iPhone 3.0: 100 new features for users; 1,000 new APIs for devs
Apple on Tuesday previewed its iPhone OS 3.0 software which includes over 1,000 new APIs for developers and over 100 new features for end users, including Copy & Paste, multimedia messaging, and a landscape mode for applications like Mail and Notes.
"The new iPhone OS 3.0 is a major software release packed with incredible new features and innovations for iPhone customers and developers alike," said the company's marketing chief, Philip Schiller. "It will keep us years ahead of the competition."
For Developers
Members of Apple's iPhone developer program can download a beta release iPhone OS 3.0 sometime today (preview page) that includes an updated iPhone Software Development Kit (SDK) with over 1,000 new Application Programming Interfaces (APIs) that will facilitate new capabilities such as in-app content purchases; peer-to-peer connections over Bonjour; an app interface for hardware accessories; access to the iPod music library; a new Maps API and the long-awaited push notification support.
More specifically, Apple announced that in-app purchases will allow developers to offer subscription content and provide the ability to sell new content and features in a simple and secure process from directly within their apps. Meanwhile, game developers can leverage the new peer-to-peer connections support to more easily create peer-to-peer network games for iPhone and iPod touch by using Bluetooth.
Another key developer feature in the iPhone OS 3.0 beta software is the ability for apps to interface with proprietary hardware accessories manufactured by third-party accessory makers, creating a whole new element of control for iPhone and iPod touch accessory developers as well as a new ecosystem of solutions for customers.
Developers will also be able to use Apple's new Maps API to integrate Google Mobile Maps services within their apps which will offer Google Map tiles, current location, custom annotations and geocoding. The iPhone OS 3.0 beta software includes the Apple Push Notification service which provides developers with a mechanism to alert users with sounds, text or a badge messages in real-time.
For Users
For iPhone and iPod touch owners, Apple announced over 100 new features that will be available when iPhone OS 3.0 is released this summer including cut, copy and paste, which can be done within or across applications; MMS to send and receive photos; contacts; audio files and locations with the Messages app; and the ability to capture and send audio recordings on the go with the new Voice Memo app.
You double tap onto the text, and it automatically selects that text, adding grab points you can drag to customize your selection.
Landscape view will also be available for Mail, Text and Notes. Search capabilities will be expanded, allowing customers to search within Mail, iPod and Notes or search across all key apps by typing a key word or phrase into the new Spotlight search, conveniently accessed from the Home screen.
An updated Stock app will add the ability to display recent company news and current trading information like opening or average price, trading volume or Market Cap, and will offer a landscape view to see a full screen of any stock chart. Users will also be able to view shared calendars right on their iPhone with CalDAV support and sync their calendars with iCal, Yahoo, Google and Oracle.
Apple also announced that the App Store has more than 25,000 applications available to consumers, and 15 more countries have been added so the App Store is now available in 77 countries, allowing developers to reach more than 30 million iPhone and iPod touch users around the world.
As part of this announcement, Apple said it's sold 17 million iPhones to date and a total of 30 million multi-touch handhelds when sales of iPod touches are included. This means the company has sold 13 million iPod touches in approximately 18-months, marking the first time it has broken out sales figures for the touch.
Availability
The iPhone OS 3.0 beta software and SDK will be available for registered developers to download starting today. iPhone customers will be able to download the new iPhone OS 3.0 software for free this summer and iPod touch customers will be able to purchase the software update for $9.95. Apple notes that MMS messaging will be available only on iPhone 3G and that fees may apply. Some iPhone 3.0 features may also not be supported by older hardware, such as the original iPhone, citing differences in the internal radio.
Additional Details
For additional details, please see AppleInsider stories addressing individual topics:
iPhone 3.0 adds Copy & Paste, MMS, global Spotlight search
iPhone 3.0 to include peer-to-peer support, push notification
App Store audience hits 30 million users, 13M iPod touches sold
Developers show off new features of iPhone 3.0
Apple on iPhone tethering, Flash support, and Copy & Paste
"The new iPhone OS 3.0 is a major software release packed with incredible new features and innovations for iPhone customers and developers alike," said the company's marketing chief, Philip Schiller. "It will keep us years ahead of the competition."
For Developers
Members of Apple's iPhone developer program can download a beta release iPhone OS 3.0 sometime today (preview page) that includes an updated iPhone Software Development Kit (SDK) with over 1,000 new Application Programming Interfaces (APIs) that will facilitate new capabilities such as in-app content purchases; peer-to-peer connections over Bonjour; an app interface for hardware accessories; access to the iPod music library; a new Maps API and the long-awaited push notification support.
