Apple today announced a free software update for its revolutionary iPhone that allows users to automatically find their location using the redesigned Maps application; text message multiple people in one message; create Web Clips for their favorite websites; customize their home screen; and watch movies rented from the new iTunes Movie Rentals right on their iPhone. With its revolutionary multi-touch user interface and pioneering software, users can easily add significant new features to their iPhone through software updates whenever an update becomes available. New iPhone products shipping from the factory will include the software update and existing iPhone customers will automatically get theupdate for free when they sync their iPhone with iTunes.
“iPhone doesn’t stand still — we’re making it better and better all the time,” said Steve Jobs, Apple’s CEO, in the press release. “We’ve delighted millions of users with this revolutionary and magical product and it’s great to share these improvements with them.”
Maps, one of the most popular and helpful applications on iPhone, has a new interface that is simpler and easier to use and adds incredible new features such as the ability to find your location automatically. With just the tap of a button, iPhone can now triangulate your position using nearby Wi-Fi base stations or cellular towers. You can use this as a starting or ending point for directions or to find local points of interest. The new hybrid map view combines map view and satellite view so you can see major street names overlaid on satellite imagery.
Users can now create Web Clips — icons on the home screen that take you directly to your favorite websites, including to the exact spot you have zoomed into. Web Clips are a great way to easily track websites that you frequently check such as news, blogs, sports sites and movie listings. In addition, users can now customize their home screen by repositioning any of the icons, and even create up to nine different home screens that they can easily flick between.
iPhone’s new software update also adds the ability to send the same SMS text message to multiple people, and iPhone saves a history of your text messages, so with one tap you can send a new message to the same group.
With Apple’s new iTunes Movie Rentals, movie fans can rent movies on their computer, easily and quickly transfer them to their iPhone, and watch them anywhere on iPhone’s gorgeous 3.5 inch screen. Users can also now navigate forward or backward through their movies by chapters, select alternate language tracks and view subtitles, if available.
The iPhone software update 1.1.3 is available immediately for free via iTunes 7.5 or later for all existing iPhone customers in the US, UK, Germany and France. New iPhone products shipping from the factory will include the software update and existing iPhone customers will automatically get the update for free when they sync their iPhone with iTunes. iTunes Movie Rentals are available in the US only. Further information for iPhone can be found at http://www.apple.com/iphone
Still no damn games… just give me that stupid snake game where you don’t want to eat your tail I got 10 years ago on my first cell phone…
Windows Mobile doesn’t stand still either. The I-Phone will never catch up. I didn’t hear anything about Exchange connectivity so Apple has decided to once again concede the enterprise to Microsoft. The one thing Apple seems to have figured out is if you can’t run with the big dogs, stay on the porch.
Your potential. Our passion.™
Who cares about Exchange? It is a dying thing. People don’t like getting locked into Microsoft’s chains anymore.
Microsoft? Exchange connectivity?
Isn’t that the new customer service bar at Best Buy where knuckleheads can replace their Zune for a shiny new iPod?
Would have rather had more capacity, instead of fake GPS
Still no video recording 🙁
SEARCH! Why is there no stinking search! Can anyone tell me?
Is anyone else having problems installing the new upgrade on their IPhone? I just downloaded the new versions of Itunes.
The iPhone update server seems to be down. Probably got overloaded, or Apple is fixing something.
“Is it so hard…”:
Search for what, exactly?
1. Even though it’s not GPS, Google Maps was probably the gem of MacWorld ’08.
2. When are they going to add f*ing video to the iPhone???
3. The iPhone software update server isn’t responding.
Love to see Tang fired up for the keynote!
Seriously, to do list, anyone?
=)
Now only if I had the scratch for an Air.
Oh, Pleeeeeeez, Steve, please gimme MMS capability. It seems so simple – isn’t it?
no mention of Japan ????????????????
i Want my iPhone !!!