14 DAY TRIAL // On June 17, Apple will be releasing iPhone OS 3.0, a major update to the operating system used by both the iPhone, and the iPod touch. While iPhone owners benefit from a free upgrade to the new OS, iPod touch users will have to pay the usual $9.95 fee, for a number of added features.
“When you get the new iPhone 3.0 Software Update for iPod touch, you get new features that make watching video, playing games, and listening to music even more fun,” Apple says. Naturally, features like MMS and tethering will not be available for iPod touch users. Still, there’s plenty of new functionality to go around for owners of the iTouch as well.
On the designated iPod + iTunes section, Apple mentions major new enhancements, like the ability to buy movies, TV shows and audiobooks via Wi-Fi, right on the device. A Stereo Bluetooth capability will allow you to enjoy such content with compatible headphones, while Peer to Peer (P2P) gaming “will make it easy to play head-to-head with a friend — whether your friend is sitting next to you or across the country,” the Mac maker explains. The Landscape Keyboard is also a new feature present in iPhone OS 3.0. It should provide a better experience for those using their iPod touch to write emails, notes and other stuff.
Spotlight Search is also available for both iPhone and iPod touch. “Find what you’re looking for across your iPod touch, all from one place,” the description goes. “Spotlight searches all your contacts, email, calendars, and notes, as well as all your music and video.”
One of the most craved-for functions in the iPhone OS, Cut, Copy & Paste, is finally coming to iPod touch too. While most smartphones already have it, the ability to copy text from a web page and paste it into an email is not something you can do with any portable media player. The function also works across apps, as revealed by Apple’s Scott Forstall during the WWDC ‘09 keynote address.
Also noteworthy is the addition of Push Notifications, a feature already supported by one of the most popular iPhone / iPod touch games, Tap Tap Revenge 2. “Apps receive information — and let you know it’s there — even when they’re not running,” Apple explains. Other, less significant features are listed as follows:
Parental Controls - Decide what music, videos, and apps your kids can access on iPod touch.
Automatic Wi-Fi Login - Log in to a Wi-Fi hotspot and iPod touch remembers your user name and password the next time you connect.
iTunes Store Account Creation - Create one or more iTunes Store accounts directly from your iPod touch.
New Languages - Enjoy support for up to 34 languages and more than 40 keyboard layouts.
Third-party Game Accessories - Connect fun new game accessories via the iPod touch 30-pin connector and Bluetooth.
Safari Improvements - Enjoy faster performance, autofill user names and passwords, and more.
Sync Notes - Never leave a note behind. Now you can sync all the notes you write on your iPod touch back to your Mac or PC.
Shake to Shuffle - Just give your iPod touch a shake and it shuffles to a different song in your music library. You’ll always be surprised by what you’ll hear.
Visit Apple here to learn more about the 3.0 Software Update for iPod touch, as well as the previously added features (in case you haven’t updated for a while now). Remember to connect your device to iTunes come June 17. iPhone OS 3.0 will be available worldwide for iPhone and iPod touch owners on that day.