iPhone 3.0: Underwhelming, Super-Exciting or Just Right?
I’m back from a long lunch with St. Patrick (or just some old guy in green clothes, I’m not sure which) and just catching up on the Apple iPhone 3.0 Software event. By now, you’ve probably seen that cut, copy and paste made the cut. So did MMS support (for 3G models), stereo Bluetooth, universal search in the form of Spotlight, and Push notifications, which apparently got pushed into this year. Actually there’s plenty more good stuff in there, as you can see from Engadget’s live blog, which was my first stop. No news on new hardware, which semi-surprises me: I figured that some new features might work better on beefier hardware and therefore, we’d hear about a new handset for summer availability. No such luck.
After all is said and done, my first impression rates all this as “satisfactory” from where I stand, and now I’m leaning more towards a Palm Pre when my iPhone contract is up in July. I really wanted to see video recording as well as background applications, but perhaps Apple’s push notifications are a more optimal solution in that area. Time will tell. What do you think?
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What if it was both exactly what I expected and underwhelming at the same time? I just know that Apple showed absolutely nothing that would make me reconsider my almost definite decision to pick up a Pre.
If you’re not reconsidering a decision to pick up a Pre, I’d go with underwhelmed… even if you expected to be underwhelmed! :)
I think the thing to remember is that this was a developer preview. They needed to preview the new features of the OS to the developers. The iPhone is transitioning from Apple providing all of the wow and now letting the third party developers come up with the applications and uses for the iPhone. They’ve opened up a number of things (access to hardware, Core Location, etc) which were previously not available. I believe that you will see the next great thing for the iPhone come from a third party developer.
just a laugh … more “de commerce du pomme” as expected.
As a developer the interesting developments to me were allowing turn-buy-turn directions (although map licensing is not included and can be expensive) and the ability to integrate maps into application.
There was some nice opening up of access to existing hardware that wasn’t before. I’m sure we’ll see some interesting developments with some of it.
But I’m not sure it should really qualify as 3.0, more like 2.5.
Best benefits for me, A2DP, cut n paste, google map access for location apps,push notifications.
Now, I recently took the plunge to jailbreak my iPhone and it really demonstrated the potential of this device. Half decent video recording, multitasking, live uplink videostreaming, enhanced camera photos – all are technically possible and I certainly understand people’s frustration with Apple’s incremental implementation of smartphone features.
After this, it’s clear: Pre for me. As far as 2009 goes, it is now established that Palm has leapfrogged Apple. Pity, because I like the iPhone 3G hardware, but the software is just so behind, and now we know that 3.0 isn’t going to change that. The Pre is like the deep functionality and professionalness of Windows Mobile combined with a GUI that blows even iPhone out of the water, all on a brand-new forward-looking OS. It’s a no-brainer.
Will I be able to finally, FINALLY, itunes sync to my dam computer over bluetooth. Saw stereo bluetooth (A2DP I assume but it could be some apple proprietary crap you never know with theses guys). Sounds like the BT stack is still being heavily restricted which disappointing and we still have to wait to find out the when it will show up and what will actually be in it (how long back was pushed announced?). Given how long it taken them to get this car color me unimpressed but at leas the slightly moved the needle.
Yeah, about what I expected. However, it was pretty underwhelming and essentially cements my decision to buy a Pre the next time in the market for a phone. The only thing that might tempt me otherwise is the HTC Magic/TMobile G2, since it’ll invariably be at least $300 cheaper (under contract) than an unlocked GSM Pre.
I love my iPhone, but, come on….3.0 means something revolutionary, and this update just wasn’t.
Definitely underwhelmed! That won’t change anything to my desicion to stay with Winodws Mobile.
Will you be writing a “Why 78% aren’t impressed with iPhone OS 3.0″ article?!
You definitely should do this, as you did with Windows Mobile 6.5 (which got me even more excited than iPhone OS 3.0!).
In order to catch up with the Pre (and even WinMo in my opinion!) Apple has to deliver the iPhone jailbroken out of the box! It would be so easy… but after all, that’s Apple…
The real question is – between iphone 3.0 and pre will anyone pay any attention to Android?
I really hope either Nokia or RIM buy Palm, that way the pre will get a good back and we get one less non-relevant contender in the smartphone OS race.