Video: iPhone OS 3.0 walkthrough
By Chris Ziegler 
posted Mar 18th 2009 11:00AM
posted Mar 18th 2009 11:00AM
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Summer is too far away.. :'
I love an iPhone video I can't view on iPhone
I think liking the iPhone comes down to what you use it for or expect of it.
As a student majoring in a foreign languge I find the iPhone to be, by far, the best tool available for anyone who is studying a language. Especially when combined with the excellent applications that have been created in the app store (dictionaries, flash card apps, books, course work apps etc...), most of which are free!
I used to use a winmo device, but after using a classmates iPhone I switched instantly. The iPhone UI allows you to lookup information faster than my winmo ever could, and though winmo devices do have a lot of apps available, there isnt much variety (or even quality in some cases) for foreign language study.
Combine the fast UI (getting to the apps I need and looking up info fast) and easy language input (Chinese in my case) with the standard features (audio, video, web etc..) and you have the best learning tool, in my opinion.
I'd also like to add that the amount of *quality* Chinese language applications on app store beats anything winmo devices has ever had!
@toopropa
Yes, the no Flash complaint will keep hope alive for the Haters. That and video recording. If they don't bring up those two things they'll bring up the point that Apple "should have had all this stuff in the first place. WAHHHH!!!" And when that gets old, they'll go back to accusing Engadget of "Apple bias."
I hear people saying this is an evolutionary update, but it's not. In addition to Copy & Paste, MMS, 3G Tethering, Stereo Bluetooth A2DP ,Turn-by-turn GPS, Push notifications, Voice Memos, and Landscape keyboard for Mail, SMS, and Notes, we also have:
Spotlight Search.
Search in Mail, Calendar, and iPod.
Support for new calendar types.
Improved stocks application.
Note syncing with iTunes.
Automatic login in Safari.
Shake to shuffle music.
Wi-Fi auto-login.
Anti-phising.
Extended parental controls.
Voice memo application.
Send and receive files. (between iPhones and iPod touch)
Peer-to-peer Wi-Fi connectivity. (allows you to play games and other stuff with other iPhone and iPod Touch users.)
Ability to browse remote content.
Use an iPhone/touch to control peripherals.
Maps inside other applications.
Voice communication in applications.
Rumbling support for Games (Yes, like with Playstation)
Audio recording.
Access to music from applications.
See Paul - you do like copy/paste - that's how you got anti-phising ;)
and Paul ... which of these features are either not already in WinMo phones or in the soon to be released Pre?
I'll give you one - I'm not aware of WinMo or the Pre supporting peer to peer game playing. Of course, Apple fans hate that concept since they always dig on the Zune social idea. But hey, Apple does it and it's the coolest thing ever.
To quote your ever famous line, This release is the biggest "me too" update of all time. I give Apple credit for finally catching up on some basic stuff but until there is Flash support, multi-tasking, and mass storage options the phone has a way to go to still catch up with other devices.
Thank Paul - taking half a page of my screen for info that's all over Engadget? seriously? skip hitting that fuggin enter key and stop trashing the comment section with engadget content re-posts.
Chances are if we're reading this article - we've already read the others.
Get a real life son
You're welcome!
@Erp
"S60 updates for free? What updates?"
Well there's the one where they added A-GPS to the N95 for a start plus, of course, the Nokia phones already had the features the iPhone has just added so it's not as if they needed updates in the first place.
Anyway, this is great news for iPhone owners because I guess you guys bought the thing knowing its limitations so this must feel like Christmas.
Woudl I buy one? Nope. Still think it's too big and clumsy. Now if they drop the form factor to that of an iPod Touch second generation or narrow it down a little...
@ Mark A
I forgot how terribly thick it is... guess apple really failed because they didn't make it as thin as a touch?!?
I mean, every other phone on the market is way thinner than the iPhone, what a huge POS.. lol
Thank you for your insight into my personal needs, burt. It's been a really useful exercise for me.
Now go and stick your face in a bacon slicer, there's a good boy.
@ Paul Chapel
I'm glad you agree it's not evolutionary... (or perhaps you might want to proof your messages a bit better before posting... :)
But, since you threw down the gauntlet - of your list, these are the ones that are already in WiMo either fully or to some degree:
Spotlight Search. (WiMo has has a general search for a long time)
Search in Mail, Calendar, and iPod.
