Tag Archives: iphone

iPhone: Which iPhone 3.0 software features does my iPhone support?

iPhone 3.0 Features Matrix

Notes:

  1. Peer-to-peer connectivity requires compatible applications, which can be downloaded from the App Store when available.
  2. The original iPhone does not support using Bluetooth for peer-to-peer connectivity. It can use Wi-Fi and cellular data networks for peer-to-peer connectivity.
  3. MMS is not available in all areas; fees may apply. See your carrier for availability.
  4. Internet tethering is not currently offered in the United States and some other countries. See your carrier for availability.

via iPhone: Which iPhone 3.0 software features does my iPhone support?.

Why Marco Arment Doesn’t Leave iPhone Development

I’m a huge fan of Apple and almost everything they make because they have an incredibly effective design process and release strategy that facilitates the creation of consistently great products. Even when they screw up, the magnitude is usually far lower than with other software companies: I’d rather use Apple’s worst than Microsoft’s best.

[…]

App review isn’t inherently a flawed concept — the current system just has some problems. Apple has fixed many of the problems we’ve had so far, but this is the one glaring exception that, despite what may be happening behind the scenes, appears to the public as if it needs the most help and is receiving the least attention from Apple.

via Marco.org – Why don’t I leave iPhone development?.

I’ve heard this before – it’s not that the App Store review process is inherently flawed, it’s just that some parts are quirkier than others.

By and large, the App Store works – there’s no way you’d reach the audience you do with the App Store than if you just tried to do your own little marketing. The 30% cut that Apple take is a small price to pay for what is essentially, worldwide marketing…

Quality You Can Taste

You can have your fancy iPhones. I’ll stick with my Motorola POS800. Sure, you have fancy “apps” and a “legible screen” and a “functioning phone” but can you match this feature set?

  • Retractable antenna. By that, I mean the antenna broke off, resulting in a slimmer, more aerodynamic design.
  • Free dance party light show. Lately, when I plug the phone into its charger, instead of charging the battery it goes into an endless loop of shutting off, turning on, playing random noises and then shutting off and on again. Who needs a disco ball when you have a possessed phone?!
  • Personal protection. Remember how I mentioned that the antenna broke? Well, it’s been replaced by a piece of jagged plastic that can be used as a makeshift shiv in emergency situations. How many smartphone owners can stab a man with their phone? I’ll tell you. None.
  • Queued text messaging. Want to send a text message that won’t transmit for several hours, even days? This phone’s got you covered. You’ll be getting replies like this in no time: Dude. My birthday was two weeks ago. Thanks, though.
  • Talking pants. When it’s in your pocket, the phone will occasionally activate its hands-free mode for no reason. Not only do you get a free pair of talking pants, but you also get an unlimited amout of frightened looks from strangers when a robotic woman’s voice, originating roughly from your crotch starts declaring, “SAY A COMMAND. SAY A COMMAND.”
  • Transformer mode. Not only did the antenna pop off, but the entire phone seems to be coming apart in every way possible. Some would assume the phone is flimsy pile of crap and about to break in half. But, I’m holding out hope that it’s simply in the process of “transformering” into something more useful, like a sports car or a helicopter. Or another phone that works.

So, yeah. Eat it iPhone owners. I bet you’re jealous. I know I would be.

via Quality You Can Taste.

I don’t usually quote entire blog posts (it’s bad practice), but this is the one time I’ll make an exception. Sincere apologies to the original blogger, and nice work 🙂

iPhone 3G S Specs Revealed

T-Mobile.nl has posted some technical specs about the iPhone 3G S revealing that the newest iPhone carries a 600 MHz processor and 256MB of RAM. A nice bump in processor power from the iPhone 3G.

The iPhone 3G had a 412mhz processor while the iPod Touch had a 532mhz processor, until now, the 2nd generation iPod Touch was the fastest device by a good margin on the lineup but the iPhone 3G S has changed that. […] The processor/ram information seems to confirm many details that were first revealed in a Chinese forum post.

The new iPhone is also believed to use the new PowerVR SGX graphics processing unit which provides support for OpenGL ES 2.0. This notably improved performance may require developers to support these multiple device capabilities within their apps.

via iPhone 3G S Specs Revealed | iPhone-Hacks.com.

The new iPhone 3GS – Fast. Faster. Faster. So fast. 🙂

Picking nits: why I’m skipping the Palm Pre

Don’t get me wrong. In many respects, the Palm Pre is a groundbreaking smartphone that portends the obliteration of the line between phone and full size computer. It joins the iPhone and arguably the Android devices as the only computer some people would ever need.

However, Palm missed a lot of the little things in this first release. It’s an admirable attempt, given what they’re shooting for, but the fact of the matter is that the devil is in the details, and Palm fumbled too many. Any one of the following items is easy enough to overlook in an otherwise stellar device. But the difference between, frankly, the Palms and the Apples of the world is that the Apples don’t miss over 20 of them. They add up to an annoying user experience more akin to Windows Mobile than the iPhone.

via Picking nits: why I’m skipping the Palm Pre.

An excellent, concise list about why the Palm Pre isn’t the next “iPhone killer” – instead, it’s just another chance for Apple to prove how awesome they actually are. XD

My favourites are the no scroll bars (which genius thought of that one?), no way to jump to the top or bottom of a long list (oops, huge oversight there), non-universal “universal search” (if you’re going to do it, do it right, like iPhone OS 3.0), copy and paste only in “editable” text fields (no, you can’t copy that text from the web page, or an email unless you forward the email first (cmon, l-a-m-e), no Street View in Google Maps (lulzor).

Favourite quote would have to be:

22. Easy to run into “can’t open a new card until you close some existing cards.” Say what you will about the iPhone and multitasking, but memory management generally isn’t something the user has to think about.

…and people wonder why the general public refer to “iPhone killers”. It’s really no surprise – in this day and age, there’s simply no way any company can catch up.

However, kudos to Palm for trying. Thanks for helping Apple stay ahead of the curve. 🙂