Iphone 3G 3.0 OS: All the best bits

At a special event held last week,Apple announced the eagerly anticipated new iPhone 3.0 OS update and revealed some tantalising new additions along with some long awaited features. Thought your iPhone 3G was perfect? Read on to see what you’ve been missing and what you’ve got to look forward to when the update hitsphones in the summer…

First up (and not exactly a surprise due to the amount of speculation in the run up to the press conference) the iPhone gets full cut and paste functionality. From copying text from a web page to adding text or contacts to a message or IM, simply double tap the text, select the amount to be copied/ cut and then drop it into the desired application. Made a mistake? Simply shake the iPhone to undo your last action.

Next, Apple have finally added MMS to the mix. Multimedia messaging on the iPhone 3G will allow you to send photos, contacts, audio files and locations. With the lack of MMS a long running gripe of iPhone users (and a point of much amusement for those who resisted the iPhone’s charms), Apple have answered their critics and given the people what they want.

Apple have also added a useful search tool to the iPhone so you can search your phone for files and content. Email has been given an overhaul with the phone now letting you compose mails in landscape giving you a bigger and more user friendly QWERTY keyboard. Creating voice memos is now an option and stereo Bluetooth has been added so you can stream music to a compatible wireless headset.

Among some other, more minor updates (SMS forwarding, shake to shuffle playlists etc.), one of the most exciting aspects of the new OS will be the new software development kit for App developers. In addition to improved usability for developers, Apps will now be able to offer in-app purchases such as subscriptions, additional game levels and new content. Paving the way for even more exciting, new applications, the Apple App store just goes from strength to strength.

Bet you’ve never been so excited about a software update!