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If iPhone OS 4.0 is suppose to be for the 3G/3GS only...
- Thread starter Mr. Specialist
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The OS 4.0 will be the same for the new iphone also. Maybe with more features than the previous models.
I cant imagine how slow the 3G model will be with 4.0, its sluggish as it is now with 3.1.2
I cant imagine how slow the 3G model will be with 4.0, its sluggish as it is now with 3.1.2
Frankly, although I easily believe Apple to be capable of such a move given some of the other artificial contrasts they draw between some of their hardware, I think it would be utterly asinine of Apple to not support the original iPhone in OS 4.0 if they were planning to support the 3G.
The original iPhone is more similar to the iPhone 3G than the iPhone 3G is to the 3GS, in terms of hardware. Really, the big E-on-the-eyechart difference between the original and the 3G is the cellular chipset. All of the really important components that come into play are IDENTICAL between the original iPhone and the 3G. The CPU: exactly the same. Quantity of RAM: exactly the same. Graphics/GPU: EXACTLY the same. The other "peripheral" components, such as the WiFi and Bluetooth chips, differ slightly between the models, but those are incidental to OS support, given that the drivers should be easy to port over and given that the difference in the capability between the old and new hardware is either nonexistent or negligible (so, both wireless chipsets support 802.11b/g, and one Bluetooth is 2.0+EDR while the other is 2.1+EDR).
If they decided to draw the line of support for 4.0 at the 3GS, that would actually make more sense: even though the external shell of the 3GS looks identical to the 3G model, the guts are completely and utterly different: much newer & faster CPU core, twice the RAM, brand-new GPU. Really, the only thing that the 3GS has in common hardware-wise with any phone before it is the 3G cellular chipset, which didn't change between the 3G and the 'S'.
But I can't see Apple in a million years ending software support for a model that they are currently still manufacturing (3G), so even if they were going to cut off certain iPhone models from being able to take the upgrade, the 3G getting 4.0 on it is practically a surety. I just hope they don't do something stupid like cut off original iPhones from this update for arbitrary reasons that have nothing to do with the capability of the actual hardware. Apple should stop supporting both the original iPhone and the 3G model at the same time, whenever they decide to stop supporting either. It just makes sense.
But I'm not Apple nor do I work for Apple, so...
-- Nathan
The original iPhone is more similar to the iPhone 3G than the iPhone 3G is to the 3GS, in terms of hardware. Really, the big E-on-the-eyechart difference between the original and the 3G is the cellular chipset. All of the really important components that come into play are IDENTICAL between the original iPhone and the 3G. The CPU: exactly the same. Quantity of RAM: exactly the same. Graphics/GPU: EXACTLY the same. The other "peripheral" components, such as the WiFi and Bluetooth chips, differ slightly between the models, but those are incidental to OS support, given that the drivers should be easy to port over and given that the difference in the capability between the old and new hardware is either nonexistent or negligible (so, both wireless chipsets support 802.11b/g, and one Bluetooth is 2.0+EDR while the other is 2.1+EDR).
If they decided to draw the line of support for 4.0 at the 3GS, that would actually make more sense: even though the external shell of the 3GS looks identical to the 3G model, the guts are completely and utterly different: much newer & faster CPU core, twice the RAM, brand-new GPU. Really, the only thing that the 3GS has in common hardware-wise with any phone before it is the 3G cellular chipset, which didn't change between the 3G and the 'S'.
But I can't see Apple in a million years ending software support for a model that they are currently still manufacturing (3G), so even if they were going to cut off certain iPhone models from being able to take the upgrade, the 3G getting 4.0 on it is practically a surety. I just hope they don't do something stupid like cut off original iPhones from this update for arbitrary reasons that have nothing to do with the capability of the actual hardware. Apple should stop supporting both the original iPhone and the 3G model at the same time, whenever they decide to stop supporting either. It just makes sense.
But I'm not Apple nor do I work for Apple, so...
-- Nathan
The original iPhone is not even being sold anymore. It hasn't been sold in over a year. Come 2 years this upcoming summer. Their are only a small amount of users that even have the original iPhone. So y would apple continue to develop for it? I know the 3g and 2g are similar but who knows the hassle to keep some of the stuff that are different between the 2 running on the device.. For those that have the original iPhone had the oppertunity to upgrade over 6 months ago.
