Daring Fireball builds on the WSJ iPhone 4 rumours earlier today by dumping what they know: An almost iPad-level 940 x 640 resolution display, an iPad-esque A4 CPU and a front facing camera. AND, multitasking in iPhone OS 4.
Here’s why we should care about these rumours. Daring Fireball has dumped these types of specs in the past, with a decent amount of correctness. But more than that, the front-facing camera and multitasking are two things people have been asking for for years, and the enhanced display leapfrogs recent competitors like the Nexus One. [DF]
Dandaman
Tuesday, March 30, 2010 at 1:42 PMWouldn’t that be too higher res for a small screen? What happens to the old apps made for old iPhone res? Fragmentation much?????? You’ll have iPad apps, iPhone apps, and new iPhone apps lol. Then you will have apps that use the front camera, new cpu, etc. Everyone bags out Android when this happens, but it’s happening to the mighty apple that is so perfect and mighty lol.
I wonder if it will make calls? Apple might have forgot to add that feature in.
My question from this, is will the 3GS still get updates or is it’s lifespan over when this new thing comes out?
matt
Tuesday, March 30, 2010 at 3:09 PMit HAS to happen… what do you want them to do? just make no progress? still sell the same old iphone in 10 years?? what Apple need to do is MANAGE it well, which is clearly not happening in Android. they need to make it so people can make just ONE app, that can programmatically check for features and use them if they are there. they need to look at how the PC game dev world overcomes these problems (and lord knows they aren’t perfect either)
You should embrace progress, and you shouldn’t fear fragmentation. it is easy to manage it properly. (and this ipad only/iphone only but ‘emulated’ on ipad / ‘universal app’ is NOT the way to do it!!)
But yes. Eventually people are going to start making apps that won’t run on the older, slower phones… if they are good developers, they will do all they can to make it so they do, but eventually, it will just be a case of TOO BAD! TIME FOR AN UPGRADE!
also, android’s problem has little to do with the different hardware. its vendors modifying and branching the OS, and then the pain of re-integrating updates. Apple will do fine as long as they keep doing what they are doing: ONE OS for all, and ONE SDK for all.
Dandaman
Wednesday, March 31, 2010 at 2:16 PMHey mate, nah completely agree with you, but the huge proportion of iPhone users being mums and kids, are going to get annoyed when suddently apps are only available for iPhone HD.
The only reason I mentioned fragmentation, is A) because it will happen, and B) The media go at googles legs the seconds a new version of android comes out saying fragmentation is the devil and everyone should make love with iPhones
Heath
Tuesday, March 30, 2010 at 3:11 PMI hope it makes calls! My current 2nd Gen iPhone 3G has massive problems making and recieving calls, and everyone I know who has any version of it has the same prob. They really do need to put the phone back into iphone.
As for the res, I think it could work, although it’d be a waste on that size of screen and a killer for battery life (and battery life is already an issue).
I’ve already got the probs with fragmentation, a lot of the apps I want to use are based on the 3GS with the high speed CPU and additional RAM, not to mention a lot of the new apps need the compass feature too, but there’s no clear warning on the app store to tell you which hardware it’s suitable for (at least as far as I know).
Dandaman
Tuesday, March 30, 2010 at 1:56 PMp.s. http://www.theaustralian.com.au/business/news/apple-developing-new-iphone/story-e6frg90x-1225847349325 is suggesting a later than September release. Which is around the same time as winmo 7, and probably the first few 1.5ghz android phones.
Shane
Tuesday, March 30, 2010 at 2:00 PMWe already have fragmentation, there are 3gs only apps available right now.
I’m sure the way that the api is written it will either allow for “up-scaling” of the app or “down-scaling” of the resolution for the apps.
The api should also take care of compiling for the different architecture, as it does for the ipad right now. You would simply target for the platform. Lets face it, you’re not going to download ipad apps to your iphone anyway.
I think the 3gs should be save for a little while longer, the original might be seeing it’s last legs though. I have a 3g and I’m currently hanging for the next one!
Front facing camera, there is a reason why I use the phone … people don’t want to see my face!! Will it still have a back facing camera so I can actually still take “normal” photos?
We’ve wanted flying cars for years to…just cause we want it doesn’t mean we will get it, although now would be the right time to put multitasking out there, with microsoft excluding that from their own implementation, that would be a great way for apple to rub some more salt into the wounds.
If it has multitasking, I’m so there!!
Keith Drain
Tuesday, March 30, 2010 at 2:05 PMDandaman,
You clearly don’t know what you are talking about. The iPhone always gets the firmware updates. So there is no reason to think that the 3GS wont get the new 4.0 software.
If the resolution rumour is true, it is simply double the current resolution so I’d imagine that the old apps would work fine. I wouldn’t be surprised if Apple makes it a condition of the SDK that they will have to develop versions of the apps for all 3 types of product if they want to sell it on all 3 versions.
In regards to your sarcastic question about the iPhone making calls. That’s just a stupid comment.
Dandaman
Wednesday, March 31, 2010 at 2:13 PMHey mate, I know this, my 3G is running pretty sluggish with the updates though, this is what I am worried about. i know my phone will get it, but will my phone be optimized to run it? No, it will be the slowest of all iPhones available….
And heads up, there are a lot of complaints that developing for iPhone is hard, so imagine if there was the necessity to develop 3 versions lol. Already a lot of dev’s are seeing the light and moving to Android. – which is where I might be moving soon.
And no making phone call is not a stupid question. It relates to the huge mistakes Apple has made making this a full features phone (aka MMS to name a few). Sorry bro but there were so many things missing from my 3g that I could do an any other phone for 1/10 the price could do. So not at all sarcastic ;-)
Corey Evans
Tuesday, March 30, 2010 at 2:41 PM+1, 940 x 640 is WAY to high for a such a small screen!
Kif
Tuesday, March 30, 2010 at 8:02 PMWhy do you need such a high resolution? They’d want to have some damn good batteries in these things. Not that I care, I’m still yet to buy anything with an i in front of it. That’s not a dig at apple, I just have no use.
A L
Tuesday, March 30, 2010 at 10:07 PMI think the operative word is Leapfrog.
The iPhone 3GS (hell, even the 3g) has been the best combination of hardware & OS on the market since…well, since it came out (I say this begrudgingly, as an Android user). It certainly doesn’t hurt that they have the best App Store, to boot.
Android has come a long way. As has Blackberry. Microsoft have pulled something very nice out with Win Mobile 7 but they’ve got an uphill climb getting in the game this late.
While none have quite matched, many have come close, particularly the post-Nexus one Android models. With their dominance slowly being chipped away, Apple should be looking to make iPhone 4 the new standard to beat in 2010-11. As with all recent Apple products, it will be mostly evolution, not revolution. But how far that evolution goes will pretty much set the bar in consumer smartphones for the next 12 months and perhaps beyond.
Dandaman
Wednesday, March 31, 2010 at 2:04 PMWonder if it’s just going to be a mini ipad with a phone now lol