After the roaring success of iPhone 2.0 last year, Apple is back in action to widen its presence in the smartphone market.
In a hotly-awaited event last night, Apple Inc unveiled the new operating system software, called iPhone OS 3.0. Other than adding new features, Apple has also made up for some of the big misses in the existing model.
So, here’s over to the pluses and minuses of Apple iPhone 3.0 software.
Hits of iPhone3 .0
Hit 1: Upgrade’s free
iPhone users get the new software for free, while iPod Touch users will have to pay $9.95. The operating system runs on the latest version of the iPhone, released last year, as well as the original model.
Apple currently has 25,000 applications in its online iPhone App Store. More than 800 million programmes have been downloaded since July, the company said.
The company has distributed 800,000 iPhone software kits to developers, who write programmes for delivery though the App Store.
Hit 2: Cut-copy-paste Yes, cut-copy-paste is there now! The new software adds this one of the most sorely missed feature in the existing iPhone 2.0.
Apple said the third generation of iPhone software will let users copy information from notes and Web pages, and let people move text between different applications. Users who erroneously paste text can shake the iPhone to get an option to cut it.
Hit 3: Multimedia messaging
Another one from the iPhone wishlist, Apple offers multimedia messaging capability with the new 3.0 software allowing users to send each other photographs from the phone.
Earlier, users could send text messages or snapshots via email only.
Hit 4: Stereo Bluetooth
Another big miss in the current version, Stereo Bluetooth, makes its entry. This means iPhone users will be able to listen to music through wireless headphones now.
iPhone users can also link to other phones via Bluetooth and automatically be connected to wi-fi hotspots. The earlier version didn’t let iPhone sync with Bluetooth stereo or in-car Bluetooth handsfree. It lacked A2DP on Bluetooth. A2DP audio devices, such as stereo Bluetooth headsets, offer better quality audio.
Hit 5: Text messaging
Yes, this too has been added now! The new iPhone version offers text forwarding feature, another sorely missed feature in the previous version. Users will now be able to delete individual messages in a chat thread. Also, with the latest version users will be able to forward meeting invites and contacts.
The earlier version didn’t let users forward a text message. Users could only send text messages or snapshots via email.
Hit 6: GPS
The iPhone will now become a full-fledged GPS device with iPhone 3.0. The new upgrade will enable users to receive turn-by-turn instructions for driving similar to those in use on GPS navigation devices. The feature will be available through apps.
Hit 7: Shake to shuffle songs
The new iPhone software comes with shake-to-shuffle-songs capability. The feature was first introduced in the revamped iPod Nano. Another addition is voice memo application; a function that will let the iPhone work with Bluetooth headphones and speakers — a boon for people who want more options to play music stored on their iPhones.
Hit 8: Landscape keyboard and Push notification
Another big miss in iPhone 2.0, makes its presence with upgrade. Users will now be able to read and compose email and text messages in landscape mode.
The next-generation iPhone operating system will enable so-called push notification, allowing developers to build applications that can provide automatic alerts of items such as sports results or the arrival of an instant message. The alerts would show up automatically even if the user is in another application.
It will also allow developers to offer subscriptions and sell content within their applications that have items for sale within them, such as electronic books or additional levels of a video game. And developers will be able to access the music within users’ iPhone libraries, so songs they own can be included in games, for example.
Hit 9: Search
The company has unveiled a widely anticipated universal search feature called “spotlight,” which can scour key applications on the phone such as email and iPod.
The feature will let users hunt for information in multiple applications at once, including notes, calendar and iTunes.
Miss of iPhone 3.0
Miss 1: Video recording
There were speculations for video recording feature, however, Apple again disappointed. This is especially a dampener since video recording feature is today found in most cell phones, even those at the lower end.
Also, most of Apple’s rivals in the cell phone space like Nokia, Sony Ericsson and Samsung are offering higher version cameras.
Miss 2: Flash
Apple dogged this topic by saying they had no announcements today. Earlier, Adobe said it is working on iPhone Flash, but sadly for now there is no support for Adobe Flash in the upcoming iPhone model.
Currently, when users browse through Web pages with Adobe Flash it displays empty spaces with missing icons. Earlier Apple claimed that Flash would run too slowly on the iPhone.
Miss 3: Voice dialing
The glaring miss in the latest upgrade is lack of voice dialing feature. It lacks support for voice-recognition to let users dial verbally.
However, it is expected that voice memos and other audio recording will also be possible with the new software which will be officially released in summer.
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