Archive notice: This article was originally published on March 17, 2009. Links and embedded videos are preserved as part of the historical record.
Apple has also previewed more than 100 new functions that will be available to iPhone and iPod touch users this summer. Features include cut, copy and paste; MMS*; landscape viewing for Mail, SMS and Notes; stereo Bluetooth; synchronising notes with a Mac or PC; Shake to Shuffle; parental controls for television programmes, films and App Store applications; and automatic login for Wi-Fi hotspots. The iPhone OS 3.0 beta also includes a new Voice Memos application, expanded search across all built-in iPhone applications, and Spotlight search for iPhone and iPod touch.
“The new iPhone OS 3.0 is a major software release packed with new features and innovations for iPhone customers and developers alike. This software will keep us years ahead of the competition,” said Philip Schiller, Apple Senior Vice President of Worldwide Product Marketing.
The iPhone OS 3.0 beta and SDK include more than 1,000 new APIs. They are available today to members of the iPhone Developer Program for developing and testing applications for iPhone and iPod touch. The new APIs include the ability to use the App Store purchasing model inside applications. In-App Purchases lets developers offer subscriptions and sell new content and functions through a simple, secure process. Bluetooth also makes it easier to create peer-to-peer games for iPhone and iPod touch.
Another important developer feature is an interface connecting applications to hardware accessories, creating new control options and an ecosystem of end-user solutions. Developers can use the new Maps API to integrate Google Mobile Maps services, including Google Map Tiles, Current Location, Custom Annotations and Geocoding. The beta also includes Apple’s Push Notification service, which lets applications alert users with sounds, text or badges.
The final iPhone OS 3.0 software will offer more than 100 new functions this summer, including cut, copy and paste within and between applications; MMS for sending and receiving pictures, contacts, audio files and locations through Messages; and Voice Memos for creating and sending recordings. Landscape viewing will be available in Mail, SMS and Notes. Search will expand across Mail, iPod, Notes and all built-in applications through Spotlight, accessed from the Home screen.
The revised Stocks application adds current company news and market information such as opening and average prices, trading volume and market capitalisation. Landscape view provides full-screen charts. Customers can also view shared CalDAV calendars and synchronise them with iCal, Yahoo, Google and Oracle.
The App Store currently offers more than 25,000 applications and has expanded to 77 countries, giving developers access to more than 30 million iPhone and iPod touch users worldwide. Developers set their own prices and retain 70 percent of revenue, while Apple covers credit-card processing, web hosting and infrastructure.
Pricing and availability
The iPhone OS 3.0 beta and SDK are available today to registered developers at developer.apple.com. iPhone customers will be able to download iPhone OS 3.0 free of charge this summer; the update will cost iPod touch users $9.95. Prices outside the United States will be announced when it becomes available.**
