iPhone OS 3.2 -- What Do You Want and When Do You Want It?
Apple is no doubt already hard at work on iPhone OS 3.2, the second minor update to the third major release of their mobile platform. Sure, we got iPhone 3.1 just over two weeks ago on Sept. 9, but looking back, we should expect to see the first beta versions of 3.2 sooner rather than later.
By way of comparison, iPhone 2.1 was released on Sept. 12, 2008. iPhone 2.2 Beta 1 was released on Sept. 25, with some tweaks to App Store and Safari's UI. iPhone 2.1 Beta 2 dropped on Oct. 24, with Google Street View, SDK support for line-in audio, and direct podcast downloads and streaming. The final iPhone 2.2 firmware was released on Nov. 21, and both Google Street View and the ability to get podcasts on-device were great enhancements.
So, it's not unreasonable to imagine 3.2 Beta 1 could show up before the end of the month, with a final release before the holidays.
Since we've already gotten direct TV and Movie downloads (over Wi-Fi), there may not be an analogous improvement to iPod and iTunes this time around. Subscribing to podcasts on device, however, where a push notification alerts you when a new episode is available and you're on Wi-Fi to download it, is something we'd adore. iTunes LP and iTunes Extras support would also be dandy give their introduction in iTunes 9.
Likewise, Google Voice and Google Latitude having been rejected/held-for-study by the App Store, we may not get a Maps app update either (though Apple baking Latitude into the existing Maps app, Google-willing, could be a great compromise solution). We won't hold our breath for push Gmail either (not GoogleSync, we mean built-in, doesn't use up your only ActiveSync slot, genuine push email like MobileMe and Yahoo!)...
Enabling 720p TV-out from the iPhone 3GS and iPod touch G3 would be a great, and competitive addition, especially with a souped up dock-to-HDMI video cable to go with it.
We have our ongoing (though admittedly greatly reduced since 3.0) wish-list: better support for Bluetooth controls (AVRCP), APIs to allow apps to interact with the calendar, some form of background support for streaming audio, turn-by-turn, and other apps that cry out for it, Mobile iChat, remote backup and restore, iTunes music and video streaming, file system access for document handling, etc.
(Yes, we left out bug fixes, as we hope Apple sees those as urgent enough to address in an iPhone 3.1.1 release much, much sooner).
But what do you want to see Apple prioritize for iPhone 3.2?
Editor-in-Chief of iMore, Executive Producer at Mobile Nations, co-host of Iterate and ZEN and TECH, cook, grappler, photon wrangler.
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Aside from MMS, a user-defined dictionary is long overdue.
3.2? Sure it wont be 3.1.1 first, with MMS?
"some form of background support for streaming audio"
PLEASEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE
TETHERING AND FLASH!!!
oh and the ability to customize the iphone more like winterboard
catagories.. and I'd love a winterboard type app allowed to be available.
Um... MMS and Tethering are already available on the iPhone. Just cuz your carrier sucks, has little to do with the iPhone. I would like to see more Winterboard like fetures, and the battery precentage indicater for 3G
Unlocked by default so we T-Mobile users don't have to hack it apart in order to use it. I love my iPhone. I love it. I would marry it if I wasn't already married or lived in Utah, but I also am very loyal to T-Mobile. I would really like to see the device unlocked out of the box. I know, but a guy can hope, right?
I'm with Dmackdaddy, I want 3.1.1 with fixes.
Apple has no business adding anything till the get the phone on an even keel. No more Coma mode. No more rapid drain. No more losing your perfectly good WIFI passwords.
Just make it work.
we like to see something like BB messenger thats on BlackBerry. (dont know if thats what ichat is)
I'd like to see an alternate view of the installed applications that is menu-driven (Which has customizable names for each sub-group. So I can have a list of groups like "Games", "Social Apps", "Calculators", etc. and then move my Monopoly and Poker apps to Games, my Twitter, Facebook, AIM, and Yahoo! Messenger aps to Social, and my various Calculators and converters into that category.
Drag-able scroll bar in Safari (drag page slightly to show bar as it does now, but then tap and hold bar to drag before it disappears).
