iPhone 1.1.3 Features and Screenshots?

[Poll Smoker]

People who just sit there looking for a reason to scream "FAKE" need to get outside and go somewhere or do something productive. I'm going to go see a movie later today. How about you?

Going to see a movie is "something productive"?

Compared to what? Sleeping in? Watching tv? Rubbing one out?

Way to aim high!

 

[ATG]

Sounds OK but nothing major enough to make me consider loosing my jailbreak. Probably won't upgrade until the SDK is released.

 

[Bradley W]

OKay guys, hit me with all your questions about 1.1.3 - andru <at> gearlive <dot> com. I will get to them all in a follow up post, cool?

Are you receiving emails if your site is down?

 

[cbrain]

OKay guys, hit me with all your questions about 1.1.3 - andru <at> gearlive <dot> com. I will get to them all in a follow up post, cool?

Hi Andru,

Do you know and are you allowed to say if there will be an update to the iPod Touch adding some of the new features?

Thanks.

 

[AppleFanboy33]

It's about time for an upgrade. I check for one pretty much every time I plug my phone in. A little obsessed.

Right.. cause the last update did come out on Nov 9th. under two months ago! if only my old nokia got updates like that! i'd be lucky to get an update once a year! (and even then it'd just be fixing crashes, or adding more protection to prevent viruses!)

patience! heheh.

 

[philgilder]

Are you receiving emails if your site is down?

the site isnt down, just running slowly
has been all day, probably due to the fact that every new post on 1.1.3 links to the site

 

[elppa]

Since June:

Apple has
- Released iPhone software 1.0, itterated on it twice, and are now preparing the third update and an SDK.
- They also incorporated the software into a new product, iPod Touch and fully internationalized it.
- Released Leopard and itterated on it once. They are now preparing the second update.

Meanwhile, Microsoft, who shipped Vista (which has many well documented problems) in January this year (late 2006 for Business) have not done one single itteration. They have also delayed their multi-touch project, the Surface, which was due to ship this Winter, until next Spring.

Now I know it's not a competition, but can some people gain some perspective! Apple is going as fast as it can and I'm sure their engineers are going as fast as they can. Some things just take time.

 

[dan-o-mac]

Regarding MMS: So, by that reasoning apple shouldn't have discontinued bundling 3.5inch floppy drives with their computers?

Forwarding SMS's: again, it comes down to complicating the interface, and let's be honest how often do you forward messages? messages that aren't stupid jokes? or chain sms's?

Multiple user SMSs: Certainly, i can see a use case here for this feature. however, apple has chosen to keep things simple for the time being, and really push this new "conversational" sms view. Which currently is grouped by single recipients. By adding multiple members to a conversation, the list view would have to be changed, and the concept of billing for multiple recipients gets a little more confusing too. Ie, if you send a message, and your bubble pops up on screen, but you sent it to 20 people. do you think the average schmuck is gonna understand that it's gonna cost him 20messages credit? considering, it's only shown as a single message bubble?

Baby steps people. I will look forward to the ability to get multiple recipients, but it has to be done right, and in a way that isn't confusing to joe-public. (yes, most mac rumors people are very smart.. but these aren't the people apple is targeting.. they're targeting EVERYBODY!)

Well you can't really compare the two. eliminating floppy drive eliminates cost from their computers. What does eliminating MMS accomplish? To me nothing but confusion, because Apple never gave an official word why.

LOL I can't stand chain text myself. A simple swipe chat bubble left to delete message, and swipe chat bubble right to forward would be kick ass.

I think the average joe already knows how much sending a text to multiple user cost. Like I said, most have been using it for years. I do agree that it has to be done right. I love the iPhone the way it is, and don't mind waiting for these extra features to be polished before going public.

 

[X38]

meh...

I'm still on 1.0.2 with Installer.app and extremely happy with my iPhone. Given all the cool & useful third party applications that are still coming out, I haven't seen anything yet in the 1.1.x updates to make me consider giving up Installer.app for even a second.

Wake me up when the SDK comes out. Hopefully it will be open enough to allow all the existing third party stuff to be easily ported.

 

[BWhaler]

First post for me, though I've been a longtime reader.

Regarding the scrutiny of the photo, speaking as a film geek (and university film production teacher), I would point out that you can make the depth-of-field as shallow or deep as you like, so having a "shallow DoF" is hardly evidence of tampering.

Furthermore, with a Tilt & Shift lens, it's not too tough to change the angle of the plane of focus. And obviously, the photographer can expose for the screen to be as bright or dim as he likes. And in fact, a wide-open aperture on a good lens will give you a very bright screen and a very shallow DoF, so I just don't see the problem there.

