OK, let me start off by saying that it is now widely accepted by pretty much all mobile and iPhone experts that June will be the month in which the new iPhone will be announced. Apple’s recent release of its new firmware just emphasized that point. Deep buried in the new firmware, some developers, who clearly have too much time on their hands, discovered references to a mysterious iPhone 2.1 and 3.0, as well as iPod Touch 2.2 and 3.1. Just to make a little bit of sense out of all these numbers, the current iPhone 3G is referred to by Apple as iPhone 1.2 and the current iPod Touch as 2.1. In addition, the new firmware is supposed to be widely available to consumers in June.
Now that we have established that June is the month, is this mysterious iPhone 3.0 worth waiting for and eventually purchasing? I believe it is, and here are 5 reasons to support my belief:
- Cut, Copy, and Paste: OK, so it is not as simple as that. I would generally not buy a mobile phone because I can copy text with it. The reason this is number 1 is because it comes in addition to another fact that magnifies this functionality. The iPhone is by far the most advanced mobile device on the planet when considering all the characteristics that are iPhone. What I mean to say is that there are many phones out there that have better cameras, more functions, and even more users. However, the iPhone is the only phone that offers the entire package. The iPhone’s user interface, along with Apple’s unprecedented app store and its distribution, combined with the iPhone’s good looks and advanced OS, make the iPhone the most advanced mobile device on the planet. Now that one of the big complaints regarding the previous iPhone has been solved, there is nothing stopping me from buying one myself.
- Push Notifications: This new feature announced by Apple this week has got to be the most exciting addition to the iPhone, in my humble opinion. Why is this so exciting to me? I think one of the main reasons I did not buy the iPhone 3G is that I figured “What is the point of having all these apps if I cannot access more than one of them simultaneously”? I did not understand why something that a very basic Symbian or Windows Mobile device can do, the iPhone cannot. Now, it is all clear. Apple explained this week in their keynote that when running a background app, phones lose 80% of their battery life. That was a compromise Apple was not willing to make. Somehow Apple, in a way only Apple can do, came up with a solution to this issue. They have engineered a new Push technology that enables you to get notifications when a new IM arrives for example, without having the app run in the background and use battery. Now the iPhone can operate like a true computer giving consumers the ability to do a few things at once.
- Spotlight: Anyone that has a new Mac has no doubtingly come across Apple’s new highly advanced search tool, called Spotlight. Basically, at the click of a customizable button, you are presented with a search field in which you type whatever it is you are looking for on the Mac, whether a program, a picture, a song, a video, a document…anything! It is a simple-to-use, highly effective, and esthetically pleasing tool that only Apple is capable of designing. Well, now it’s coming to the iPhone. No need to go browsing in between home screens in search of an app, no need to go browse your music by artist or album, it is all now at your fingertips, on a newly designed home screen to the left of your primary home screen. Pure genius and so Apple-like.
- Landscape Keyboard: This is the same as copy and paste. It is not a big deal in and of itself, but combined with the other highly advanced features of the current iPhone, it adds a lot. Why is this a big deal? If you use IM/VOIP apps like Nimbuzz, you know how big of a difference typing on a landscape keyboard really makes. It is significantly easier and enables you to type with much higher precision. It is a great and useful addition to the iPhone, I just think there are many iPhone developers out there who are not very happy about it, seeing how they are making money right now by selling an app that’s entire offering is a landscape keyboard.
- Peer to Peer connectivity: This is actually a very cool feature I am sure I will use often. If you live or hang out in a place like the Israeli High Tech scene, where every other person owns an iPhone, you will love this new functionality. You can now connect to other iPhone users over Bluetooth or Wifi and play interactive games or transfer files. I have to say this is the same as the previous feature, in that it would not such a huge deal, if we were not talking about it as part of the iPhone experience. I know Bluetooth on other phones already supports file transfer, but being as I am not a big gamer, I am not sure about the new interactive gaming option, although I am pretty sure it does not exist.
