iPhone 3Gs, a continuous revolution

The iPhone 3Gs is delivered with iPhone OS 3.0 – the latest update of the mobile platform, which is also available for download for iPhone EDGE’s and 3G, as well as the iPod Touch although you have to pay for this third one.

This is an element which is not as important as the new handset, but it does correct a number of important elements which have been missing since the first iPhone was released in 2007, like functions that most other smartphones have already had for a long time.

It also brings a lot of new features, with a large number also being accessible on the old models. Finally, there are new features on the App Store as well, with the accessory management. You will now have advanced interaction which makes it possible to update the device (functions driven from the iPhone, hardware element controls), with the next iPhone revolution perhaps coming from these never before seen functions, mixing well with the wide range of accessories (head sets, audio systems, cases) giving you control over the heart of the iPhone.

In a certain way, this manoeuvre reminds us of the Modu strategy, the miniature telephone which can be inserted into sleeves that had various functions, making it the soul of the other connectivity options. The WWDC conference also provided us with a view of the potential behind this initiative, in the medical and musical fields.

Voice recorder and digital compass
We won’t look at all of the new updates features, as they have already been widely detailed elsewhere. We will simply point out the more visible functions. Overall, the interface hasn’t really changed, with its icon organization system centred around your interests. This is where you find what makes up the heart of the iPhone.

Two new icons have appeared since the update: a voice recording function which allows you to take voice messages which can then be sent via email or MMS. You can also edit them so that only the important parts are kept.

The other icon which appears on the 3Gs is the digital compass which gives you information about the direction and location of the GPS, which can be used with the Plans application, whose card turns depending on the direction you are pointing in so that you are on the right track. As usual with the iPhone, you simply have to press a single button to be able to use this.


Voice recognition and Sportify
By holding down the main button on the iPhone 3Gs for a long time, you will have access to the voice recognition function. This allows you to start a call or browse through the music selection by using different words.

While the applications works rather well in an area where there is not a lot of noise, things aren’t very effective when there is a lot of background noise around you. It is therefore almost impossible to be understood, and the voice recognition may start up nearly anything other then that which you have asked for.

It will therefore not be something you will be using a lot at the beginning, but it’s a beginning for more elaborate scenarios like advanced third party applications and accessories.

For those wanting to search, the iPhone OS 3.0 integrated the Spotlight local search function which answers requests by going out and finding elements from all of the telephones databases: contacts, agenda, email, SMS, applications and content…