There’s three major things we noticed missing from iPhone 4.0 on the iPhone 3G, after running this checklist of new hotness.
No Multitasking
The biggie. But, you know, duh. iPhone 3.0 has been barely tolerable on iPhone 3G hardware. Running more processes in the background? With half the RAM of the 3GS, that’s just bad news dude. Still, it’s a legitimate gripe from a normal person’s perspective: “Why can’t my iPhone, which looks just like my friend’s iPhone, play Pandora in the background too?”
You know, I could handle no multitasking, actually, if it meant that the software would be optimised enough to return to iPhone 2.0 levels of speed and responsiveness. I just want Messages to open in under five seconds. That’s all. But I know it won’t. And I sigh.
No Wallpapers
That’s right, no fancy custom wallpapers, no girls in bikinis peering through your apps, or the glow of Mount Doom spewing whatever it is giant evil mountains in Mordor happen to spew when it’s the backdrop for your serious Twitter app addiction. Honestly, though I think it’s kind of a blessing. The visual noise of a crazy wallpaper, new drop shadows from the icons and other superfluous graphical elements add up to some serious glossy grossness in iPhone 4.0. Give me straight up, classy black any day. But I’m sure a lot of you feel screwed. And the fact remains, not having the option for people who want abuse their phone and their eyes is certainly screwing over the iPhone 3G.
No Zoom in the Camera App
Our sad little camera is just 2MP, doesn’t autofocus and doesn’t record video. Now it doesn’t do digital zoom, either.
We haven’t noticed anything else major missing – the new photos app, with albums and faces is there, along with Folders and Game centre. Of course, we figure Apple won’t let us miss out on those awesome iAds either. If you have a now officially old and busted iPhone 3G, and notice anything else missing, do drop a line.
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Wednesday, April 14, 2010 at 7:59 AMI don’t think multitasking would be such a huge loss if they at least allowed background audio.
Thank goodness I gave my iPhone 3G to my wife and upgraded to a 3GS.
matt
Wednesday, April 14, 2010 at 1:20 PMyou mean playing the ipod in the background as you run apps? because you can do that now with any ipod/iphone, the app just has to support it. the ipod app is already multitasking exactly the same as it will in os4, it will still be at the app’s discretion as to whether or not it allows audio from other apps in the background to be mixed with it’s own.
Craig
Wednesday, April 14, 2010 at 2:54 PMI think he meant stuff like pandora radio
Luke Carbis
Wednesday, April 14, 2010 at 8:18 AMActually, I’m running the OS 4 beta on my 3G, and it definitely does do digital zooming. (double checked before posting this)
djbouche
Wednesday, April 14, 2010 at 8:39 AMWhat about multiple exchange, unified inbox, note syncing? I have yet to test 4.0 on my girlfriend’s 3G
Scott
Wednesday, April 14, 2010 at 9:00 AMThe iPhone 3G definitely does digital zooming.
And the lack of wallpaper changing is definitely a bug, it has been acknowledged as so by Apple. It’ll no doubt be there in Beta 2.
ThePengwin
Wednesday, April 14, 2010 at 9:24 AM“No Wallpapers: Honestly, though I think it’s kind of a blessing”
Oh come on. Its the 4th major version of their OS, and people are STILL going to justify them leaving out features? I understand how a wallpaper behind the icons can leave the screen too busy and colourful for its own good, but give the users a choice if they want to or not. It wont tax the processor, people have been doing it on jailbroken iPhones with no detrimental effects.
The only one i really agree on them leaving out is the multitasking, because that may actually make the 3G a clunky phone with too many apps open. But when it comes to customisation, lets the users actually have their choice on what the phone looks like, they paid good money for it.
Spagman
Wednesday, April 14, 2010 at 9:28 AMWell I’ve lived without all that junk for years now on my 3G so no loss really. The ‘app groups’ feature is the one thing I need the most anyway.
simulacrum
Wednesday, April 14, 2010 at 11:23 AMdigital zoom is pretty much pointless anyway.
Zac
Wednesday, April 14, 2010 at 1:50 PM3G has digital zoom.
Lack of wallpapers is a bug, will be fixed.
Glen Bruton
Wednesday, April 14, 2010 at 3:08 PMAplle screwing over fanboys/girls with a new ever so slightly better version to buy shouldnt be a suprise to anyone!
Russell Liu
Thursday, April 15, 2010 at 11:59 AMno multitasking is utterly destructive. anyway, the camera zoom is just hokum!
George Angelopoulos
Saturday, June 26, 2010 at 5:02 AMIf you are using an iPhone 3G with OS4, there is actually a zoom feature in the camera app. Just open the app, then tap the screen. A slider appears which allows you to zoom in or out.