Other exciting features that did not make the top 5 include MMS capabilities and stereo Bluetooth, both features very much missing from the current iPhone, along with many others. To sum up, I think it is safe to say that none of the features wowed me, yet somehow everyone was tweeting about it the day of Apple’s announcement. That says a lot. The reason this is, is because I have tried all the best phones out there including the E71 or the Bold, and there really is no comparison. The iPhone experience really stands alone and for this reason, with the addition of over a hundreds new features, and the highly anticipated new hardware of iPhone 3.0, I will be purchasing myself two shiny new iPhones come June.
Did you really think I was going to get away with buying myself one and not treating the wife? Please let me know what you think of Apple’s new features or the upcoming iPhone 3.o in the comments. Will you be buying one?
-Hillel
If you’re waiting until June, why not wait until the Fall when there’s bound to be a new hardware revision.
I’m just saying if you can hold out, a bit longer, it might be more worth it for you! 🙂
Um, I believe the hardware is coming out in June, did you read the first paragraph of this post? 🙂
I’ve had my iPhone for about three weeks
Here are my 5 top disappointments which as far as I know have not been addressed in this upgrade.
These are some basic features natively available on many phones still not available natively with the iPhone upgrade. Some are available with tird party apps while others (as far as I know are not available unless you jailbreak it (I’m still a newbee and would love to be corrected – recommendations of third party apps are also very welcome):
1) Digital Zoom for the Camera
2) Video Camera
3) Radio – FM and internet (Where is it on iTunes?)
4) Voice Dialing
5) Hide Caller ID per call
Hi Charlie,
Thanks for the feedback. I do not yet own an iPhone as you know but I am pretty sure you are right about those features, they do not exist unless you jailbreak. Which begs the question: “Why don’t you jailbreak”?
Thanks Hillel.
I am planning on jailbreaking for those reasons – BTW I think there are options for some of these without jailbreaking, but why are these missing when other phones have had them built in for years 🙁
Well, I am sure Apple did not forget about these functions, they probably left them out for their own reasons. For example, background apps, a basic funcitonality, left out due to battery restraints. I am sure there is a logical explanation to these too. Digital zoom is not hard to explain, it sucks! Why would anyone in their right mind want to use digital zoom? Not sure about the others, but video camera might just be the big surprise in the upcoming release.
OK, your premise is flawed for one big reason. You don’t have to wait to June to buy an iPhone to get all the features you mentioned in your posting. All these will be available (for free) to any current iPhone 3G user, like myself, once the iPhone 3.0 version is released in June, or whenever!
If I didn’t own an iPhone today, and wanted to buy one, I’d definitely wait until the 3rd generation of hardware for the phone is release, presumably this summer, but not for the reasons you mention. It would be for the latest hardware, not software.
Please correct me if I’m mistaken about this.. 🙂
RE: Charlie’s comments #3 and #4:
The genius of the iPhone is not Apple apps, but 3rd party apps. IMHO…
#3 get the free app AOL radio.. all the internet free streaming radio that you could possibly need
#4 Voice Dialing: vlingo does voice dialing just fine..
Charlie, there is NO good camera on any phone. Period. If you want a great camera, get a camera. Similarly, if you want a radio, get a radio.
Your last two points, however, are quite valid. Voice dialing and hide your caller ID are valuable and should be included.
Perhaps you can make an application that will do those things and make a fortune by selling it through the App Store?
Hi Palosny
I must not have made myself clear, I do not own an iPhone now. I am getting one in June because that is when the new hardware is supposed to come out and the new software will become available. Thanks for your feedback and keep reading.
Don,
I have to disagree about your statement regarding no good cameras. There are many good cameras on phones inluding the N95, Omnia, Renoir and many more. Thanks for reading and commenting.
Thanks to all for their comments and to Palosny for recommending the free app AOL radioand vlingo voice dialing. I’ll check them out.
