As rivals from Google to Palm seek a piece of its mobile action, Apple has launched a new version of its iPhone software. JOHN HARRIS checks it out.
On Thursday last week, a message popped up on my computer, reporting that a new version of the iPhone software was available and asking if I wanted to install it.
Is the Pope a Catholic? Of course I wanted to install it.
After one button push and 10 minutes, my year-old iPhone was reconfigured with version 3.0 of Apple’s mobile operating software and it was definitely worth the effort.
Apple boasts that the iPhone OS 3.0 Software Update has more than 100 new features, but there are a few standouts.
My personal favourite is Apple's Spotlight search software, an indexing application that searches the phone for names, places and appointments.
This overcomes one of my few hates of the iPhone, the fussy fingertipping required to activate the search function in the Contacts application.
Now, it takes just a finger-swipe on the home screen and Spotlight is focussed.
A nice enhancement is landscape (i.e. horizontal) view of screens for applications including email and text messaging. Previously this convenient screen-swiveling feature was available only with web browsing.
Another useful enhancement, which I thought was an oversight when I first reviewed the iPhone, is the ability to cut, copy and paste text from one app to another. It was always a pain to have to retype every bit of data in the iPhone.
Now, a double tap on the screen creates a grab point to copy text while a firm press in another app creates a paste point. This lets me copy flight details from my iPhone calendar to paste into an email or text to remind my sweet wife to pick me up at the airport.
If you want to undo an erroneous entry on the handset, just give it a shake.
These are just a few of the software improvements that make OS 3.0 a must-have for anyone with an iPhone.
Apple released the software update just one week before the Australian launch of its new iPhone 3G S handset, which promises more storage capacity, a faster processor and better battery life.
However, for those of us who are tethered to a carrier and a current handset through a two-year contract, this free software update is a pleasant consolation prize.
John Harris is managing director of Impress Media Australia. You can email him at jharris@impress.com.au.
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