Apple charts iPhone capabilities.

Cleve Nettles
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June 22, 2009
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Apple posted a new KB article on Friday outlining the features that each version of the iPhone supports.  We'd add that jailbreaking an iPhone/3G gives you perfectly acceptable, though unsupported, video options.

Notes:

  1. Peer-to-peer connectivity requires compatible applications, which can be downloaded from the App Store when available.
  2. The original iPhone does not support using Bluetooth for peer-to-peer connectivity. It can use Wi-Fi and cellular data networks for peer-to-peer connectivity.
  3. MMS is not available in all areas; fees may apply. See your carrier for availability.
  4. Internet tethering is not currently offered in the United States and some other countries. See your carrier for availability.

Comments (11)

Robert (not verified) | June 22, 2009 - 7:47am

Is this a joke? The original iPhone won't do MMS? That is stupid. There is no reason for it not to. My iPhone buzz just got killed. I'm not sure if Apple made a crappy cell phone and duped the world with it or if they are just being dicks about filling the feature gap they introduced in the first place. I've been feeling more and more disenfranchised with iPhone + AT&T in the past few months. There's one more reason to look elsewhere when I have to upgrade my wife's phone. That was a pretty weak decision, Apple.

Erik (not verified) | June 22, 2009 - 8:03am

Robert,

I think the aim on your vitriol may be a bit off. (Maybe not, though.) With everything we've seen out of Apple and AT&T, so far, I'm more than willing to bet that iPhone 2G phones are quite capable of doing MMS, but that AT&T simply won't be supporting that feature on 2G iPhones. I'm sure that some of the features that are 'missing' in the 2G iPhone were simply omitted for no other reason other than to give 2G iPhone users more motivation to get an 3G or 3G [S], and commit to another 2 year plan with AT&T, at an additional $10 a month. Who does that server more: Apple or AT&T?

9to5Mac Noob (not verified) | June 22, 2009 - 11:54am

So cut off the proverbial nose to spite the face huh?
Pretty weak. Downright anemic. Neither of your options are correct. Apple made a product that has revolutionized mobile communications and done it better than anyone else. If it is so crappy, why did they sell a million copies in the first 3 days?

9to5Mac Noob (not verified) | June 22, 2009 - 12:13pm

"There's one more reason to look elsewhere when I have to upgrade my wife's phone."

Huh? You don't have an iPhone already and you're whining about a feature missing from a two generations-ago obsolete model? Were you plan on buying your wife a used original iPhone, or a current model?

Erik (not verified) | June 22, 2009 - 7:51am

Well, I guess I was holding out for too much with my 2G iPhone. Three of the features I really wanted with the 3.0 upgrade - stereo Bluetooth, MMS, and peer-to-peer over Bluetooth - aren't going to be available on my iPhone. :\

If it weren't for the additional $10 per month, I think this would definitely push me to sell my 2G iPhone and buy the 3G [S] with a new plan. Now, if AT&T were to come out with a limited data plan, for at least $10/month less than the standard 3G data plan, I'd be all over it. I don't care about limited data since I mainly send/receive data at home or work, and I'm connected to wifi networks in both of those cases.

No, I'm not holding my breath for the limited data plan to actually materialize. Especially after selling a (Carl Sagan voice) bazillion iPhone 3G [S] units, with the unlimited data plan, in one weekend, AT&T knows that they don't really need to offer a cut-rate data plan to keep selling new iPhones and/or getting barrels full of new customers.

9to5Mac Noob (not verified) | June 22, 2009 - 9:13am

Well, I guess I was holding out for too much with my 2G iPhone.

I recently sold my original 8 GB "2.5G" iPhone for $350 on eBay and picked up the 3GS over the weekend for $200. The original iPhone remains awesome, and it's perfect for people who want to unlock it for use overseas.

The guy that bought my iPhone on eBay bought about 10 others over the past 30 days - clearly he's turning them around for a profit.

In addition, recall that you can often get an AT&T discount for a 3G plan (unlike the 2G). With my employer, I get a substantial discount on my monthly bill.... making the "cheaper" data plan of the original iPhone inconsequential.

9to5Mac Noob (not verified) | June 22, 2009 - 7:52am

The reason the original one cant do it (well it can but its not going to) is because Apple and AT%T are using the 3g antenna to do MMS, the original iPhone doesn't have one.

9to5Mac Noob (not verified) | June 22, 2009 - 8:59am

My iPhone 3G (2nd Gen) will work with the Voice recorder, are you saying the 3rd gen iPhone wont work with voice recorder?

9to5Mac Noob (not verified) | June 22, 2009 - 9:26am

Research the difference between Voice "Recorder" and Voice "Control".

9to5Mac Noob (not verified) | June 23, 2009 - 1:59pm

Anyone having issues with the voice control? To date I am having very sub par performance. Is there any tool to help the voice recognition learn? Or is it better to just use google or vlingo's voice app?

9to5Mac Noob (not verified) | June 24, 2009 - 2:54am

Why wouldn't they include

a) Video recording
b) Voice Control

for the iPhone 3G?

Only because they want to make me spend more money on their pretty expensive products? (Which won't work.)

or are there any technical issues?