Apple holding iPhone 3.0 special event next week

Apple distributed invitations Thursday for a March 17 special event in Cupertino, Calif., to discuss the iPhone 3.0 software and a new software development kit.

Next Tuesday's event will come a little more than a year after Apple unveiled the original SDK at the iPhone 2.0 software event, setting the stage for over 25,000 iPhone applications to make their way onto the App Store. Speculation about a new iPhone had mostly centered on new hardware features, rather than software upgrades, but it seems Apple has something up its sleeve.

The invitation did not say who would be leading the event, but with CEO Steve Jobs on medical leave, marketing chief Phil Schiller or iPhone software guru Scott Forstall are likely bets, unless Jobs plans on making a surprise appearance. We'll be there.

Apple is planning a March 17 event to discuss the iPhone 3.0 software.

(Credit: Apple)

[myles taylor]

I'm excited. Copy paste and picture messaging!

Before I had an iPhone (I had an iPod Touch) I thought that the people who were complaining about Copy/Paste and multimedia messaging were complaining about nothing. But now that I have an iPhone those are two things I really want. Bring it on, Apple!

[aMUSICsite]

I don't care about multimedia messaging as I use email but copy and paste is a must. Especially if it includes being able to copy emails -> text message and text message -> email as well as pasting into websites/forums.

[aztec92154]

MMS is such a stupid - COSTLY - overpriced feature. It has to be the phone companies who are complaining about MMS... they are the only ones who benefit (*cough* make tons of money) from this feature. Its BS, I pay enough for my phone bills.

[tcr071]

You don't pay any more for unlimited picture messaging than you do for unlimited regular text messaging. They are both included in every texting plan...

[AZNpeoples]

ya i have tmobile and they count mms as a normal text unless you're pre paid (includes pic and video messages)

[chrisrodney]

Yes! Yes! Yes! Copy and Paste, TRUE multitasking, and Video Recording ... PLEASE!!!

[Mr. Dee]

Its a beautiful invitation. If its one thing Macs are good at, its graphics design.

[glaven123]

Design, maybe. Graphic design, no way. Apple has a track record of sacrificing functionality for sleek, hip design. look at the Air. The iPhone is no different. Adding copy/paste funtionality would be nice, however, I would rather see them open the phone to more service providers first.

[Pizzookie]

B.S. I don't understand why people waste money on Macs My $1300 Asus Laptop runs Adobe Photoshop, illustrator and flash just as fast and usually faster than the $3000 Macs at my schools graphics lab. For the Price you pay for any apple computer, you could build or buy a Windows or Linux machine that is twice as powerful. Every mac i have used, whether it is a friends or one in a computer lab is no quicker and just as annoying as Windows is. Macs are just the same hardware you'll find in any high performance PC shoved into an expensive yet good looking aluminum shell.

[sartor1]

I'd also like a way to upload and read even simple text documents on my iPod Touch.

[myles taylor]

You can do that using Air Sharing. Try it sometime.

[drwam]

I would subtitle this event as "Bleep you, Palm" or "The Emperor Strikes Back".

[msanto]

Perhaps, but many of the things people really want (video recording, copy/paste) are offered on Pre NOW. As an iPhone owner I can say Apple is actually playing catch-up.

[mkdaly]

msanto:
Please tell me where I can buy a Palm Pre now. Oh, wait - I can't, because it hasn't been released yet. So the Palm Pre and iPhone 3.0 SW may come out at the same time.

I do think that the Pre has real potential, and it's about time somebody gave Apple a run for its money.

[iBuzz]

Say good-bye to Palm. That's what happens when you attack a market leader by showing your upcoming product a half-year before release. Some people never learn.

[bimmin]

What are you talking about? Apple did the same thing and is doing it again now.

[ausernamenoonehaschosen]

I surprised I haven't heard this stated yet, it's very true, unless Palm has a surprise.