@Michael Allen - You can buy it unlocked out of the box, go to the Apple Store and ask for an unlocked iPhone. They'll sell you one. As for 3.2, I'm thinking small since it's a minor update. I'd like the download limit over 3G lifted for podcasts, if you can stream them in full over 3G what's the difference, it's not saving ATT any data? I'd also like greater bluetooth support so I can advance the track from the buttons on my headset. A remote backup similar to the Pre would be brilliant but that would be more of a 4.0 upgrade. I think I'd settle for just being able to stream last.fm and Pandora in the background.
aside from stopping my screen from freezing randomly... I want presets for brightness, I want a "Yes" option when I'm in an app that request to turn on Location, or Wifi instead of the app closing and having to open settings to do it. nothing big.
@Al yes, some background streaming wont hurt...seriously!
Profiles please, the iPhone is the 1st phone I've ever had without them!
WiFi problems with 3GS 3.1 and Airport Extreme Base Station. Amazingly, the iPhone works better with non-Apple branded Wifi routers.
Given there is no camera on the iPod Touch why not allow the original camera connector doc to work. These can still be bought through toys r us and online.
I want to be able to totally disable the SMS Pop Up Window. Seriously why is this not available?
The Blackberry messenger iphone messenger would be bad ass.
For the 3GS how about wallpaper, it has enough memory. And for the 3G maybe a way to change the color from black to red, blue, green, yellow, something.
I wouldn't mind some sort of shortcut that allows me to lock the screen from rotating. Nothing bugs me more about the iPhone than when I'm reading or playing something and the screen rotates because I moved the phone about 10 degrees for a split second.
Other than that. Bug fixes. Lots and lots of bug fixes.
What do I want? Flash for Safari, Flash for Safari, Flash for Safari! Nike+ support for previous iPhones(3g and 2g, they sell the dongles for previous ipods, enable the feature in software already) Better battery life Hmm... that's it.
wifi syncing of the device.
@K1 i think you can lock the screen position in the settings through the nike+ settings
After bug fixes for the random shutdowns I'm enduring the thing I keep hoping for is folder/category view for apps. They could make it a secondary view option so the vurrent app view isn't taken away from the masses while allowing the /many/ with lots of app to be happy. Hmm oh and I want to see physical keyboards connected via Bluetooth for classroom notetaking or extended writing use too....
A cancel button whilst sending a text, reduce Safari ram usage and change the app icon in get info in iTunes. Oh and change the springboard wallpaper, why is it called wallpaper when it is clearly a lock screen background?!?
Groups within contacts to send texts and emails to multiple people
@ the dude.. it would be nice to have it default to OFF when you close the map app that way location services can always be off except for when you need it..
Another somewhat major bug that a significant amount of people have had happen and hasn't been brought up on this blog (hopefully you can bring it to light so apple will be forced to fix it) is when I sync my iphone 3.1 and unplug properly and then go to ipod it says library updating and then sometimes decides to let me keep my songs, other times it says no content and I have to re-sync it. The re-sync is quick and fixes it right away so it's not that the music/podcasts were deleted, but were hidden. I have found a link on the apple forum with 5 pages of users with the same problem and no solution from apple.
http://discussions.apple.com/thread.jspa?threadID=2152219&start=60&tstart=0
Would like to see a folder type format. That way you can add all games under games and social networking etc.
1) An envelope icon in the top bar of the lock screen showing if I have voicemails/emails/SMS messages. (I don't need to swipe/unlock to check) In a perfect world, a little tiny led would be blinking, but we don't have that hardware so no go there.
2)Sync over wifi/bluetooth. I never have my cable, but my phone and laptop are rarely far apart.
3) Ability to organize homescreens into sub screens. (Games, Comms, Work, Sport)
4) Editable search lists. When I search for an item in mail, I should be able to then select/move/delete some or all of the results.
Ever notice that when you're trying to get the screen to rotate, it's hard to get it to do so, but when you don't want it to rotate you can't get it to stop?
I would like to see the iPhone equivalent of the BB messenger. Hopefully that will be iChat. I dont think Apple is gonna release it until they install a front facing camera. Then I don't think AT&T can handle that many iphone doing video chat. Also by time they do install a front camera Apple wont be tied to AT&T so they would have to have a unfied system that can work on different networks which will be hard to do and Apple would want all customers to have the same iPhone experience
I would like 3.2 to support flash and let us put are pictures as backrounds in the back of the icons
quick reply to messages in the message pop up. i hate having to leave the app i'm currently in, just to reply to a text.
-let me say an app can always use location -more default places for email, contacts, etc to come from. (i.e. more partners) -more than one activesync email account -time-based sounds, more flexible sounds -notifications on the unlock screen + the ability to control how long the unlock screen stays up -third party search integration -way to change the calendar an item is in -way to change group a contact is in -hide/remove Apple apps
Put the Exchange "bug" back in for 3g owners. ARGGGG!!!!
