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First iPhone 3G Reviews: Mossberg, Baig, and Pogue
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Isn't it safe to say that if you live in or near a major metropolitan area, you don't have to worry about 3G coverage being a problem? I think it's safe to assume that, in which case I'm all set
illjazz said:I also believe that 3rd party apps are the single biggest advantage iPhone 3G has over the old iPhone. 3rd party apps are going to make use of both the faster data access as well as GPS to make for an amazing experience on iPhone no other phone of the past has ever come close to.
The original iPhone can use the 3rd party apps and App Store when it's available crapshoot.
GPS is required for A-GPS. The Assisted part is merely an enhancement to obtain you location faster. What is unknown is if the small antenna or the software is able to utilize GPS when A-GPS is not available. We shall find out shortly.
Isn't it safe to say that if you live in or near a major metropolitan area, you don't have to worry about 3G coverage being a problem? I think it's safe to assume that, in which case I'm all set
No, not at all. Many fairly large metro areas will have limited coverage.
Go here and click on the "Select Areas" of the 3G coverage. Then click on your city if it is listed.
http://www.wireless.att.com/coverageviewer/
What makes you think that the 3G iPhone hardware will have an advantage with 3rd party apps? What else is new besides 3G. I'm curious.
Ok, then. Let's knock it down a notch. Is it safe to assume that you won't have to worry about 3G coverage problems if you're in or near any major metro areas on either coast of the country?
Ok, then. Let's knock it down a notch. Is it safe to assume that you won't have to worry about 3G coverage problems if you're in or near any major metro areas on either coast of the country?
It depends on where you live in those cities. For instance I consider Irvine, Ca. a fairly major population area yet it is on the fringe of 3G and Edge.
Go here. http://www.wireless.att.com/coverageviewer/
Click on (in selected areas) click on your city if it is listed. Click on data. The dark blue is 3G the light blue is edge. Being on the fringe is probably bad.
Maybe it's time you look for another forum that excludes the iPhone if such a forum does exist. I think they all include the iPhone/Touch since they too are Macs.
Well, iPhone 3G won't have a clear advantage with ALL apps, of course. However, faster data access will, for one thing, allow for more flexibility in app design because more data can be moved more quickly. You're much more likely to have a better experience with a 3rd party app that pushes relatively high amounts of data (by mobile standards) up and down on the network on an iPhone 3G as opposed to an original iPhone. This doesn't mean that the same will not work on an iPhone 1, but it definitely means that there will be a noticeable difference. That's the 3G difference.
With GPS, there will be an entire category of apps that will be exclusive to the iPhone 3G, for obvious reasons. Certain apps will require the level of precision in geographical positioning that only GPS can offer. The original iPhone still has the cell tower triangulation + WiFi positioning combo, but as we all know, that method of positioning can be very flakey. It definitely can be useful. I've had it pinpoint my location down to a single intersection in Manhattan for example, but to get that kind of accuracy WiFi needed to be on. Lots of interesting apps are already in the pipelines that will make use directly of the GPS hardware in the iPhone 3G to make for some potentially very exciting functionality. The WWDC-demoed "Loopt" is one example that really only makes sense on an iPhone 3G. The original iPhone's positioning methods simply aren't accurate enough to run that kind of app. Another example is, of course, geotagging for photos taken with the iPhone 3G. Another is the oft-mentioned possibility of turn by turn navigation software or some variation thereof. And by far the single biggest of all GPS-related features which in my opinion give a glimpse into the future in which the mobile devices we carry will have a noticeable impact on our lifestyle: location-aware services. It's a bit of a buzzord... but the idea is the same as the collection of POI's on current car navigation systems.
A scenario: you're walking down the street.. and you want to grab a beer, but you don't want to simply go to the first best bar you lay eyes on.. you want a place that's got a loungy feel to it, plays low key music, etc. [add whatever attributes that matter to you here]. You might have a 3rd party app on your iPhone that acts as a POI browser, relying entirely on the GPS inside your iPhone. It could use a map to show you places around you while showing where you currently are, precisely (obvious), but it might have a different screen where it could let you pick from a list of what you're looking for. That list would read much like said POI feature in most car nav systems.. first pick a type: night life, restaurant, convenience store, recreation, etc., then drill down, getting more specific at each level. Pick a bunch of features you'd like, then automatically switch back to the map view to get an updated, filtered view of only the places that match your criteria. Once you're happy with a place, you proceed just like you would now with Google Maps. Tap it, say you want to go there and let your phone guide you..
