Apple finally invents copy/paste and MMS; iPhone 3.0 gets official
We all know as soon as a feature comes to the iPhone, Apple invented it right? Perfect examples are the full touchscreen form factor, mobile apps, visual voicemail and the accelerometer — all brought to market by Cupertino. But none of those things are Apple inventions, you say? Pfff, clearly you’ve never met an Apple fanboy. So let’s take a look at a few of Apple’s latest mobile inventions fresh from today’s town hall:
- Push notifications for apps. Finally. As you well know, this will allow the iPhone/iPod Touch to be notified (via a badge, text pop up and/or audio alert) in near real-time of a new server-side event associated with a specific app. Think of it as a poor man’s answer to background processes. Background processes, by the way, are not an addition to version 3.0. Apple’s excuses: Battery performance and memory strain.
- Updated media player adjusts streaming video quality according to current bandwidth.
- Cut, copy and paste. That’s right folks, Apple’s polio vaccine. Double-tap to select text, drag start/end points and do your thang. You can even shake to undo/redo edits.
- Send multiple images at once. Joy.
- Wider landscape keyboard availability. Apple finally tossed the landscape keyboard into all native apps, including Mail. Thank you.
- MMS! Hooray for decade-old tech! SMS and MMS are now lumped into a Messages app. It won’t be available on 2G (1st gen) iPhones.
- New calendar features. CalDAV allows for sharing across a bunch of services such as Google and Yahoo and .ics subscription support.
- Flushed out Stocks app.
- Extended search. Users can now search in all key apps including Calendar, iPod, Notes and Mail.
- Spotlight for iPhone. A “search homescreen”. It’s like Spotlight for Mac and it only searches native Apple apps.
- Bluetooth A2DP support (stereo Bluetooth) — but it won’t be available on 2G (1st gen) iPhones.
- Tethering.
Beyond that, Apple recapped the iPhone’s current position of course, with a presence in over 80 countries, 13.7 million iPhones sold, over 16 million iPod Touches sold and the App Store now has over 25,000 apps and over 800 million downloads. The iPhone SDK has been downloaded over 800,000 times by over 50,000 different entities, though over 60% of them have submitted no apps to the App Store. Damn, the Dev Team is growing by leaps and bounds — wink, wink. Apple tried briefly to woo potential developers by showing off how easy it is to develop an iPhone app, also touting that Gameloft has over two million paid downloads to its credit. Bank.
With iPhone 3.0, Apple is introducing 1000 new APIs for developers. It is also allowing developers to submit apps that carry subscription models — one download that is periodically refreshed with new content. In other words, Apple is now facilitating a more continuous revenue model compared to the one-time purchase model. Sell new magazine editions in a magazine app, sell new levels in a game, etc. This model will apparently not apply to free apps, so devs can’t give an app away and then charge for content. Apple has also added APIs to support peer to peer connectivity for things like online gaming via Bluetooth without the need to pair devices. Woo! Beyond that, additions such as the ability to build apps that communicate directly with hardware accessories via Bluetooth or the dock connector, streaming audio and video APIs and the introduction of a Maps API to facilitate app integration (including the use of Maps for turn by turn directions) were covered. Some pretty cool stuff, though nothing earth-shattering.
A beta version of 3.0 is available today to developers and end users will get it some time this Summer; free for iPhones, $10 for iPod Touches. So there you have it folks — discuss.
You mean Stereo Bluetooth and MMS won’t be available on 1st Gen iPhones. Not 3G 2nd Gen right?
$10 for iPod touches? Apple is charging for a software update? How sick.
@ McNutty,
It will not be available for 1st Gen, WILL BE available for 2nd Gen 3G iPhones.
@McNulty Correct, clarified.
Yeah, original iPhones won’t have stereo bluetooth or MMS.
Still can’t believe how standard phone functionality can be made to look revolutionary with Apple and people bite it. The concept of the iPhone may be revolutionary the OS is not in any way.
I think there is an error with the “Stock” app, they didnt flush it out!!! It is getting upgraded with news feeds on the bottom and landscape view.
its not that these things are new, thats why we are excited for them it’s that we get to actually use them! Take away mms and copy and paste or any feature people use on there phone and see how excited they get when the get to use it!
Did Apple just announce a new low end/mid range phone? Oh wait, they’re just telling us about the “new” features of the iPhone. You know, features that are practically in every cellphone out there. I was reading the live webcast on http://www.engadget.com and it was funny to see people applausing when they announced multiple MMS….hahah.
Are You Serious:
You should’ve stayed in school, or simply learned to proofread.
sounds like you have a sad “napoleon” complex.
Aggro much?
This was an Apple event discussing advances in thier technology. Read the transcript. Not once did they claim to “invent” either copy and pate ,mms,or anythiing else.
One great raeson to never take seriously any of your “opinions” or should I say deep seated resentments?
Sad.
Its fun tech,not a nuclear war.
I am so glad that apple finally put some of these features into the new version of the OS. This way now everytime i read something on the web concerning the iPhone i dont have to hear people cry and whine like little bitches. Seriously, its just copy and paste. Get a fucking life.
that sucks for me I have a 1st gen iphone. Did they state as to why the 1st gen iphone can’t get MMS or stereo bluetooth?
i wont be avaiable til this summer wtf
Finally! Now Apple better be working on a better camera and better battery life. Overall, a good day for apple and for iPhone users.
Posted from BGR Mobile (iPhone).
More technological breakthroughs from APPL, wow, they’re the best company ever.
Well…this just goes to show Apple is dominating and will continue to dominate the cell phone industry for quite awhile.
i saw nothing about making switching email accounts easier. Did anyone see anything on that?
what does “flushed out” mean?
This Summer!!! Many of these features should have been there from day one, and I have to wait longer! Not cool.
New software looks good…shoulda been there from the beginning…but better later than never.
So, basically iphone is catching up to others already providing these features – Big Wup – The Pre now looks better than ever. I had thought Apple would try to blow Palm out of the water before they even launched but nope – they didn’t even match features. Makes my decision a lot easier when Pre is released.
What…no tethering!!
Why is everyone so mad these are they features everyone have been crying for!!!!! Just be happy that apple finally decided to include them in a damn update!!!!!!!!
Too late, already switched to a blackberry. Push is great.
Welcome to 5 years ago Apple.