Here’s what we found

1. Since it’s a major upgrade, it took some time to download and install the new software – its ~230 MB. But as always installation is as simple as you can imagine. We chose to back up our entire phone before installing the new OS 3.0. So it added to the installation time.

2. We had to realign all our apps starting from the second screen. This might have happened because the first page was full on the phone. The problem was caused by the new addition of “Voice Memos”, which by default, gets added on the home screen, pushing an existing app to second screen. Hence, apps on the second screen are pushed to the third (you get the idea!), and effectively, our second screen was left with just one app!

Tip:  If you have not installed OS 3.0 yet, create a couple of blank spaces on the home screen by moving some apps to the next screen. Then install the new software. Hopefully your existing apps might stay intact.

3. The sound quality of the “Voice Memos” application is great when compared to some of the free voice records available on app store.

4. There is no video recording facility on the iPhone 3G (we were aware of this, but it’s always good to reconfirm with a live test). This feature comes along with hardware improvements in the new 3GS.

5. Spotlight Search page is awesome, to say the least. You can search for any text across multiple apps like Notes, Email, Contacts etc., and the results are instantaneous.

6. With the new OS 3.0, you can (finally!) share/send a contact’s detail to another phone via MMS. It seemed to have been an obvious omission and many users were crying for this functionality. Even though it’s a seemingly basic feature in other phones, this was lacking in the 3G version. With the OS upgrade, you can now share a contact using MMS or email.

Tip: If you are expecting a business card from a non iPhone user, ask them to send it as MMS. Otherwise you will not receive it.

7. You still can’t forward an SMS/MMS message to other phones. But at least there is a work around available now. You can use the good old technique of “copy & paste”. Choose the message you want to forward, press on the message for a second or two. Copy option pops up. Copy it and then paste in a new message. Crude, yet workable.

8. A minor bug seems to have also crept in. Sometimes, the screen goes blank while on a call and you can’t receive the incoming second call or navigate to other applications like maps, contacts, notes. This problem was there in 2.2.X also but is occurring quite often since our upgrade to OS 3.0.

We are still continuing to test, so keep watching this space for more tips and findings!

We’ve had a little sneak peek into the offerings of the new OS, and we are very excited about the possibilities it throws up - both for developers like us, and for companies who want to leverage their apps to the next level.

Here are some of the consumer features that you can expect from the new version:

Copy and Paste - If you’ve been an avid iPhone user and have found the need to transfer information between your text message, web browser, photos and such, you would have realised the obvious missing feature in the current version - copy and paste! Well, fret no more as the new OS finally brings copy-paste to your iPhone and with great user interface functionality. Oh, and yes, you can copy paste photos as well.

Universal search comes to iPhone

Universal Search - Unlike the Macs, the iPhone has lacked in ability to search across the entire device. With the new OS, any applications that support Spotlight will be included within a universal search feature called…. well, Spotlight!

iPhone modem - You will now be able to plug your iPhone into your laptop, and use it as a modem. Ofcourse this is carrier dependent, and costs will vary - but its a great add-on for those long train journeys where internet connection is not available.

MMS - Multimedia Messaging - Those of you that have been used to the Nokias and Ericssons should be used to the MMS feature they offered. Well, the new OS brings MMS capability to your iPhone as well. You can send anything from images, sound, vCards, and possibly even videos (though the video feature remains unconfirmed).

Other interesting features include:

• Stereo bluetooth audio support
• Shake your phone to shuffle music
• Auto login in pre-configured WiFi hotspots
• More parental controls
• Improved stocks application
• Landscape keyboard

Keep watching this space as we cover the API and developer features of the new OS 3.0 in our next post.