More specifically, Apple announced that in-app purchases will allow developers to offer subscription content and provide the ability to sell new content and features in a simple and secure process from directly within their apps. Meanwhile, game developers can leverage the new peer-to-peer connections support to more easily create peer-to-peer network games for iPhone and iPod touch by using Bluetooth.
Another key developer feature in the iPhone OS 3.0 beta software is the ability for apps to interface with proprietary hardware accessories manufactured by third-party accessory makers, creating a whole new element of control for iPhone and iPod touch accessory developers as well as a new ecosystem of solutions for customers.
Developers will also be able to use Apple's new Maps API to integrate Google Mobile Maps services within their apps which will offer Google Map tiles, current location, custom annotations and geocoding. The iPhone OS 3.0 beta software includes the Apple Push Notification service which provides developers with a mechanism to alert users with sounds, text or a badge messages in real-time.
For Users
For iPhone and iPod touch owners, Apple announced over 100 new features that will be available when iPhone OS 3.0 is released this summer including cut, copy and paste, which can be done within or across applications; MMS to send and receive photos; contacts; audio files and locations with the Messages app; and the ability to capture and send audio recordings on the go with the new Voice Memo app.
You double tap onto the text, and it automatically selects that text, adding grab points you can drag to customize your selection.
Landscape view will also be available for Mail, Text and Notes. Search capabilities will be expanded, allowing customers to search within Mail, iPod and Notes or search across all key apps by typing a key word or phrase into the new Spotlight search, conveniently accessed from the Home screen.
An updated Stock app will add the ability to display recent company news and current trading information like opening or average price, trading volume or Market Cap, and will offer a landscape view to see a full screen of any stock chart. Users will also be able to view shared calendars right on their iPhone with CalDAV support and sync their calendars with iCal, Yahoo, Google and Oracle.
Apple also announced that the App Store has more than 25,000 applications available to consumers, and 15 more countries have been added so the App Store is now available in 77 countries, allowing developers to reach more than 30 million iPhone and iPod touch users around the world.
As part of this announcement, Apple said it's sold 17 million iPhones to date and a total of 30 million multi-touch handhelds when sales of iPod touches are included. This means the company has sold 13 million iPod touches in approximately 18-months, marking the first time it has broken out sales figures for the touch.
Availability
The iPhone OS 3.0 beta software and SDK will be available for registered developers to download starting today. iPhone customers will be able to download the new iPhone OS 3.0 software for free this summer and iPod touch customers will be able to purchase the software update for $9.95. Apple notes that MMS messaging will be available only on iPhone 3G and that fees may apply. Some iPhone 3.0 features may also not be supported by older hardware, such as the original iPhone, citing differences in the internal radio.
Additional Details
For additional details, please see AppleInsider stories addressing individual topics:
iPhone 3.0 adds Copy & Paste, MMS, global Spotlight search
iPhone 3.0 to include peer-to-peer support, push notification
App Store audience hits 30 million users, 13M iPod touches sold
Developers show off new features of iPhone 3.0
Apple on iPhone tethering, Flash support, and Copy & Paste
Comments
The big news will be in the summer when 3.0 comes out and Apple announce new hardware. I'm looking for a "good" camera with xenon flash and auto-focus, 32GB storage, and an OLED display. This will be the bigger news in my eyes, for my use!
All in all a great update, now we have "the great wait".
Happy St. Paddy's Day, Ireland!
Happy St. Paddy's Day, Ireland!
Thank you! You see me in a pub drinking Guinness, fighting and burping. Don't you? Don't you!!?
Really I'm in my robe, being the sickest I've been in years. I'm a walking drug store. Fell like I have TB. Probably that Australian flu virus (not bird-flu).
When you step back and think about what this little device is doing and what it can do - it's kind of mind blowing. This update is very impressive, particularly taken on top of the already great 2.0 software.
If I recall correctly, I theorized that iPhone could become a platform for all kinds of devices. Now with the examples of medical hardware and software being shown, this is going to really blow the lid off of at-home diagnostics.
wow.. it took two major releases to implement something as simple as copy-paste and mms... iPhone really is the only Apple product I have som major problems seeing any value to. iPhone really is _not_ state of the art in any way in contrast to the mac
I was really hoping that the announcement of copy/paste and MMS would STOP people from complaining about these features not existing.
