14 DAY TRIAL // As promised, Apple is allowing those enrolled in the iPhone Developer Standard or Enterprise Program to access the development resources for iPhone OS 3.0 Beta. As such, the first screenshots of OS 3.0 in action are already doing the rounds on the Internet.
Courtesy of iLounge, we are able to post the first screens of what really looks like the most advanced mobile operating system ever created (or at least attempted). “The following screenshots show off a Bluetooth-unlocked iPod touch 2G running the new iPhone OS 3.0 software,” says the site focused on iPod and iPhone topics. iLounge was also able to add a collection of iPhone 3G screenshots of iPhone OS 3.0. The site thanks “Mr. F,” its source for both sets of images, as do we.
As revealed by Apple yesterday, iPhone OS 3.0 Beta includes an updated Software Development Kit (SDK) with over 1,000 new Application Programming Interfaces (APIs). According to Apple, those include In-App Purchases, Peer-to-Peer connections, an app interface for accessories, access to the iPod music library, and a new Maps API and Push Notifications.
Over 100 new features have been added with the fresh OS, including cut/copy/paste, MMS, landscape view for Mail, Text and Notes, stereo Bluetooth, syncing Notes to the Mac and PC, shake to shuffle, parental controls for TV shows, movies and apps from the App Store, and automatic login at Wi-Fi hot spots, most of which are depicted in the imagery below. The iPhone OS 3.0 beta release will include a new Voice Memo app (also shown below) and expanded search capability for all key iPhone apps. Search will be available across all key apps by typing a key word or phrase into the fresh Spotlight search. More apps now offer landscape view, as shown below, while shared calendars will also be viewable right on the iPhone with CalDAV support.
iPhone OS 3.0 will be released this summer as a free upgrade to iPhone owners. Those owning an iPod touch will have to fork out $9.95 for the new software. Use the comments to let us know what you think of these first live screens of OS 3.0.
