iOS 6 gives iPhone 3GS another year of life support

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Comments

  • Reply 21 of 43


    One thing that I have a hard time believing is that people will avoid updating mobile devices to the latest OS (if it's supported on their device). Updating is the only way that Apple gives us to install fixes for security issues. We're talking about always on, always network connected computers that store *a lot* of personal information and come nicely equipped with cameras and microphones. Not having the latest software on them is kinda like using a computer with unpatched WinXP on the open Internet. 

  • Reply 22 of 43

    Quote:

    Originally Posted by Tallest Skil View Post


     


    It's not retina, just like the 1st-gen isn't. You want uniformity of hardware, you'd have to develop for the 3rd-gen only.


     


     


    They just put a brand new OS into a phone that will be four years old when it stops receiving updates, breaking their old tradition of running three OS numbers per device…



    Like I said (and I is speculation), the amount of RAM required to support the display on the 1st gen iPad may be too much overhead to permit it to run iOS 6 effectively. The 1st gen iPand and the iPhone 3Gs both have 256GB RAM, but the iPad needs more of that for its display. 

  • Reply 23 of 43
    That is pretty darn impressive.
  • Reply 24 of 43
    pt123pt123 Posts: 696member

    Quote:

    Originally Posted by RichL View Post


     


    As an app developer, I'm glad that the 1st gen iPad is getting dropped. It really holds back developers from making the most of the iPad 2 and 3. 


     


    I fell sorry for active iPad 1 users but they must make up a pretty small percentage of all iPad users.



    As an app purchaser, I wish there was a good way to manage and organize different versions of apps. Wife has an iPad 1 and we try to avoid updates to keep versioning harmony.

  • Reply 25 of 43
    This is why I like Apple. I know that my device will be supported for my entire 3 year contract. Maybe that's why Apple has extended and decided to support the 3GS even though it is 4 generations behind. People were signing on to 3 year contracts (here in Canada) when the iPhone 4 came out and they feel that those devices are still widely in use for another year or so.
  • Reply 26 of 43
    richlrichl Posts: 2,213member

    Quote:

    Originally Posted by Tallest Skil View Post


     


    It's not retina, just like the 1st-gen isn't. You want uniformity of hardware, you'd have to develop for the 3rd-gen only.



     


    Supporting retina and non-retina devices is easy - you can write a script that automates the entire process. Development is done in points (1 point = 1 pixel on non-retina, 1 point = 2 pixels on retina) so not a single line of code is different between screen resolutions. There's a bit more testing to do but I've never come across any major issues.


     


    What's hard is working out how to optimise your app when it runs out of RAM. Sometimes it's an impossible task. Apple struggled themselves and that's why support they've dropped support for the iPad 1. 


     


    The iPad 2 is actually easier than the iPad 3 to develop for. It's got more grunt per pixel pushed.

  • Reply 27 of 43
    jragostajragosta Posts: 10,473member
    The iPhone 3GS got three major updates, extending its functional life past four years, an eternity in the tech world.
    Being qualified for a major update is pretty rare under Android, with only some of the top selling new handsets ever getting a single major update after their release. A range of new Android phones continue to ship with Android 2.x, which was released in 2010 alongside iOS 4. Samsung's flagship Galaxy S III is just now getting the latest Android 4.1 Jelly Bean release in some countries, despite it being released months ago.
    The situation for Android doesn't appear to be getting better. At the end of 2011, half of the installed base was on the year old 2.3 Gingerbread while another 35 percent were still on 2.2 Froyo from mid 2010. Just 11 percent were still running something older than the year and a half old Froyo release. Today, Google reports that less than 23 percent are on the year old 4.0 ICS or newer, while 57 percent are on Gingerbread (which is now older than Froyo was last winter). Over 18 percent of active users are on something older than the nearly two year old Gingerbread.
    Google promised to improve the software release fragmentation on Android, but these numbers do not indicate progress but rather some pretty significant regression. Additionally, Google's clearly articulated commitment to delivering 18 months of updates for new phones has been ignored by its licensees, few of whom have released any major software updates for phone models that are just a year old.

    Yes, but according to the Android shills here, that's just as good since you can still install at least some of the newer apps on your Froyo and Gingerbread systems. /s
  • Reply 28 of 43
    mac_128mac_128 Posts: 3,454member
    Is there a handy-dandy chart somewhere that details exactly what features of iOS 6 will and won't run on e 3GS, 4, and 4S? Oh, and while we're at it, the iPad 2, and New iPad (I notice passbook isn't on the iPad which is a shame since I tend to carry that around to Starbucks and the AirPort, etc. over my phone ...
  • Reply 29 of 43


    Originally Posted by Mac_128 View Post

    Is there a handy-dandy chart somewhere that details exactly what features of iOS 6 will and won't run on e 3GS, 4, and 4S? Oh, and while we're at it, the iPad 2, and New iPad (I notice passbook isn't on the iPad which is a shame since I tend to carry that around to Starbucks and the AirPort, etc. over my phone ...


     


    Yep.


     



     


    I think there's a more detailed one somewhere on here… I forget who posted it…

  • Reply 30 of 43
    Ios6 killing off the ipad even though the 3gs is still getting some life out of it.... WTF apple......
  • Reply 31 of 43
    mac_128mac_128 Posts: 3,454member
    Yep.

    LL

    I think there's a more detailed one somewhere on here… I forget who posted it…

    Thanks for that. Of course I am familiar with the disclaimers on the iOS 6 site, but I was hoping for a handy-dandy chart. I'm sure one will turn up sooner or later. Not urgent.
  • Reply 32 of 43
    jragostajragosta Posts: 10,473member
    I learned something interesting today.