The few things I am still waiting on:
1) Better notification system. Like Graeme said above some sort of badge on the lock screen to serve as an alert to a new email. Ideally in the next generation some sort of LED to allow for message alerts without even hitting any buttons...LED Apple logo?
2) A quick settings App to easily toggle control of WIFI, 3G, Bluetooth, Airplane mode, etc without having to go into all the subcategories of Settings. Ideally even a hot corner setting to bring up this type of "widget"
I know both of these features are available in jailbroken iPhones, so can't Apple figure out a way to do it for the rest of us that don't want to jailbreak!
get rid of the "nothing to cancel" notification when i accidentally shake the phone while texting
a way to control music (prev/next) without having to turn on the screen every freakin time. and i dont mean that shake to shuffle crap either....
more customization please
flash
fix for the "coma" iphone users have been experiencing
smarter auto-correction and better dictionary
FLASH!!! It drives me nuts that I can't view some websites because they use Flash. And streaming Pandora in the background.
I pretty much agree with many of the ideas above are needed much more them mine, that being said I would really like the ability to assign ringtones of my choice to any text message or SMS message.
All I want is multi-tasking and freedom of bluetooth use!
AVRCP Bluetooth support and Adobe Flash support please. Also a camera zoom (something native).
A week view calendar would be awesome. In landscape mode please.
Exchange support as it was for iPhone 3G users!!!!
Would love to see longer battery life, and a user-defined dictionary. When I had a BlackBerry, I was able to type in "myaddress" and my home address would pop up -- this came in quite handy since I work from home and see a lot of clients at my apartment. Having to type my address over and over again can become kind of a pain.
Other than that, MMS would be nice. September 25th can't come soon enough!
Rich text editing API! It'd be nice if all of our favorite text editors could use rich text. Perfect for syncing notes between the phone and note programs on my mac like journler, MacJournal, yojimbo, etc. . .
Bluetooth keyboard support - so I can leave my netbook at home when traveling.
As good as the iPhone 3GS is, it still has a lot of flaws.
Fix Bugs!!!!!!!
Add spell checker to text fields, for example Inspell (a cydia app) has a very good implementation of this.
iChat for all the messengers out there, as well as a dedicated system for iPhone users just like the Blackberry.
Give apps access to iPhone calendar, as well a badge for appointments/events for all, not just Exchange users.
UI refresh, Contacts (Show pics of contacts in list view), Mail (Please add Official logos to accounts, looks so bland compared to the Pre)
BETTER NOTIFICATION SYSTEM!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Can't tell you how much I hate the current implementation, this is the one time Apple has to be a follower and not a leader. COPY WEBOS or ADROID'S notification system!
how about landscape mode for everything (homescreen included)?
For the love of God, will they ever let me customize MY ringtones for messages (texts and emails)? Their ringtones suck and you can hardly hear them. So f-ing simple, but somehow overlooked.
A lot of the above, but I'd love to move the greeting button in the VM screen so when I hit th top VM everytime I don't hit the greeting menu pop-up.
I'd like to see tethering, winterboard like customization and the ability to lock certain applications without having to lock the whole like the lockdown app you can get when you jailbreak your phone.
Shortcut to adjust brightness & turn wifi on/off.....wud save so much hassle & battery life!
Allow me to use my f-ing ringtones for messages!!! Freakin go-phones can do this!!
dday it is so simple to jailbreak and make your own...
I'd like the calendar search to only appear when you press the clock (like in all the other native applications). There's constantly 1cm of screen wasted!
Is it just me or does flash pretty much suck? I'm not really sure why anyone wants it. The more popular the iPhone becomes the more content is being geared toward it. If it gets us away from the ubiquitousness of flash i say good. Someone mentions a scroll bar in safari, which I feel is a great idea. Also allowing streaming music apps to run in the background. The iPhone can certainly do this and it needs to be enabled.
I know it's probably not the most pressing of missing features, but I'd love to be able to go through Previous Recipients in Mail and edit, or delete, those.
If I don't want to update an app, clear the indicator on the app store icon. I don't want a nagging indicator if I don't want to update an app that has added more ads.
And stop kicking me out of the app store everytime I update an app. I don't need to go see the app icon when I click update. I know where the app is. Just update the app in the background so I can continue browsing the app store!
