With the announcement of the iPhone 3GS on Monday it appeared to have only incremental updates. For me, it has finally reached the point where I could use it as my phone (a term that doesn’t just refer to a device for calling people any more). It offers me a lot more than previous technology, but importantly it now lets me do everything I do with my “normal” mobile phone.
That aside, I thought that the inclusion of the magnetometer must be a key indicator of the future. The digital compass application can use this to show you north. That’s very nice, but knowing north really isn’t that useful around campus or in most cities. Google Maps can also take advantage of the magnetometer to show the direction in which you’re facing. That may be helpful to people not as used to following a map as I am (although many would disagree here), but is it really worth adding this piece of hardware just for that? Consider how long it has taken Apple to put a half-decent camera into the iPhone, and that’s a really important part of any modern mobile phone these days. Is a magnetometer required for turn-by-turn directions, or will the future TomTom app work with the current iPhone 3G?
Is it for Google Maps’ Street View? I don’t know. It really looks like Apple and Google are working towards the next stage on from Street View though. Are they thinking about augmented reality applications?
Here are a couple of links to the sort of technology that I’m alluding to:
Mobilizy
Sekai Camera
