Apple, maker of the most popular cell phone in the world, announced last week during its Worldwide Developers’ Conference that it would be releasing a new version of the iPhone dubbed the 3GS. This new model features better speed, more RAM, and better battery life. The phone debuted on June 19th and has already sold out nationwide at AT&T stores. Now, backorder deposits for shipments are being taken as they come in. There are reports that the online Apple Store is taking orders with plenty of stock available, with users picking up their phones with free shipping at their local Apple retail store. Reaction to the new iPhone 3GS in the industry, from software developers and consumers alike, has been mostly positive.
Surprisingly, one of the biggest endorsements of the new iPhone 3GS and its graphics capability came from Michael Schade, who is in charge of the mobile game developer Fishlabs. Schade was quoted as saying that the iPhone 3GS is capable of game graphics that even go beyond the Sony PSP Go due to the improved processing speed and implementation of the new Open GL ES 2.0 technology. Although many cheaper and older iPhone games will not benefit from the new upgrades of the iPhone, it can be predicted that games (beyond the $0.99 variety) will eventually exceed the PSP graphically. There has been no official announcement of games specifically built for the iPhone 3GS by Fishlabs or other software developers, but iPhone users are encouraged to keep a close eye on the Apple Store.
Not everyone praises the new iPhone 3GS as the best mobile device. Popular cell-centric website Dvice.com is hailing the new Samsung Omnia II as a better solution than the new Apple offering. This phone looks a lot like the iPhone in terms of form, function, and touch screen capability, but runs the Windows Mobile platform. Online poker players should take note that rooms such as Cake Poker have a mobile client available for this operating system. The Samsung phone has a higher-tech LED screen, a higher resolution, and a 5-megapixel camera (as opposed to the 3-megapixel one from Apple’s iPhone 3GS). It will be available on the Verizon network in the coming months.
Although there might be hardware better than the iPhone released by competing vendors, critics agree that the iPhone OS 3.0 is tops in the industry. On top of that, over 50,000 mobile applications have been developed for the iPhone, making it infinitely more supported than any other operating system. With this operating system, the iPhone will have a built-in compass connected to the GPS system, voice control, and the ability to import video, edit it, and then export it to YouTube or MobileMe.
It seems from the consumer perspective that the iPhone 3GS is a great upgrade for people who have the original iPhone and are looking for something better. This new phone is in its third generation and comes fairly cheap in terms of function and value for just $199 for the 16 GB edition and $299 for the 32 GB edition with any two-year activation or a re-up of an existing plan.
The new iPhone 3GS also has the built-in 3G network, which gives it DSL-level internet speeds, more than enough to handle online poker room client software to play for real money. Unfortunately, due to the strict demands of the Apple Store and the applications it receives, many online poker rooms are waiting before sinking money into developing an iPhone application.
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