WWDC brought news and confirmation on the new iPhone OS 3.0 update and a new iPhone, labelled iPhone 3G S (the S stands for speed, seriously, it does). There’s been a bit of confusion as to what’s going on and what the latest is regarding these new updates. Fear not Australian Apple loving nerd, as MacTalk is here to clarify the post-WWDC “I have money, let me give it to you Apple!” haze.

iPhone OS 3.0

When does iPhone OS 3.0 come out?
It officially comes out for all iPhone and iPod Touches on the 17th 18th of June. You need iTunes 8.2 for this, which is out now.

What does it bring to the table?
Newerer and betterer – isn’t that enough for you? For those who want detail, the laundry list of features is available from Apple’s website.

Do I have to upgrade?
You don’t have to, but, it is *strongly* advised. There’s stability and performance benefits, plus 3rd party app compatibility. Not to mention the snazzy features. It doesn’t cost anything, so just upgrade. Don’t be one of those people us geeks laugh at when we can see you aren’t even running the latest version, pfft.

What’s this I hear about a “Gold Master” of the iPhone OS 3.0?
Whilst the public gets OS 3 on the 17th of June, developers received the download today. They need to make sure their apps work with the final version of the OS before it goes live, so they have the exact same version as what will be released on the 17th. The same build number and everything. For all purposes, this is the final, proper version – not a beta. Because some of us are nerds who live for this stuff, a week and a bit is excruciatingly long time to wait, so we’ve seeked out this “Gold Master” and already installed it on our iPhones.

Can I install it and be safe?
Yep – it’s the same version as what will be out in a week’s time to the public. That’s why it’s called “Gold Master”. You can always erase and install again when the public version comes out, but it’s going to have the same build number anyways. It isn’t chained to the developers account either, so there’s no restrictions. Just don’t try going back to OS 2.2.1 or earlier, chances are that won’t work.

Do any apps not work in OS 3?
Most good developers would have already updated their app for 3.0 by now. If they haven’t, they will in the coming days, otherwise their app will be turfed off the App Store. Going by my experiences so far (a full 3 hours, hah), every 3rd party app works well.

How do I get this Gold Master?
Hit up an iPhone developer buddy, or turn to your favourite nefarious sources. You didn’t hear it from me. *wink* Tip: Put your iPhone into DFU mode. This will wipe your iPhone clean and give you a nice fresh OS install, with no issues. I also recommend not restoring from your backup. Unless you’ve got important messages in there or something, just set it up as a new iPhone once you’ve finished restoring. That way there’s no legacy cruft left over. Your apps, contacts, emails, music and photos will all sync over from iTunes.

Does tethering work?
Out of the box – no. The carrier needs to push out an update to its subscribers to say “yes, we will let you suck at our mobile data teat”. Because the thing isn’t out yet, this obviously hasn’t happened. It’s only a week away, so keep your pants on.

What about MMS?
It is confirmed to work out of the box, with no modification necessary on all telcos here in Australia. Yippie. Pictures of drunken shenanigans can now be received from your poor iPhone-less friends.

Will my telco support tethering my iPhone for mobile broaband?

• Optus & Vodafone: Yes – Apple put up their logos on a screen of telcos that will support it, so expect more info on that soon.
• Telstra: Not right now. They haven’t said anything, but chances are they’re being their usual self and will do something when everyone else has it and they’re the only one without it.
• Virgin: Dunno – I would presume so, as Virgin are just Optus in disguise, but there’s nothing official.
• 3: Well 3 don’t even sell the iPhone, so no dice for you guys. However, there may be a hack coming soon so you guys can use it. Keep your eyes peeled for more info in the coming weeks.

What about my 1st Gen iPhone? Does it get to party on?
It can be upgraded to OS 3.0, yep. You miss out on MMS though. You also need to wait until you can jailbreak and unlock it. Right now there’s no method to do this on iPhone OS 3.0, but not long after the public release, there will be a way. DON’T UPGRADE VIA ITUNES. If you do this, you will re-lock your phone to AT&T and it will be useless until a jailbreak comes around.

Can my iPod Touch get this new OS?
It sure does. It comes out the same day as the iPhone version, Jun 19th. It’s gonna set you back US$9.95 though (probably AUS$14.95).

Oh man, why do Apple screw the iPod Touch users?
Apple hate you because you’re cheapskates that should buy iPhones. Or some stupid accounting rule that Apple must abide by or else Steve Jobs goes to jail. One or the other, take your pick.

iPhone 3G S

Is this the new iPhone?
Yes, yes it is.

Is it really called iPhone 3G S?
Yep. The S, is for speed. Speeeeed.

What’s new in it?
While the exterior looks the same, the internals have been re-done. Hardware features that you only get by buying the new iPhone (i.e: stuff the old iPhone will never have) are:

• 3 megapickle camera with auto focus and macro mode
• Video recording & editing (with direct upload to YouTube & MobileMe)
• Digital compass, so maps know which way you’re facing
• Voice control – you can now boss your iPhone around via speech
• Nike + support – if you have the special Nike sensor in your shoes, it will keep track of your exercising.
• Faster CPU & more RAM – entire phone is faster. Faster web page loading, more responsive overall.
• 32GB of storage – there’s 16GB and 32GB models.
• Better battery life.

Is Apple keeping the old iPhone around and making it cheaper?
Yep! The 8GB iPhone is still kicking around, so if you don’t need the fancier new features, save some cash and get the previous model iPhone.

How much will the new iPhone 3G S be?
We have no idea. No telco has announced their plans for pricing yet. Stay tuned. You can guestimate from US pricing, but that’s not very accurate. Chances are it will be the same as the current models.

I’m already on a contract with my iPhone 3G – I want a new one! What should I do?
Well you shouldn’t have gone on a contract. Let that be a lesson to ya. We all hope the telcos will announce some sort of upgrade path, but brace yourself for arse reaming pricing. Remember, the iPhone is not cheap. It’s a $1,000 device. Your telco isn’t gonna let go of $1,000 easy. Let me explain my scenario, to give you some insight as to one possibility.

I am on Optus. I hate Optus. I want to leave, but it will cost me $850. I will buy an iPhone pre-paid from Optus on lanuch day. Stick in my current SIM and use it until my contract expires in 12 months. My older iPhone will either be sold off, or kept for testing or passed down to a relative. Then in 12 months time, when there’s a newer iPhone again, I will buy that pre-paid and just go on a non-contract plan with generous data, free as a bird, from a competent telco.

You however, might not want iPhone on day 1. You can probably stick it out until your contract is up for renewal. You may like your telco and want to stay with them for a while, so you might take up your telcos upgrade path. What the best option for you decides on what the telcos have planned and whether you want to stay with Optus or not. As soon as details for pricing and plans for Australia hits, MacTalk will be the first to report it.

When does the iPhone 3G S come out?
In the USA and most of Europe – the 19th of June. For us here in Australia, the 26th of June.

Where can I buy it from?
If you’re near an Apple retail store, get it there. Chances are they will have copious amounts of stock, as that’s what Apple do. Keep it all for themselves. Optus, Vodafone and Telstra stores will probably have them on launch day too – nothing is confirmed. We will let you know as soon as we do.

Will iPhone 3G S be available outight or on pre-paid?
If the telcos keep their current form, then yes, Optus will sell you a pre-paid iPhone, which you can then pay to unlock and use with any SIM you like. Virgin, Telstra and Vodafone currently don’t sell iPhones pre-paid, so I don’t expect them to change their mind now.

If you have any other questions not answered here, just leave a comment and I’ll do my best to get you an answer!