Anything I read about the iPhone makes me drool. So why don’t I have one yet? I’m too afraid that it can’t keep up with basic things, like the battery not dying in the middle of the day.
So I’ll keep waiting…
Which apps are recommended for a jailbroken iPhone?
Hey Geoff,
Happy to see you made it here. I did not unlock my iPod so I am far from an expert on this matter, I would definitally recommend QIK though, assuming you do not have it already. Don’t forget to bookmark Tech N’ Marketing and come back often 🙂
1) Digital Zoom for the Camera
What exactly do you need digital zoom for? Noone recommends using digital zoom. They always recommend turning it off. All you do is blow up the existing blurry pixels and make them blurrier. There are lots of photo apps that will allow you to do lots of things to your photos, but digital zooming is not one that comes to mind, though I’m sure it’s out there. Just do a search on the AppStore.
2) Video Camera
Yeah, you have to jailbreak it, but the video is less than 15fps QVGA. Hardly anything to write home about, but if you need it, it’s possible to get it.
3) Radio – FM and internet (Where is it on iTunes?)
It’s on iTunes, but if you want it on your iPhone, there’s tons of radio apps. I use Pandora and Concert Vault, as well as Simplify, which allows you to stream your own music library from your home Mac to your iPhone.
4) Voice Dialing
Lots of those apps as well, I use Melodis Dailer.
5) Hide Caller ID per call
Is the distinction here that you want to decide each and every call whether you want to hide your Caller ID, cause there is a prefs setting that you can turn it on or off.
As for good cameras on a phone, the N95 has lots of pixels, as do some others, but for the most part, even the best cellphone cams can’t hold a candle to the cheapest point-n-shoot, that you can find in the clearance bin for $100. The iPhone camera is not that great, but for a 2mp cellcam, it’s surprisingly adequate, mostly due to very little compression used, relative to other cellcams. Just use lots of light, actually, all cameras benefit from lots of light.
If you already had an iPhone, I’m not so sure that copy&paste would be such a big deal. I’m not so sure that a landscape keyboard would, either.
Neither has been much of a problem for me, nor anyone I know of–except people that I that know that don’t yet have iPhones who are feature-list nerds who need to be able to check off certain must-have features before they’ll buy anything.
No offense.
hey hillel,
good post. i’m also planning on buying one in june, even before i heard about the upgrade. i will be in the US at the end of june and that is my big opportunity. do you have any info on pricing? also, once apple issues a final date, be sure to post on the blog/twitter/fb to keep us drooling fan in the loop.
shkoi’ach
So excited I can’t wait for the new phone! I was just saying yesterday that i was going to wait until the iphone came out with the landscape feature! The ipod had it why didnt the iphone…cool…Thanks for the great review. 🙂
there is no new iphone coming out … its just new software .. and if u already have the 3g you get your software updated for free …. so if u wnt 1 now .. get 1 now 🙂
KenC, thanks so much for your feedback. About the camera issue, what you are saying used to be true about the N95, but phones like the Memoir and others really give point n’ shoot cams a run for their money. Anyway, thanks for reading, come back for more! 🙂
God of Biscuits thanks for reading but I could not disagree more about copy and paste. I come across 3-5 instances a DAY in which I would use it on my iPod Touch but end up turning on a computer because I cant do it from the ipod. Anyway, thanks for your feedback! 🙂
hubscubs: No clue what itll cost, but I am getting one irrelevant. As soon as I know anything more, I will OF COURSE tweet (http://twitter.com/HilzFuld), FB, and blog about it.
Pinkpanther, you know there are many apps that enable you to write with a landscape keyboard right now on the iPhone, one that comes to mind is EasyWriter. Anyway, thanks so much for your feedback, keep reading 🙂
Ross, actually most of the experts say there WILL be new hardware in June, the new firmware has many hints to that fact. I will wait and see, if no new hardware, I will get it anyway. Thanks for your feedback, hope you enjoy the blog!