With WWDC and the related announcements of the iPhone 3GS and iPhone Software 3.0 this week, the Internet has been abuzz about the iPhone, especially the upcoming iPhone 3GS. Here are some of the iPhone stories that I enjoyed reading this week, so if you missed any of them I encourage you to take a look.
- Jimmy Fallon shows us what a bad opening act comic at WWDC's keynote address might look like.
- Behold the app wall -- a very cool display at WWDC with thousands of app icons pulsating as purchases are made.
- The new iPhone 3GS reportedly has an oleophobic coating on it, meaning that it is more resistant to smudging. Interesting.
- Should you upgrade from an iPhone 3G to a 3GS? Sebastian Page at iPhone Download Blog writes about why it may not be worth it -- and yet he still plans to upgrade. Sebastian forgot to mention the oleophobic coating; I wonder if that additional feature is enough for him to recommend that everyone upgrade?
- If you are getting an iPhone 3GS, Ars Technica gives advice on how to get your hands on an iPhone 3GS as early as possible.
- Attorney Adam Greivell writes about using the Palm Pre on his website EsquireMac. He owns an iPod Touch, so he can compare the iPhone interface with the Pre. His conclusion is that he is "a little disappointed in the Pre" although "it's not a bad phone, it does a lot, and it has a completely unbeatable rate plan." He is still trying to decide whether to keep the Pre or get an iPhone. (He wrote this post before Apple announced the iPhone 3GS.) Also, Andy Ihnatko of the Chicago Sun Times reviews the Pre, and while he thinks it has promise for the future, he concludes that the iPhone is much better.
- Jason Snell of Macworld has an interesting article on Apple's reluctance to advertise the technical specifications of the iPhone. They don't want to talk about processor speeds, but instead talk in general terms like "faster." This makes perfect sense to me. I often see people try to compare a Mac to a PC by comparing the processor speed and RAM, which makes little sense because each system uses processor speed and RAM in such different ways. Plus, focusing on technical numbers distracts from the features that really matter, such as the user interface. Prince McLean (which I believe is the pseudonym used by Daniel Eran Dilger) also writes extensively on this and related topics for AppleInsider.
- AppleInsider notes that three companies will provide turn-by-turn direction apps for the iPhone: TomTom, Navigon and TeleNav. Garmin has no plans to do so. SlashGear has more information on the Navigon app in this article.
- And finally, if you want to get really technical and learn the nitty gritty details of the processors inside of the iPhone 3GS, check out this AnandTech article and this article by Daniel Eran Dilger. For example, did you know that the iPhone uses an upgraded version of the ARM processor that used to be in the Apple Newton?
