Apple Adds Shared Photo Streams and VIP Mail to iPhone 3GS with iOS 6 Beta 3

[Dan--]

The people making cracks about wanting support for the Newton, (implying the desire to keep the original iPad supported is ridiculous) just don't get it - significant computer purchases should be supported with OS updates for several years after they were available.

The original iPad, which was a significant purchase (costing up to double what many low cost laptops cost) was first available in April 2010, and last available new in roughly Feb 2011.

That's means OS support is being dropped in roughly 18 months on this model. Perhaps necessary due to the low RAM and high number of pixels (I don't see that this should be that relevant for standard OS items), it is still poor customer service in the computer industry.

Maybe it's better than the competition, but it's not what people should expect from Apple.

 

[atlandrew]

Notice that it is off center...

Lazy graphics guy just hid the iPhone 5 layer off to the right.

 

[bushido]

people really feel like the 3GS runs as smooth as the iPhone 4? i just turned on my 3GS for the first time in years and i just wanted to throw it against the wall, took forever to open anything. maybe i'm just too used to my 4S but it was a hellish experience

 

[Mad-B-One]

I still don't understand why turn by turn won't be supported on the iPhone 4.

Because Siri isn't on the iPhone 4?

Isn't on the iPad 2 either but turn by turn is. Both are also still sold. Thing is: Now, I have to get a car holder for my iPad (meaning a passenger) so it doesn't bouce off my middle console.

Edit: I know the processor runs in 80% speed compared to the iPad 2, rest is the same. But the pixels shown are reduced about the same rate as well...

 

[lovemyapple]

I've got ios6 beta 3 on my 3gs. it world great. and 2012 os on a 2009 phone. the only thing you really don't get is the siri features and 3d maps. other than that, everything else works great.

 

[larrylaffer]

The people making cracks about wanting support for the Newton, (implying the desire to keep the original iPad supported is ridiculous) just don't get it - significant computer purchases should be supported with OS updates for several years after they were available.

The original iPad, which was a significant purchase (costing up to double what many low cost laptops cost) was first available in April 2010, and last available new in roughly Feb 2011.

That's means OS support is being dropped in roughly 18 months on this model. Perhaps necessary due to the low RAM and high number of pixels (I don't see that this should be that relevant for standard OS items), it is still poor customer service in the computer industry.

Maybe it's better than the competition, but it's not what people should expect from Apple.

I agree 100% with this. Implying that the original iPad is somehow not good enough for modern apps is a complete joke. Yes, it's got less memory, but as an app developer I can tell you that this constraint isn't a particularly big deal given modern development practices.

 

[Reason077]

people really feel like the 3GS runs as smooth as the iPhone 4? i just turned on my 3GS for the first time in years and i just wanted to throw it against the wall, took forever to open anything. maybe i'm just too used to my 4S but it was a hellish experience

Well, the 4S is another beast altogether.

3GS -> 4 = small difference.

4 -> 4S = big difference.

 

[chrmjenkins]

iOS 6 compatible with iPhone 3Gs.
iCloud incompatible with Snow Leopard.

Nothing to say.

You're comparing OS compatbility with devices against feature compatbility with OSes. That's like complaining you can't use Siri in iOS 4. I'm not defending Apple's device choices, I'm just pointing out it's a false comparison.

As to the poor iPad 1 owners, Apple's decision to support isn't a hardware restriction, it's a sales one. The iPad 1 hasn't been sold in over a year, whereas the 3GS still sells now. It's a lot worse PR move to openly say you're going to stop supporting a device you still make vs one you haven't sold for over a year. Again, not defending, just explaining Apple's logic.

 

[viperGTS]

Are you being serious? If so, you need to be corrected. The iPhone 4 has 512MB of RAM (twice as much memory as the iPhone 3GS) and an A4 processor running at 800Mhz. Having a faster processor and twice as much memory (not to mention much-improved graphics) is hardly "the same cloth". The iPad 1 and iPhone 4 are pretty much the same internal parts, though the iPhone 4 had twice as much RAM as the iPad 1 as well, but the iPad 1 had the A4 clocked at a 1Ghz instead of 800Mhz -- faster processing, but less RAM for multi-tasking.

LOL, since when did the iPhone 4 have "much improved graphics" over the 3GS?
The 3GS outperforms the 4 in graphics in nearly every benchmark. Check out the pawa benchmark comparison on YouTube.

 

[bushido]

Well, the 4S is another beast altogether.

3GS -> 4 = small difference.