Allow me to wirelessly destroy others' phones who use song ringtones. I don't want to hear people's goddamn music.
I want iPod and game listening over all BT audio devices. Not just A2DP.
BT Keyboard support.
I want a pop-up dock. When I push one of the four icons at the bottom of the screen, I want a popup of items. I want to press and hold down (like the period/.com will show .edu and .org) and have icons of applications (of my choice appear), preferably larger versions of the icons (maybe 9 of them) so they stand out from the background. So I can have a button for "communications" and have phone, e-mail, texting, twitter, etc. And a button for "news" and have the NYT, AP, weather and local news in there. I don't want to have to leave the screen I'm on to check mail and then go back to screen again. Apple could supply us with a dozen topics (like communication, social networks, news, games, etc.) with icons and then few generic ones (like circles/squares or just A,B,C).
I want some shortcuts for preferences too. Like brightness, BT, WiFi and a few others. Those could be added above. It could be the test. Let me pick my few most used for the preferences program...
One feature/enhancement I would like to see is with contacts. Rather than select a name and then it takes me to a new screen with more info, just have the contacts name expand downward, showing me more information about the person on the same page rather than taking me to a new page.
I don't want an OS 3.2.
If we get one with all the goodies people want, then sales of the next generation iPhone will flatline. That won't be good for anyone.
I want my new iPhone to do it all including Flash support and to let me get rid of my desktop and laptop.
Bob Bob
Quoting from article: * better support for Bluetooth controls (AVRCP) * some form of background support for streaming audio, turn-by-turn, and other apps that cry out for it * iTunes music and video streaming * file system access for document handling
Seconding Graeme above: * An envelope icon in the top bar of the lock screen showing if I have voicemails/emails/SMS messages. * Sync over wifi/bluetooth. I never have my cable, but my phone and laptop are rarely far apart. * Ability to organize homescreens into sub screens. (Games, Comms, Work, Sport)
So far the improvements have been frequent and substantial. Let's hope the trajectory continues.
The mailbox system MUST be overhauled. How about seperate icons for each mailbox so I dont have to go in and play "find that email".
BLUETOOTH AVRCP!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
It's been in, then out, then in, then out.
Please leave it IN this time.
Totally agree ......
fastlane said: Sep 22nd @ 01:27 pm Drag-able scroll bar in Safari (drag page slightly to show bar as it does now, but then tap and hold bar to drag before it disappears).
And wifi syncing
There are two things I don't understand they didn't do already:
Ability to upload files from Safari. Ok, just pics & vids & voice memos. Ok. Please?
An alerts API. I have a Todo App that does alerting through Push! This is utterly insane! Brings battery down, doesn't ring when offline (in a tunnel, ...), very cumbersome & complex...
These two things are very simple, and I don't see why Apple didn't get to it.
please sort out the email ding noise as you cant hear it go off needs to be a lot louder, its a music device and has a speaker for a reason so make use plz, also a email envelope when phone is locked or sleep mode would be good.
Profiles please. So you can set your settings (wifi, volume, blutooth on/off etc) for when your at home, at work, in the car. If it could auto switch based on location as well (at least for home& work) then cool.
Groups in the contacts without having to use an external app. This is basic stuff, even my old dell pocket PC had it 6 years ago.
Multiple Exchange accounts so can fully use gmail syncing and one for work as well.
A better calendar. Week, 2 week views, year view. Correct matching of the colours to Gmail calendars.
A decent notes app.
The ability to remove any icons from the screen, not just apps that I've brought but the standard crap apps like stocks, weather.
FULL Bluetooth please
Lots of other good things have already been mentioned here too. I wish apple would strengthen what there is instead of adding more "impressive" features that no-one uses (streetview anyone?)
Oh, and please please please please, no flash!
Flash is a pain in every sense. Pain to use, pain to program for, pain to maintain, pain to secure, pain to the eye (think blinking ads).
So please, leave it at HTML/JavaScript/CSS.
NO FLASH !
battery life needs sorting drains to quickly sine install of os 3.0
I think you sum it up quite well:
"We have our ongoing (though admittedly greatly reduced since 3.0) wish-list: better support for Bluetooth controls (AVRCP), APIs to allow apps to interact with the calendar, some form of background support for streaming audio, turn-by-turn, and other apps that cry out for it, Mobile iChat, remote backup and restore, iTunes music and video streaming, file system access for document handling, etc."
