iPhone 3.x firmware for iPhone 2G/3G deliberately crippled
When the iPhone 3.x firmware was announced I was disappointed that the Video Recording and Voice Control features were only available on the 3GS. With some incredulity, I swallowed Apple's excuse of "hardware limitations". Now though, Apple has approved for the AppStore the iVideoCamera app which works on the 2G and 3G phones. I paid my 79 Euro Cents and was not disappointed. OK, it may only do 10fps (they're are working on increasing that) compared to the 30fps of the 3GS native app, but hey, it's a lot better than 0fps. What's more, if you 'export' recorded video to the iPhone camera roll, the cool video editing features that where once reserved just for 3GS owners are suddenly enabled.
So, the "hardware limitations" line from Apple was pure BS. They artificially crippled the 3.x firmware on 2G/3G phones, and that stinks. Presumably they will choose some features of iPhone 4.x to artificially cripple on older phones as well, just to make the next iPhone look better
Michael.
So, the "hardware limitations" line from Apple was pure BS. They artificially crippled the 3.x firmware on 2G/3G phones, and that stinks. Presumably they will choose some features of iPhone 4.x to artificially cripple on older phones as well, just to make the next iPhone look better
Michael.
Comments
When the iPhone 3.x firmware was announced I was disappointed that the Video Recording and Voice Control features were only available on the 3GS. With some incredulity, I swallowed Apple's excuse of "hardware limitations". Now though, Apple has approved for the AppStore the iVideoCamera app which works on the 2G and 3G phones. I paid my 79 Euro Cents and was not disappointed. OK, it may only do 10fps (they're are working on increasing that) compared to the 30fps of the 3GS native app, but hey, it's a lot better than 0fps. What's more, if you 'export' recorded video to the iPhone camera roll, the cool video editing features that where once reserved just for 3GS owners are suddenly enabled.
So, the "hardware limitations" line from Apple was pure BS. They artificially crippled the 3.x firmware on 2G/3G phones, and that stinks. Presumably they will choose some features of iPhone 4.x to artificially cripple on older phones as well, just to make the next iPhone look better
Michael.
'Hardware' limitations does not mean they meant it was impossible. They have to set minimum standards. The 2G and 3G, while able to handle some limited video even before 3.0 was released, do not handle it well. If Apple had included those models in the minimum tech requirements, then they would have opened the door a whole lot of customer anger at it being such shitty quality.
I don't think it was BS...just an attempt to set expectations a little higher than garbage.
Apple refused for long to approve such applications. Presumably, they hoped to not compromise 3GS sales. And then they suddenly changed their mind about that.
Well, saying "crippled firmware" makes no sense at all.
What I mean is that they deliberately disabled the Apple Video Recorder app on the 2G/3G when it wasn't necessary. Sure, the quality would have been lower, but most people would rather have lower quality video than no video at all (as demonstrated by the huge popularity of the various video recording apps now available for the 2G/3G).
Presumably, they hoped to not compromise 3GS sales
Exactly. That's the real reason the apps were left out for the 2G/3G, in order to artificially ensure the 3GS had more differentiating features, not because the 2G/3G couldn't handle them.
Michael.
What I mean is that they deliberately disabled the Apple Video Recorder app on the 2G/3G when it wasn't necessary.
I think it's way too heavy and consuming for 2G/3G platforms. "At least something" is not Apple's approach.
What are they gonna banish on 3G/3GS while allowing on iPhone 2010?
Their brand new multitasking.
...
Exactly. That's the real reason the apps were left out for the 2G/3G, in order to artificially ensure the 3GS had more differentiating features, not because the 2G/3G couldn't handle them.
Michael.
The original iPhone went on sale two years before the iPhone 3GS. Do you honestly believe that the 3GS does not have more powerful hardware than the original and the 3G? Do you honestly believe that Apple disabled a feature so that it could enable the feature in a new phone two years hence? You do understand that the price to consumer of the iPhone 3GS is substantially less than the price to consumer price of the original iPhone? Explain your economic theory.
The original iPhone went on sale two years before the iPhone 3GS. Do you honestly believe that the 3GS does not have more powerful hardware than the original and the 3G? Do you honestly believe that Apple disabled a feature so that it could enable the feature in a new phone two years hence? You do understand that the price to consumer of the iPhone 3GS is substantially less than the price to consumer price of the original iPhone? Explain your economic theory.
Read my posts again. When you have understood them, reply again with something that makes sense.
In the 18 months I've had my 3G, I've never wished that I could record 10fps video.
If you were witnessing Flight 1549 ditching into the Hudson or similar, would you prefer to have 10fps video recording or no video recording at all?
The quality of the video recorded by iVideoRecorder on my iPhone 3G is way better than the video recording that was officially available on my SonyEricsson K850i as a feature.
The worst thing about video capturing software on 3G is they do not follow any standards in picture size. 3GS complies with well-established VGA at 30fps, while Qik encodes 15fps video of the size 152x240 --- a quarter of iPhone screen --- only.
If you were witnessing Flight 1549 ditching into the Hudson or similar, would you prefer to have 10fps video recording or no video recording at all?
The quality of the video recorded by iVideoRecorder on my iPhone 3G is way better than the video recording that was officially available on my SonyEricsson K850i as a feature.
Your example is a one in a billion circumstance.
If I was in NYC, that would mean I'm there as a tourist, I would be carrying something that recorded video rather than smudges in a thumbnail video recording.
Unfortunately, iPhone 3G has other limitations too, I've found that it about 10 seconds to get the photo app fully operational. I usually find that my opportunity has been lost by the time it's ready to take an image.
Another thing is that the 3GS probably has an encoder engine that isn't in the 3G. So it might not be so simple as enabling a feature, there is some amount of code difference between using an encoder and having to put in a software encoder.
I think sometimes "hardware limitations" and such is more Apple-speak for insufficient quality, 10fps really doesn't fit any decent video standard. In the 18 months I've had my 3G, I've never wished that I could record 10fps video. My previous phone could technically record video, but the footage was pretty sad stuff.
Bingo. But it isn't just Apple Speak. Hardware limitations often means 'not up to minimum specs', with minimum specs being whatever they have set. This happens everywhere. Yuo have to draw a line somewhere, else you end up working to support legacy product for everything. Apple has higher standards that most, so it makes sense that we would run into these 'barriers' more often, as Apple users.