That said, it is somewhat doubtful that the photographer in question had a Tilt & Shift mechanism -- or that he was shooting with a medium format camera. I'm not saying I think the photos are real or fake, but some of the photographic comments here don't seem particularly accurate. For what it's worth, I haven't noticed any "crooked" lines or anything. It LOOKS real to me, insofar as photographic quality.

Hope this post isn't too pretentious -- just trying to contribute.

Very interesting post. Thanks for sharing your thoughts.

 

[AppleFanboy33]

Well you can't really compare the two. eliminating floppy drive eliminates cost from their computers. What does eliminating MMS accomplish? To me nothing but confusion, because Apple never gave an official word why.

Well, i don't think including a floppy drive cost apple, or any other manufacturers much money. considering during the last legs of the life of 3.5 inch drives, they were costing around $20 to consumers, imagine what they cost wholesale? and in bulk?

It was more of "This technology is useless, it only allows for 1.44Mb of data, and the CD is much better suited to modern day use."

So, the same applies to MMS v Email, MMS doesn't allow for modern day high resolution images, it's not reliable in terms of how much data it will or will not allow (each network sets there own limits on how much data they'll accept). And as such Apple just thought.. "Lets not bother adding complexity to our user interface for essentially a dead technology, and instead lets focus on kicking ass at using email!"

At the end of the day, the reason the iPhone is good, is cause it's easy to use, and has a limited feature set. limited in sensible ways too, that help push technology forward, and not pander to old deprecated technologies such as MMS.

 

[gifford]

Well then that's where Apple failed. I think more people are confused by the fact that my iPhone can't send MMS, can't foward text, and can't send a text to multiple users. First thing they say is why, followed by this look on my face . They are simple features people have been using for years.

they will get over it. just like the users of carrier pigeons and smoke signals did

 

[albinoAZN]

Since June:

Apple has
- Released iPhone software 1.0, itterated on it twice, and are now preparing the third update and an SDK.
- They also incorporated the software into a new product, iPod Touch and fully internationalized it.
- Released Leopard and itterated on it once. They are now preparing the second update.

Meanwhile, Microsoft, who shipped Vista (which has many well documented problems) in January this year (late 2006 for Business) have not done one single itteration. They have also delayed their multi-touch project, the Surface, which was due to ship this Winter, until next Spring.

Now I know it's not a competition, but can some people gain some perspective! Apple is going as fast as it can and I'm sure their engineers are going as fast as they can. Some things just take time.

lol, that's a good perspective.

 

[gnasher729]

iPhone users are NOT paying additional fee to get firmware update.

Putting out FUD on another product (which seems like you have a gripe against) does not mean what you are using is right.

You are right, that was a gross misrepresentation.

With current US legislation, a company is only allowed to recognise revenue for products that have shipped. A ridiculous consequence of this was that Apple had to charge customers $1.99 for the MacBook 801n upgrade - if Apple hadn't charged, then Apple would have been guilty of recognising revenue for MacBooks without shipping the compete product. That's why Apple recognises revenues for the iPhone over a period of 24 months; that way they have the right to produce as many updates as they want without charging the customer.

I would assume that there will be quite a range of free improvements for iPhone customers over the next 18 months.

 

[sananda]

they will get over it. just like the users of carrier pigeons and smoke signals did

are you saying sms is a dead technology? if this is the reason for not having sms with pictures, and sms forwarding, and sending sms to multiple recipients, why is sms included at all?

 

[MacFly123]

SDK = Web Apps still???

Maybe someone has said this, but isn't placing the webpages on the home screen a pretty clear indication that the SDK is just going to be Web Apps still that you can put a button for on the home screen??? I think we will see another revolt if Apple pulls that!

 

[mmfy]

jailnreak'd 1.1.1 as good, maybe better

So they've basically jailbreak'd their own device and installed installer.app, customize and summerboard? Think i'll wait for the next update!

 

[nickspohn]

Maybe someone has said this, but isn't placing the webpages on the home screen a pretty clear indication that the SDK is just going to be Web Apps still that you can put a button for on the home screen??? I think we will see another revolt if Apple pulls that!

It's just like bookmarks except quicker...

the internet is big, not everything is customized for the iphone or will be made into an app that does all the work.

 

[Poll Smoker]

Apple is going as fast as it can and I'm sure their engineers are going as fast as they can. Some things just take time.