Note syncing with iTunes. (Always had this with Outlook synching)
Wi-Fi auto-login.
Voice memo application.
Send and receive files. (between any two devices with Bluetooth, with any PC with WiFi/cable, with any device with 3G)
Peer-to-peer Wi-Fi connectivity.
Ability to browse remote content.
Use to control peripherals.
Maps inside other applications.
Rumbling support for Games
Audio recording.
Access to music from applications.
Oh.. and let's not forget...
MMS
FULL Bluetooth including stereo headset profile
Support for external GPS
Excel spreadsheet support
Word document support
Flash support
INTERNET TETHERING.... (over bluetooth, IR and cable, and Asus supports WiFi Access Point)
Full access to the POOM (Pocket Outlook Object Model) which means full and easy access to all notes, calendar, email, contacts, database and phone data and functions through .Net.
SQL Server Compact and ADO.Net CF which means full database access with 'Offlining' support (aka SmartClient)
And coming soon:
Silverlight support
IE Mobile 8
Just thought you might want to know. Feel free to commence frothing. :)
Still no flash? nice job crApple!
hhahahaha the time is 20:12
@xxburt0nxx
I'm all about bashing the iPhone, but saying that every other phone is thinner that it. Let's look at some of the phones whose form factors are compared to the iPhone.
iPhone 2G - 11.7mm
iPhone 3G - 12.4mm
LG Dare - 12.7mm
BB Storm - 14mm
Samsung Memoir - 14mm
Samsung Omnia (CDMA) - 13mm
HTC Touch (CDMA) - 14mm
HTC Touch Cruise - 15.5mm
HTC Touch Diamond (CDMA) - 15.2mm
LG Incite - 14.33
LG Vu - 13mm
Samsung Behold - 12.7mm
Samsung Delve - 12.4mm
Samsung Eternity - 12.7mm
Samsung Instinct - 12.4mm
I might be missing some, but that's a lot of similar phones style phones that aren't thinner than the iPhone
@老外:
I agree, the variety of language apps is first class, but they could definitely improve the chinese handwriting. It only gets the right character 50% of the time for me.
"until Apple blesses..."
I knew it! It's a cult.
Thats actually out of all the comments here managed to make me double up in laughter- seriously though, you have a point. The fact that your waiting for some company to come over and sanctify the 'binary' of a beta os is laughable.
Besides, there i was thinking the Apples a universal sign of sin- so wtfs it doing going round blessing stuff? :L
What? You don't trust us *not* to make fun of your Messages?!
Thanks Apple you took F*ckin long enough but finally fixed all major annoyances.
Awesome! Can I get my hands on the 3.0 firmware and install it on my own iphone in any way? Would love to try it out.
you can but you have to be an iphone dev to activate your iphone so you can actually use it.
you don't want to... you would have to get a dev account, pay $99, and then you can't switch back to 2.2. If it is buggy or messes up your phone, you will be stuck at 3.0 until summer comes.
Plus, if you have to ask questions about obtaining the beta and such, you don't need to be installing it, all it's going to do is cause more problems than you want.
Yeah, guess you're right. Can't say I'm really in the loop regarding this, but I ought to be able to install it on my ipod tocuh though? Can't say that I use it that often anyways so if it messes it up I'll just leave it be until summer. No harm done.
Nilay is a potty mouth texter.
Why is Sylar doing the VO for this video?
I've got a feeling that WM 6.5 won't get this much attention.
That's because it's nothing more than a lame skin. Hopefully 7.0 will be worthy of attention.
And this is not more than just a bunch of updates that should have been in the first build. I like how he excuses the slowness of the build and the Voice Memo playback through ear piece.
-Where is Landscape keyboard in any app?
-Where is the ability to be in landscape anywhere in the phone?
-Where is video recording?
I like how you have to shake it to undo. I can see someone shaking it so hard, they undo their phone on the cement ground.
Email just crashed. LOL. Apple software rules! :P
I thought it always just works! I bet they meant that other companies (like Engadget) just work for them.
I am so getting low ranked for this! :)
Looks cool, waiting for it.