That was a long ass example, but I hope I'm getting my point across. Basically, the inclusion of 3G and evern more so, GPS, lays the groundwork for some potentially truly exciting and even extremely useful applications that simply would not be possible on a first gen iPhone.
Of course, I've only scratched the surface here.. it's 3AM and my eyes are shutting. That's one thing.. also, I'm one guy. I can't possibly envision all the cool crap developers out there will come up with (duh).
So yes, of course the AppStore is coming to both iPhone 3G as well as gen-1 iPhones, but in light of all I've said above and much more I'm sure I've missed, the iPhone 3G will quite simply be the more exciting platform for app development to keep an eye on.
I see nothing but bluuueee.. daaaaark, daark blue, for miles and miles in every direction around me
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Yeah this makes no sense. An antenna that was too small would mean you couldn't get a lock, so it wouldn't know where you are.. but once it has a lock it either knows where you are or it doesn't. The rest is down to the processing ability.. the reason cheap satnavs sometimes lag is that have crappy CPUs in them and can't calculate fast enough, nothing to do with antenna.
Now i he's saying the iphone is too slow to do turn by turn, that's one thing (I find that difficult to believe though) but too small antenna? The one in my bluetooth GPS dongle is less than a quarter of an inch square and works fine....
Watch the keynote again
If you saw the WWDC keynote, you'd know why the 3G has a hardware advantage. The whole Location services are GPS-based.
That's why I wouldn't want a 3G. You know, it's a strange feeling, when your 'friends' locate you via a simple App from the AppStore (like demonstrated in the keynote).
If you saw the WWDC keynote, you'd know why the 3G has a hardware advantage. The whole Location services are GPS-based.
That's why I wouldn't want a 3G. You know, it's a strange feeling, when your 'friends' locate you via a simple App from the AppStore (like demonstrated in the keynote).
I think (legally) they have to have you activate that feature. (Or at least let you turn it off)
You've been watching too many bad hollywood films. GPS does *not* broadcast your position to the satellite. It's an entirely passive technology.
Nobody knows where you are unless you tell them (except the phone company of course, and they don't need GPS for that).
The apps that allow you to locate friends *only work if your friends are also running that application*. No background apps either, so they can't leave it on and forget.
btw. The problem with loopt (demoed at WWDC) is it communicates via SMS not data (see https://app.loopt.com/loopt/iphone.aspx), so it'll run your bill up anyway unless you have unlimited SMS.
But perhaps this is possible with a third party application...
NOT GOOD!
No, it isn't. Did you miss the bit about *no background applications*
You have to specifically run it.
Yeah I did miss it... running on no sleep here sorry. Anyhows, what if this 3rd part application found it way on the phone and ran, but you didn't know about it. I was thinking along the lines of a piece of malicious software.
EDIT: Think about it - this thing has PUSH email! Open the email and BAM the application runs and they have your location.
exactly why all apps installed on your iPhone are sandboxed and stamped by apple in order to run on your phone.
The only way software can get on the phone presently is for it to be signed by apple.. I really don't see apple signing malware.
It would also be a very odd thing to do - malicious software that sends your location to a website.. for what purpose? It's more likely that such software would do something like spam everyone in your address book or dial the speaking clock in timbucktoo or something. I'd be more worried about malware that was capable of triggering the builtin wipe myself..
Also this has never happened with any other phone that has GPS - even the ones running Windows!
Hmm all good points, I guess I'm just being a little nutty. But I can still see it happening in theory. Really, this stamp Apple has to give to the application I'm sure a hacker can come up to a solution around this. But all said and done, I don't think anything is going to happen.
all specs.. no glory. nokia has offered a lot more features, but that camera is a nightmare to use. and if you take pictures a little bit more carefully, the image quality out of the iphone's lesser resolution camera is better. the flash does not work much except for in very dark conditions on the n73.
but, i'm all for apple providing more features, just make them more usable than the n73. or other nokia phones. but the iphone should have video atleast.
Well Apple did post a job opening for a CMOS camera engineer for the iPhone team in May 2008. It was clearly too late for inclusion in the iPhone 3G, but maybe we'll see better camera results in the next iPhone.