Y would apple update the 3g? Because THEY ARE STILL BEING SOLD! I think apple made a statement that apple would continue providing updates for 2 years after discontinuation.. I would not surprised if apple made the 3g run faster with 4.0 than on 3.0
Y would apple update the 3g? Because THEY ARE STILL BEING SOLD! I think apple made a statement that apple would continue providing updates for 2 years after discontinuation.. I would not surprised if apple made the 3g run faster with 4.0 than on 3.0
I'm new to Apple but would point to how quickly Blackberry and networks backed away from the Storm One and guess Apple won't be too different.
It does support it. With its current OS. THat's the software support.
Original iPhone users get to keep and cherish that OS. If they want shiny faster more new OS 4.0 - then get a 3GS or 4G phone. The 3G will get the boot soon enough and likely not get OS 5.0
C'est la vie. Take a look at the alternatives. WHen was WinMo 7 supposed to be out?
Ooh, we'll take a 6.6 till MWC...Agreed. I absolutely see the need to branch at some point and end support for older models, but it's between the 3G and 3GS that the big break occours.
If you're going to have to develop for the level of hardware in a 3G, witholding it from 2G users doesn't seem to be for wise technical reasons but just to screw 2G users over in a dickish way to try and force an upgrade. Similar to lack of MMS support for 2G users, which was claimed to be a hardware issue but then demonstrated to not be when the feature was jailbroken.
If it wasn't going to be made available for 2G or 3G users then it would be completely understandable, and for legitimate technical reasons.
Phazer
The OP wasn't asking anything about the original iPhone at all.
Rather, he was apparently taking the speculation that OS 4.0 was "only for the 3G and 3GS" a little bit too literally - inferring that any future iPhone which may be released later this year, hypothetically being the 4th iteration of the device, would not be named "iPhone 3G" or "iPhone 3GS".
And thus, using an extremely (perhaps absurdly) narrow interpretation of the rumours surrounding which devices would support OS 4.0, any such future device wouldn't be able to run OS 4.0.
A confounding question, I know.
Rest assured, any future iPhone models that may be announced within a few months of the release of OS 4.0, will also be running a variation of OS 4.0.
Rather, he was apparently taking the speculation that OS 4.0 was "only for the 3G and 3GS" a little bit too literally - inferring that any future iPhone which may be released later this year, hypothetically being the 4th iteration of the device, would not be named "iPhone 3G" or "iPhone 3GS".
And thus, using an extremely (perhaps absurdly) narrow interpretation of the rumours surrounding which devices would support OS 4.0, any such future device wouldn't be able to run OS 4.0.
A confounding question, I know.
Rest assured, any future iPhone models that may be announced within a few months of the release of OS 4.0, will also be running a variation of OS 4.0.
Remember how Apple books the revenue from sold iPhones over 24-months, which is an accounting thing that allows it to provide free major updates during that period?
Since the original iPhone has been out for 24-months now, wonder if that has something to do with this decision?
Even then, a phone getting two major OS updates in 24-months is pretty much unheard of, AFAIK. So if this is a case of a phone manufacturer "forcing an upgrade", they went quite a bit longer than others.
Since the original iPhone has been out for 24-months now, wonder if that has something to do with this decision?
Even then, a phone getting two major OS updates in 24-months is pretty much unheard of, AFAIK. So if this is a case of a phone manufacturer "forcing an upgrade", they went quite a bit longer than others.
Post #2 pretty much covered that, no?
That hardly seems fitting of the TMZ of Apple sites. Anyone can make up facts, this is macrumors.
Not only are there few 2G users anymore, but the contracts have long since expired on most of them. Apple can generate product sales by offering enticing new functionality available on the newer hardware platforms only.
Don't forget, Apple is in the business of selling HW, the OS features are merely a way to stimulate the HW business. Same is true on their computer lines which no longer support the PPC chip because that HW has run it's life.
It is not only logical, but inevitable to all but those who expect a free ride forever. Apple wouldn't be profitable if they kept enhancing functionality on old HW platforms.
Don't forget, Apple is in the business of selling HW, the OS features are merely a way to stimulate the HW business. Same is true on their computer lines which no longer support the PPC chip because that HW has run it's life.