[tcr071]

Yeah. I mean who the hell would show their device 6 months before it came out? I mean Apple showed the iPhone in January and then launched it in June that is only 6 months!

[blusky08]

Just speculation: It seems there were some patent infringement concerns, so perhaps Palm announced it early to assess Apple's reaction before actually releasing it.

[tcr071]

I seriously doubt Palm showed off their new phone at the CONSUMER ELECTRONICS SHOW for the sole purpose of gauging what Apple would think about it. Perhaps they showed it off because it was a consumer electronics show and that is what you are supposed to do.

[nic.disassembly]

good lord please bring MMS and copy paste...if you want to stop people from jail breaking the phones that is...

[doobz94]

I honestly doubt they'll have MMS. I love their exclusion of it as personally, I find it to be obnoxious and useless and AT&T and Apple seem to think so, too. But the lack of true multitasking and copy/paste is just unforgivable. Those are things that are needed in a smartphone. I'm expecting those to be the major announcement. Copy/Paste will be able to be used everywhere on the device, even in 3rd party apps and the multitasking will rival the Pre's and will be the mobile version of Exposé and Spotlight. I'm also expecting push for 3rd party apps, a few new camera features (zoom and white balance and autofocus in the 3rd Gen. iPhone's improved camera) and video recording (videos will be viewed in the Camera Roll). There will probably be hints of the 3rd Gen. iPhone's hardware, like a camera update, possible screen resolution update, RAM, CPU, and memory updates, and a way to access multitasking with the hardware. Other than that, I don't expect anything else.

[tcr071]

Yes. It is obnoxious and downright annoying to have a picture show up in your message window. I don't know about YOU but I find it MUCH easier to write down the password on a piece of paper, click on the link in the window, wait for safari to open and the page to load, type in the password, and view the picture.

Why would I want to just VIEW the picture when I can go through those simple and easy steps??

It isn't as if I can just go to a AT&T store, find a free phone, and send/receive picture messages... RIGHT???

[kaisen12]

Don't forget landscape typing when messaging and emailing.

[arj8138]

YES this is most important for both the Touch users and the iPhone users!!!

[websterphreaky]

Oh YES!! and all the Apple Hack Media is lining up for their another new FREE iPhony so that they can deliver as promised glowing reviews and whip you AppleTards into a lather so you'll throw your last cent into Apple's ever Phat Wallet. We all know this goes on ..... PAYOLA.

Hey Krazit, got your Free iPhony 3.0 yet??? Or maybe C/Nut will just censor this.

[ckh1272]

I understand everyone has a right to their own opinion. Having said that, I must ask one question. What god for saken planet are you from? Perhaps somewhere between Saturn and Neptune?? Call it a hunch ;-)

[CDubber]

OK Ballmer, your idiotic Apple bashing grows tiresome. I'm sure you're just angry because you have to use craptastic Windows Mobile.

Troll Different.

[idontcare2020]

Hey, if this is March 2009, then TUESDAY is the 17th. THURSDAY is the 19th...

[DosEquisXX]

That's what he said. The invitations were sent out today THURSDAY, March 12th for next TUESDAY's event (March 17th).

[cpetschler]

What about Bluetooth connectivity!? Please allow us to use Bluetooth headphones, and connect to our laptops via Bluetooth, and...and....BLUETOOTH!

[bimmin]

Wait a minute. The iPhone is missing bluetooth capabilities, copy and paste AND a video recorder? What else? Why do people go so nuts over it then? All of these seem to be like pretty basic functionality, all of which I have had for about half a decade now.

[random truth]

@bimmin
Bluetooth is not as big of a deal in the United States becuase no one knows what it is... Most cellproviders get rid of most the phones bluetooth functionality unless it is a $250+ phone.

[jasmithers]

Yes, stereo Bluetooth (A2DP) would be a very nice addition. You can buy a good Bluetooth A2DP dongle for around $50 and plug it into the headphone jack, but it's a bit cumbersome to carry around.

