The world woke this morning to the sight of some of screens from the iPhone 3.0 firmware, proving that we must remain vigilant every single day until WWDC next week. Perhaps tomorrow we’ll see images of the iPhone’s biomimetic skin?
These pictures show the compass – in photorealistic color – and a few of the sub screens including video recording and MMS sending. The full post from Hong Kong shows even more goodies including a shot taken with the new phone’s camera.
Maybe I’m just getting old but this is pretty much BFD for me right now. A compass? What am I, Mark Trail?
Could have used this in Maui last week while hiking looking for waterfalls. I need to get an iPhone.
so there you go. but do you want to drag your iphone through the jungle?
Well now I do! But in all seriousness it may come in handy in a blue moon and I assume it won’t be using an icon on the springboard. It will probably be tucked away in another app such as Google Maps.
The most interesting thing about this is the autofocus camera. I don’t believe any cellphone has that kind of autofocus.
how about just a compass
This will be very useful when navigating foreign urban sprawls. A compass is damn convenient when emerging from the pits of strange subways.
Doesn’t GPS give you a lot more info than a compass? It tells you not only which way is north, but also where you are, which way you’re going, and routing to a particular point. A compass seems primitive by comparison.
But it looks pretty.
@Joe McN.
No you idiot, GPS doesn’t tell you which way north is.
So how come my G1 can easily display the orientation? Of course GPS can tell, the thing is that most UI just don’t show that info. Idiot!
Unfortunately loki you’re the idiot…
Your G1 already has a compass built in. That’s what’s telling you your orientation. GPS can only tell your heading if you’re moving at a certain speed (by joining the dots and extrapolating a line) which isn’t accurate.
The G1 has a built-in magnetometer already. Mark’s right, GPS doesn’t tell you which way north is.
If you have a GPS and take three steps in any direction, you will know which way north is. Happy?
you would then just use the maps feature already on the iphone. why do you idiots make this so difficult. The compass is for direction ONLY. The maps app is used for locating and NAVIGATING (like gps) to a specified place. Now the maps will use the COMPASS to direct the iphone in a GPS manner. (turning the indicator in your direction) simple enough?
“A compass? What am I, Mark Trail?”
No you are not Mark Trail, you are just an idiot who doesn’t realize the many benefits of having a compass.
Does the Iphone already have compass’s?
A quick check shows many too chose from.
I guess i don’t see what is the big deal.
So why all the fuss?
you sure have a fetish for that compass!
A gps can only tell your position not orientation. However, if you are moving it can look at successive positions and deduce the direction in which you are moving. If you’re not moving it cannot tell your orientation.
stfu idiots
Yet another ap for my i phone,on top of her being able to cook,clean,iron and help with the diy i can now go on holiday calm and collected in the knowlegde her map reading won’t get us lost.
compass + position gives magnificent tools such as google sky map. My HTC magic makes me want to buy a telescope.