Apple has added some nice features to the iPhone with its latest hardware and software upgrade, but it could and should have done more.
Since launching the iPhone, Apple has been the pacesetter for the industry for interface, design and attracting outside developers. The updates will make the phone even more compelling for consumers and programmers.
The new iPhone 3G S is faster than previous models and, unlike them, can shoot and edit video. Meanwhile, its new software, iPhone OS 3.0, which comes pre-installed on the 3G S and can be downloaded for earlier models, brings long-awaited features such as copy-and-paste and cool surprises such as peer-to-peer networking.
But the iPhone is still missing one key feature: the ability to run multiple programs at once. And in terms of user interface — the way a consumer interacts with a device — the iPhone has surrendered the lead to Palm’s new Pre.
If you’re shopping for a new smart-phone, you should strongly consider both the 3G S and the Pre. If you’ve already got the iPhone 3G, it’s debatable whether the 3G S is worth the cost of the new phone or the extension of your contract with AT&T for another two years.
Compared with my iPhone 3G, the 3G S loads programs, shoots pictures and displays text I’ve typed considerably faster. I started up a music game, Leaf Trombone, on both devices at the same time. I could start playing on the 3G S while the 3G was still loading the game.
One annoyance of my 3G is that when I’m typing, I often have to wait a second or more before the characters appear on the screen. That didn’t happen with the 3G S, even when it had to look up e-mail addresses from my Exchange server over a poky EDGE connection, something that would have brought typing on my 3G to a crawl.
The 3G S’s camera also is speedier. It eliminates the lag time between when you hit the shutter button and when it actually snaps the picture.
Also, it can shoot videos, which the 3G can’t. No, they’re not in high definition. And no, they aren’t going to look great on your big screen TV. But given that you more often will have your phone with you than a video camera, you’re likely to use the video program.
And the program has some cool features you generally can’t find on a low-end video camera. Not only can you shoot video, but you also can trim it right on the phone, then either e-mail it to friends or upload it instantly to YouTube.
One feature I thought I’d like a lot on the 3G S is voice control, which finally builds voice dialing into an iPhone and allows you to control your iPod music library. But after playing with it, I’m not terribly impressed.
Like most voice recognition programs, its ability to recognize what you say can be hit or miss. An even bigger shortcoming is that only way to activate it is by holding down the iPhone’s home button. And it doesn’t seem to work with the microphone in your Bluetooth headset.
If you are in the car, you can’t just push a button on your Bluetooth headset and speak into it to dial a number, as you can with other phones. Instead you’ll have to fumble for your iPhone, hold down the home button and make sure the device is close enough that its mic will pick up your voice.
Another big disappointment I have with the 3G S, particularly compared with the Pre, is that it won’t run multiple applications at one time. On the Pre, it’s easy and elegant. Not only can you have multiple programs running, but you also can quickly launch a new one, switch between programs or shut them down with a flick of a finger.
Even with the new iPhone 3.0 software, doing any of that is either impossible or much more difficult. For example, there’s no way to listen to music from an Internet radio station like Pandora while doing other tasks on the iPhone.
As for the 3.0 software, which I installed on my iPhone 3G on Wednesday, I’ve appreciated many of the new features, particularly the ability to select and e-mail multiple pictures from the phone’s photo album. I also enjoyed being able to read and type e-mail in landscape mode.
But the software seems to have one big glitch. Ever since I installed it, my phone has been burning through my battery like crazy — and not because I’ve been using it more. What’s more, the device is running much hotter than usual.
Apple representatives say those problems shouldn’t be occurring, and indeed, some early 3.0 adopters are reporting improved battery life. But a quick search on Twitter and Apple’s support forums indicates other iPhone 3G users are experiencing the same problems I am. Here’s hoping Apple figures out how to solve them soon.
Contact Troy Wolverton at twolverton@mercurynews.com or 408-920-5021. Follow him on Twitter at twitter.com/troywolv.
Iphone 3g S
Pros: Faster than the previous model and can shoot and edit video; new operating system allows copy-and-paste and peer-to-peer networking.
Cons: Voice control feature is hit and miss, and users still can”t run multiple programs at once.
Bottom line: Anyone shopping for a smart-phone should consider the new iPhone, but those who already have an iPhone may not find it worth the cost to upgrade to the 3G S.
