Showing posts with label iPhone 3G S. Show all posts
Showing posts with label iPhone 3G S. Show all posts

Monday, July 20, 2009

Specs

The new Apple iPhone 3G S has the Apple logo at the back, same with the iPhone 3G, though the label is more displayed.

When it comes to smartphones, naturally, the better processor and the bigger memory, the faster experience

Apple hasn't released the exact specs yet, but Aaron Vronko, CEO of Rapid Repair, reported that a rip down of the Apple Smartphone revealed an ARM Cortex A8 microprocessor running at 600Mhz, and an amped up 256MB RAM, putting it ahead of other sought-after Smartphones.

Keyboard

The iPhone 3G S's portrait-oriented is a little bigger than other touch keyboards. Although typing on it stills a bit difficult, it does have one important feature: it shows you the key you pressed which makes typing easier and more accurate. Another related plus is that the landscape keyboard can now be used in all text-heavy apps such as Mail, Notes and Messages.

Home screen

The 3G S has the standard home screen, with all the apps in a grid.

Multitasking

Multitasking has been the iPhone's weakness. When apple announced that multitasking is a drain on battery life (during the announcement of the iPhone OS 3.0), they responded by allowing third-party apps to use a push-notification system. This means that an app can alert you to an instant update without your having to close your current open app.

Calendar

The iPhone 3G S‘s calendar is pretty much the same as the OS 3.0. But, you now have more control over which calendars you can use. For instance, you can now add subscription calendars and those that support CalDAV servers like the Google Calendar.

Thursday, June 25, 2009

AT&T have released the iPhone version of their Navigator PND program through the App Store , offering turn-by-turn directions on the iPhone 3G and iPhone 3GS. The Telenav-developed app supports both verbal and on-screen guidance, speech recognition, traffic alerts and full 3D mapping.

Those 3D maps are automatically updated in the background, too, as are POIs and street names. There’s also access to Yellow Pages, for business listings, together with online trip planning; users can set up their journey via their PC or Mac, and then have the route wirelessly delivered to their iPhone.

It’s all sounding great, aside from the price. AT&T Navigator for iPhone is priced at $9.99 per month, which works out at around $240 if you subscribe for the lifetime of your AT&T contract. With standalone GPS units going for bargain-basement prices right now, we’re not sure that’s cost-effective.

Wednesday, June 24, 2009

It’s unlikely to be taxing their production line all that much, but notorious ink-lovers ColorWare have announced they’ll be offering custom versions of the iPhone 3GS. As with other ColorWare creations, the end result can be as tasteful or as lurid as your mora

The usual range of solid and metallic colors are available, and you can have your earphones dyed to match too. The basic process changes just the back-plate of the phone, but you can also customize the normally-chrome bezel, the home button and the SIM holder.

Pricing starts at $150 for the back, then add $20 each for the bezel frame and button, or $15 each for the SIM holder and earbuds. Currently there’s only the option to send in your own iPhone 3GS (in the US); ColorWare aren’t offering the smartphone themselves at this stage.

Monday, June 22, 2009

Apple have announced sales figures for the iPhone 3G S, and while there was talk of fewer buyers turning out for their latest-gen smartphone the numbers are still undeniably healthy. The company sold over one million iPhone 3G S handsets through Sunday, June 21st; meanwhile six million users have downloaded iPhone OS 3.0 in the five days since it was released on Wednesday last week.

Apple haven’t revealed how many people picked up the iPhone 3G 8GB in the past couple of weeks. Their previous-generation smartphone was reduced to $99 with a new contract after the iPhone 3G S was announced, offering a new point-of-entry to iPhone ownership though lacking the newer handset’s autofocus camera, extra megapixels, digital compass and other functionality.

For our hands-on first impressions of the iPhone 3G S, check out this post. We’ll have our full review up later this week!

Friday, June 19, 2009

We may not be seeing the same huge queues as we did for the original iPhone and iPhone 3G, but things are still busy this morning at Apple’s 5th Avenue store in New York City. SlashGear headed down to meet with the crowd and soak up some of the iPhone 3G S excitement.

Unlike the sidewalk-spanning lines in 2007 and 2008, this time Apple only needed to cordon off their immediate area. We’re putting all this down to a glut of online orders with people expecting a visit from their friendly UPS person sometime today; allowing iTunes activations at home might not lead to camera-friendly swathes of people outside your store, but it does make life a whole lot smoother for those working inside it!

