People keep making the comparison to the 3G not being able to run iOS4, but there’s a big problem with that.
The problem is the 3G used a chip with a different architecture then the 3GS and 4. The code was not optimized properly for that older architecture, and that’s why it performed horribly, with glitches, freezes etc. It wasn't just that the chip was slower, and the new software more demanding. It was that the code wasn’t written for that architecture.
The 3GS, 4 and iPad 1 all share identical chip architecture. Clock for clock the chips perform identically, with full compatibility. The 3GS has fewer pixels to push, so it performs evenly with the 4 in most situations.
Knowing all this, it’s definitely a planned decision Apple is making. I thought they were above those kinds of money grubbing shady big-business techniques, but I guess not.
Iphone 3gs's are still being sold by att - if there is new revenue potential from ios 5, like for example, cloud services, Apple will definitely have a version for 3gs, it will be feature limited however.
People keep making the comparison to the 3G not being able to run iOS4, but there’s a big problem with that.
The problem is the 3G used a chip with a different architecture then the 3GS and 4. The code was not optimized properly for that older architecture, and that’s why it performed horribly, with glitches, freezes etc. It wasn't just that the chip was slower, and the new software more demanding. It was that the code wasn’t written for that architecture.
The 3GS, 4 and iPad 1 all share identical chip architecture. Clock for clock the chips perform identically, with full compatibility. The 3GS has fewer pixels to push, so it performs evenly with the 4 in most situations.
Knowing all this, it’s definitely a planned decision Apple is making. I thought they were above those kinds of money grubbing shady big-business techniques, but I guess not.
1) Of course it’s a planned decision.
2) Being based on Cortex-A8 like the iPhone 4 is not the only consideration. What about the RAM disparity, for starters?
3) It’s just a rumor to discuss in theoretical terms yet your last sentence implies it’s a fact.
Quote:
Originally Posted by a_greer
Iphone 3gs's are still being sold by att - if there is new revenue potential from ios 5, like for example, cloud services, Apple will definitely have a version for 3gs, it will be feature limited however.
That certainly makes sense. Even though the iPhone 4 clearly outnumbers the iPhone 3GS in unit sales I’d think there are plenty in use to support an iOS 5.0 update if it is viable.
Apple is making it increasingly difficult for developers to test on older versions of iOS. Short of owning many devices and making sure no automatic updates get installed, right now Apple really only provides the ability to easily test back to 4.0. The result of this is that App support for operating systems is moving increasingly fast towards the latest version of iOS.
That means that iPhones that can't keep up with the latest iOS also quickly stop being able to use the latest versions of old Apps as as well as most new Apps.
Given the importance of Apps to Apple's iPhone sales pitch I can't see them allowing that situation - especially considering the 3GS is still being sold and is therefore essentially a current iPhone.
Probably stated above, but this is one of the big differences btwn MS and Apple. MS, is not a hardware manufacturer and has had to write "spaghetti" code to support legacy machines. Apple, rightly, supports products for awhile and then as their hardware evolves, they cut the cord, as it were. Therefore, people like me who want the cutting edge gear, get it!
I was actually impressed with just how many updates the original iPhone received. I went from the iP1, to the 3Gs missing the 3G and then to the iP4. My original intel MacBook and original intel iMac similarly have had many, many updates. I can't complain.
I am an iOS app developer. There is a noticeable performance difference between the CPU in the 3GS vs the A4 in the iPhone 4 but I don't believe that on its own that is enough reason for Apple to drop support for that platform. RAM size would be a reason but the iPad and iPod Touch 4th gen both have the same memory size (256MB) as the iPhone 3GS and there is no rumors that those devices will not be supported. Also if the iPhone 3GS was dropped, the 3rd generation iPod Touch would almost certainly have to lose support as well.
The only technical reasons I can think of why Apple would decide not to support the iPhone 3GS are:
1. The A4 chip has some sort of secure code execution that is needed for security in iOS 5. This is pure speculation since this feature has never been disclosed. It is something that Apple would want to add and they may have done so and been waiting for an iOS version that they could turn it on across their full range of supported devices.
2. Apple wants to save money by dropping support of older platforms.This seems very unlikely considering that the 3GS is currently being sold. Google is committing to 18 months of support with their new anti-fragmentation initiative.
3. iOS 5 is such a memory hog that the overhead of the extra memory needed to run the phone software is enough to eliminate the 3GS (and only the 3GS since all other supported devices are either not phones or have double the memory).
Iphone 3gs's are still being sold by att - if there is new revenue potential from ios 5, like for example, cloud services, Apple will definitely have a version for 3gs, it will be feature limited however.
