Comment : Did the iPhone OS 3.0 Deliver On Features?

In December, I wrote a short wish list of features that I wanted from the next upgrade to the iPhone software. Did Apple deliver?  Well to an extent but there is no killer punch.

If anything, Apple has yet to address some fundamental deficiencies in their product which only bodes well for the competition. So looking at my list:

Core Features

- Multi tasking of third part applications: Fail

Sorry Apple but I like to listen to streaming music whilst I compose an email and flip between RSS readers and web pages.  I can do this on all my smartphones apart from the iPhone.  The excuse that it will take up too much battery life is plain ridiculous as for the last six or so years I have been using multitasking smartphone platforms with few consequential power issues.

Some will point to the push notification system.  Big deal.  This is going back to the Palm Treo 650 days to cludge a mono tasking OS to pretend its doing something more.  I don’t want to exit Twitter, Facebook, LastFM and lose my place, this is the 2009 not 2004.

- Swapping between applications: Fail

The Palm Pre has card decks and Nokia Symbian have the long press home key, and Apple has nothing.

- Cut & Paste: Success

Yea, a significant plus which will be easier to use than Symbian.  A real plus point at last for Apple to bite back. 

- A unified file system: Fail

Opening up API’s does not seem to extend to the iPhone’s file system.  A potential stumbling block for business use wanting to use QuickOffice.