iPhone keeps improving

Plug'd in...for students, by students at Huntingtown High School ....

Friday, Oct. 30, 2009

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Apple introduced the iPhone in January of 2007, a combination of a touch-screen iPod and a cell phone. Three years and two versions later, Apple has done it again: the iPhone 3G S was introduced on June 18.

Technically, the iPhone has three versions. The first version is the iPhone, introduced on June 27, 2007, and does not come with 3G capabilities. The iPhone 3G, introduced on July 11, features 3G capabilities, as the name implies.

The 3G S is the pinnacle of Apple's technology line, even faster and better than any of the Macs currently on the market. However, the hardware was not the special kick that sent iPhone users clambering into lines at 6:30 a.m. to buy the new iPhone, it was the software. And you know what they always say, it's what's inside that counts.

Click the phone on, and it's just like any other iPhone or iPod touch, slide to unlock, battery life, and AT&T 3G speed. Sitting at the home screen now, the 3G S has all the usual standard apps the iPod touch and iPhones have entered with: Calendar, Safari Internet, Stocks, Weather, Calculator, Contacts, Mail, Camera, iPod, and iTunes. But with the 3G S, you've got Compass and Voice Control. A GPS-enabled 3G S brings an accurate compass showing your degrees West, East, North or South. It's fun to play with, and it's fairly accurate. (Note: In spaces where a lot of Internet activity is present, you will have interference and have to reset the compass.) Next, you can hold down the Home button on the phone, and Voice Control will pop up. Just tell the iPhone what you want to do, release the home button, and viola: you're doing it. Say you just have to listen to that new "This American Life" on NPR. Just ask iPhone. Or you're a bit of an Irish rock fan and need Gov. Martin O'Malley (D) to sing "Body of an American" to get you through the day: just ask iPhone. Voice Control is a great tool to get anywhere on your iPhone fast. One problem is the clarity. In other words, don't chew gum while using Voice Control, or the phone will not understand.

The camera on the S has improvements too, with the inclusion of a video camera and auto focus. Just turn on the camera, and slide to change from the camera to the video.

The auto focus is cool to tool around with, too; just tap where you want to focus and bam: you have a perfect picture.

Type a sentence on any standard computer, and you can copy and paste the sentence anywhere, even on a 10 year old IBM that takes half an hour to load. Now, after three generations, the iPhone can do it, too. Just tap and drag the sentence you want to copy and simply copy and paste it. Also new is the landscape keyboard that's available in the e-mail and text applications, (where it should have been in the FIRST PLACE instead of just on Safari).

Indeed, the iPhone 3G S will draw second glances from all people, from nerds to businessmen to kids who have the money. Of course, you'll have to get inside iPhone to see all of its great features, from the basics like copy and paste to more advanced like Bump, which allows iPhone users to touch their iPhones to other iPhones and retrieve contact information instantly.

The iPhone 3G S is a great little tool for all your aspects of daily life and an all-around great phone that will keep Apple fans blogging for years.