Exactly, a_greer! Great point....just like the iP1 got updates but because of hardware limitations it didn't get everything. Got "cut & paste" but not GPS, for example. I think I have that right.
1. The A4 chip has some sort of secure code execution that is needed for security in iOS 5. This is pure speculation since this feature has never been disclosed. It is something that Apple would want to add and they may have done so and been waiting for an iOS version that they could turn it on across their full range of supported devices.
Excellent hypothesis.
Quote:
Originally Posted by smalM
So if iOS 5 doesn't run on an iPhone 3GS it also doesn't run on an iPhone 4.
That?s only if you think the chip architecture is the only consideration worth considering.
Ok, I will bite -- URL and specific "policy" that states this?!
Quote:
Originally Posted by Prof. Peabody
Apple has been really clear on their policy in regards updates though and the 3Gs doesn't make the bar, so no one should really *expect* iOS 5 to run on a 3Gs.
That being said, I bet even if it isn't officially supported that it will still work on a 3Gs.
My 3GS is already unable to cope with "Personal Hotspot" as well as the iPhone4 can. With the 3GS you can only share with 1 device at a time, as opposed to the 4 or 5 you can share with using the iPhone4.
Planned obsolesence gives you a valid-sounding reason to tell your spouse when they want to know why you *need* to upgrade
iOS 4.x runs JUST FINE on my iPhone 3GS... Could it be better? Of course, but is by far very usable. Apple had best start more and better code optimization.
Quote:
Originally Posted by See Flat
iOS 4 should not even run on 3GS
All the older models i've seen running the iOS 4 makes the experience of having an Apple product not what it should be.
My 3GS is already unable to cope with "Personal Hotspot" as well as the iPhone4 can. With the 3GS you can only share with 1 device at a time, as opposed to the 4 or 5 you can share with using the iPhone4.
Planned obsolesence gives you a valid-sounding reason to tell your spouse when they want to know why you *need* to upgrade
It is not neccesarily 'planned obsolescence'. Phone advances occur on a regular basis and as a result new phones can do more, You can't expect older models to be able to perform as well, or contain as many features, as the new models. At least Apple tries and has successfully (mostly) been updating older models with new features and/or better performance.
Comments
The problem is the 3G used a chip with a different architecture then the 3GS and 4. The code was not optimized properly for that older architecture, and that’s why it performed horribly, with glitches, freezes etc. It wasn't just that the chip was slower, and the new software more demanding. It was that the code wasn’t written for that architecture.
The 3GS, 4 and iPad 1 all share identical chip architecture. Clock for clock the chips perform identically, with full compatibility. The 3GS has fewer pixels to push, so it performs evenly with the 4 in most situations.
Knowing all this, it’s definitely a planned decision Apple is making. I thought they were above those kinds of money grubbing shady big-business techniques, but I guess not.
People keep making the comparison to the 3G not being able to run iOS4, but there’s a big problem with that.
The problem is the 3G used a chip with a different architecture then the 3GS and 4. The code was not optimized properly for that older architecture, and that’s why it performed horribly, with glitches, freezes etc. It wasn't just that the chip was slower, and the new software more demanding. It was that the code wasn’t written for that architecture.
The 3GS, 4 and iPad 1 all share identical chip architecture. Clock for clock the chips perform identically, with full compatibility. The 3GS has fewer pixels to push, so it performs evenly with the 4 in most situations.
Knowing all this, it’s definitely a planned decision Apple is making. I thought they were above those kinds of money grubbing shady big-business techniques, but I guess not.
1) Of course it’s a planned decision.
2) Being based on Cortex-A8 like the iPhone 4 is not the only consideration. What about the RAM disparity, for starters?
3) It’s just a rumor to discuss in theoretical terms yet your last sentence implies it’s a fact.
Iphone 3gs's are still being sold by att - if there is new revenue potential from ios 5, like for example, cloud services, Apple will definitely have a version for 3gs, it will be feature limited however.
That certainly makes sense. Even though the iPhone 4 clearly outnumbers the iPhone 3GS in unit sales I’d think there are plenty in use to support an iOS 5.0 update if it is viable.
If RAM is an issue, then the 3GS should be fine, after all they have to make an update for a product that's not even a year old. >_>
Doesn't the iPod Touch 4th Gen have 256MB RAM?
If RAM is an issue, then the 3GS should be fine, after all they have to make an update for a product that's not even a year old. >_>
Excellent point.
Not shocked at all.
2 year contract... 2 years of updates. That's actually pretty generous in this fast-paced tech world.