Later on this morning we’ll be sitting down with Apple’s VP for a chance to ask some questions about the new smartphone and what they think about rival devices from Palm, Microsoft and others. Of course, we’ll also have our own first-impressions of the iPhone 3G S itself, so keep reading SlashGear!

It’s Friday June 19th, and that can only mean one thing: Apple iPhone 3G S day. Sales of the new Apple smartphone have been taking place across the world for several hours now, and we’ve already seen the first handset teardown; doors of Apple and AT&T stores in the US open in around fifteen minutes, at 7am.

Unlike the iPhone 3G launch last July, reports suggest that there hasn’t been the same frantic queuing outside stores for this new device. That’s partly because Apple have loosened up their activation procedure this time around; while the iPhone 3G had to be activated in-store (and in fact still does: if you give your old handset to someone new, they’ll need to take it into an AT&T store to activate it to their account), the iPhone 3G S is offered with home-delivery and can be activated via iTunes.

However many would-be iPhone 3G S buyers are still caught up in lengthy contracts, and don’t qualify for subsidized pricing on the new smartphone. That, plus a feature-set that’s being seen as incremental rather than revolutionary, has led some analysts to predict that sales figures may not match those in the iPhone 3G rush last year. We’re headed to pick up our own iPhone 3G S from Apple’s New York flagship store, and several other members of the team are expecting visits from UPS today; keep reading SlashGear for live photos and video!

You might not have heard, but the Apple iPhone 3G S goes on sale tomorrow, and AT&T thought you might want to know exactly how things are being arranged come the morning. The iPhone 3G S will be available from all 211 AT&T stores across the US, just in case you decided not to do the sensible thing and pre-order for home delivery. Stores are set to open at 7am local time, exclusively for those customers who have pre-ordered for in-store pickup.
If you’ve left things to chance, or find that the urge to pick up an iPhone 3G S sneaks up on you unexpectedly, remaining handsets in-stock will be available first-come, first-serve from the start of normal business hours; that’s likely to be 9am, but it’s worth checking with your local store to be sure.

Only one iPhone 3G S will be available per new subscriber, priced at $199 for the 16GB model and $299 for the 32GB model. If you’re a current subscriber, it’s worth checking AT&T’s new subsidy scheme to see if you quality; otherwise you’re looking at $399 and $499 to upgrade for the 16GB and 32GB models respectively. Existing customers can buy one iPhone 3G S per eligible phone number, while online shoppers can buy one per household.

With all that in mind, who is planning on picking up an Apple iPhone 3G S tomorrow? Let us know in the comments.

As we know, iPhone OS 3.0 brings with it the potential for tethering on your Apple smartphone, using the handset’s 3G connection to get your laptop, netbook or other mobile device online while on the move. Apple have done all they can to make it straightforward – you can tether over USB or Bluetooth, with minimal setup - but the carriers seem less enthused. Some, like AT&T, don’t officially support it yet, while others, such as O2 in the UK, will allow you to tether but have an expensive extra data plan you need to add.

One thing we know about iPhone users, though, is that if you show them a sign saying “no entry” they’ll work out a hack to enable it, and sure enough there’s now a simple way to turn on iPhone tethering no matter your carrier or tether-plan status. All you need do, in fact, is visit help.BenM.at on your iPhone and install a new local carrier profile configuration file.

There are files for tethering on multiple carriers – not just the official Apple partner in each company, but rivals for those using their iPhone unlocked – and more apparently being added all the time. Plus, there are install files for MMS support, including AT&T who have previously said that they won’t be officially enabling it on the iPhone until late summer.

This is one of those cases where “because you can” might not mean “you should”; carriers have been very clear now and previously as to the fact that tethering data is not considered part of an “unlimited” on-device data package. If you do attempt it – and obviously there’s also risk in installing any software from an unknown site – then bear in mind your carrier will likely be monitoring data traffic to identify any unofficial tethering or MMS use.

Wednesday, June 17, 2009

While you’re waiting for iPhone OS 3.0 to download, sit back and watch AT&T backpedal. The carrier has announced new upgrade pricing for the iPhone 3G S, in response to complaints from iPhone 3G users. Now, iPhone 3G users who would be eligible to upgrade in July, August or September this year may now have access to AT&T’s “best upgrade pricing” from Thursday June 18th. They’ve also confirmed that the iPhone’s MMS functionality will arrive in late Summer, and they’ll be charging exactly the same per MMS message as they currently do for SMS text messages.