Yet somehow Apple found the time to incorporate the instant purchasing of songs heard in Starbucks.

 

[BobVB]

I guess I should give up

reading through this entire thread of 'still missing features' and no one mentions the one I consider essential in a cell phone - voice dialing. I mean I haven't had a phone (i've kept) that couldn't do voice this millennium, its virtually the only way I dial.

Yet its obvious it is NOT on many people's 'must have' lists so probably why Apple has neglected it.

Oh well, guess I'll have to stick with Nokia and Sony for the foreseeable future. Do people really not use voice dialing?! Some have said they have difficulty using it but other than getting laryngitis or being in a really noisy environment I don't have a problem.

Darn, I'd really love to waste some money but with the new laws requiring handsfree in cars and just the incredible convenience of it I can't see dropping hundreds on a phone without it.

 

[AppleFanboy33]

are you saying sms is a dead technology? if this is the reason for not having sms with pictures, and sms forwarding, and sending sms to multiple recipients, why is sms included at all?

SMS is totally different. We're talking about MMS. MMS is dead. SMS is perfect for quick messages to anyone with a mobile. certainly Email or new IM services may replace sms in future. but at the moment, and for the next few years sms is working well for it's purpose.

Also SMS is a tool that people actually use a lot of. ie, i would guess that 80% of mobile users use SMS. where as it's most likely only 20% of mobile users use MMS.

 

[AppleFanboy33]

reading through this entire thread of 'still missing features' and no one mentions the one I consider essential in a cell phone - voice dialing. I mean I haven't had a phone (i've kept) that couldn't do voice this millennium, its virtually the only way I dial.

Yet its obvious it is NOT on many people's 'must have' lists so probably why Apple has neglected it.

Oh well, guess I'll have to stick with Nokia and Sony for the foreseeable future. Do people really not use voice dialing?! Some have said they have difficulty using it but other than getting laryngitis or being in a really noisy environment I don't have a problem.

Darn, I'd really love to waste some money but with the new laws requiring handsfree in cars and just the incredible convenience of it I can't see dropping hundreds on a phone without it.

Unfortunetly, only a few even know know about voice dialling, let alone using it. Joe-Consumer is actually pretty dumb when it comes down to it. Also the concept of talking at your phone, or even your desktop computer to initiate some feature/function is still a bit weird to a lot of people.

Remember apple doesn't do fringe features, they instead focus only on ones that most of their target market will use. and sadly voice dialling isn't big enough of a use case.

 

[FreeState]

Are you receiving emails if your site is down?

Just an FYI most hosting companies and large websites use different servers for their email and web hosting - so if the website is down email usually always works because they are on different physical drives or locations.

 

[gnasher729]

I really doubt that there's a law that says you have to pay for firmware updates. Loads of devices, including phones, do it for free. My PSP, PS3, 360 and K810i get free firmware updates.

Why would there be a law that says you have to charge for something, especially something like software?

Every dollar that Apple gets from you, they put say 10 cents into a fund for warranty repairs, support, bugfixes etc. So Apple counts only 90 cents as revenue. Once enough time has gone, Apple can check how much of the ten cents was actually spent, and add the rest to the revenues.

The 801n upgrade introduced a new hardware feature that wasn't there before. It turned a slow WiFi connection into a fast one. So this couldn't be paid out of the fund for warranty repairs, support and bugfixes. Apple should have put another two cents of each dollar into a fund for "free improvements to hardware", and count only 88 cents of each dollar as revenues, and they didn't. If Apple had shipped Macs that were supposed to have 801n, and if it was broken because of a firmware bug, then they would have been allowed to fix it for free, taking the money out of the "repairs" fund.

With the iPhone, when you pay $399, Apple counts $16.625 every month as revenues for the next 24 months, so they have the right to make any improvements they want.

Basically, because Enron sold millions of dollars worth of oil to its subsidiaries (without actually delivering anything, but it made things look good on the paper), Apple wasn't allowed to give you better WiFi for free.

 

[sananda]

SMS is totally different. We're talking about MMS. MMS is dead. SMS is perfect for quick messages to anyone with a mobile. certainly Email or new IM services may replace sms in future. but at the moment, and for the next few years sms is working well for it's purpose.

Also SMS is a tool that people actually use a lot of. ie, i would guess that 80% of mobile users use SMS. where as it's most likely only 20% of mobile users use MMS.

i thought mms was a type of sms. i don't know i've never sent an mms. but i hear that they are very very popular in england. and until such time as the majority of people have email on their phones, i don't see sms or mms as being dead.