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Apple gives iPhone 3GS owners some love, lets them taste Shared Photo Streams and VIP Mail in iOS 6
Anyone who's been scanning to see who gets what in iOS 6 has noticed that the iPhone 3GS is the red-headed stepchild of the family -- some features that really don't need a cutting-edge phone have been left on the chopping block. Apple is showing those owners some TLC, after all, by officially flicking on support for Shared Photo Streams and VIP Mail lists through the entire iOS 6-ready device list. With the exception of Safari's Offline Reading List, the only features now left out for iPhone 3GS owners are the ones you'd expect to be excluded from a 3-year-old phone, such as FaceTime, Siri and those 3D-heavy map flyovers. While the iPhone 4S is still the darling of the lot, 3GS owners can now cling to their aging veteran phones a little more securely for at least another year.
Visualized: The iPhone five years after launch
In case you somehow missed it, today is an important milestone in technology nostalgia: it's the fifth anniversary of the original iPhone's launch. We'll let you explore the memories of that insane day on your own terms, but ComScore has produced a visual breakdown of just how ownership has grown and shifted over the years. It's not hard to see that adoption has been on an accelerating curve, especially after the 2010 launch of the Retina display-toting iPhone 4: as of this past May, about three quarters of owners have either the iPhone 4 or the iPhone 4S. And the 2007 edition? Only two percent of all iPhone owners are still actively holding on to the aluminum-clad debut model, which suggests most would rather have Siri than reminisce. Whether you're a fan or have since moved on to a competitor, the chart is a reminder of just how far one of Steve Jobs' biggest projects has come.
Did Apple shrink the Samsung Galaxy S in Dutch lawsuit filing?
We haven't had a chance to head on down to The Hague to have a look-see for ourselves, but Dutch tech site Webwereld spotted some more inconsistencies in Apple's Samsung lawsuit filings. This time the culprit is a shrunken Galaxy S, standing side-by-side with an identically tall iPhone 3G -- when in reality the Samsung phone is seven millimeters taller than its Apple counterpart, and slightly wider as well. The image, filed in the Netherlands, is part of an intellectual property suit against Samsung, and came to light just days after accusations that Apple manipulated photos of the Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 that it submitted to a German court. While misleading, this latest error isn't nearly as concerning as last week's shrunken Tab -- which could easily be described as image manipulation, considering that the tablet included in that filing represented an incorrect 4:3 aspect ratio, while the Samsung device has a 16:10 display. Update: The phone pictured above is the Samsung Galaxy S, not the Galaxy S II. [Thanks, Florian]
Apple drops iPhone 3GS to $49 on contract, we pretend the timing is coincidental
Hey, a phone that Apple introduced back in 2009 (that'd be the iPhone 3GS) is now selling -- brand new with a two-year voice / data agreement -- for $49, both at AT&T and through Apple directly. Of course, you could get the far more capable iPhone 4 for a fair amount more, or you could wait until tomorrow so you'd actually have an option when it comes to carriers. Your call, obviously.
Just got an iPhone? The best apps, accessories, and tips
Someone must really like you -- otherwise, how did you end up with an iPhone this holiday season? Yeah, we know, iPads don't really fit into stockings. Besides, your parent or significant other got you an arguably better gift in the cheaper (with two-year contract, of course), more compact, and more recently updated iPhone 4. We've given you some app suggestions before when the device first launched, but that was six months ago, and in technology time, that's like seven years. Want a run-down of the best apps, our favorite accessories, and the essential tips and tricks? Just follow along after the break! Hey Android friends, we got you covered, too! Did you get an iPad? Check out our guide here!
