New Features in iOS 6 Receive Spotty Support from Older Devices

[Bahamut Eos]

Really it's unfortunate about the turn by turn and FaceTime for the iPhone 4 but they still need to differentiate the phone because let's face it it's practically the same damn 2 year old phone for $199+ (iPhone 4s)

So it's purely marketing/sales

That said iPhone 4 users - our resale will certainly take a hit

This is the reason they are doing it. You sell your iPhone to someone, and they don't get any of that action, other than a new posable iTunes account, with credit card.

Until proven otherwise, they are withholding features on iphone4 purely for financial reasons. Not the first time they have done this, and won't be the last.

 

[BrianMojo]

An interesting question: If I upgrade to iOS 6 on my iPhone 4, will I still have normal directions? I would think yes, but if they're switching to their proprietary maps service I haven't heard how directions would work if you're NOT using turn by turn...

 

[Ubuntu]

What on earth is preventing FaceTime over cellular on the iPhone 4?

Apple.

 

[nickn]

.
iOS can be installed on the last three years worth of apple phones.

They all run at resolutions that are multiples of one another, they all run all the same core stuff.


So while this makes things a little more complex, it's not nearly as bad as the Android situation, with devices in 1,000 different resolutions

1. It is not a phone, but my less than two year old iPad 1 is already been left behind. My old Mac Server G4 was updated by Apple for like 10 whole years, so long story short I expected far more from Apple.
2. 1024x768 is a multiple of 480x360?
3. There are not 1000 screen resolutions. I would say at most ten. Apple has devices that have 480x360, 960x640, 1024x768, and 2048x1536 screens, so they are not far behind.

 

[ethana]

What on earth is preventing FaceTime over cellular on the iPhone 4?

I have been in software/hardware development for over 15 years. Let me tell you the answer:

NOTHING.

It's a pure marketing move to get you to upgrade your device. If anyone say HSPA+ it's not a valid excuse. 7Mbps is plenty on HSPA for Facetime to work.

 

[Fraaaa]

What on earth is preventing FaceTime over cellular on the iPhone 4?

Apple.

Antennagate XD

What prevents you to use Skype?

 

[Small White Car]

Until proven otherwise, they are withholding features on iphone4 purely for financial reasons. Not the first time they have done this, and won't be the last.

I love this kind of talk because you can really take it anywhere.

Apple only made a MacBook Pro with a retina display for financial reasons.
Apple only came out with a new iPad for financial reasons.
Apple is only working on Mountain Lion for financial reasons.

All completely true, of course, but I wonder why it seems to always be said in some types of stories but never others.

 

[ADAADW]

Just as a heads up there was a mistake in the article, turn-by-turn Nav IS supported on the iPad 2, thank goodness!

 

[Starship77]

About FaceTime over 3G and navigation

Remember the iPhone 4s has 3G speeds TWICE as fast as the iPhone 4.

It's HSPA+ up to 14Mbps instead of 7Mbps in the iPhone 4.

I'm not saying it can't handle FaceTime, but I'm sure the 4s can handle it better and I think they'll use that as the excuse…

Also, the A5 in the 4s is way faster then the A4 in the 4, and that new navigation thing with "cinematic camera" looks pretty "heavy" on the graphics processor. Maybe the iPhone 4 was getting hot/running out of battery faster when they tested…

Just my 2 cents...

 

[TheRdungeon]

wtf no facetime over 3G for iphone 4? Honestly Apple are really starting to piss me off with the blocking for no reason kinda thing, turn by turn not on iphone 4 I can't understand for starters, but no facetime over 3g for the device that brought us facetime? Honestly wtf

 

[tigress666]

As an iphone 4 user, even if I planned on keeping my phone, I'd be ok with this. Hell, I might not even put iOS 6 on until I heard how well it ran on other people's phones (after all, I heard all the griping about how badly iOS 4 ran on the 3G and I believe it cause even iOS 3 was laggy on the 3G. And my 4 is laggy on iOS 5).

Why? Because, well, it's technology. Your old tech is eventually going to get outdated. And when we are talking cellphones where people tend to replace them every 2 years cause they get a subsidy, I don't expect my 2 year old cellphone to stay that relevant. Hell.. the iphone is the only phone I ever got free upgrades while I owned it with added functionality each upgrade (granted my previous phones were dumbphones but if you wanted new functionality you just had to buy a new phone period.. you didn't get added features just a year into your contract unless you bought a new phone on out of contract prices).