4 -> 4S = big difference.

i actually have all 3 and i think the difference between the 3GS on iOS5 and the iPhone 4 on iOS5 is bigger than the difference between 4 and 4S. without siri i wouldnt even notice if i was holding my 4 instead of the 4S

 

[ade2bee]

The 1st gen. iPad really should never have been released with 256MB RAM. I still have mine and it runs like complete garbage with iOS 5, let alone iOS 6.

Really? So what does the 3GS run... this is just twoddle

 

[GorgonPhone]

I DoNT SEE HOW ANY JONE CAN STILL USE A 3GS EVEN the 4 became too slow for me.. the 4S is the only iphone that i can now feel satisfied with ..

 

[ade2bee]

The people making cracks about wanting support for the Newton, (implying the desire to keep the original iPad supported is ridiculous) just don't get it - significant computer purchases should be supported with OS updates for several years after they were available.

The original iPad, which was a significant purchase (costing up to double what many low cost laptops cost) was first available in April 2010, and last available new in roughly Feb 2011.

That's means OS support is being dropped in roughly 18 months on this model. Perhaps necessary due to the low RAM and high number of pixels (I don't see that this should be that relevant for standard OS items), it is still poor customer service in the computer industry.

Maybe it's better than the competition, but it's not what people should expect from Apple.

I think we're going to see more of this from Apple and more of what Apple stood for from the competitors, because Apple hasn't been smacked in the kisser yet and they have and have learned

 

[NedBookPro]

But with Apple still selling the three year-old device, the company apparently felt that it needed to bring many of the new features of iOS 6 to the iPhone 3GS and is still working to add as many as it can within the constraints of the older hardware's capabilities.

This is the point. Apple is still selling a product line and it SHOULD support as many features as possible, or stop selling the product.

Enough milking already.

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iCloud incompatible with Snow Leopard.
Nothing to say

Apple? Hello?
Any response as to why iClould is not "compatible" with Snow Leopard?

This can't be blamed on performance like all other exclusions seem to be.
I run both SL and Lion on different systems... at least give us cloud enabled mail / calendar on SL. Is that too much to ask?

 

[NedBookPro]

How exactly is it 'super old' when its still being sold by apple as new?! Just because it has a less powerful processor it does not make it a 'super old' technology.

The 3G is actually faster than the iPhone 4 in many cases as it doesn't have to push as many pixels.

Agree. This is the thing that's infuriating. It's still being sold as new, but being treated as out-dated.

When it was originally released people invested huge amounts of money on these things. Either support it, or get rid of it.

I said it before, I'll say it again apple: enough milking already. You're the richest company in the world. Throw people a bone.

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Now if they can only pull the stick out of their butts and support iCloud in Snow Leopard!

You, like me, like many others will be long in our graves still waiting.
It's frustrating when you check software update, and there's NEVER any meaningful updates for SL (if any at all). I still live in hope that iCloud support will come.

It appears the SL is like the ghost town landscape where you see those tumble-weeds roll past.

There will be people out there thinking: "why don't you upgrade to Lion"? Well - I do run Lion on another faster quad core system... and I'm not happy with it's boot up and shut down times. Its performance is generally worse than SL's. That's why I choose to keep SL on my dual core system. I know for a fact a lot of SL users feel this way, so I'm not alone.
The least apple could do is support iCloud functionality so our SL based systems aren't left out in the cold.

 

[NedBookPro]

software : hardware

software : software

Terrible analogy.

Terrible response. As a programer myself, I know it wouldn't be that difficult for apple to make SL iCloud compatible. They just DON'T WANT TO. It's all in the push to forge ahead. The trouble is, people who still use it, get left behind like road-kill.

I really feel for you guys who spent $900 on 1st gen ipad for example. Huge amounts of money spent on what only a short time later is worth nothing, and is not fully supported anymore.
16GB+3G+WiFi on ebay for $100. We all know computers depreciate... but like this? Makes you wary.

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Absurd. iOS should run on all iPhones, iPodTouches and iPads. It should gracefully shed the features that can't be supported by the hardware but support should be continued for the older devices. It is wasteful of Apple to be marooning these older devices. Same goes for OSX with support for Rosetta and Classic on Macs. This sort of behavior by Apple is anti-green and should get them serious demerit points.

Totally agree.

 

[HangmanSwingset]

Absurd. iOS should run on all iPhones, iPodTouches and iPads. It should gracefully shed the features that can't be supported by the hardware but support should be continued for the older devices. It is wasteful of Apple to be marooning these older devices. Same goes for OSX with support for Rosetta and Classic on Macs. This sort of behavior by Apple is anti-green and should get them serious demerit points.

I know, right? I should be able to install Windows 7 on my old Windows 98 machine. I feel ripped off. I want my money back.

