iPhone Finally Lives Up to its Name

This week marks two big events for Apple’s iPhone: the release of iPhone OS 3.0, and the release of the iPhone 3GS. While both are exciting in their own regards I think the iPhone OS 3.0 software is the more exciting of the two. With iPhone OS 3.0 Apple has finally helped iPhone live up to its name.

The two most important features of iPhone 3.0 with respect to being a good mobile phone are: MMS, and Internet tethering. MMS is the messaging with pictures, sounds, and videos. MMS has existed for years: my SE T616 had this in 2003; my Treo 650 had this in 2005; now, finally, iPhone has this in 2009. MMS will not be available to first generation iPhone owners, but will be available to iPhone 3G and iPhone 3GS owners. I presume that MMS is not available to first generation iPhones due to the slow speeds that EDGE offers.

Internet tethering allows you to use your mobile phone as a data modem, often used with a computer. This feature predates MMS. In fact, I was using a Nokia 6360 (circa 2002) on the Rogers TDMA network as a dialup modem at 9600 baud. We are fortunate enough to now have very reasonable download speeds available over the wireless network, making tethering on the iPhone long overdue.

iPhone 3.0 resolves a number of other long-standing complaints of others, but these are less critical in my opinion. Cut, copy, and paste are now supported through iPhone. Notes are now synced when iPhone is synced. Landscape mode is supported in more apps (Mail, Messages, and Notes). There is now a voice memos application. And, finally, bluetooth audio is supported (iPhone 3G and 3GS only).

There are some new features that are quite cool. I think Spotlight search on the iPhone is a great addition. This allows you to search all of contacts, e-mail, apps, your calendar, and more from one location. I didn’t look into whether this is extensible with application plug-ins (for example, if you had a recipe management application could it install a search plug-in on iPhone?), but this would be a great and welcome feature.

On top of the features that are listed on the iPhone software update page there are many minor tweaks that make using the device much more comfortable. You can now share contacts (e-mail a .vcf card); the home button is more configurable; the recent calls menu is greatly improved, showing more information in the list and listing call times and durations(!); lists in the iPod application include more information; the interface for moving, deleting, and forwarding multiple messages in Mail and Messages is much nicer. All of this among other minor OS and application improvements.

And these features only touch what you as a user will see. The OS upgrade will also offer developers much greater possibilities than before, including dock-connector access, PAN access to nearby users, and in-app purchases. I dare not leave out the long-awaited push notifications–Apple’s answer to background applications.

In all, iPhone OS 3.0 is very exciting. iPhone 3GS is a nice bump forward in internal hardware, but its significance is eclipsed by the software update. iPhone OS 3.0 finally brings the iPhone to where all other phones have been for the past 5 years and makes it a seriously good option for those really looking to tie their life up in one device.