But you can still buy a new 3GS today in which case you are not getting 2 years of updates.
Apple is making it increasingly difficult for developers to test on older versions of iOS. Short of owning many devices and making sure no automatic updates get installed, right now Apple really only provides the ability to easily test back to 4.0. The result of this is that App support for operating systems is moving increasingly fast towards the latest version of iOS.
That means that iPhones that can't keep up with the latest iOS also quickly stop being able to use the latest versions of old Apps as as well as most new Apps.
Given the importance of Apps to Apple's iPhone sales pitch I can't see them allowing that situation - especially considering the 3GS is still being sold and is therefore essentially a current iPhone.
iOS 4 should not even run on 3GS
All the older models i've seen running the iOS 4 makes the experience of having an Apple product not what it should be.
My 3GS (and iPad for that matter) slows down a lot after a few days, even if I close apps in the dock. I'm guessing it's a memory issue.
I was actually impressed with just how many updates the original iPhone received. I went from the iP1, to the 3Gs missing the 3G and then to the iP4. My original intel MacBook and original intel iMac similarly have had many, many updates. I can't complain.
Best.
The only technical reasons I can think of why Apple would decide not to support the iPhone 3GS are:
1. The A4 chip has some sort of secure code execution that is needed for security in iOS 5. This is pure speculation since this feature has never been disclosed. It is something that Apple would want to add and they may have done so and been waiting for an iOS version that they could turn it on across their full range of supported devices.
2. Apple wants to save money by dropping support of older platforms.This seems very unlikely considering that the 3GS is currently being sold. Google is committing to 18 months of support with their new anti-fragmentation initiative.
3. iOS 5 is such a memory hog that the overhead of the extra memory needed to run the phone software is enough to eliminate the 3GS (and only the 3GS since all other supported devices are either not phones or have double the memory).
Iphone 3gs's are still being sold by att - if there is new revenue potential from ios 5, like for example, cloud services, Apple will definitely have a version for 3gs, it will be feature limited however.
Exactly, a_greer! Great point....just like the iP1 got updates but because of hardware limitations it didn't get everything. Got "cut & paste" but not GPS, for example. I think I have that right.
Best
So if iOS 5 doesn't run on an iPhone 3GS it also doesn't run on an iPhone 4. Maybe it will be a fast crawl
1. The A4 chip has some sort of secure code execution that is needed for security in iOS 5. This is pure speculation since this feature has never been disclosed. It is something that Apple would want to add and they may have done so and been waiting for an iOS version that they could turn it on across their full range of supported devices.
Excellent hypothesis.
So if iOS 5 doesn't run on an iPhone 3GS it also doesn't run on an iPhone 4.
That?s only if you think the chip architecture is the only consideration worth considering.
Apple has been really clear on their policy in regards updates though and the 3Gs doesn't make the bar, so no one should really *expect* iOS 5 to run on a 3Gs.
That being said, I bet even if it isn't officially supported that it will still work on a 3Gs.
http://intelliborn.com/mywi.html
My 3GS is already unable to cope with "Personal Hotspot" as well as the iPhone4 can. With the 3GS you can only share with 1 device at a time, as opposed to the 4 or 5 you can share with using the iPhone4.
Planned obsolesence gives you a valid-sounding reason to tell your spouse when they want to know why you *need* to upgrade
Ok, I will bite -- URL and specific "policy" that states this?!
don't have a URL sorry.
There were a few articles on it when they announced it ... last year?
iOS 4 should not even run on 3GS
All the older models i've seen running the iOS 4 makes the experience of having an Apple product not what it should be.
But you can still buy a new 3GS today in which case you are not getting 2 years of updates.
True... but let's examine this a little further.
The iPhone 3GS came out in summer 2009... and it will be supported until summer 2011. That's 2 years.
It's not Apple's fault you waited until today to buy a 3GS
And let's be honest... if you're buying a 3GS today... you're probably not the type of person who will be chasing updates.
There will always have to be a hard cutoff. There was a cutoff for MacOS 9... and for PowerPC chips... even if you just bought them yesterday.
My 3GS is already unable to cope with "Personal Hotspot" as well as the iPhone4 can. With the 3GS you can only share with 1 device at a time, as opposed to the 4 or 5 you can share with using the iPhone4.
Planned obsolesence gives you a valid-sounding reason to tell your spouse when they want to know why you *need* to upgrade
It is not neccesarily 'planned obsolescence'. Phone advances occur on a regular basis and as a result new phones can do more, You can't expect older models to be able to perform as well, or contain as many features, as the new models. At least Apple tries and has successfully (mostly) been updating older models with new features and/or better performance.