iPhone 3.0 new features
Ivan | Sat, 2009-03-21 23:09
The new software upgrade (still in Beta) for iPhone brings several much anticipated functions. These finally bring the iPhone up to the level of any other smartphone in terms of features. With 3.0 we finally have a mature product. Let's in detail all the new features.
Cut, Copy and Paste
This top requested feature works across all applications and it's easy to use. Apple interface designers managed to come up with a good solution for the touch interface.
To cut or copy you have to double tap the text, then fine tune the selection by dragging the dots. Tap the cut or copy buttons to activate to move or copy the selected content to the clipboard. Now navigate to any other page and click paste. If you made a mistake pasting, just shake the device.
MMS or picture SMS
Although I think MMS is a dead end in mobile technology, Apple was forces to include it in the iPhone to avoid constant criticism. In my opinion SMS makes sense as a beeper, but for serious messaging most people prefer email. MMS isn't a safe option as not all phones have MMS receiving capabilities. Thankfully you can switch off MMS in preferences.
Regardless, if you decide to send an MMS just tap the little camera icon in SMS (chat) mode and pick from your existing images or take a new one with the camera.
When you're in the photo gallery you now will have MMS as an option to share your image besides the existing Email and other choices.
If you take an image for an MMS message you have the option to retake or use the image, which is convenient if you can't get the image right from the first go.
Spotlight search
Left to your Home screen you will find Spotlight and it essentially does the same as Spotlight on your Mac. You can search for a keyword and results will appear categorized by content type. You can program the iPhone to access Spotlight by double tapping the Home button.
Landscape mode
Finally we have the option to read and type in landscape mode in all applications including the Stocks application which now also offers news besides the figures.
SMS management
Finally you can forward SMS messages. And you can delete individual items instead of only being able to delete the whole thread.
Contacts forwarding
You can also forward contacts. Compatibility of business cards between Nokia and Sony Ericsson has always been a problem. I expect problems in this area with the iPhone as well.
Events
You will be able to create and send invites to new events. This is cool, but unfortunately I use Google's calendar within the mobile Safari browser, which always allowed adding appointments, but no invites yet.
Voice notes
There were many free and payed third party apps that allowed recording voice on the iPhone.
This function now will come by default on every iPhone. The application looks cool and simple. I'm happy for this feature as I felt no third party app really nailed it yet.
Not sure if voice recording can be turned on during a phone conversation, but it would surely be a good idea, especially when taking a brief over the phone from a client.
Safari links and images management
In Safari if you tap and hold on a link or image you get options to copy the link or to save the image. You also have the option to open the link in a new page.
100 more small things
Several areas got small improvements, such as more wallpaper images and several more languages. You can also shake the iPhone to shuffle your iPod application. There will be auto-fill in Safari. Notes will sync with your Mac. Etc.
Push notification
The iPhone SDK also got updated and it will allow programmers to be even more creative with their apps. Push notification running in the background even if the app itself isn't running will allow for cool updates on many already existing applications and will allow for a plethora of new ideas.
In app purchase
The new SKD will also purchases within applications allowing developers to create iTMS like stores for their apps. All purchases will be handled through the iTunes Store.
Accessories and peer-to-peer
Important addition is the ability to handle external accessories not only through the iPhone connector but through Bluetooth as well. iPhone hardware customization will go wild.
The new iPhone will allow peer-to-peer connectivity, so you can share data or play games between two iPhones. I know competition had this for ages, now it's on iPhone as well.
Maps and iPod access
With this new platform applications will be able to access google maps and your iPod library as well opening up the possibilities for applications further.
iPod Touch users have to pay USD 10 for the update, but it's free for iPhone users. It's expected to be released for the public this summer.
You can watch the March 17 show. Thanks cnet for the screenshots.
Commenting on this Blog entry is closed.
I think we have the same line of thought on MMS. It's a bit of a shame Apple was forced to include it because it's a feature that carriers charge extra and charge by the amount of use. I much prefer trying to move people in the direction of just paying for the one data stream. With email having been lumped into the "unlimited" internet it was a step in the right direction.
