Earlier today, Apple unveiled details of its upcoming iPhon OS 3.0. As expected there were no details about any upcoming hardware. With a rich set of over 1,000 new APIs, iPhone SDK for iPhone OS 3.0 beta provides you with an amazing range of technologies to enhance the functionality of your iPhone and iPod touch applications. New features include:
- The new Store Kit framework will allow developers to build applications that can sell content or services (eg, magazine subscriptions). The framework will handle the payment processing.
- Promised months ago, the Push Notification service will finally be available. Notifications will be possible via numbered application icon badges, text messages or audio alerts.
- Peer-to-peer connectivity using Bonjour discovery will allow iPhone users to connect to nearby devices via Bluetooth.
- The new Map Kit framework will allow developers to embed maps in their applications. Panning and zooming, custom annotations, current location and geocoding will all be supported.
- The new External Accessory framework will allow applications to communicate with hardware accessories connected through the dock or Bluetooth. For example, an FM transmitter could be controlled by an application.
- An updated Media Player framework will support access to an iPod library directly from an application.
- Cut, copy and paste support is finally coming to the iPhone. A double tap will select the text. Then drag your selection to where you want to drop it. A quick iPhone shake will undo your move if needed.
- A landscape keyboard will be available in all native applications.
- Other new features will include the ability to send out multiple images at the same time, an updated Messages application that supports both SMS and MMS (the latter only on 3G), an updated Calendar application that supports the CalDAV and Darwin Calendar Server specifications, .ics feeds, as well as Google and Yahoo calendars, a new Spotlight feature that lets you search native applications such as Calendar and Mail, Bluetooth A2DP support (except on first generation iPhones), an improved Stocks application and the addition of the “shake to shuffle” feature.
Despite some rumours, full background processes have not been added to the new OS. Apple indicated that this functionality would impact battery life and memory management too much.
The iPhone 3.0 beta is available today to registered iPhone developers and a final version will be available this summer. As with previous updates, it will be free to iPhone users and cost US$9.95 for iPod touch users.