Also, looking forward to all the Pre-templars (where can I get one?) and WiMo lovers and all of their hate comments against the iPhone.
I have my text-to-speech ready so the laughter is even better!
For sure.
ROTFLOMGBBQ! Your stupid fruit phone can't do thing my 3 year old Razr can do. Even Alexander Graham Bell could MMS on the first phone, why can't the iPhone?
Sure, it may not do video or take a decent photo or do any of the other stuff smartphones can do. But guess what? Some us don't care. Some of us wouldn't use video or tethering even if we could. I can say in the past two years, I've needed copy/paste maybe 3x.
I bought an iPhone because I was tired of carrying a phone and a video iPod. I also didn't want to buy a laptop to surf the net wherever I am. This phone solved all my problems and did so being a 'dumbphone.'
OMG, so I can't watch the Engadget video. Darn! [/Sarcasm]
Can't we all get along and not fight about who's phone has the most features? Pretty please? ...and it's not cause I know I'll lose but I am just tired of the childish bickering that will go nowhere EVER!
wow!!!like i said earlier. Pre has been killed n shot while in the womb. Like that scene from watchmen. Pre unless u ready to cost $49 at launch date, u aint movin any units anytime soon. The whole world was watchin apple 3.0 unveiling yesterday.. iphone has never been more alive n dominating.,agree?
btooth test?
will there be new iPhone hardware to complement the new software this summer?
i'll hold off my iPhone purchase until then...
ya, rumors point to minor hardware changes such as a better camera/battery...but nothing huge this summer I dont think.
that pixelization looks stupid....
But I worked so hard on it!
its ok chris, dont listen to him. you did a great job :)
@Chris: That's what she said.
@Chris
You have unread emails from Josh and Sean....
Hope those voice memos sync back to iTunes. Seems to work pretty well in general. How's that Mac Pro review coming along?
I find with shake-activated stuff one sharp shake works best.
Always right after i just gave up on it and sold my iphone
Maybe you guys should have prepared by having sending some filler messages back and forth so you wouldn't have to blur it.
What exactly do you mean that voicemail now shows the location for number you don't have entered. Sorry, but its kinda hard to understand when we cant really see it.
It kind of does this already, but maybe now it is more obvious than before. When you click on the details for a missed call that isn't a contact, it shows the general location (ie, city and state) of the are code.
Okay, I remember. I don't usually get voicemails at all on my iPhone so the feature has been pretty non existent for me.
This is hilarious. Only Apple could get people doing video walkthroughs demoing copy and paste. On any other device that would be a joke. Smart marketing...
Sometimes I honestly think half of Apple's decisions (like the new shuffle) are just for the hell of it to see how much ridiculousness they can get away with.
I totally agree with your conspiracy theory on the new Shuffle. I think they saw how many "iPhone Compatible" headphones popped up after they released the original with the recessed headphone jack, and now they want to see if the headphone makers will be willing to pay for the rights to make ridiculously unneccessary proprietary headphones.
Because Cut, Copy & Paste has some actual intelligence built into the action. It's not just a simple implementation of a feature. Like most of these upcoming "me too" devices.
Not only is it hilarious, it's sad, Apple can get so may people excited about simple features which have been around for quite some time. Also, Apple is able to market it's current "updates" as if they're putting out a new advanced OS. The many Apple-ites are so excited they overlook the fact that the 3.0 updates are not ground breaking. Apple will market these updates as if they're Apple ideas. I hope the 2nd gen iphone owners are not duped into buying the next gen iphone, not much has changed.
Isn't it even more sad to see how many children (like you) are responding to all of this? (Not me, I like it. Haha!)
I'm sure Apple didn't invent touch screen, mobile browser, app store, etc. If they are catching up, I don't know why suddenly everyone is making some iphone-want-to-be or iphone-killer, and how come mobile safari command 66% of mobile browser share, as of Feb-2009?
Got it running on my 1st gen iPhone. If you dont have the 3g, dont bother trying it.
Cut and Paste is nice, but thats really it!
I was looking forward to Bluetooth Stereo and MMS, neither of which make it to the 1st gen device.
