Some might argue it's the most subtle update in the iPhone family thus far, but Apple's
iPhone 3GS still seems to be moving the sales meter, regardless. The latest and greatest iPhone officially hit the market a few weeks back, and even though Apple claims that demand is still
far outpacing supply, we're of the belief that most everyone who wanted one has managed to snag one by now. During
our time with the unit, we definitely didn't find too many reasons to upgrade from the already solid iPhone 3G, but given that you probably did anyway, we're eager to hear how things have turned out. Did you upgrade from a prior iPhone to this? Are you joining the iPhone family for the first time? What gripes have you found impossible to ignore? Are you still up in arms about AT&T's inability to provide MMS / tethering service? Are you,
like us, completely roiled by the unit's lack of multitasking abilities? Go ahead and let it rip in comments below -- we're guessing Apple has about 11 months or so to take your opinions to heart.
posted August 1st 2009 12:31AM
I would give it a more open App Store with a very lenient approval process (or none at all, like the Android Market) and an official way of installing applications through means other than the App Store.
And letting Verizon take a crack at handling it... see what happens to thier network when they get hit by the "Mac" Truck...
At least it would reduce the strain on ATT's GSM network
I would like android and keyboard on it and an external battery that can be swapped. and a tegra processor, some more hard buttons would be nice and lock key on side rather than up(easier to reach) and a d-pad or trackball
Forget the app store, allow "side loading" of any app you want. (Like the Palm Pre) (Without the need to JailBreak)
- 5 megapixel camera (At least)
- forward facing camera (for video chat/skype)
- xenon flash
- record video in HD 720p
- hide official app icons (not everyone wants/needs stocks/youtube)
- revised outer design (yeah thanks for nothing Apple!)
- multitasking
- silverlight support
- increased security protection/data encryption
App stores are the only right way for consumers to install software, imo, but you need to be able to add third party repositories as you wish.
MUST NEED THE FOLLOWING:
- Support FLASH
- TRUE MULTI TASK. I'm sick of having to switch between Apps especially using GPS for navigation and Phone call simutaneously.
- Keep the same form factor, I want to use all the old accessories.
- Have more color selections like iPod Nano
- A more explicit terms and less restricted app approval process
- Google Voice
GOOD TO HAVE by 2010:
- 1080P video output with HDMI cable included!
- at least 5 Mpix camera with Xenon Flash
- Keep using high end 3D card for gaming and UI
- Larger capacity battery, 1500 mAh
- Easy to Replace Battery
Slide out keyboard and make it work on all networks.
I want an iPhone with: a low-power OLED screen that's larger, wider and brighter, better video-recording with faster framerate, better networking capabilities with wireless N built-in, Hotmail support built-in/worked on, more ringtone options/custom ringers for each contact, a louder speakerphone, a better auto-focus camera that can zoom out farther, a better sound chip, a customizable UI, shinier on-screen buttons/graphical improvements, multi-tasking capabilities etc. I could go on..
My biggest gripe is the inability to multitask. However, I do see why it's not offered. One, it will to an extent slow all the apps down with the more programs that are open. Two, the battery is mediocre at best already, having your itunes playing, a game running in the background, and surfing with Safari will kill the battery. Both Android based, and WebOS based phones are experiencing this. Why else are 3rd party companies offering expansion batteries for the G1 that literally looks like a brick, adding more than a half an inch to it's depth.
Second biggest goes to their evasion of Flash on Safari. I want nothing more than to be able to go on a website such as myspace and listen to my favorite bands' page. Searchlight would be nice, but I don't really see that happening any time soon. Windows Mobile doesn't even have that. But then again, WM is the worst smart phone OS, no matter what version, to date.
I'd also like to see a different body design. I really liked the matte finished prototype we saw a few months back. I love the feel of that material in my hands. It's smooth, and stays in your hand without leaving fingerprints which the iPhone is notorious for attracting. I was very disappointed watching the keynote and them pulling out what looked to be a 3G.
Someone said before, they'd like to see the option to remove native Apps that come standard with the phone. I agree. I don't want an iTunes icon, Compass icon, Weather icon, and Voice Memo icon cluttering my pages, especially because I never use them.
And I think everyone can agree that the iPhone needs a bigger battery! If I have Push Notification set on AIM, my battery is at 50% within 4 hours without using anything else on the phone.
Now for my responses to other's responses:
@ Sax
-I don't think a 5MP camera is necessary. If users needed such a high MP, they should be using a Digital camera. Remember, MP don't determine the quality of the picture. Lenses, software, etc., attribute to that.
