iPhone 3.0 Software Guide

It’s that time that Apple lovers having been waiting ages for: the iPhone 3.0 operating system has finally been released. Offering over 100 new features, including many of which have frustrated Apple users for years, and it promises to be a major improvement on its predecessor.

So, let’s have a look at the features, some of which have been highly anticipated and even demanded as essential by some users…

Perhaps the most useful one is the final inclusion of cut, copy and paste; this is done through double tapping which gives you the option to cut, copy and paste text and pictures across applications. You also have the option to undo your ‘pasting’ by shaking the iPhone – a nice little feature and clever use of the accelerometer.

It will also contain a new search feature called Spotlight, which will allow you to search through all the data stored on the device, as well as in supported applications.

3G tethering will allow you to use an iPhone 3G as a modem to access the internet when connected to a laptop, and although no carriers have announced plans for this it could prove a popular option in the future.

The stocks application has also been improved allowing you to see related information as we’ll as the raw stock information, which may or may not be a good thing depending on your point of view!

For use mainly in the iPod, the new shake shuffle feature could prove fun; by shaking the device you will be able to set the device to shuffle. Hopefully this won’t be too sensitive as that could prove very annoying, and I imagine it will have an off function (especially for when you’re out running!).

iPhone 3.0 will also offer more extensive parental controls which will allow parents to add filters to what their children can see on TV shows, movies, websites, music and applications; something that I’m sure many parents will welcome.

There are also lots of third party applications features, such as the ability to use the iPhone or iPod touch to control peripherals: for example you would be able to use the device as an equaliser on docking stations. This would also open up more medical possibilities for the iPhone, e.g. you could connect it to a glucose monitoring device, which could then alert other people automatically – it is in fact called LifeScan and is going to be released by Johnson and Johnson.

Third parties will now also be able to utilise the maps and turn-by-turn direction that are built into the iPhone to their own means as we’ve seen in the Android. Likewise you’ll now be able to have notifications from applications not running in the background, but through a system called Push Notification, such as IM and other communication apps.

Amongst the other features you can also expect rumbling (as in games consoles), voice communication in application (e.g. talking to players over games), audio recording and the ability to access music through third party applications, all of which will be good.

However these are just a few of the large number of new feature which will be available as a free upgrade to all iPhone users (including the first generation one), but iPod touch users will have to shed $9.95 out for it. So, if you want to have a look at the beta feel free, but the rest of us will sit tight, and hope that (as they promise) 3.0 will improve the iPhone experience!

UPDATE: The iPhone 3.0 software update has been confirmed that it will be free for iPhone users and cost $9.95 for iPod Touch users. The software update will be released on 17th June 2009.

Via – MacWorld.com

Related Pages:

1. iPhone 3.0 Software Update – The Upgrade Experience!
2. iPhone 3.0: The Dark Side – Part 1
3. The iPhone and the Windows Guy
4. Tetris iPhone App Review
5. Spotify iPhone App Preview

Get Your Free Zath Subscription!

Did you like reading this article? If so, stay up to date with all our latest content by either subscribing to our RSS feed, becoming a fan of Zath on Facebook or by following Zath on Twitter.

You can also sign up to the Zath Newsletter and receive email updates by simply entering your first name and email address below then clicking the 'Submit' button - signing up is risk-free, if you don't find it useful, you can unsubscribe at any point!

We hate spam too, we'll never disclose your email address to anyone else!