Other glaring omissions from the iPhone (and why I went Windows Mobile in the end):

1) No cut & paste

2) No multitasking

3) Only syncs calendar and contacts -- need 3rd-party software to sync to-do list, notes, etc. (I can do all those on Windows Mobile out of the box)

4) Safari can't download video files (as in, load them onto the phone for later viewing)

Having an iPod Touch, I can see why people go iPhone, though -- you get the best portable multimedia device out there, plus a phone:

-- Nice screen (though the resolution is pretty low)

-- Awesome video / audio performance (YouTube plays without skipping, iTunes is great for TV shows, Google Maps functionality is way beyond what I get on WM6.1, which is still pretty good)

-- Safari blows away any other mobile browser out there (including everything I've tried for WM 6.1 -- Opera, Skyfire, NetFront, Pocket Internet Explorer (junk)...Torch Mobile's Iris will give Safari a true run for its money once it's stable)

[jasmithers]

Oh, I almost forgot the most important omission -- a physical keyboard! Even when using Safari in landscape mode, typing on the keyboard on my iPod Touch is agonizingly inaccurate compared with the physical slide-out 5-row keyboard on my WM phone.

I believe Mr. Jobs mentioned at the Apple Keynote when the iPhone was introduced, something to the effect that "You only get a keyboard when you need it," i.e. it's virtual. This is another example of Apple's arrogantly telling customers what they need and don't need, instead of giving them what they want. Just like when they introduced the Mac Air without an optical drive, and Mr. Jobs actually had the gall to say," No one needs a physical drive any more -- do it wirelessly." Yeah, like wireless is always stable -- NOT!!! And their so-called "HD" on Apple TV -- it's only 720p, with stereo sound, and the iPhone can't play it. Blu-ray is so far beyond that in both picture and audio quality it's scary.

[David Dudley]

There will be no MMS as long as there is MobileMe.

[codynews]

What does MobileMe have to do with MMS? It's stupid that I can't send pics to people via MMS. I have everyone's cell phone number in my phone but NOT everyone's e-mail. Not being able to send a picture to someones phone (via their phone NUMBER) is just stupid

Even more stupid is when you get an MMS. Its just a txt telling you to log into some stupid site. They send you an odd ball user/pass which you have to write down (thanks to lack up cut/paste)

The iphone is GREAT but the few things it lacks seem to be lacking for no good reason.

[arj8138]

@cody

If you have their cell number then just send it to [e-mail]..... duh.

[msanto]

And if you don't know their carrier?

[codynews]

@ arj: You may not know their carrier and they may not be able to get e-mail on their phone. How about explain why Apple may have left this (easy to add) feature out of the phone? I'm curious...

[dvsanr]

I would like to see Turn by Turn (voice enabled ) directions and Route recalculation capabilities to Maps Directions functionality.

[msanto]

BGR says MMS is a done deal.

http://www.boygeniusreport.com/2009/03/12/apple-iphone-30-os-event-march-17th-we-got-some-info/

[mycbrad]

How about the cloud notifications for apps we were promised for 2.0?!? Why was this so difficult?

[23spaz]

Flash player? Please?

[Perry_Clease]

Okay I will go along with the Flash player on they iPhone if they pull all Flash content from the web. I hate Flash :)

[cdlenfert]

Wireless sync, bluetooth a2dp, copy/paste, and a music alarm clock are what I'm keeping 8 fingers crossed for.

[tipoo_]

I wonder if it will use the new multicore ARM processors? The Pre's processor is roughly twice as capable as the Iphones, so Apple had better step it up.

[codynews]

I don't think a software update (3.0 being discussed here) will add a multi core chip. There are plenty of software fixes still needed.

A faster CPU (that'll likely cause even less batter life) is pretty far down on most peoples wish list.

[Karthik_Nair]

Maybe an iPhone for Verizon with MMS, Copy and Paste and being able to run apps in the background