It is not only logical, but inevitable to all but those who expect a free ride forever. Apple wouldn't be profitable if they kept enhancing functionality on old HW platforms.
Post #2 pretty much covered that, no?
Yes, it did. And then post #4 totally misinterpreted the question, and all the subsequent posts in the thread followed along that misinterpretation.
You know, people are seeing these rumors and rabidly assuming that iPhone 4.0 is coming out next week. And they are completely ignoring the pattern that Apple has set for these things.
Every new release of the OS has started with an announcement and then a whiz-bang demo, but a caveat that the OS won't be released quite yet. A date is set, a few weeks to a couple months after the announcement for a beta release to developers, to give them time to test it out, give feedback and prepare their apps for the new features. Then in June, with the new hardware, comes the public, official release of the OS.
There is no reason at all to assume that Apple will deviate from this pattern. The very best we can expect from next week's event is that whiz-bang demo with Steve Jobs hyping everyone up, and then MAYBE an announcement that we'll see a Tablet device being released later this quarter or next with its OS, and then a follow-on 4.0 for iPhones later. More likely though is that the new device AND the new iPhone, AND 4.0 will all come out in June.
This is the way it's always been.
The announcement next week is simply to get everyone fired up with what's coming later on, and continue the buzz about the iPhone and related products in the face of competition. If you really expect Apple to release iPhone OS 4.0 AND the tablet next week, without any beta testing, without any time to give the developers opportunity to play with it first, then you should prepare to be disappointed. And no, don't blame Apple for that disappointment. This is the M.O. they've always followed.
Why? The orginal iPhone has been supported for coming up on 3 years now. By the time OS support ends, most everyone still left using the original iPhone will be off not only their original warranties, but Apple care as well.
That little "E" staring back at you from the top of the original iPhone screen would disagree with you. There's plenty of internal differences beyond that.
The fact is, Apple has probably supported the original iPhone with software updates longer than any manufacturer has supported any of their phones, with MAYBE the exception of RIM. Ever upgraded your Palm or Windows Mobile device with officially supported OS updates beyond a simple dot-release? How about T-Mobile G1 users who probably won't be seeing an update to Android 2.x anytime soon?
The original iPhone has had an exceptional run. Apple's support of these devices has to end eventually, to continue supporting newer devices. If you don't like that, well, either keep using iPhone OS 3.x, or you can roll the dice with Android and hope Google starts supporting their devices a little better with OS updates.
An occasion like this only warrents one response....
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I think the bigger reason is the original iPhone is no longer sold while the 3GS and 3G still are. It probably has little to do with hardware differences.
A new version doesn't mean it will be slower. It could be more optimized for all we know.
Q: What's the number one gripe people have about other phone systems?
A: That their OS stagnated because of having to support legacy hardware.
Imagine if Apple kept up older model compatibility for ten or more years like other smartphone makers. They'd be locking themselves into the same back compatibility dungeon.
Either Apple starts cutting older phones loose after every couple of years, or they will end up in the same position of being unable to innovate as easily.
The smartphone market ain't the desktop market, and it sure isn't the iPod market.
A: That their OS stagnated because of having to support legacy hardware.
Imagine if Apple kept up older model compatibility for ten or more years like other smartphone makers. They'd be locking themselves into the same back compatibility dungeon.
Either Apple starts cutting older phones loose after every couple of years, or they will end up in the same position of being unable to innovate as easily.
The smartphone market ain't the desktop market, and it sure isn't the iPod market.
Besides GPS and 3G networking, name one. The phones have practically identical hardware, certainly as far as anything that affects performance or input is concerned. The 3GS, on the other hand, is a huge performance leap.
Differences between 2G and 3G (none of which affect performance):
New cellular processor with support for HSDPA, new UMTS reciever, GPS receiver.
Difference between 3G and 3GS:
Faster processor, doubled RAM, new video processor w/OpenGL2.0 and hardware video encoding, 3.2 MP camera, compass, new audio processor with built-in TTS and speech recognition, new bluetooth chip with support for 2.1.
Apple doesn't care about the hardware differences. I doubt that will have anything to do with decision to stop giving major updates to the first gen iPhone.