-The video chat thing I doubt will ever happen. As of now, for Skype to make even a simple phone call, needs WiFi. Video chatting would almost certainly require just that. It's a cool idea, but not necessary or in high demand here in the states.
- A flash would be nice. I wish the apple logo lit up like the Macbook line, instead of being nothing more than a decal. It'd be a cool idea for a flash location.
-Once again, 720p video recording would be WAY more than anyone would need on a phone. Who is going to use their phone to make a HD video. It's extra money that Apple could put elsewhere on the phone.
-I agree on multitasking, a refresh of the body design, and increased protection. However, as I stated before, I doubt we'll see Searchlight on our iPhones anytime soon...
@shinrajp:
-As far as colors go, I don't really see the need to extend their offerings. More than 50% of the people that get an iPhone purchase cases for their new investment. Most of them cover the complete back.
@Everyone who wants the iPhone to go to Verizon:
- Don't hold your breath. I doubt we'll see a move in carriers until LTE is released and ready to use. Apple already makes 5 phones alone here in America alone. It wouldn't make sense to create 5 more of the same phone for an outdated signal only found in North America. On top of that, why design for something that is going to be updated to work more efficiently within the next few years.
Oh, and I'd like to end with my opinion on the banning of GV. I can totally understand why it was not allowed. Who in their right mind at ATT would offer this. I understand regardless of the circumstances, you still have to pay your monthly bill, but if something is offered in their App Store that would cause customers to lower their plan because they can get free minutes and texts, who wouldn't try it out. This is where ATT can lose some significant figures. The only thing I don't understand with the rejection, is the other Apps offering very similar features, such as the free texting apps, and Skype-like phone call Apps.
/End
enough with the plastic chrome. it's ugly. seriously.
I drop my iPhone 3g in water,that's the reason why I buy the 3gs otherwise I would of keep the 3g and waited one more year for the 4th gen iPhone 3g and 3fs is just like the name almost the same not worth buying it if u have 3g
Um, higher res screen anyone? 480x320 is soooo 2007....
I agree that the App Store approval process needs an overhaul. Developers need to be able to offer paid upgrades and push out updates without Apple approval. I think the process would be better for everyone if Apple had premium or trusted developers whose approval stipulations were more lax because they've either proven or paid more for the status.
As for other things, first and foremost, battery life needs to be improved. This is my only major gripe with the iPhone. I think providing more control over 3G access (instead of just "on" and "off") would help here. For example, I don't need Mail to push email over 3G; the EDGE antenna is fine unless I'm actually in the program actively reading mail. I'd also like to see a higher-resolution OLED screen, which would contribute to better battery life.
All the above. : )
I would make it, you know, maybe different than the 3G
@ Jordan:
It's much faster than the 3G or the original. You definitely feel the difference.
Why rate down the guy who said slide out keyboard? I have a pretty gimp left thumb, so I can't hit the buttons too fast, but Even with a handicap, I still text and IM faster than any of my friends who own Iphones (On my Pantech Matrix, or Nokia n810). Having a model with a qwerty keyboard would make me a buyer INSTANTLY. I work for AT&T doing support for smart phones, and People love or hate the Iphone. The people who hate it, typically do so, because they hate using a touch keyboard, and prefer qwerty. I've heard hundreds of people say they'd have an Iphone if it had a qwerty keyboard. Yeah maybe they're just saying that, and they'd be too cheap to buy one, but even if only half of them get one that's still a lot of people buying that device... I doubt said device would outsell the original Iphone, but I imagine it would attract more buyers, and net more Iphone users. I'm well aware it would make the device thicker, but I would gladly suffer that consequence. I carry a Nokia n810 around at all times, I doubt I'd mind a slightly larger Iphone that combines two of my devices.
No. I dont want most people craplications to weed through. I like the fact that its locked down. If you want billions of crappy applications then by a google phone.
Great idea. I agree completely Coolgho3000. It's an amazing phone, but Apple so wants to control it that I don't even want one.
@Monkey:
I do agree. I would love to see a higher res screen. Apple computers are known for higher res screen compared to competition, why should it be any different with their phones, especially if they're pushing the capability of downloading full length movies from iTunes. I don't need HD, but a slight bump to compete with the upcoming ZuneHD would be nice, as long as it doesn't alter the price points. If it does, I'd settle for the OLED. At least they're brighter and have a crisper image.
@god, it sounds like you want an iPhone that isn't an iPhone at all.
1. We need a "mark all mail as read" button. Im floored I dont have this basic 1992 mail client functionality in my modern smartphone.
