Here’s a quick rundown of the more intriguing features users can look forward to in the upcoming iPhone OS 3.0 update, which is scheduled to drop on June 17.
Cut, Copy, and Paste
The next iPhone software will bring with it over 100 new features, chief among them the long awaited arrival of cut, copy, and paste. During the WWDC keynote, Scott Forstall noted that cut, copy, and paste will work across all apps downloaded from the app store. He also demonstrated a nifty way to “undo” an action – simply shake the iPhone.
Wirelessly download media content
In line with previous reports, the new iPhone software update will let users rent and purchase movies right from the device. TV shows, music videos, and audio books will also be available for wireless download.
Landscape Keyboard
At last! iPhone OS 3.0 makes the popular, and easier to use, landscape keyboard an option in all of the key iPhone apps, such as Notes for example.
MMS
Users will soon be able to send photos, videos, contacts, and even locations to friends over MMS. MMS, however, requires carrier support, and AT&T won’t support it until sometime later this Summer. But worldwide, 29 carriers in 76 countries will support MMS for the iPhone right out of the gate.
Universal Search
In iPhone OS 3.0, users can simply swipe to the left to bring up spotlight, where they can search their calendars, music, email etc. Users will even be able to search mail messages potentially saved on a mail server. One nifty feature is that users will be able to use spotlight on the iPhone to search for an app and launch it immediately. This is undoubtedly a godsend for anyone with pages and pages of apps.
Parental Controls
Kind of a buzzkill, but I suppose Parental Controls are pretty important if you’re a parent with a young tot running around. In the new iPhone OS, parents will able to adjust settings for music, movies, and apps. Specifically, parents will be able block the downloading of movies based on movie ratings, and can even block apps that aren’t age appropriate. As someone who accidentally entered his age on Xbox live as being 10 years old, I can fully attest that Parental Controls suck. But hey, they have their role to fill.
Data Tethering
If you’re in the US, you might wanna skip ahead. While tethering will be fully supported in the new iPhone OS, the function is entirely dependant on carrier support, and surprise surprise, AT&T hasn’t said a peep about when data tethering will be an option for US customers. At launch, 22 carriers in 42 countries worldwide will support data tethering. AT&T – What’s the deal?
When it became apparent that AT&T wouldn’t be supporting either MMS or tethering at launch, the audience laughed as Scott Forstall tried to hold in his laughter.. or perhaps anger at AT&T.
Faster load times in Safari
Forstall noted that Safari in iPhone OS 3.0 runs javascript almost 3x faster than it does on the current OS. Webpages will load and render at relatively blazing speeds.
Auto-Fill
A nice touch for those who hate having to type in usernames and passwords all the damn time. iPhone OS 3.0 has an auto-fill feature that can remember all of your pertinent usernames and passwords so that you can easily log into all of your favorite websites with ease. A added bonus is that users can even use the contact info on their phones to easily fill out webforms if need be.
Languages
The new iPhone OS will finally add language support for languages that read from right to let, such as Hebrew and Arabic, while also adding support for Greek, Korean, and Thai. Forstall noted that the iPhone will soon support more than 30 languages. Also, each and every language has a portrait and landscape keyboard.
Support for HTTP Streaming Audio and Video
Streaming video just got a whole helluva lot easier. iPhone OS 3.0 will automatically pick the right bitrate and data quality for streaming content based on your Internet connection. And it will do so seamlessly. Switching back and forth between wi-fi and 3G networks should theoretically have no affect on your video stream.
Find my iPhone
Lose your iPhone? Sucks to be you. But seriously, this is a very cool features. If you lose your iPhone, and happen to be a MobileMe customer, you can log into your account and you can find out the location of your iPhone on map. If you’ve really lost it, you can send a message to it (assuming a good samaritan stumbled upon it) or have it play an alert sound even if its in silent mode (great if it’s hidden under your couch), as I shamelessly borrow an example from Mr. Forstall himself.
If you think some no-goodnik got ahold of your phone, you can send a remote wipe command which will delete all of your phone’s data, thus destroying all evidence of your Spring Break debauchery.
Support for peer to peer connectivity
With the iPhone OS 3.0, you can use p2p to interact with other iPhone users. One of the more interesting applications is being able to play games against other users. Hopefully someone comes up with a good chess app that takes advantage of that, and I’m not even kidding!
You can read more about all of the new iPhone OS 3.0 features courtesy of Apple over here.
June 11th, 2009 at 6:14 pm
Can you copy and paste URLs?
Can you save attachments? Then send files stored on your iPhone?
Yes, I will be upgrading, but why, oh why can we not just get the whole package at once??
I fully understand the 1.0 and possibly the 2.0 not being full featured as this is their first phone and security was a concern. Thank you for that!
Now we are at 3.0 and still waiting some basic functions. Not some new crazy, Oh my where did they come up with that feature, but a basic save attachment, or send a file.
Ok, before the flogging starts, let me just say this. Is a photo image a file? Well yes it is. Can you save them from an email. Well yes you can. Can you send an image that is stored on your iPhone. Well yes you can do that also. So why again can’t i save a PDF or send a PDF?
I heard we will be able to send contact information. That will be extremely helpful! So will copy and paste.
I do get harassed at work as I am told their Blackberry can even edit Office docs!
So I say, ‘before we get too far into the future with all this cool technology, can we back up and implement some old technology also?’
Ok, begin flogging.
Richard