Future of iPhone OS for iphone 2G/3G?

[Masquerade]

Status:

- Palm introduced a multi-tasking web oriented OS
- Microsoft introduced a new Windows Mobile
- Symbian is going quad smp

all with application stores, and lots of features missing in iphone. (like notifications, image texting, et all) on new sleek phones, i think that is pertinent to think that a new iteration iphone OS will bring some features to compete these guys. but, since the hardware is 2 years old; whats the future for the current generation 2G/3G of iPhones ?

 

[zap2]

I mean at some point we might get dropped, but some rumors point to "limited multitasking" where we could only have a few app open at the same time, since the hardware here is slower then the new stuff

Personally, I couldn't fret over it!

 

[Theaser]

Limited, but just like suddenly 2G owners get the App Store and stuff, I think we can manage to do 'some' multitasking when 2.3 or 3.0 comes out.

 

[The Phazer]

I'm afraid (and I really hope I'm wrong) that 3.0 will be new hardware only.

Phazer

 

[TSX]

If the new iphone doesnt have any major hardware changes i dont think ill upgrade.

 

[t0mat0]

v3 iPhone's hardware will likely smoke the iPhone 3G. It will be able to do a lot more. I'd see the OS3 for the v3 iPhone to be the Snow Leopard, if OS2 is Leopard, if you want an analogy.

OS2 will get some updates, and some more features, but Apple isn't averse to making older hardware a little more obsolete, through bringing in new hardware/software. It's not like they can't bring fixes and updates across both model versions.

With new hardware, you get new opportunities, that the old hardware can't do. Look at the WM 6.1 hardware, versus 6.5 hardware, or PPC vs Intel etc. To hold the v3 iPhone back, to keep everything the same across the board seems imo silly.

The rate of progress / rate of obsolescence in the mobile handset market seems faster than in the PC business.

Will this bring versions of apps for the 2G/3G and then for the v3 iPhone? We'll see. There are (e.g. GPS) based apps that are relevant to the iPhone 3G that aren't useful / worthwhile for the v1 2G iPhone so it's not without precedent.

I guess we'll see. MWC is a taster.

 

[=MuLti-CeLL=]

With new hardware, you get new opportunities, that the old hardware can't do. Look at the WM 6.1 hardware, versus 6.5 hardware, or PPC vs Intel etc. To hold the v3 iPhone back, to keep everything the same across the board seems imo silly.

I agree.

I don't believe there will be too much the current 3G can't handle but there has to be some incentive to buy the next best thing besides the fact that it's...the next best thing.

Maybe it will be something as simple as video, ya know? There's a lot of folks out there that REALLY want a video recording option and then there are probably the same amount or more that could care less.

I dunno but I DO know one thing...I can't frickin' WAIT until WWDC '09! I'm either getting a NEW version of the iPhone or a iPhone 3g FINALLY!!!

 

[TSX]

To hold the v3 iPhone back, to keep everything the same across the board seems imo silly.

Well then, whats holding them back from adding better/basic features to the 3g?

 

[kinkster]

Cell phones are usually upgraded more often then computers, so I don't think it will be a huge problem if they can't figure out how to support older versions.

It will be interesting to see how they try though. Right now we've just got games that scale down on the 2G and gps apps that can still be used with the 2g/touch.

 

[Michael CM1]

Cell phones are usually upgraded more often then computers, so I don't think it will be a huge problem if they can't figure out how to support older versions.

It will be interesting to see how they try though. Right now we've just got games that scale down on the 2G and gps apps that can still be used with the 2g/touch.

I don't know if that's necessarily true, especially since the iPhone has seen a total of 2 or 3 updates in its lifespan. Unless you are talking about the red-headed bastard stepchild of Apple, aka the Mac Mini, their computers have been hardware updated more.

But you're talking about regular cell phones I assume, not smart phones. There are still people who paid $600 for the first iPhone out there who would probably get a wee bit pissed if Apple was to leave out some major feature on that unit. I don't think most people want to even spend $200 every 2 years to upgrade a phone, no matter how smart it is.

Apple will more than likely keep the original iPhone in the loop with the OS upgrades until they really really can't. At the very least, they will probably issue a separate OS 3.0 for the older phones, kinda like the PPC vs. Intel stuff.