Thursday, June 18, 2009

iPhone OS 3.0

So, I've updated my iPhone to OS 3.0.
It was a little bit traumatic. Everything seemed to be going ticketyboo until the point where the dialog "restarting your phone" came up. The iTunes window went blank, the iPhone restarted to the emergency call screen only, and iTunes persisted in telling me my connection to the App Store was broken and it couldn't connect. This went on for about 40 minutes, but which time I'd worked out that there was nothing wrong with my connection, but Apple's servers were taking a hammering.

Suddenly, my iPhone popped up a "your phone is activated" (or similar message), and I was off an running, so to speak.

So, was it worth it? Yes.

There are very few reasons for not upgrading any version of software on any platform to the latest version. OS 3.0 (hereafter just 3.0) adds some stuff which will be useful for me, and some that wont.

Useful
  • Forwarding text messages. Why this wasn't default in v1.0 God only knows.
  • MMS (the ability to send a picture via text message). As above. Almost every other phone in the world for the last 3-4 years has offered both of those
  • Landscape mode for email, notes messages....
  • Cut, copy & paste. Everyone wants it. How useful it will be only time will tell
  • Spotlight - a way to search your iPhone for just about anything from contacts to applications
Less Useful (for me anyway)
  • Voice memos. One of those things you always think will be useful, but never use in practice
  • Tethering (to be able to use the iPhone as a modem for a laptop. Not at O2's extra data bolt on prices matey!
  • Auto join networks - not a major user of wifi to be honest
  • Stereo bluetooth capability. rarely use BT on the device. Use a wired headset in the car and a decent set of wired earphones for listening to audio/music (not Apple's I hasten to add)
  • Turn by turn GPS. Haven't got any software, and use my Centro with Tom Tom mobile in any case.
There are some other bits and pieces, but these are the main ones that I'll use (or not)

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