Gresso gussies up iPhone 4 with rare wooden veneer
From the front it looks like any other iPhone 4, but flip it around and a glint might catch your eye -- that's the doing of Russian technology tailor Gresso, who's embedded Swarovski crystals and an 18-karat golden Apple logo in a sheet of African Blackwood attached to the device. As usual, one wonders why anyone would bother, but honestly we can't complain -- the design is worlds more tasteful than the solid gold and diamond-encrusted contraptions we're used to seeing. Expect the dainty dillantante to arrive in December at a surprisingly reasonable $3,500, or $3,000 for the male-targeted version at right. Of course, if you've got that kind of money to spend, you want one now, right? Good news: the iPhone 3GS gets the same luxurious treatment -- and price -- in July. [Thanks, Bob]
iPhone vulnerability leaves your data wide open, even when using a PIN
If you feel like going through the process of typing in your PIN every time you unlock your iPhone is worth it thanks to the unconquerable security it implies, you might want to read this report from Bernd Marienfeldt about the chosen one's security model. Yes, a PIN will keep casual users from picking up your phone and making a call with it, or firing off an e-mail to your co-workers saying that you're quitting and becoming an exotic dancer, but it won't keep someone from accessing all your data. Bernd and fellow security guru Jim Herbeck have discovered that plugging even a fully up-to-date, non-jailbroken iPhone 3GS into a computer running Ubuntu Lucid Lynx allows nearly full read access to the phone's storage -- even when it's locked. The belief is that they're just a buffer overflow away from full write access as well, which would surely open the door to making calls. Bernd believes the iPhone's lack of data encryption for content is a real problem, and also cites the inability to digitally sign e-mails as reasons why the iPhone is still not ready for prime time in the enterprise. [Thanks, Amit]
iPhone OS 4 unlocks 720p video capture, further solidifying iPhone HD?
Last time on let's-speculate-about-Apple-products, the New iPhone rumor mill dug up dirt on video chat and a 5 megapixel camera. Now, it appears there might be one more reason to call it the iPhone HD. MacRumors reports that the iPhone SDK 4 beta includes the value "AVCaptureSessionPreset1280x720," leading some to believe Cupertino's next phone will record video in 720p. Mind you, the iPhone 3GS was technically already capable of that feat, so this might not have anything to do with a new handset, but honestly, at this point the iPhone's camera wouldn't be competitive recording in a smaller format anyhow.
New screenshots of iPad apps start to make this thing seem less like a giant iPhone
We already knew that the iPad would be getting a few pieces of software that haven't shown up on its tinier, phone counterpart -- but now that a few screenshots of forthcoming apps for the device have reared their head, we're getting a clearer picture of just what this thing will feel like. If these shots of the new Yahoo! Entertainment, Bento, OmniGraffle, and Brushes are any indication, the iPad will be doing a lot more than just zooming up your Facebook profile. There's definitely an emphasis on content creation, file exporting (if not saving), and syncing with desktop versions of some of these apps, and Yahoo!'s work (alongside Brushes') shows that we've only begun to scratch the surface of what interfaces will be like on this device. We're sure the next week will be filled with all sorts of these kinds of leaks, but for now you can cherish the moment when you first laid eyes on your new way to check a TV schedule. A few more shots after the break, and lots more at the sources.
Orange UK's iPhone contract & pay as you go pricing plans detailed
We're just about a week away from the Orange iPhone launch, and if you folks across the pond were wondering what the deal was going to cost you, you now have your answer thanks to a dizzying but thoroughly helpful series of tables that lay out the costs of the phones, plans, and the various accoutrement to be included. Those willing to sign up for 24 months can get an 8GB iPhone 3G for free for a minimum of £29.36 ($48) per month, but step up to the £122.34 ($200) monthly plan with unlimited everything and you'll get a 32GB 3GS gratis. Meanwhile, on a pay as you go plan that same 8GB 3G will cost you £343 ($561), while the 32GB 3GS is a rather more painful £539 ($881 -- haven't you figured out the conversion rate yet?). You know what that means: contract ahoy.
Jailbroken iPhone gets Expose-like view, you retail users just keep on scrollin' (video)
How many apps do you have on your iPhone? Yeah, we figured it was a lot. Being able to re-arrange items now is mighty helpful, but not so helpful as this little hack from Steve Troughton-Smith that adds Exposé-like functionality to the mix. Just press the Home button and up pops a view of all the application pages; tap one and you're taken straight there, as shown in the video after the break. Nice and simple -- and at this point not available even to jailbroken handsets. We're sure that'll change soon, but it's anybody's guess if or when Apple will add something like this to the official OS. Yet another reason to go ahead and roll your own.
New study says Palm Pre second only to iPhone 3GS in mindshare
Market research firm Interpret recently made some discoveries about public perception of smartphones that should shock, surprise, and amaze you. The just released report, dubbed "Signature Smartphones: Gaining Mindshare in Order to Gain Market Share," reveals that despite being massively disadvantaged in the marketplace, Palm managed to nab a huge chunk of mindshare with the Pre -- in fact, the report suggests that the Pre is number two only to the iPhone 3GS in the metric. The study looks at the driving factors behind purchaser's decisions to buy a smartphone, narrowing down the list to three major components: belief that the phone is "smart," belief that the phone is "hip / cool," and belief that the phone will make them more productive. Rating a swath of phones (BlackBerry Curve and Storm, G1, iPhone), the report found that only the iPhone and Pre balanced the three factors in a way in which consumers felt the higher price tags were warranted. More to the point, only the Pre and the iPhone 3GS managed to strike that balance at all; offerings such as the two BlackBerrys were lopsided. There's not much more meat to the study, though it does shed some interesting light on just how Palm managed to squeeze its way back into the limelight (of course, it doesn't hurt to have a product that's actually kind of cool). Check out the whole PDF for yourself over at that read link. Disclosure: Engadget columnist Michael Gartenberg is an employee of Interpret, and worked on the study cited above.