That basically means that, if you’re a high-spending customer (e.g. you give AT&T more than $99 per month) and would generally be allowed to upgrade 12 or 18 months into a contract, you may be allowed to buy the iPhone 3G S 16GB for $199 or the 32GB version for $299. That’s as opposed to paying $399 and $499 respectively, as is the “normal” early upgrade price.

If you’ve already pre-ordered the iPhone 3G S then AT&T will either reduce the price when you pick the handset up in store, or – if it’s shipped direct to you – they’ll email you with a credit code. You’ll be able to find out if you’re eligible for the new pricing from tomorrow, either by logging in to AT&T’s site or calling them up.

You wanted cut & paste, you wanted better search and you wanted landscape-mode QWERTY: Apple have delivered it all. iPhone OS 3.0 has been released, and you’re a 230MB download away from it.
The upgrade is free for iPhone and iPhone 3G users, and will come as standard on the new iPhone 3G S when that launches this Friday. It’s also available for iPod touch owners, but they’ll be charged $9.95 for the privilege.

As you might expect, Apple’s servers are currently under huge strain, and speeds are right down. To update, hook up your iPhone or iPod touch to iTunes and hit the update button; we’re doing the same, so let us know how you get on in the comments.

The iPhone Dev Team have released a video demo of their latest unlocking tools, including yellowsn0w, doing its magic on an iPhone 3G running OS 3.0 which is set to be released sometime in the next 24 hours. They’ve also revealed the development of a new tool, ultrasn0w, which they claim should be able to unlock any iPhone to-date, running any OS version.


yellowsn0w will get its release shortly after Apple push out iPhone OS 3.0 – the Dev Team are being cautious, so as not to give Cupertino’s engineers any time to scupper the jailbreak/unlock setup – but ultrasn0w won’t see daylight until Friday at the earliest. There’s no telling right now as to whether the iPhone 3G S can be jailbroken and then unlocked.

As ever, the tools to do all this will be free – if someone is trying to charge you, they’re not legit. In the video below, skip to around the two-minute mark to see the actual unlock demo.

Thursday, June 11, 2009

If the LG Decoy’s integrated Bluetooth headset appealed, but the phone itself didn’t, then pay attention: MoGo are planning to release a range of new hard cases that will include a super-slim Bluetooth earpiece. Initially released as an iPhone 3G (or iPhone 3G S) case, the MoGo Talk not only stores but recharges in the dock.

There’s no actual battery in the case, like with the Mophie JuicePack, but a micro-USB port on the side of the Bluetooth nook charges both the headset and the phone at the same time. According to MoGo the headset, which is a mere 5mm thick, lasts for up to 4hrs of talktime or a week of standby.

A small launch of the MoGo Talk will happen in July, with the iPhone version priced at $99, while a full-scale launch in AT&T and Apple stores is expected later in 2009. Apparently they’re also planning versions for other phones in future.

A newer, more capable graphics processor in the Apple iPhone 3G S will likely prompt the App Store to segment into one version for high-performance apps, such as complex games, that will only run on the newer handset, and another version for software that still supports previous models like the iPhone 3G. The component in question is the PowerVR SGX which, unlike the iPhone 3G’s PowerVR MBX, supports Open GL ES 2.0. That’s good news for developers looking to push the boundaries of current mobile device graphics, as 2.0 supports more refined shading and textures; unfortunately, apps coded for 2.0 won’t necessarily be compatible with Open GL ES 1.1.

OpenGL ES is the cut-down version of OpenGL, offering 3D rendering APIs, and in its 1.1 format is already supported by the iPhone and iPhone 3G. ES 1.1 apps will run on the new iPhone 3G S, as 2.0 is backward compatible, but ES 2.0 apps will simply refuse to run on the older phones. One workaround is ES 2.0 emulating ES 1.1’s fixed-function graphics pipeline using its new shader technology, but that will require developers to specifically code a dual-version app.

Apple have already quietly confirmed that the App Store will soon be made up of software titles that don’t necessarily run on both existing iPhones, seemingly presuming that many coders won’t bother to produce a dual-version app with the necessary shader emulation. In their iPhone SDK documentation.

Wednesday, June 10, 2009

If you’ve been thinking about an iPhone 3G and can’t see yourself tempted by the specifications of the freshly-announced iPhone 3G S, now is the time to buy. Apple intend to keep the 8GB iPhone 3G on sale alongside the iPhone 3G S, so as to “extend their audience”, and to do that they’ve cut its price from $199 to $99. Effective today, you can pick up a brand new iPhone 3G 8GB for under a ton; interestingly, the AT&T press release says that “options are available to purchase [the iPhone 3G 8GB, iPhone 3G S 16GB and 3G S 32GB] without a 2-year contract”, though doesn’t go into details.

