At a special media event held on Tuesday, Apple previewed its iPhone 3.0 software update, and developers and iPhone owners have a lot to be happy about
At a special media event held on Tuesday, Apple previewed its iPhone 3.0 software update, and developers and iPhone owners have a lot to be happy about. The next iteration of the iPhone OS, which won’t be available until sometime this Summer, includes over 100 new features, and finally implements a number of features that were conspicuously absent from the iPhone until now. Here’s a quick rundown of many of the new features users can expect to see when the 3.0 software becomes available. Cut and Paste – Apple has finally implemented what appears to be a simple cut and paste scheme, and the feature will be available across applications. When asked why Apple took so long to deliver cut and paste, Apple’s Senior Vice President of iPhone Software, Scott Forstall, said that the implementation is a lot trickier than it seems due to security issues. MMS – A dinky phone I once had in 2003 had MMS, yet for some reason, the most advanced smartphone on the planet didn’t. For some time now, users have lamented the absence of MMS on the iPhone, but at long last, it’s here. The iPhone 3.0 software will allow users to send audio over MMS as well. It should be pointed out that MMS will only work on 3G iPhones, so first-gen users are out of luck. Push Notifications – After a few months delay, push notifications will finally be arriving this summer. Apple initially promised push notifications by September of ’08, but the feature remained noticeably absent, and Apple was typically quiet on the matter. Forstall noted that due to some of the ways developers wanted to use Push notifications, Apple had to “re-architect the server structure”. As for running apps in the background, Forstall explicitly ruled out that possibility, explaining that such a feature quickly eats up huge chunks of battery life. Universal Search – Finally, spotlight hits the iPhone. iPhone users will soon be able to use spotlight to help them find an application buried 4 pages deep, or to even help them look for content on their phone. Universal search was one of the unique features the Palm Pre had going for it, so it’s nice to see Apple keep pace. Maps / Turn by Turn – Developers can now embed google maps directly into their apps. In addition, developers will now be able to implement turn by turn directions for the iPhone, and it’ll be interesting to see what developers will come up with. Landscape Mode – iPhone users will now be able to write emails and text messages in landscape mode, without the assistance of third party apps. Peer to Peer – iPhone gamers can now seek out other iPhone users playing the same game via Bluetooth. Multiplayer iPhone gaming? Now that’s an interesting development. App Subscriptions – Apple now gives developers the opportunity to sell their apps on a subscription basis. Customers might cringe at the thought, but a balance will inevitably be worked out between the developers and their customers. If users aren’t inclined to buy apps as part of a subscription, then we probably won’t see it implemented too often. Still, it’s a nice option for developers to have. YouTube/Stocks – Both the YouTube and Stocks widgets were given new features as YouTube received subscription and ratings support, while the Stocks widget now displays relevant company news headlines. During a question and answer period after the presentation, Forstall noted that the iPhone is capable of tethering (old news), but that it was working with carriers on the issue before it becomes an option to users. Apple was also asked about Flash on the iPhone and Netbooks, and as can be expected, they said that they didn’t have anything to say on either topic. Like this post? Check out these others from iOnApple
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