iPhone OS 3.0 Impressions
By Lucas Carter on Jun 18th, 2009 at 11:41PM
Alright, I feel that it is necessary to voice my opinion on the new iPhone 3.0 update being the only writer for Tech Olive that actually owns/uses an iPhone.
First of all I think it is important to remind you all of one thing that many have overlooked: The update is an iPhone update, not an iPod Touch update. Therefore, all you disgruntled iPod Touch users that are upset because you felt jipped of new features, cool your jets.
The Good:
- LANDSCAPE! Not only is landscape mode wonderful for texting, but it was also implemented into the email application as well, and being a person that does just as much emailing on the go as I do from a computer, this was incredibly helpful. Landscape texting takes a bit to get used to, but it’s very nice. It’s much more comfortable on the long run for lengthy conversations.
- Cut/Copy/Paste: This feature may seem pointless, but it comes in handy far more than one may think. Say I get an email with log-in info to a website. Now I don’t have to bounce between apps just to log into a website. Awesome.
- The Little Things: In the texting mode they added an “Edit” button to the texting conversations, which allows users to forward and delete certain parts of the conversation. While I know that just about everyone else with a cellphone has been able to do this for a while, we have iChat style texting, so we still win.
- Voice Memos: Yet another one of those apps that you think you’ll never use, until you start relying on it on a daily basis. Sound quality is good and the app easily allows you to email sound clips to yourself or to others.
- Spotlight: WIN! This is especially nice for Mac users who are used to the amazing convenience of Spotlight on their home machines. Spotlight lets you quickly search your entire device including your music library, emails, notes and applications. Again, awesome.
The Bad:
- MMS: We’re still waiting on full MMS support. This is not a fault of Apple, AT&T doesn’t support the MMS for the iPhone quite yet. They’re saying it will be available “late summer,” but who knows what that means. In the meantime I do want everyone to know how easy it is to email photos to a friend’s cell phone. For example, if you want to pix-msg someone on the Verizon network, simply put in their 10-digit phone number followed by @vzwpix.com. It’ll show up as a text in just moments.
- Push Notification: This may just be an issue with Facebook needing to update their application, but I have yet to see apps utilize the new Push Notification feature of OS 3.0.
Overall, iPhone OS 3.0 is a solid update. Although people that were expecting a massive overhaul of the OS may be disappointed.
This was an I pod update too, everything you just mentioned came to the ipid too plus a few more things. Also by time AT&T agrees to do MMS Verizon will already carry the iphone. Of course atm Verizon’s data plans are outrageous.
[Reply]
I think I mentioned this earlier. The only features missing from the iPod Touch update are the phone features (obviously), which are worthless to iPod Touch users in the first place. Other than that, the update is exactly the same for both devices.
It depends on what kind of user you are. Some might think the new features are absolutely amazing and useful, while others (including myself) might think the new features really aren’t all that great.
I think why most iPod Touch users are complaining is because the fact that they had to pay $10 for the same exact update, only with less lines of code.
By the way, in both of the articles (iPod Touch and iPhone) no one mentioned the new Bluetooth capability. That was probably one of the only features that might be useful for me.
[Reply]
The only reason i’m mad about the update is because I just got my iPod the day before
[Reply]
I’m pretty sure they aren’t shipping new iPods out with the OS. And any iPods that are sitting in stores right now aren’t going to be updated until they are bought, so I don’t think that you really missed out on anything.
[Reply]
I know that’s not what I meant, never mind what I meant…I’m just trying to by a stubborn Microsoft user using a apple product.
[Reply]
I’m fully aware that it was a dual update for the iPod Touch update..I mean I was a touch user when the 2.0 update came out.
In response to what Craig said about what kind of user you are, he’s entirely correct.
Since I’m on the iPhone i’ve got internet everywhere, so i’m constantly emailing (landscape email is wonderful), I’m constantly texting, copying addresses and phone numbers from texts/emails, etc. etc.
To me this update was a practicality update…if you only use your ipod/iphone to listen to music and play games you’re probably not noticing many new features (there’s the variable scrubbing rate, and that’s mostly it.)
As for the Verizon response…I wouldn’t count your chickens before they hatch. Let’s not forget that Verizon could’ve won the original battle to be the first to carry the iPhone, but they gave up thinking it wouldn’t catch on. Also, for Verizon to carry the phone Apple would have to COMPLETELY redesign the actual phone system of the phone, since AT&T and most other companies operate on the GSM network and Verizon operates on the CDMA network.
Besides, the AT&T data plan rates are more affordable than Verizons.
[Reply]