I'm really glad that a lot of the small gaps are being filled in. Basic things like forwarding messages and contacts are going to be nice to have again.
For some crazy reason I really like the idea of in app purchases. All of the demoed uses were a bit silly. I wouldn't pay 99 cents for a rocket launcher. However for some reason I see Apple's touch platform as the perfect launch pad for true digital publications (magazines). With it's touch screen and gesture controls there is a connection to old physical magazines. I think if the rumored netbook, which I'd expect to be a larger version of the iPhone, comes out it would make a perfect magazine/e-book device.
I hope some of the less spoken of annoyances are dealt with when 3.0 is released. More profiles for how the phone makes sounds and alerts you. The ability to remove Apple apps from the phone, like Stocks and Weather.
And the big one ...
If iTunes is running and minimized, docking your phone will expand it. There is NO WAY to kill this. When working from my computer I keep my phone docked. I take a call and then return the phone to the dock and boom iTunes goes and expands over my work, and clearly more important, windows. I hate this with such a passion. I've sent feedback in iTunes and even tried the email to Steve Jobs out of desperation.
Voice notes looks like a fantastic addition.
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Sounds really cool. Here in South Africa though, Vodacom has a monopoly on the iPhone 3G and the pricing is ridiculously expensive. Greedy pigs..
MMS is quite popular here though and even some of the cheapest phones have MMS capability.
oh, and thank goodness for the sms forward feature!!
i see you present us centric approach towards mms, however here in europe mms is not pricey thus is very popular way of sending casual shots
Do the recorded voice memos also sync to iTunes?
i don't know. Will find out and report back.
hey,
did you ever find out? I'd really like to know. Thanks!
It was reported it will sync back.
What about being able to use the Iphone as a 3g modem for your Notebook PC? In a market that is increasingly relying on mobile connectivity, you'd think the egalitarians at Apple would allow consumers to make the most of 3g capabilities. So many other phones have this capability yet Apple in their typical wisdom (with some encouragement from the likes of AT&T) have decided to leave this useful and arguably essential feature out. Instead, they include moronic features like MMS!
I loved the first Iphone, and was really looking forward to the next incarnation of what is mostly a unique mobile experience, but v3.0 only serves (to me) to demonstrate Apples eagerness to protect behemoth telcos' profit margins, on services that cost a tiny fraction of what a consumer is charged.
What a backwards, pandering step from a company that tries to convince us the consumer is everything.
i garrente a new iphone will be released with this os..
or at least sometime after
But... Still no video? I mean... I don't condone this, but a jailbroken iPhone will take video. There's no reason they couldn't throw that into a software update. I got the iPhone to minimize the amount of devices in my pocket, but i still have to have a digital camera if I want a video. It just seems logical... Maybe 4.0.
One thing apple announced that wasn't included in this review was the addition of support for streaming audio/video. I think it's going to be amazing because you can finally go to an artist's myspace page and stream any of their music...
The fact is that most phones still don't fully utilise email. Either it is too expensive where people get charged by the MB or it is just to complicated to set up. For this reason email is still not widely used on standard phones. More commonly younger people are using Facebook Mobile and other social networks as an alternative to SMS and email. Email is important in the corporate space but the majority of home users just use MMS, SMS, and/or Facebook.
I agree MMS is pointless and I wish it could die off but more often than not it is the easiest way to send a picture to someone on their phone unless they have an iPhone or Blackberry or some other smart phone. Internet tethering looks interesting with being able to connect my laptop to the internet wherever I am even if there is no Wi-Fi.
I also think there will be a new iPhone announced today. Apple are probably going to steal most of the limelight from the Palm Pre announced this weekend. Regarding no video... wasn't there things in the 3.0 beta that suggest that there will be video? That would also suggest new hardware. A nicer camera would be a good addition. I may use the camera more often if it is better.