Many of you have been playing with firmware 3.0 beta versions for a very long time, and many features have been detailed here at ModMyi over the past couple months. Now that
firmware 3.0 is officially out it's time to for the complete list and review of all the new 3.0 features here in one place!
Maybe there is something you haven't noticed yet! Without further adieu and in what ever order I run across things while writing this:
Copy & Paste & Cut & Undo
One of my personal favorite new features, copy & paste is a long overdue feature which is finally implemented. It takes a bit of getting used to, but after the first few times it becomes second nature (well almost).
To use hold your finger in one place over an area of text. The magnifying glass will pop up and you'll have the options for "Select" "Select all" and "Paste" (Paste only pops up if you have something copied already and are in an editable txt area). If you choose "Select" you get some little doo-dads (technical term) that you can move around to select what you want to copy. "Select all" chooses the entire txt region. In some areas you just hold the magnifying glass for awhile and let go, the phone will auto select an area and give you the option to copy. To paste go to somewhere where you can edit test, hold, select "Paste." Cut works like "Select" except it cuts test from an editable area for paste somewhere else. To share safari links just hold on the link, wait for the pop up, and select copy.
For Undo just shake your iPhone and it asks if you'd like to undo!
Tethering
After you get tethering working (if it isn't working for you
check out this thread) go to Settings->General->Network->Tethering->On. Now you can tether over USB cable or via Bluetooth. Over USB just plug in with iTunes running and it magically happens. For bluetooth pair and setup you computer to your iPhone like you normally would while connecting a new device. Be sure to choose to setup a mobile phone and enable share internet gateway while you're at it. Afterwards simply connect the computer and iPhone via bluetooth.
Movie Downloads
You can now download Movies, TV, Music Videos, etc via iTunes on your iPhone. No longer is there any need to scramble to a computer if you just
Need something to watch while on the go. Head into iTunes app, choose something, download, and then play via the iPod app.
Send & Receive MMS, Resend TXT
For most everyone besides us AT&T users, MMS is functioning with iPhone firmware 3.0. It is integrated into the normal SMS app. Choose the camera icon to the left of the text entry bit while in SMS to take a photo or choose one from your library to send. Pretty simple right? When you receive MMS a miniature image will pop up mid-conversation which you can select to see the full size.
Sadly I'm on AT&T and my MMS isn't functioning right now. Will update with images later . . . or if someone king would like to PM me some screenies
If you send a txt message and it fails (because you lost network strength or something) you can simply re-send it without re-typing.
Listen to Stereo Bluetooth
If you have stereo bluetooth headphones or similar devices simply pair them to your iPhone. Done. Nice little image while you're playing tunes too!
Landscape Mode Everywhere
Emails, whatever, landscape is practically everywhere where it would be useful. Enjoy typing with two hands!
Search Added for Everything
Spotlight Search is a quick way to search your entire phone from the main menu. just slide the scree right, enter in what you are looking for, and the iPhone pulls up results from your mail, your contact book, and your music.
Mail search allows you to search for "To" "From" Subject" and "All" in any individual mail account. Makes it simple to easily pull up that one email from a month ago you're looking for. Even searches on the server if need be!
Easily find just one song, artist, album, movie, whatever via search in the iPod app. If you know what you're looking for then there is no need to browse through all the menus to get there.
Improved Notes and Calendar Syncing
CalDAV protocol has been added to Calendar syncing allowing you to sync in both directions with GCal or any other calendar service that supports CalDAV.
Notes.app now syncs so you wont lose all your notes if you drop your phone in a river or have to restore. Just enable it in the Info section of iTunes.
Parental Controls
You can limit what kind of content the iPhone is allowed to download. Apps, music, whatever. Good for those parents that let their kids play around with their iPhones, or even those parents that spoil their young children with iPhones
Settings->General->Restrictions
Safari
Is said to be faster. I haven't really noticed, but that's what is said.
Voice Memos
Yeah there is a Voice Memos app by default now. If you couldn't find one of the many apps that do the same thing (and many of them do it better) in the App Store by now then this less than impressive feature might be of interest.
Settings
You can stick in details for your iTunes Store account in Settings->Store and browse/edit account info etc via the iphone
Safari configuration has the option to turn Autofill for forms on, making online ordering etc via iPhone easier.
iPod Scrubbing
Jumping to specific points in your music is easier now. Grab the track location marker, slide you finger downward slightly, and scrubbing is enabled at a slower speed allowing more precision when trying to find a specific bit of the track. Further you slide downward the more precise it gets from high speed->half speed->quarter speed->fine scrubbing.
YouTube
This crappy app has been updated to include all sorts of new features. Rating, commenting, account management, etc are all controllable easily by iPhone now. Not so crappy anymore now is it?
Find My Phone
MobileMe users can locate their iPhone, send messages to it, and remote-erase all personal data via any computer. For more information
click here.
Shake to Shuffle
Want to listen to a different track while in the iPod app? Shake your iPhone to shuffle your music and bring up a new track. Anyone try this while jogging yet? Could be annoying if it is constantly shuffling
(just kidding, shake to shuffle doesn't work if the phone is locked)
AT&T HotSpot Auto-Authentication
Accessing WiFi at an AT&T HotSpot via iPhone is simple now. Just select the HotSpot from you iPhone WiFi settings and it automatically logs you in.
Push + More Application Features
Yup 3.0 has push. Expect brand new apps with brand new functionality (
Tom Tom) along with updates from your favorites to include some push (BeeJive, etc.). There is discussion
going on right in here about what apps already have push functioning.
More
There are something like 100 new features in firmware 3.0. All in all this new firmware adds all sorts of basic features that the iPhone has been missing these past two years. If you switched phones because of the iPhone's missing features then it's time to switch back.
There are undoubtedly things I'm not thinking about right now or things that I haven't noticed yet. Did i miss anything cool? Post up your discoveries!
06-18-2009, 10:10 AM
Linear Mode