Meh.
at apple.com preview page, it says 'The most advanced mobile OS. Now even more advanced'
* Search your iPhone
* Cut, copy, and paste
* Send photos, contacts, audio files, and location via MMS*
* Read and compose email and text messages in landscape
these are the "more advanced" features? Who is it competing with... ohh yes, Nokia 6600.
sorry guys, you have to pay for this upgrade. can't stop laughing.
do you guys know that S60 firmware updates are free? atleast these functions should be freely available when your hardware is capable.
go and ask apple what is it charging for?
iPhone firmware updates are free, too. Only iPod Touch owners have to pay $10 for the new features.
Perhaps a better comparison would have been "Zune firmware updates are free"
It is free.
S60 updates for free? What updates? Those are called bugfixes. Other S60 updates are non-existant (i.e. the Feature Pack 1 --> 2 updates) and you need to buy a new device. Get you facts straight, Symbiot.
Really? This need's to said any more? Yeah, we all know what the iPhone lacks. Despite that, many of us still bought it and love it every day. It's been out here in europe for 9 months now and it still turns heads when I pick mine up.
Some people love it, some don't and then there are people like yourself who just can't stop hating it.
But still, to a certain degree, you are right. And there are way to many iFans out there. Guess you're just keeping it balanced good sir.
Ok, my bad.. i mixed ipod touch with iPhone...
but still the 'advanced mobile os got even more advanced' does make me laugh...
when will people really look for what's under the hood?
Uh, 3.0 is free to iphone users. They charge for the touch because of an accounting quirk which I don't fully understand.
You are talking again about the S60 handsets, right? What does it matter what's under the hood? Who cares?
You DON'T have to pay for the iPhone upgrade.
is it $10 or free?
Only iPod touch users have to pay for it idiot. That's so apple can continue to make money from an item they've already sold. It's a popular theme for them.. But yeah iPhone owners get it 100% free when the time comes.
Has Nokia ever had an S60 mp3 player with similar features to their smartphones? No.. So you don't know how Nokia would handle that do you..
Mate you can't read, shows you own a nokia :D
You have to pay for it on an iTouch
Whoa! Obscene messages!
Hahaha the phone call that he got during the voice memo that was blurred out:
Sirius Radio
The upgrade is free you twonk, the iPhone developer program is $99. But please, don't ever let complicated things like reading comprehension get in the way of your frothy-mouthed apple bashing. I work on 4 different platforms, yet don't feel the urge to play favorites or pit them against each other, I leave that to the super-productive people with nothing better to do. I had no idea engadget had so many teenage girls as readers.
What's a Manoogian Beth?
iPhone is a fucking joke
Wow! Awesome comment!
A fucking joke? I know a few actual fucking jokes, but they're not publishable on here.
So what hardware limitations are in the 2g iphone that it can't have MMS, Swirly has been doing it for years. Also I thought the hardware in the original iPhone could also handle A2DP
Well then i guess i'm the only one. This phone was also bought from day one with basic use mixed with heavy use over the years. The chipping and scuffs arent anything like how the Nokia N82 chips so it is nothing like that major but it is completely visible. I have the silver showing of the actual material used to make the back cover. I guess i'm just actually really rough with my phone. The build on the phone is good but after years of use the back cover started showing the silver of the material used to make the back cover in areas. Its not huge chips in the coating but its completely visible. If yours doesnt, hey good job, but mine does.
OH MY GOSH. APPLE IS SOO INNOVATIVE. Voice recording that plays through the earpiece, landscape SMS messaging, AND MMS!? WOW. Copy and past too?! how did they think of that?
Phones are soo advanced, now that the Iphone can do these basic things.
Oh no the Iphone crashed? Because It's BETA? Well mine does that too.
I guess theres nothing really new after all.
I have an Iphone for sale once i replace my back cover because of chipping paint.
The back of your iPhone is painted? Did they trick you into buying one of these again? http://www.pmptoday.com/2008/02/06/c-002-hiphone-is-99-iphone/
So sad for you, they always know how to pick the weak...
Well I guess I am a bit too rough with mine but yeah it is coated with something that i just wanted to call paint. And yes it is chipping off probably because of my daily use with it putting it in my pocket and taking it out. Its the first generation Iphone.