2. We need diffs of updates. 300megs to patch the SMS vulnerability? Thats 30mins on my DSL connection.
3. We need some basic consumer protections. The government needs to regulate the app store. The idea that I cant get Opera, gvoice, or full slingbox because Apple and AT&T say so is inexcusable. Double so when Im paying a whooping 30 dollars for data. BB customers on AT&T get all of this, yet the network hasnt collapsed.
4. We need support for other video sites like Vimeo and Break. Considering the players are all flash based, I cant see this being a big deal, unless its another bandwidth concern, which is in itself inexcusable.
5. We need more battery life. I'm happy with a thicker device if it had 2x the battery life.
6. Developer license for $100. How about a free one just to put apps on my own phone and a paid fee to publish. This would stop most jailbreaking too.
7. More liberal policies in the app store. This ultra-moralistic ultra-conservative take on censorship is shocking from a company that promotes itself as an altervative to the mainstream.
@GETYOID:
The problem is that even with the approval process, there are still thousands of crap apps in the App Store. It would be better for Apple to let all the apps in so that the good ones wouldn't get blocked. The shitty ones could be blocked just like they are now.
1. Better transmitter/receiver. I had to return it, because it had an awful reception quality. I check stocks, email but MAIN function is phone - make it a good _phone_.
2. Stop making ATT exclusive carrier.
3. Multitasking
4. Stop kissing ATT's ass by blocking VoIP over 3G.
I would add a configurable tri-color status light (either on the front, top or as a bezel around the headphone jack). Then when the phone is silent on my desk, the light can indicate if I have a voicemail, text message, incoming call, push notification...etc. Since it would be configurable, I could select what each color indicates... and it would alternate between colors if more than one indicator is required.
@Ryan Morano
To address your points:
1. The 3GS already has a chip that supports HD 720p video - Apple are just crippling it. The video recording feature is a pretty big part of the 3GS so why not go all out and let us record in 720p given that it can support it? So it isn't extra money Apple can put elsewhere - its money they have already spent putting inside the phone - they just need to let us use it. Who is going to use their phone to make HD video? Well its not like someone is going to use it to film their next big blockbuster with, however there are moments when you might just want to film something - why shouldn't we have it at the best quality available? If it's my nephew taking his first steps - what if I didn't have my camera, but I would most likely have my phone. Also being babys first steps - it would be something to watch and cherish for many years. In 20 years time when I give my nephew that clip of him walking, by that time who knows what the standard for video will be - but I can assume that 720p wont be so great - so isn't it worth having the best quality we can have NOW - so that it doesn't look crap so quickly or in years to come. Given that HD is all the rage these days - having something record in 720p is not asking much, especially when the 3GS has the ability to handle it.
2. The point is that people don't always have their digital cameras with them when a moment to take a photo presents itself. The best option is to give at least a bit of a decent pixel size on the phone camera so the chances of a decent picture will be relatively high. Yes a number of other factors weigh in with regards to picture quality, but in this day and age when top cameras are hitting 12 megapixels, is asking for 5 megapixels (which my camera in 2003 had) too much? Why do people always assume that just because it is a phone - it shouldn't have a decent camera? Nobody really carries their digital camera unless they are going to an event they know they will be taking pictures at. In reality, there are always times when someone needs to take a picture and their digital camera is nowhere around. You are more likely to have your phone on you than your digital camera.
So yeah, its very easy to say "oh HD video and/or 5 megapixels is overkill" - but they are not. Many years from now when you look at the digital content you shot, it will be much better that you were able to create them in the best possible format at the time.
I'm not so sure about the subtle differences between 3G and 3GS. When using the 3G, I was always lacking memory to run anything, usually at start up I'd have about 35~40MB free and after opening the browser, checking mail, and having one application open it would always crash for lack of memory. Now the lowest I usually get down to is 60MB with startup at around 145MB of RAM. I haven't experienced a single crash yet.
Making things better, of course everything can always be better but the main crippling factor of the phone is the AT&T exclusivity, Apple App Store exclusivity, Apple root permission exclusivity. A simple jailbreak makes most if not all gripes about the iPhone go away. I can theme my iPhone the way I want, multi-task (not true but as close as I need regularly) Google Voice through GV Mobile, download, unzip, and view media files directly, tether, you name it. Apple has made a great product that almost could be the dominiating mobile platform, but has decided to use the same closed box approach that has kept the company at a distant second. Fortunately for now, iPhone has a great lead. Keeping the leash tight while you can will rake in the money, but do it too long and you're just another AOL. Opening the OS will be best both for Apple and the consumers, in the long run.