/sarcasm

 

[NedBookPro]

But Lion costs only $30. I still think that iCloud should work with Snow Leopard because there are people who don't want to upgrade to Lion, like me. No Rosetta, no way.

Yup... and it's not about the cost. I'll happily pay apple to enable iCloud in Snow Leopard for $50.

Apple? Money's on the table.

 

[kilwo]

Fragmentation

Apparently fragmentation in Android is bad, but engineered obsolescence, forcing users to use different OS’s is perfectly fine.

Apple has woeful support for old hardware. Unless you have their latest hardware; phones, iPods, iPads or computers, you just cannot run the latest software.

Sometimes it’s because the hardware cannot run it, but given there are hacks that get around the Apple restrictions, clearly, it’s not so cut and dry.

Apple are turning into an evil monopoly.

 

[Lancer]

I'm still on the fence as to putting iOS6 on my 3Gs, might wait and see how others do first.

 

[kilwo]

I know, right? I should be able to install Windows 7 on my old Windows 98 machine. I feel ripped off. I want my money back.

/sarcasm

Windows 98 is 14 years old! And so long as you meet the minimum hardware requirements, you can install Win 7 on any hardware. It's a pure hardware restriction, not a marketing decision.

 

[Lancer]

I know, right? I should be able to install Windows 7 on my old Windows 98 machine. I feel ripped off. I want my money back.

/sarcasm

I have XP Pro on an old PC but unfortunately it can't be upgraded at a reasonable cost to work with Win7 or the forthcoming Win8, it can run Vista but seriously who want that? Better off saving my money on that one and getting something newer when needed with Win8 already installed.

My Mac comes first, just waiting on Apple to update the iMac.

 

[mosx]

It would be one thing to complain if you just bought an iPad 1 and the update all but made it useless, but chances are that those of you still using the iPad 1 have been doing so for quite a while now.

How is it that you think you should have what feels like a new product years after using it? In tech especially, change occurs so rapidly that you're bound to have multiple updates to hardware and software over the life of the product. If you weren't happy when you first got the iPad 1, you should have returned it. If you happily used it then you shouldn't complain. The only case where Apple could be at fault is if they recommended a new software update that degraded the hardware and user experience. In cases like that, they simply need to make downgrading a simple solution.

Why shouldn't people complain? The iPad was essentially marketed as a computer. It was priced the same as a computer, and in fact cost more than my desktop that is still faster than the current Mac Pro in many ways. People who bought and still own an iPad have every right to expect and demand the same level of support as a computer, seeing as how it cost as much as one.

When I buy or build a computer, I expect at least half a decade of support for it and thats generally what I get.

Seeing as how the iPad cost more than my desktop that is more capable than the Mac Pro in some ways, I should at least get 4-5 years worth of support for it. It doesn't need to be "new features" (because, let's be honest here, iOS 6 is more like 5.2), but it should receive security updates and bug fixes. At least an update to fix the awful UI in the "Music" app.

It's not fair at all that a device that cost as much or more than significantly more capable computers only receives two years of support. Even worse is that Apple sold the original iPad refurbished with the ability to buy AppleCare up until just days ago. The iPad was sold as new up until a little over a year ago, so theres people who will still have AppleCare on those devices until next year and refurb buyers who bought AppleCare until about two years from now.

This isn't the first time Apple has forced obsolesce and prematurely cut off support for a device. Look at the iPhone 3G. Sold as new until Summer 2010 and had support cut off Fall 2010, leaving people in two year contracts with around a year and a half left on that contract with absolutely no support of any kind.

 

[MacDownunder]

Because Apple still sell it!

whats the point of suporting the 3GS the tech is super old

And others like myself still use it!

Get over yourself and accept that these are PHONES first and foremost and if it still makes calls and gets all the other internet based stuff and apps as well albeit slower than your phone who cares

I like that Apple are planning to support the 3GS I just wish that they'd have given the same forethought to Snow Leopard and iCloud

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Yup... and it's not about the cost. I'll happily pay apple to enable iCloud in Snow Leopard for $50.

Apple? Money's on the table.

It's about all the Apps it makes incompatible least of all ability to run PPC Apps. I had a great Bar Code plug in for Illustrator that needed CS2 (I have latter versions of CS for general work), however Lion broke CS2 and the Barcode Plugin manufacturer has gone way of DoDo Decent solutions are expensive but cheaper solutions are little limited, though some show promise.

 

[Lancer]

whats the point of suporting the 3GS the tech is super old

Not all of use run to our phone company the day our contract it up, that said I'll be looking at getting the next iPhone if I can afford it. I'm not one to buy them outright and would rather put that money towards a faster iMac.