    I use Straight Talk which required a jailbroken iPhone with iOS 5.1.1. I used Redsn0w to do so and had everything working fine.

    However, I wanted to try iOS 6.0. I figured I could always go back to 5.1.1 if I had to. Unfortunately, I didn't read the jailbreaking sites carefully enough and thought that I could jailbreak my iPhone 4S. Unfortunately, after I started the process, I found that the jailbreak for iOS 6 only works for phones up to the iPhone 4. I went ahead so that I could pay with iOS 6 and then figured I'd revert back to 5.1.1.

    I then tried a site which changes the APN settings on the iPhone to work with a wide variety of carriers (www.unlockit.co.nz/). With 5.1.1, this site didn't work for me. I used the site to change APN settings and I didn't have data access. With iOS 6, I tried the same site and it worked fine.

    So, the process to get my iPhone 4S working with straight talk and iOS 6 was:
    - Backup phone
    - Install iOS 6 (you have to install it as a new phone)
    - Disconnect phone
    - Reconnect phone. It restores all my apps, photos, videos, data, etc.
    - Use unlockit to change APN settings.

    Everything is now working (including MMS which was a problem with 5.1.1).

    For whatever reason, iOS 6 worked better with unlockit than 5.1.1 and I have a fully functional 4S on Straight Talk with no need to go back to 5.1.1. Unlike 5.1.1, I didn't need to jailbreak, either.
  • Reply 33 of 43

    Quote:

    Originally Posted by Tallest Skil View Post


    Meanwhile, the first-gen iPad… 



     


    I think its the small amount of RAM (256MB) with that big screen that did it in.  I remember when it came out thinking they should have gone for 512MB on it. 


     


    Its a true classic though, like having an iPhone 1.

  • Reply 34 of 43

    Quote:

    Originally Posted by jragosta View Post



    I learned something interesting today.

    I use Straight Talk which required a jailbroken iPhone with iOS 5.1.1. I used Redsn0w to do so and had everything working fine.

    ......


    .....

    So, the process to get my iPhone 4S working with straight talk and iOS 6 was:

    - Backup phone

    - Install iOS 6 (you have to install it as a new phone)

    - Disconnect phone

    - Reconnect phone. It restores all my apps, photos, videos, data, etc.

    - Use unlockit to change APN settings.

    Everything is now working (including MMS which was a problem with 5.1.1).

    For whatever reason, iOS 6 worked better with unlockit than 5.1.1 and I have a fully functional 4S on Straight Talk with no need to go back to 5.1.1. Unlike 5.1.1, I didn't need to jailbreak, either.


     


    That's great news there jragosta, thanks - I'll be filing that for when I take v6.0 plunge. 


     


    Just as an FYI, you could use Straight Talk with the 4S on iOS 5.1.x without jail breaking as well (just needed the temporary use of a U.S. T-mobile SIM to setup the MMS details).


     


    I've wondered if the iPhone 5 on Straight Talk will get LTE with Straight Talk or if AT&T will keep that away from them...(straight talk uses the AT&T network).

  • Reply 35 of 43
    mac_128mac_128 Posts: 3,454member
    Yep.

    LL

    I think there's a more detailed one somewhere on here… I forget who posted it…

    In case anyone is interested ...

    http://support.apple.com/kb/HT5457?
  • Reply 36 of 43
    iOS6 has many issues. The best is to downgrade from iOS6 back to great iOS5.1.1
    http://iphone5software.weebly.com/
  • Reply 37 of 43
    icoco3icoco3 Posts: 1,474member

    Quote:

    Originally Posted by tylerk36 View Post


    Agreed.  Why the iPad gen 1 was eliminated?  When Apple released iPhoto for the iPad, the first gen iPad was eliminated.  Yet I was able to get iPhoto on my first gen iPad and it worked fine.  So I know it wasn't a hardware matter.  I also think that if the iPhone 3gs can run iOS6 then the iPad first gen can run it as well cause the first gen iPad's hardware is better and more powerfull than the 3gs.



     


    The iPhone 3GS was just taken off the market so new buyers get some benefit going forward.  The iPad 1 has been off the market for a year and a half.  That may be part of the reason.  In the grand scheme of things, there a re probably very few compared to other models out there.  In the iPhone introduction they gave total iPad sales and over half of all sales over 2 and a bit years we sold during the April 2012 - June 2012 quarter.  47 million out of 82 million or so.

  • Reply 38 of 43
    icoco3icoco3 Posts: 1,474member


    I was going to hold off upgrading to iOS6 on my 3GS but did and it seems even a little quicker.  Your mileage may vary.

  • Reply 39 of 43

    Quote:

    Originally Posted by Tallest Skil View Post


    Meanwhile, the first-gen iPad… 



     


    First off, the original iPad hasn't been sold for over a year, while the iPhone 3GS just went off sale. 


     


    Secondly, Apple sold a lot fewer iPads than the iPhone 3GS. 


     


    Thirdly, if you compare iPad to other Tablets, at least you got continuous updates across 3 years. The Galaxy Tab that came out ~9 months after iPad didn't even get the Android 3 Honeycomb update that shipped a couple months after it did. And few tablets on any platform have ever gotten a full/significant update of any kind.

  • Reply 40 of 43


    Originally Posted by Corrections View Post

    First off, the original iPad hasn't been sold for over a year, while the iPhone 3GS just went off sale. 


     


    So what? The iPhone 3G shouldn't have received iOS 4 because it hadn't been on sale for a year? That what you're saying? Devices no longer for sale shouldn't get updates they're capable of running?

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