iPhone 3.0 – What’s my take on it?

I always welcome any update to my hardware that’s going to give me more capabilities. I especially look forward to those updates when they are FREE! So Apple’s iPhone 3.0 announcement yesterday was welcomed news. Granted, we still have to wait a few months before the new 3.0 OS ships this summer, but I’m excited with the new features that they are promising. Now keep in mind that I think that many of the new features are in the “catch up” or “about time” category. However, they are welcomed nonetheless.

Whenever Apple releases a major update to the iPhone, the first thing I do is go back to my “iPhone Wish List” and check off the wishes that have been met.

My friends are already asking me “what do you think of the 3.0 announcement?”

Here’s what I know so far (in no particular order)?

  • Create Meeting Invites in Calendar
  • Shake to Shuffle
  • Encrypted Profiles
  • Anti-Phishing
  • Wi-Fi Auto Login
  • Stereo Bluetooth
  • YouTube Accounts
  • Safari – Auto Fill
  • Notes Sync
  • Search from a single location ala Spotlight
  • Search in Mail, Calendars, iPod and Notes
  • CalDAV and .ics Calendar support (subscribe to iCals)
  • Voice Memos
  • MMS messaging
  • Forward SMS Msgs.
  • Landscape Mail, SMS, Notes
  • Cut, Copy and Paste (both built-in and 3rd party apps)
  • Streaming Video APIs
  • Push Notification
  • Turn by Turn Directions (now possible by 3rd parties)
  • Google Maps Directly in Apps
  • Accessories – APIs to talk directly to accessories (Bluetooth and Wired)
  • Peer to Peer Connectivity –  Bluetooth (Bonjour, No Pairing Required)
  • New App Store Purchase Models:

Subscriptions
Additional Levels (like for games)
New Content (like for news stories, books, etc.)

* API = Application Programmer Interface

Here’s my old wish list

The items crossed off in Red are coming in 3.0. The other crossed off items came in 2.x or before.

1 – Ability to use My OWN ringtones (sounds, music, etc.) The iTunes store will NEVER have some of the sounds I want to use.
2 – Sync Notes to the computer
3 – Cut/Copy Paste system wide
4 – Email anything (besides notes, photos URLs) Contacts, maps, directions, voicemail messages as attachments, etc.
5 – MMS (Multimedia Messaging – send pictures/movies directly to another phone)
6 – Consolidated Mail inBox and an easier way to jump between accounts than going back, back, back
7 – Flash support in Safari (this is now my number ONE request).
8 – Video and Voice (Memo) Recording (3rd Party)
9 – Color coded or Separate Calendar views (just like iCal does today)
10 – Searchable Contacts (there but still needs improvement)
11 – To be able to assign ringtones to groups of Contacts (it’s really a pain doing them one-by-one)
12 – Wireless Syncing iPhone to Computer over Bluetooth or Wi-Fi (MobileMe Push)
13 – Voice dialing (3rd Party app)
14 – Dial-up Networking/Tethering (use the iPhone as a modem)
15 – iPhones on AT&T corporate plans (discounts or not, I shouldn’t have to setup a personal account to use the iPhone on AT&T)
16 – Landscape Keyboard entry in all the apps
17 – Additional Audio email attachment support for files in Vonage (u-LAW encoded) WAV format
18 – Email to a group of Contacts
19 – iChat/AIM built-in (3rd Party)
20 – Calculator CE (clear entry) key
21 – Native Microsoft Exchange support (MS Direct Push or 3rd party support).
22 – Wireless stereo music playback over Bluetooth and AirTunes
23 – A one button Redial feature (example: triple tap the Home button)
24 – A “Dialed” list in addition to “Recent” and “Missed Calls”
25 – Ability to play music directly from the Slideshow feature
26 – Built in Unit Converter (3rd party app)
27 – To Do’s, sync’d with iCal/Outlook
28 – Password/Pin protected Notes
29 – An option that lets me choose what screen I land on when I wake my iPhone; it can either be (a) whichever I screen I was at last, like it does now, or (b) I can choose to always start at another screen (like the phone favorites, or the Home, etc.).
30 – Being able to rotate Mail 90 degrees
31 – Keynote app (now with TV out, you could use your iPhone for slide presentations without needing your laptop)
32 – Pseudo GPS based on cell towers to tie in with Google Maps feature (iPhone 3g includes a real GPS too)
33 – General file storage like a USB drive (Enable iPhone as a Hard Drive)
34 – Support for Stereo Audio over Bluetooth headphones
35 – Support for a Bluetooth Wireless Remote AND the ability to use the iPhone as a Remote
36 – Sound Profiles (example: I would create a profile that turns off all sounds except incoming calls for traveling)
37 – Auto dialing of a string of numbers/pauses (ie. you dial your company voicemail and tap a button to dial your ext. and pin)
38 – Built in “Movies” widget (show times, buy tickets, trailers) Yes I know there are good web based ones. Having one built-in would be faster to access and could remember your settings. (3rd Party)
39 – Safari password remember/store feature (Keychain for the iPhone)
40 – Multiple email signatures (also the ability to assign default ones per account)
41 – Mail spam filtering
42 – Mail Rules
43 – Full Bluetooth support on the Mac (Browse the device, dial from Address Book, etc.)
44 – Delete multiple items at once such as emails
45 – iPod songs as Alarm sounds
46 – A true RSS reader (the one in Safari desktop would be a good start) (3rd Party)
47 – Call duration display
48 – SMS to multiple Contacts
49 – .Mac Push Email (Now MobileMe)
50 – The ability to direct ALL of the Audio sources over Bluetooth (such as email attachments, audio on web pages)
51 – Built in Dictionary/Thesaurus (3rd Party)
52 – Add a “.com” button on the MAIL keyboard as well.
53 – view PowerPoint attachments and now iWork files too.