I would love to see Apple take the lead with Bluetooth notification. I have had many Nokias that would alert you IN THE BT HEADSET that you had a VM, text message, etc. Everyone seem to over look this! I miss text messages all the time because the vibrator in the iPhone is so lame (as it is with many other phones! I would also like to see the availabillity of programmable profiles based on the calendar, so it would automatically put the phone into silet during a meeting, class, etc, similar to what spb Software's Phone Suite does on WinMo. I really miss that app!
Why think small? Let's go for a serious game-changer:
--> Bluetooth Keyboard support
I want to be able to HIDE or DISABLE my Stock apps!!!! PLEASE.... Being able to customize my SMS tone wouldn't hurt either.
I want to be able to create folders in the mail app. I want to organize my mails.
1 please allow personal ringtones for all phone calls texts and emails instead of the stupid low ding for email
2 Battery life needs sorting
3 allow downloads for web pages that need add ons and other updates to view certain web pages eg adobe reader, acrobat macromedia etc
I would be happy with adjustable Font sizes in Safari.
Mobile iChat, with push notifications, would be awesome. It would be a nice addition, especially with the already existing Yahoo and AIM with push notifications. Come on dudes, get your act together.
Flash......! And I would like to b able Bluetooth my pictures and my videos to any other phone!
Like everyone said..... Flash, and I don't mean camera flash.
Mms is already comming... So... Nothing...My ish is jailbroken so I already have most of what the other people want...
To Do that works with Outlook.
Sound really good comments but probably too much to squeeze in
1) customise sounds / backdrop - SMS receipt and get rid of the crappy black background.
2) Comms panel to enable / disable wifi etc - this surely makes sense
3) wireless syncing
cheers apple - make the improvements and don't be paranoid about lock down. At this rate it benefits them if there are less reasons to jailbreak
3)
Is a week number in the calendar app so much to ask for??, c'mon my university works with week numbers... battery percentage for non 3gs phones two easy things.
I'm way late to the party on this thread, but here goes:
1) Access to the file system.
2) The ability to install apps without using the iTunes app store and without jailbreaking.
3) The ability to sync with the program of my choice, which would not be iTunes.
In other words, the usual. If we got those three things (which Apple is not about to give up) all other issues would be solved because people could write software to solve them and you could actually install the software.
A Unified Inbox!
Also, I'm with these guys:
igorsky - "a user-defined dictionary is long overdue." MIke - “some form of background support for streaming audio” John - "Flash for Safari" Jen Nelson - "longer battery life"
All of the above, please!!!
Active Home screen! 90 comments and nobody misses this? Better springboard would be also nice, to organize my 150+ apps.
An iWorks App and a BT Keyboard.
Oh and sync with iWorks.
The ability to turn the iPod off and switch pandora or NPR on when docked to my car stereo via integration kit. If anyone knows how already email me peterock317@gmail.com
And a file folder with the ability to email files, resumes for example.
Yikes Pete, get much spam?
I'd like to see anything that would make the battery life better. Also, I'd like to see an iPhone version of BlackBerry Messenger.
Do you guys think Apple will really read this?
If so, here are some really neccessary stuff :
1) Lock Mail/Apps with Password : It's possible to hide safari but not Mail? hmmm. It must be possible to lock Mail and/or Apps with a password or a guest mode where i say "This is the stuff you can play with, everything else is locked!".
2) Mail : It would be comfortable if i can press a button which jumps to the "Home" of Mail - a tiny button, that shows all your mail-accounts again. I have to press 2-3 times to get back.
3) AppStore : Why can't i bookmark any apps? So useful and not implemented. And it should be written that this app i want to download will decrease my balance from
$.
4) Phone-Profiles : Really, a Must!
5) Different Ringtones for SMS/EMAIL/Phone - Vibrate on/off for each of them to configure.
6) IPOD : It must be possible to delete tracks from my Iphone not only from Itunes.
7) Default Browser : Safari is good, but there are great Browser-Addons like ICab. It must be possible to decline a app as Default Browser. It's annoying if some apps start Safari where alot of features are missing.
9) WIFI : Connection sometimes bad sometimes good. Same place i'm standing with my Iphone in my room so this is not really reproducible. Better WIFI-Connection please! Same goes for Phone Connection.
10) Springboard : A bit more customizable would be good - Categories.
...guess that's it.
I would like to see app support. If I am in twitter and I click a link that takes me to someones facebook page, I want the facebook app to open and show me the page.