600th! Yay!
http://www.engadget.com/2009/08/01/how-would-you-change-apples-iphone-3gs/comments/20632817/
All these changes are great and some are not and i'm sure apple will be bringing most of these things, but they can make more money by bringing the upgrades out little by little rather than all at once, the 3GS probably could have been out much sooner or even around the time of the 3G but it was more profitable to bring out the 3G first make some money and then bring out the 3GS and make more money which they knew at Apple most people would upgrade to.
The lack of video calling gets me, also the fact that the iPhone cannot recieve sound clips from other phones in the .wav format.
Show of hands. How many people even use video calling on their phones?
Its been around for years now but I never see it used outside of demonstrations or people on crappy contracts with split video/voice minutes.
The fad died before it even started.
video calling is popular anywhere but america, and dont count on that changing any time soon.
Actually I live in Korea, and while almost everyone here has the capability to do video conferencing, no one that I know does, expect as a show off. Well that's not completely true, I hear house wifes use it to keep track on their 'long and hard' working husbands to make sure they are not getting drunk off soju.
I'm pretty sure I get my corporate email thru exchange in .wav format and it plays fine...
almost everybody has phones capable of video calling here in slovenia too, but nobody uses it even though it costs the same as regular calls (actually it's free with my service package)
it was fun to try it from the start, but eventually you see it's a bit silly to hold your phone up in front of your face while you talk, especially in public
d889, it's really not. No-one I know has ever expressed interest in video calling, let alone done it. It's not even advertised with handsets any more. I'm in the UK.
Video calling has been in Australia for around 7 years, it's like showing ur iPhone can play YouTube, it's all nerdy cool for like the first two times then ur over it.
The 3G network and the "standard" for video calling on it is crud. It's barely 10 frames a second, the sound is often out of sync, the res is like 174x144 or something and it's fully compressed to the "gents relief stop".
Video calling and chat will be more likely to take in the next round of network tech. The inclusion of controllable quality pre recorded video is more appropriate for 3G, which is what they did.
As far as I am concerned, having seen the 2G and owned the 3G the 3GS is like where they got it together. , it's the speed that you wanted and it's got all the bits.
Still needs 802.11n, Kerberos, refresh control in safari, multitasking for one app (radio or gps eg), a good implemenation of fast task switching, easy access to network options, expanded voice control, clickable and copyable text in the app store, improvements to the iTunes and Appstore apps, removal of standard apps, group send/tones using contact groups, caching of YouTube, better way of sorting/arranging apps, more codec/format support (at least not different version), tv out for all apps/screens. Selectable feature shut down at power level (30% no BT eg), allow legal emulation.
Didn't include stuff that is really carrier (voip over 3g) or can be filled by app dev (like full vid editing)
Add a chin.....
or a double chin...either will do.
excellent hardware, but this thing is falling way behind without MULTITASKING!
+1. I love the new 3GS and upgraded from my old phone as I needed more memory (32 GB vs 8). However, the lack of MULTITASKING in infuriating. I hope apple takes care of this asap.
You know, I used to not give a shite about the whole multitasking thing, but as it becomes more of a staple of how I'm running business and my life in general, it's definitely becoming clear that we need that feature.
Other than that, I'm pretty damn happy with my 3g. I will eventually upgrade when there is multitasking, videochat and over 32gigs. A 64 gigger would be awesome.
Camera and video aren't quite as important although I'd like for them to be at least decent for when I don't have my 780is for photos and hd video.
I'd say something, but you just said it for me.
Oh, and tethering, but that's an issue with AT&T.
Today I was in the middle of the phone call and needed to pull out an email and I did just that. There is limited multitasking, it admittedly needs a software revamp to compete with other phones.
Exactly! I love my 3GS and the hardware is pretty damn great. Other than a better camera (not more MP or flash...) I love it. I just always want a better camera, but I'm pretty happy with my pics so far.
Multi-tasking would be really nice, or at least some way that has more apps save their state (like safari) so you can get back to things fast - that'd be better for most.
I just want a more open format really. I want the ability to pair a bluetooth keyboard-and it's not even really possible to develop an app for that, believe me, I'm trying!
Oh and Software update for the iPhone!!!!! It doesn't need to be full OTA, but at least for things like today's SMS patch-lets only install a couple MB instead of 200! And lets get rid of these restores!
Don't hold your breath. It took Apple a decade to add a second button to their mice.
Multitasking would be cool and I think there are ways of doing it that don't butcher your battery like the PRE. When you have 6 apps open all getting updates your battery will just crap out. What would be nice is some way where you can run an app say only on the 3GS then leave it and keep it on, then access another app, then go back. I think allowing limitless multitasking will cause many battery complaints, the same that Push has... You know you batter will get eaten up faster if you have 4 email accounts on Push over 1 account with push.
Less fart apps.