See the iPhone 3.0 Presentation Video Here.

11 Replies to “iPhone 3.0 – What’s my take on it?”

  1. Terry, your number 9 was something that had bothered me for a while too. My iPod touch 2g could display only 3 colors from iCal (red, blue and green) any other color I would add would show up fine in iCal, but red on my iPod? Then out of the blue yesterday, I noticed that they were the correct colors on my iPod.

  2. Terry, don’t you work for Adobe?? Get them to put out Flash for the iPhone already!!!!!

  3. Funny, one of my big beefs never shows up on anyone’s list. When setting up a contact in the phone, the address field defaults to the alpha keyboard. Now how many addresses actually begin with a word instead of a number? In my 600 contacts, I found exactly one.

    C’mon Apple, use the numeric pad as the default for addresses just as it is with the zip code field. A simple software fix.

  4. Terry,

    I understand the Peer to Peer Connectivity in games, but will we be able to bluetooth information like docs, pictures or even a “business card” from one phone to the other?

  5. Hi Terry, where I live the best coverage is Verizon…. and as everyone knows, iphone is only on ATT … what I am wondering is iphone or itouch..? is the itouch the same as iphone ( minus the obvious, phone & camera ) and if I buy one or the other now will I be able to upgrade when the 3.0 comes out, or should I wait?

    thanks

    1. Hi Barb,
      Yes, the iPod touch is the same as the iPhone minus the obvious as you stated. If you buy now, you will be able to upgrade the iPhone to 3.0 for FREE and it will cost $9.95 for the iPod touch. If you wait, the iPod touch will eventually be updated to include 3.0 on the unit in the box.

  6. My #1 wishlist item is the ability to use a bluetooth keyboard. That would mean I could leave my laptop at home for about 20% of the short trips I take.

  7. Can you add the ability to include multiple pauses when autodialing a contact? Right now, it appears you can only add one set of pauses so if you have a calling card that requires you to enter a billing code and password, you’re out of luck.

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