No iOS 4.2 AirPrint for iPhone 3G

No iOS 4.2 AirPrint wireless printing for iPhone 3G owners, according to Apple:

Printing is available only on iOS devices that support multitasking.

Which iPhone 3G does not.

So add AirPrint to the list, along with wallpapers, fast app switching, HDR photos, and the rest, and how much further behind is the 2008 flagship falling?

[Apple.com (opens in new tab)]

Rene Ritchie
Contributor

Rene Ritchie is one of the most respected Apple analysts in the business, reaching a combined audience of over 40 million readers a month. His YouTube channel, Vector, has over 90 thousand subscribers and 14 million views and his podcasts, including Debug, have been downloaded over 20 million times. He also regularly co-hosts MacBreak Weekly for the TWiT network and co-hosted CES Live! and Talk Mobile. Based in Montreal, Rene is a former director of product marketing, web developer, and graphic designer. He's authored several books and appeared on numerous television and radio segments to discuss Apple and the technology industry. When not working, he likes to cook, grapple, and spend time with his friends and family.

22 Comments
  • so? new devices have new features. time to upgrade or just deal with it.
    nobody could honestly expect that anyone, including apple, could or would produce a futureproof device. all hardware has to be upgraded to support new features eventually. you wouldn't expect your DVD player to play bluray
  • It's has a fourth the memory if the current phone, less than half the processor speed, what do people expect.
  • This Rene guy has the worst grammar ever. I can't read this amateur site anymore.
  • Just another thing 3G user don't get
  • give rene a break, he's all over this site writing articles.
  • The iPhone 3G is twice as slow in CPU and GPU, and has half the memory. At some point in time, people have to accept reality that new features will need higher performance hardware. The minimum for iOS 4 appears to be a 600 MHz Cortex-A8 with 256 MB of RAM.
    That's a pretty minimum set of hardware for a "21st century" operating system. Mac OS X 10.3 on my 1st gen white iBook (with USB ports) at 500 MHz was barely tolerable at 256 MB of RAM. It could not run Flash 7/8 video. I can't imagine Leopard running well on it.
  • I have a 3G and understand its limitations. I waited until 4.1 came out to update and I've had no performance issues. I have had a difficult time finding a comprehensive list of exactly which features do and don't work on the 3G. I know the big ones, like multitasking, but I've wondered about things like rotation lock and spell check. I can't find these features anywhere, does anyone know about these?
  • @English
    Then don't read the damn site! Who GAF!?! Please do us all a favor and have a nice cup of STFU!!!
  • Obviously, the 3G is outdated. The hardware can't run the software as smoothly, (4.1 is so much damn better tho), obviously the camera can't automatically become HD, etc. But I am pretty damn sure that we could atleast get effing printing. Absolutely ridiculous apple. The only reason I kept 4.0 on my 3G was for iBooks, and the only reason they put that on a 3G was because it's a store. And apple wants to sell me books. That's it. No gamecenter, no wall papers. No frills etc. Not because it cant't handle it, but because they want me to buy another Idevice. Blah, well done apple. Good business idea, but way to abandon your customers. I will get the iPhone 5 when it comes out. Bc that's when my contract is up
  • Well none of these "features" actually require a hefty processor just better management. The simple answer is that apple likes to disable features on hardware to make people upgrade and they can say that they try to make the user experience consistent its just like the day my heart broke when I found out no 7.6 for my 68k. But a kid in Africa still uses that old performa every day, muncher numbers still rocks and even if I have to plunk down my hard earned on something faster It doesn't mean we must toss out this old stuff.
  • @English I agree that Rene would do well to revise his grammar and spelling more often, but in this particular post I think he has actually been rather literate. What did you spot that needs correcting? Always best to offer remedial help, not just criticize in general terms, I always say.
  • Well done, my friend? Let us support needs, not deteriorate mistakes to make them even worst; if you all know what I am talking about. :)
  • I assume that leaves the iPod Touch 2Gen out. May be the 3Gen
  • laokzwptutrjzscpeegw, zaposlitev, zzMtfOb.
  • Jailbreak will do everything :) don't worry !!!
  • rightly said eventhing apple said game center,multitasking and what not is not supported on iphone 3G, once jailbroken with any jailbreak software my iphone my iphone 3G now supports it and I can use every bit of the features list on it. :D I've even found a working compas app. just like a 3gs now :D
  • BUT what about us that have it JAILBROKEN to SUPPORT MULTITASKING?? Come on DevTeam and GeoHot - work on this for us!!!
  • You've got to be kidding Oakie? Do you honestly think that Apple's not adding some of these features on a 2 year old phone is justified? All of this stuff has been around on regular PC's for decades, and a few HUNDRED MHz iPhone (3g) can't handle it? Either apple iPhone developers suck, or it's a marketing gimmick to get you to buy the new hardware.
    Give me one example, of a feature on the new ios 4.x, that wasn't available on my 33MHz PC in 1992!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
    Printing of all things, is not available for 3G? That's PATHETIC. I've been printing wirelessly for years, waaaaaaaaaaaay back on any PC that wouldn't even compare to the processing power of my iPhone 3G. So, why can't apple add features like this? Because, Apple is a money making machine, and they are not interested in supporting their customers. It has nothing to do with the hardware platform.
  • Oh, by the way, Android 2.2 improved performance by a factor of 5 over the previous 2.1 version. Why can't apple do stuff like this? Well, simply put, THEY CAN, they just want you to buy the latest hardware.
    Honestly, I'd be more comfortable with apple charging me for an OS upgrade, than forcing a new phone down my throat. That's okay though, I'm out of the apple iPhone world now, and Android is far superior, YAAAAAAAY.
  • We get use to apple products that last many years.
    But now it's not that way. The 3g its not a very old product and now its kind of obsolete.
  • Its people like dexter who should STFU. Whats the big deal about not enabling printing on the 3G - its perfectly capable of doing it! Its apple just pushing users to lay out more cash for the latest gadget.
    Dexters posts are disrespectful and should be deleted; its people like this that ruin forums for everyone!
    Sure if its down to requiring new hardware that aint in the box then you have to go with the newer kit for these features but printing, lets be reasonable - what new hardware is required to do that?: NONE. Without a compass it sure cant tell you which way is south and that's a given, but does it need to be capable of multi-tasking to print? NO - regardless of the fact that it IS capable of multi-tasking to some degree. It can receive an SMS or a call while in the middle of the user doing whatever, and if this aint true multi tasking then who cares anyway; I'd not mind if I had to wait a couple of seconds while it sent something to the damned printer anyway.
    Apple do a damned good job with their products but they are out to make money first and foremost; giving the users what they need comes second place especially for older and superseded products.
    Here they are definitely crippling some features on the 3G for no good reason at all.
  • Right on Rene & Right on Reddol. I loved my 3G iPhone before all the new updates turned into a slow moving piece of junk and then AT&T finished it off with The Worst 3G Network, unless you live in LA. I'm holding out until next year and giving apple one last chance to redeem itself by teaming up with Verizon.