I've had the original iphone since two months after it's release. When I upgraded to the 3G iphone, I gave the original to my niece. Never used covers for either phone, and to this day no chipping "paint" (despite the fact that both have been dropped on the ground a few times). The phone goes in a pocket with keys, gets plonked on tables all the time. Not a problem. I don't know what you're doing with your phone, but it's certainly not normal day to day use if what you're claiming is true.
I just downloaded the .DMG file of the OS 3 Beta... How do I load it unto my iPhone? My company is an iPhone developer so we had access... Thanks!
Go ask your company then, but I'm sure they don't talk to the CEO of Office Cleaning...
Watching the first minute of that video without sound was painful. You look like you have tourrettes of the thumb.
Thanks for vid and all, but seriously, was it that hard to get a couple of fake txt's going rather than having to pixelate the whole screen?
No worries, I didn't pixelate anything new/notable for 3.0.
Maybe, next time, seeing how your main job is to bring us news and videos like this, you can make sure that the screen of the device you're demoing IS ACTUALLY FREAKING VISIBLE!!! (otherwise, great job)
I'm just excited that I won't ever have to deal with the stupid AT&T 'ViewMyMessage' web site ever again when people send me a MMS. As for Copy/Paste, I haven't really had a need for it but people seem to want it so good for them.
you might wanna turn down the brightness on the phone next time. it will make everything look much clearer on camera
Nice step forward Apple, but what about changing the tones for Calendar Alerts, SMS and Email? A lot of the people I work with have iPhones and when a calendar reminder goes off, everyone looks at their iPhone. I would rather not JB my iPhone and use SSH to just change those tones.
come on...engadget...If you make a video of the iPhone you know that you have to volume down the brightness.....................
more info here (actually came out before the iPhone 3.0 event!):
http://www.derekunderwood.com/general-computer/details-regarding-new-iphone-and-ipod-touch/
now, is their a place in settings where you input the mmsc and such?
One thing I wanted to see was cut and paste between applications. I wanted to cut some text out of a text message and paste it in a browser. Does this work?
Yes, it works.
People complain that Windows Mobile OS updates always look the same. Doesn't OS 3.0 "look" like OS 1.0? Hmmmm.
That's because windows mobile has been in dire need of a graphical overhaul for years now. Apple set the bar for UI's graphically when it came out, so it has no need to "look" different. The updates it's been getting are feature-oriented, not "Looks"-oriented.
BTW, I own an N95, so I'm Nokia at heart, but am looking to get either the N97, Pre, or next iPhone which should all be out around June. Tough decisions to make in a couple months. Windows Mobile on the other hand has nothing worth getting excited about. That is however, just my personal opinion.
Have you noticed that YouTube doesn't work with the Beta release?
Any idea why and/or if this is something that will need to be corrected via another firmware release?
Any idea why YouTube won't work?
Do you think this is permanent or temporary?
Will it need to be corrected with another firmware release or on the server side?
Look, what some of you don't seem to understand is that - yea, some of those features have been done before - but they haven't been done here, and they haven't been done like that. So, while current iPhone users feel that the overall user interface and usability trumps the "blasphemously missing features," that doesn't mean we don't welcome them if they were to show up.
And those of us taking using the App Store are also excited because many of the iPhone devs previous limitations - including peer-to-peer, notifications, and hardware support - have been all but been removed, truly allowing developers to make even better apps.
For a platform to succeed, the others don't have to lose; you realize that, right? Pre looks nice, and I'm sure MS is taking notes for WinMobile, but I'm an iPhone user and this update looks to make my experience that much better.
"Look, what some of you don't seem to understand is that - yea, some of those features have been done before - but they haven't been done here, and they haven't been done like that. So, while current iPhone users feel that the overall user interface and usability trumps the "blasphemously missing features," that doesn't mean we don't welcome them if they were to show up."
Same can be said of any platform when updates occur.
The thing you are seeing with the repeated taunts are people dishing out a the same rhetoric that is lobbed at any other platform that adopts some feature that could already be found in some Apple product.
None of these Apple fanboys that are masters of that type of thing, can even begin to start carping about the flood of people that have taken advantage of the opportunity to return the favor.
What we can ultimately hope is that from this BOTH sides will cease with this senseless back and forth over who had what first and how some company that uses the same feature is or isnt "innovative".
Anyone else notice his text conversation at the bottom was not blurred? said Plan B: F-ck