

    Good to sese all those improvements, particulalrly pleased to se cut and paste, however, where are the improvememts to the camera? Surely this has to be the most requested upgrade to the 3G.

    Also, it would be really nice if you could change the callendar alert sound for something that is actually audible.

    OK, that last one is a bit nitpicky, but still, it wouldn't be hard to implement would it?

  29. Anonymous Coward
    Thumb Down

    Yeah but

    * No video

    * Extremely Low Quality Still Camera

    * Poor Battery Life

    * Painfully slow access via Edge / 3G

    I'm sorry announcing cut-and-paste & MMS amounts to a patch of some notable and embarassing feature omissions and yet the Apple hype machine attempts to <hotair>bru-haha it up</hotair> like its some kind of giant technological leap forward...

  30. Anonymous Coward
    Dead Vulture

    So what about

    SMS forwarding?

  31. Frank

    Scours?

    "Entering a term scours everything on the device from e-mail text to calendar dates."

    I think you mean 'scans'. Then again, scouring is a guaranteed way to do a secure deletion of sensitive data.

  32. Jessica Werkz

    @Crap software on overpriced crap hardware

    You godda be kidding right?

  33. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Good Oh.

    The iPhone is finally turning into a real mobile. That's great for you guys. I hope it works out for you all.

    Seriously though it's just a phone. Can we not have the usual somewhat disturbing fangasm?

  34. spider from mars

    USB

    "The 3.0 update will give developers access to third-party hardware peripherals using the iPhone or iPod Touch's dock connector."

    does this mean we'll be able to - shockers - use it as a USB drive?! for all the kerfuffle about cut'n'paste this is the thing I miss most.

    (Yes, you can get apps that do similar things over wi-fi, which our office network and PCs do not have)

  35. Paul
    Boffin

    If only...

    ...they'd do a PC/Linux-compatible SDK, too. Douchebags.

  36. Anonymous Coward
    Thumb Up

    ipod touch

    I wonder if they've been bothered yet to fix the bug on ipod touch (it works fine on iphone) where saving an image that's been emailed to you saves a thumbnail of the image rather than the full resolution image. My guess is they haven't, because they're farts.

  37. Darren

    not bad

    ...pretty crap iPod Touch users have to pay for it though. I am guessing if this is limited to the 3G iPhones, then it will probably be limited to the newer iPod Touch??!

  38. Ascylto

    @AC Penguin

    How do you know ... it's not even released yet?

    "An android is a robot designed to look and act human." (Wikipedia)

    Seems as though you are living up to the mobile OS you espouse!

  39. Dave Cumming
    Happy

    @James O'Brien

    Apple spend probably millions of dollars on the development of the upgrades to the software so I fail to see why they shouldn't claw some of it back. iPhone users are already paying for it with their higher purchase prices and line rentals. Also whats $10 for all that added functionality, same applies to you as it did to all those moaning about the price of the iPhone, don't wanna buy it, don't. End of discussion.

    Otherwise it looks like a superb set of updates and well done Apple for continuing the support of the device and making it better and better.

    And to Mr Android, overpriced crap hardware? Have you SEEN the G1?? Now that is crap!!

    Still can't believe so many iPhone "haters" insist on reading every article about it. You don't like it, we get it, so PLEASE STOP READING THE FLIPPIN ARTICLES!!!! Sheesh.

  40. Elrond Hubbard
    Thumb Down

    Android?

    Well if you're after a pile of shit that looks and behaves like complete toss, then yes, Android would be the way to go.

  41. Anonymous Coward
    Jobs Horns

    So...

    ... "The Worlds most Advanced Mobile Phone" has finally caught up with the rest of the world (5 years ago)?

    huh

    Well, like someone's said above, it does get rid of a lot of the normal complaints about the iPhone. Though you can bet your life it wouldn't have happenned if all the "commentards" hadn't kept going on about it.

    It's pretty good looking and is now almost high-tech- it's close enough that you probably wouldn't notice the missing bits in day-to-day life coming from a more tech-full mobile. I feel dirty for saying it, but the iPhone is now almost tempting. If I could write my own apps for it to fill the gaps without paying apple a chunk of cash then I'd definately be tempted.

    Help me HTC! Save my soul from this demonic Jobsian siren!

  42. Mark Rendle
    Jobs Horns

    Wot, no tethering?

    Curse you, Jobs!

  43. jai

    re: Crap software on overpriced crap hardware

    keep telling yourself that if it helps you to sleep at night

  44. Mark Rendle
    Jobs Halo

    No, wait!

    Seems that they ARE adding support for tethering, according to a certain other website's live blog.

    Jobs: you're on probation.

  45. Tankut Erinc
    Paris Hilton

    Three down, three to go

    Yay! Copy and Paste, System wide search and Stereo Bluetooth! Not to forget the landscape keyboard and MMS!

    All that's left is the filesystem access (transfer files over wifi/BT/USB), background process support, a non-flaky Outlook sync (actually a working mail sync in any form), a browser that can do "save link as..", and editing documents. And where is the replaceable battery, when the juice runs out in the middle of the day or on the road? How about some form of icon grouping (a.k.a. folders) for the launcher, or is this reserved for 4.0?

    Lovely UI, solid improvement, sadly still too locked down and crippled. Clunky old WinMo for me for some time..

    Paris, for she is flexible.

  46. Anonymous Coward
    Paris Hilton

    Closed, Profiteering and Anti-Competitive

    Also worth mentioning here is my objection to Apple having such a closed lock-in mentality (worse actually than Microsoft).

    A simple example - I want to use one of my .mp3 as a ringtone on my iPhone. Guess what? You can't do that (at least officially - there is of course a grey market in dodgy cracks software to meet the user need ). iRingtones (or some similar marketing guff) are available exclusively from Apple store at a price of $$$$$.

    On my nokia N95 i could set any .mp3 as ringtone. The iPhone is certainly capable of playing any sound of my choosing as ringtone. Why do Apple think they are justified in deliberatly and unecessarily restricting my device to only playing sounds of their choosing?

    It is this kind of closed, lock-in, anti-competitive money grabbing "platform" mentality and snide business practises that really puts me off Apple.

    Paris - cause she gets more shafted by Jobs than by Gates...

  47. Simon
    Thumb Up

    But looks like most people missed one of the final goodies!

    In the Q&A section at the end of the presentation they also mentioned that tethering to a laptop/netbook/whatever was also being implemented but I expect they need to get the comms providers to sort something out on this. Also MMS isnt included in the O2 bundle so I wonder how the propose to include it.... fun fun fun!

  48. Anonymous Coward
    Flame

    Cue the moaning N95 owners

    Seriously guys, you lot would still be moaning about the Iphone if they gave you 500 quid with the handset. Get over it.

  49. /\/\j17
    Stop

    Wow!

    The iPhone (almost) has all the standard features of every other smartphone now!

  50. Stef
    Jobs Horns

    Fantards

    A few more releases and it will be up to the standards of most smartphone betas!

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