Tuesday, March 17, 2009

iPhone 3.0 Thoughts

In case you missed the updates, here they are:

1. In-app purchasing of upgrades

This is a terrible precedent. You buy a game but now you don't really get 100% of it. Want that cool weapon in the shooter game? Cough up a couple more bucks. MMOs are thinking about doing this too, instead of a monthly subscription. I will not buy into this scheme.

2. Peer-to-peer via bluetooth

Play games with each other nearby, share files, etc.


3. Turn-by-turn GPS capability

This isn't native. A developer will have to have his own maps. Be interested to see how much these apps will run and how quality they are. If good and decent priced, may get a car mount for my phone.

4. More hardware accessories that can access the API

Example given: a blood pressure cuff and diabetic monitor. Interesting.

5. Fixed push notification

Rather than run apps in the background, this is their response. Well, this was supposed to work last year and didn't. We'll see...

6. Streaming video and audio capabilities

ESPN demoed a basketball game in an app they developed. Pretty cool.

7. Cut, copy, and paste

Finally! And one cool note: you shake the phone to undo a paste.

8. Landscape mode for all native applications

Never seen the big deal about this. Too much screen real estate is used up by the keyboard.

9. Pictures sent via text messaging (also known as MMS)

Except it won't be available on 1st gen phones. Oh well. Also, we'll be able to forward texts already sent.

10. Voice memos

11. Add calendar subscriptions to iCal

12. Search feature for all native apps and Spotlight app to search them all

13. Sync for Notes

Finally! Always been annoyed that the iphone and my Mac have notes but they can't talk to each other.

14. Miscellaneous: Youtube channels and ratings, stereo bluetooth, shake to shuffle songs, auto fill-in forms.

Okay, but where's my 32 GB iPhone 3G so I can upgrade??? :(

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