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!!
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. …
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.
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.
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...
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.
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.
@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.
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...
$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.
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...
@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 :)
... 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.
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?
...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.
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?
* 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...
"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)
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.
... "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!
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.
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...
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!