(features that I personally haven't missed one bit in two years of use)
Thank you! You see me in a pub drinking Guinness, fighting and burping. Don't you? Don't you!!?
Really I'm in my robe, being the sickest I've been in years. I'm a walking drug store. Fell like I have TB. Probably that Australian flu virus (not bird-flu).
No, I never thought you were a stereotypical Irishman.
Sorry to hear you're sick. Think good thoughts... about Apple.
Come ON..
I actually love to snap video using Cycorder.. it's QUITE good !!!!!!
any guesses on whether Saurik will be able to port Cycorder to 3.0 and allow it to work with MMS ?
wow.. it took two major releases to implement something as simple as copy-paste and mms... iPhone really is the only Apple product I have som major problems seeing any value to. iPhone really is _not_ state of the art in any way in contrast to the mac
You are kidding right ?
All in all a "great update". They pretty much addressed all the software gripes the majority of people had. Now we have "the great wait", for 3.0, and then the unlock period for those of us who want out of jail.
The big news will be in the summer when 3.0 comes out and Apple announce new hardware. I'm looking for a "good" camera with xenon flash and auto-focus, 32GB storage, and an OLED display. This will be the bigger news in my eyes, for my use!
Now i could care less about a 'good' built-in camera... The news is about the ability to provide software for devices plugged into the dock connector.
If any of the camera companies are smart, we might now see camera bodies to which you connect the touch/iPhone as a controller/preview.
THEN we'll start seeing some quality... great lenses, zoom, flash etc with the ability to update the software on the controller.
Camera quality on a phone is a dead end because after a certain point, its all about the lenses. We now have that option, if anyone will wake up and do it.
And musicians can start connecting their midi rigs through the dock connector and the iPhone/touch becomes a GREAT performance controller.
You are kidding right ?
not really, I think it's great that it has gained Apple additional popularity in the US though.. however, in sweden, the iPhone is associated with "white trash" (no other Apple product is)
(I really hope noone takes offence by that
I was really hoping that the announcement of copy/paste and MMS would STOP people from complaining about these features not existing.
(features that I personally haven't missed one bit in two years of use)
It might help if Apple communications/marketing would stop calling every new "feature" something ground-breaking etc. Cut & Paste, MMS should have been introduced in the very beginning - as far less innovative cell phones were already doing it.
Now, what about video in iPhone 3.0? I've seen mention of audio recording and sending on the go, but no mention of video. Is it available now or are we going to have to wait for iPhone 4.0?
Video is the most important "feature" still missing from the device (now that cut & paste is getting dealt with). Personally...I have cursed not having cut and paste almost everyday and have been extremely irritated with Apple for forcing me to come up with ridiculous work-arounds for a so-called feature that has been around since before Windows 3.1.
So, thanks to Apple for finishing the job it started.
...
Camera quality on a phone is a dead end because after a certain point, its all about the lenses. We now have that option, if anyone will wake up and do it.
...
so very true.. it really bugs me that some people actually juges smartphones by "how many megapixels they have".. anything above 5 MP is overkill without a proper lens. there is a reason for the top quality digital cameras being of the physical size they are.
not really, I think it's great that it has gained Apple additional popularity in the US though.. however, in sweden, the iPhone is associated with "white trash" (no other Apple product is)
(I really hope noone takes offence by that
well whatever, i'll take that 'white trash' over any crackberry any day
It might help if Apple communications/marketing would stop calling every new "feature" something ground-breaking etc. Cut & Paste, MMS should have been introduced in the very beginning - as far less innovative cell phones were already doing it.
Now, what about video in iPhone 3.0? I've seen mention of audio recording and sending on the go, but no mention of video. Is it available now or are we going to have to wait for iPhone 4.0?
Video is the most important "feature" still missing from the device (now that cut & paste is getting dealt with). Personally...I have cursed not having cut and paste almost everyday and have been extremely irritated with Apple for forcing me to come up with ridiculous work-arounds for a so-called feature that has been around since before Windows 3.1.
So, thanks to Apple for finishing the job it started.
another very basic feature missing is the ability to run several applications at once. maybe they could implement it like "spaces" in OS X.. that would be pretty neat.
wow.. it took two major releases to implement something as simple as copy-paste and mms... iPhone really is the only Apple product I have som major problems seeing any value to. iPhone really is _not_ state of the art in any way in contrast to the mac
Complete rubbish.
The social mores of Swedes are quite irrelevant.