If you’d rather the larger-capacity 16GB iPhone 3G, then you’ve still got a chance to pick one up with a sizable 50-percent discount. AT&T are selling the handset for $149 (with a new two-year contract), though because it’s “end of life” and Apple do not intend to keep it on sale alongside the 3G S, you’ll need to act pretty fast before stocks run out.

All well and good, but if you’re currently in the grip of an AT&T contract - not just for the iPhone 3G, but for any device - then the prices for the Apple smartphones aren’t quite so appealing. The 8GB iPhone 3G is $299 for those still mid-contract, while the 16GB and 32GB iPhone 3G S are $399 and $499 respectively.

Of all the software brought out to demonstrate the developing capabilities of Apple iPhone OS 3.0, the most interesting has to be TomTom’s turn-by-turn navigation app. Both a software app and an accompanying car kit were announced, complete with Points Of Interest (POIs) and both 2D and 3D mapping.

There’s also portrait and landscape modes, with the mapping automatically rotating to suite. TomTom have given the app a night mode, which changes the colors to low-glare alternatives, and the car kit will support the iPhone in both orientations.

The kit also supplies power to the iPhone, and can be used to “enhance GPS data” presumably with some sort of integrated GPS antenna of its own. Meanwhile it also has a speaker and microphone for hands-free calls. We don’t yet know how much software or car kit will cost, though something tells us it won’t be all that cheap.

If the prospect of an iPhone 3G S doesn’t appeal, and you’re quite happy with your iPhone 3G or iPod touch, you’ll be pleased to hear that as of June 17th iPhone OS 3.0 will be available. Apple demonstrated the new software update today at their WWDC 2009 keynote, and while much of it was a rework of the original OS 3.0 launch, there were a couple of surprises (plus upgrade costs). Headline features include tethering, “Find My iPhone” and speedier Mobile Safari.
Tethering means that iPhone owners will be able to connect their handset up to their PC or Mac and use its 3G connection to get online. Both Bluetooth and USB hook-ups will be supported, and no specific software is needed. According to Apple, 22 carriers have announced support for tethering as of OS 3.0’s June 17th release, though frustratingly AT&T does not appear to be one of them.

Find My iPhone is a location service available to MobileMe subscribers, and allows a lost or misplaced iPhone to be tracked by GPS. It can then be instructed to make a noise - even when set to silent - or display an on-screen message; if properly lost, not just misplaced, the iPhone can be remotely wiped.

As for Safari, that gets 3x faster JavaScript and the same HTTP audio and video streaming as in QuickTime X. Autofill uses contacts information and stored passwords to fill in forms, and there’s also HTML 5 support including video and audio tags.

Apple also announced that iPhone users will be able to rent and purchase movies on their handset, together with audiobooks, and download them across the 3G network. iPhone OS 3.0 will be a free upgrade to original and 3G iPhone owners, while iPod touch owners will be charged $9.95 for the upgrade.

Apple have announced the iPhone 3G S, a super-fast version of the iPhone 3G where the “S” stands for “Speed”. Packed into the same casing as the existing 3G model, the 3G S has a 3-megapixel camera with autofocus, auto white-balance and the ability to record VGA resolution video at 30fps. It also supports 7.2Mbps HSDPA, network depending, and has a faster processor that, Apple say, makes everything on-average twice as fast.



iphone 3gs official 480x222

Specifically, messaging is 2.1x faster, games are around 2.4x faster, Excel is 3.6x faster, Javascript is 3x faster and the NY Times loads 2.9x faster. Battery life is rated at 5hrs 3G talktime, 9hrs WiFi internet browsing, 10hrs video playback, 30hrs audio playback, or 12hrs 2G talktime.

Videos are saved in with photos in the Pictures app, and can be played, edited and sent by email or MMS. There’s also a built-in digital compass and Nike+ support, while Apple have also boosted hands-free usability by introducing a voice control mode. Holding down the home button calls up a new voice control menu, which allows voice dialing together with control of iTunes. You can instruct the iPhone 3G S to play certain tracks, play “more tracks like this” and ask for a verbal confirmation of what music is currently playing.

The iPhone 3G S will go on sale alongside the iPhone 3G 8GB, which has a price cut - effective today - to $99 in the US on AT&T. The iPhone 3G S arrives in US, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, Switzerland and UK on June 19th; in the US, it’ll be priced at $199 for the 16GB model and $299 for the 32GB model.

 

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