iPhone's augmented reality apps coming with September OS 3.1 launch?
Looking to enjoy all those fancy augmented reality apps on your iPhone, like for finding nearby stores or subway stops? Apparently what's standing in your way from enjoying a life more akin to "gargoyles" from Snow Crash is Apple's next update to its touchscreen devices, OS 3.1, and according to Nearest Tube developer Acrossair, that'll be arriving sometime in September. Something we heard whispered at the time of the beta 2 release. We wouldn't be surprised to see that release window fluctuate, but if that's our estimate, there's still plenty of time for someone to prep an AR zombie shooter.[Thanks, Peter S]
ColorWare outs custom colors for the Apple iPhone 3GS
If you're anything at all like us, you were just a tad disappointed by the color "options" of Apple's newest foray into the world of mobile phones, the iPhone 3GS. After all, who wants to be limited to just black and white these days? Not us, that's for sure -- and ColorWare's just announced a fix for all that. Pricing for these customs jobs runs $150 for the back of the handset, $20 a piece for the bezel frame and button, and $15 the SIM holder. They'll also do up your earbuds for an additional $15. A small price to pay for beauty, no? Another shot of a different color combo after the break.[Via SlashGear]
iPhone 3GS gets the quick and dirty tear apart treatment, already (update: could do 833MHz and 720p video)
Well that was fast. Orange Boutique in Paris, France did a midnight release of the iPhone 3G S, and the gang at Rapid Repair were there to pick one up and subsequently rip their new toy to shreds. There isn't much here in terms of analysis of parts yet, it's more so just a quick and dirty job to get it out to the world, but hey, if you're into watching someone rip apart brand new, expensive gadgetry, we've got just the gallery for you.Update: They've identified the chipset as the SoC S5PC100 from Samsung and thus confirm an ARM Cortex A8 running at 600 MHz (operates at up to 833MHz though) and the ability to record 720p video and handle real-time video conferencing should Apple choose to go in that direction (iPhone 3G S records VGA only). PowerVR SGX graphics and 256MB of RAM too as expected. S5PC100 block diagram after the break.Read -- S5PC100 [warning: PDF]Read -- RapidRepair Teardown
iPhone 3G S gets the quick and dirty tear apart treatment, already
Well that was fast. Orange Boutique in Paris, France did a midnight release of the iPhone 3G S, and the gang at Rapid Repair were there to pick one up and subsequently rip their new toy to shreds. There isn't much here in terms of analysis of parts yet, it's more so just a quick and dirty job to get it out to the world, but hey, if you're into watching someone rip apart brand new, expensive gadgetry, we've got just the gallery for you.
iPhone 3GS: Apple's codename for tomorrow's unveiling?
It's pretty much the eve of Apple's big WWDC press conference, and Daring Fireball's John Gruber is back at the eleventh hour to chime in some more on his previous (and perhaps well-informed) iPhone predictions. He sticks to his previous wagers -- twice the CPU speed, twice the RAM, a heavy emphasis on a new video camera (no word on if there's an additional front-facing one), and $199 / $299 for the 16GB and 32GB models, respectively -- but additionally chimes in that the new device's codename is... drumroll, please... the iPhone 3GS, which he surmises is probably going to be the final product name, as well. Kind of a yawner, if you ask us, but it'd sell like gangbusters no matter what it was called. As for that lowered-tiered iPhone, he's expecting it to be the current 3G model with a price drop to $99. Also on the table is iPhone tethering, which we already know was built into OS 3.0, likely for a fee chosen by each carrier. Teasing farther into the future, he suggests "Marble," codename for an OS X visual overhaul, and the tablet are very much real projects but that there's little to no chance it'll be at WWDC. No clue what the "S" stands for (speed, perhaps?), but at this point we're pretty much counting the minutes to tomrorow's keynote, and our clocks can't tick much faster.