And honestly, I also understand if you don't want to keep up with tech, you will just have to do what what you have. So you may not get the new shiny features. But if what you have works for you, is it *that* bad? I don't think it's unreasonable for a company to say if you want the new shiny features, pay us money. They are running a business.

Oh, and good luck on Android with that when you get new phones that come out with old OS's with promises of eventual upgrades. I have no clue how good the windows phone is on this so maybe that's a better alternative if you are truly upset by this.

 

[Prof.]

I doubt the Verizon iPhone 4S will support 3G FaceTime.

 

[Small White Car]

, turn by turn not on iphone 4 I can't understand for starters,

That's actually the only one that does make sense. Those 3D maps look processor-intensive and the 4S has an entirely new processor generation over the 4.

The rest are clearly a money-grab, but the maps thing is probably legit.

 

[Fraaaa]

This is the reason they are doing it. You sell your iPhone to someone, and they don't get any of that action, other than a new posable iTunes account, with credit card.

Until proven otherwise, they are withholding features on iphone4 purely for financial reasons. Not the first time they have done this, and won't be the last.

I love this kind of talk because you can really take it anywhere.

Apple only made a MacBook Pro with a retina display for financial reasons.
Apple only came out with a new iPad for financial reasons.
Apple is only working on Mountain Lion for financial reasons.

All completely true, of course, but I wonder why it seems to always be said in some types of stories but never others.

Things are packages, they have some feature don't have others. Things are designed, and the designs have intent. Here's a great talk about design and intent.

 

[Belgrano]

This pisses me off.

Planned obsolescence for the iPhone 4. Pure. Simple. Shiesty.

+ still no update on when my 2012 MBA is ever going to get shipped. I'm not a happy camper.

 

[samac92]

Apple UK says

FaceTime over a cellular network requires iPhone 4S or iPad (3rd generation) with cellular data capability.

Apple AU says

FaceTime over a cellular network requires iPhone 4 or later, or iPad 2 or later with cellular data capability

 

[Benny-]

No turn-by-turn navigation for iPhone 4? I am disappoint.

 

[Tuckrat]

As an iPhone 4 owner, it looks like I have to wait for an iPhone 5.

This is exactly what Apple wants to hear!

 

[ad2435]

look people,

all they want is for you to buy more updated hardware.

that is where the profit margin is.

quit bitchin and start buyin.

 

[Stella]

I can understand the no fly by for iPhone 4, but no 3G FaceTime? I'm sure the 3G in the iPhone 4 can handle the front facing camera video - its not that high resolution.

No Turn by turn?

iPhone 4 owners are getting shafted with iOS 6.

 

[Rodimus Prime]

What on earth is preventing FaceTime over cellular on the iPhone 4?

Apple is greedy. This is 100% pure greed apple block face time over 3g on 4 and below. Even more when they are blocking turn by turn and the new maps on the 4.

It pure proof of that. Apple will screw over their customers every chance they get.

Apple OS in many ways is just as fragmented in Android. They will be on iOS 6 in name only

 

[28monkeys]

Man, so i need to buy new apple idevice within 2 years!

And there's probably some new hidden features in ios 6 that only support iphone 5 !?

 

[mandis]

image



what a mess.

boom!

 

[jtrenda33]

don't you know that you're supposed to upgrade your hardware every two years?

 

[adnbek]

Well according to www.apple.com.au, facetime over 3G will be available for poeple with the iPhone 4

Says iPhone 4 and up and iPad 2 and up while all the other sites have been changed to 4s and new iPad.

I smell a repeat of the multitouch gestures issue back when iOS 5 came out. Same thing, the apple website first said "iPad", then it was changed to "iPad 2" but in some of the other apple sites, it had still said "iPad" before they all got fixed. (very Orwellian in the way they make those changes to the site and the response Apple gave when they finally caved in months later. "iPad 1 being overlooked was a bug" my ass!)

Let's see how long it takes before the Australian site gets updated... Seems like we iPhone 4 owners will have to bitch the same way iPad users had to bitch when iOS 5 came out.