See also: How To Install iPhone OS 3.0 From Torrent Right Now (Before June 17th)
Chances are you’ve already heard about the iPhone 3G S and some of it’s cool new features (and same goes for the iPhone OS 3.0 and it’s cool new features). What you might not have thought about, however, are the apps which many developers have slaved over for weeks that were entirely rendered obsolete by the new features the iPhone will include. Read on for a list of 15 apps whose days are coming to an end.
1. Cycorder
Cycorder is a famous video recording application for jailbroken iPhones created by the developer of Cydia. The application records both video and audio, and focuses on real-time compression. However, the iPhone 3G S comes equipped with a video camera, so say goodbye to Cycorder.
2. iPhone Modem
This application, available to jailbroken iPhones via Cydia, allows you to tether your laptop to your iPhone in 10 seconds. In other words, you allow your computer to access the 3G network. Well, if you haven’t heard, the iPhone OS 3.0 will allow internet tethering (once AT&T gets their act together).
3. iClipboard
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iClipboard is a little app found in the iTunes app store that allows you to copy and paste text in a bit of an awkward way. This is not the only app that accomplishes this function. However, once the iPhone OS 3.0 comes out, none of these apps will ever be downloaded again.
4. Clippy
Clippy is an app for jailbroken iPhones that gives you copy/paste functionality in a nice, orderly fashion (unlike the app above). Again, this app will no longer be needed.
5. Say Who
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Say Who is a voice dialer application for the iPhone available in the app store. You can voice dial contacts, spell out the digits for a phone number, look up a contact’s information, launch SMS, and so on. The new iPhone will not only have voice dialing, but it will allow you to vocally control many of device’s functions. Tough luck for the developers.
6. AdelaVoice Voice Dialer
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There’s nothing to say about this application that differs from “Say Who”, but it should be mentioned due it’s immense success in the app store. A success that has been entirely thwarted by the voice control feature announcement at today’s WWDC.
7. GadgetTrak
GadgetTrak is a clever little application that uses an icon that looks almost identical to the Safari icon. When the icon is pressed, it instantly sends out the device’s location to your predefined email address. With the new “Find My Phone” feature available to Mobile Me users, all security applications like this are no longer needed. But if you don’t have Mobile Me, go here to learn how to build a theft-proof iPhone.
8. Quickgold
Quickgold is a launcher that allows you to find what you need, whether it’s a contact or a bookmark, without thumbing through a string of icons or screens. It’s available through Cydia for jailbroken iPhones. The entirely new program “Spotlight”, which will appear on all iPhones once the OS 3.0 update is installed, allows users to do a “combined search”. Spotlight lets you search through contacts, apps, iPod, emails, and everything from the same screen. Quickgold…it was good while it lasted.
9. MotionX GPS
MotionX GPS is a full-fledged navigation application for the iPhone. It offers turn by turn, compass, and lots of other nifty little things. While the application may still be useful to some, the concept behind it is certainly rendered obsolete by the iPhone’s upcoming turn-by-turn GPS capabilities and magnetometer based compass. If you haven’t heard, TomTom is releasing a navigation app for the iPhone.
10. Camera Zoom
This app does exactly what the title promises. It allows you to zoom the camera in and out. The iPhone 3G S will not only have a 3 MP camera and a video camera, but it’ll have the ability to auto-zoom and auto-focus.
11. Night Camera
Night Camera is a photography application that enhances the iPhone camera’s ability to take sharp photos at night time (or in low light conditions). The application will no longer be needed because the iPhone 3G S’s camera is equipped to handle night time photos.
12. iTalk
This application, with nearly 17,000 App Store reviews, is an incredibly functional voice recorder (and it’s made by Griffin Technology). Apple, however, decided to include it’s own native voice recorder in the iPhone OS 3.0:
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. Send Contact (Business Cards)
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This application (and many others like it in the App Store) allows users to send a contact’s information easily to someone’s email. The iPhone OS 3.0, however, will allow users to share contact information by both email and text message, so this app will be completely useless.
14. Big Keyboard Email
This application (and all the one’s who are identical to it) simply allow you to send email in landscape mode so the clumsy typers of the world can make less spelling errors. Well, luckily, you won’t be needing this app anymore, since the iPhone OS 3.0 will allow you to type emails in landscape mode.
15. Swirly MMS
Swirly MMS brings MMS messaging to jailbroken iPhones (and it’s sure not perfect). But now that Apple has announced that full MMS functionality will be part of the iPhone OS 3.0, they days of Swirly MMS.
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In conclusion, while these apps were good work arounds for a while, the time has come that there is no longer anything to work around. The iPhone OS 3.0 and the iPhone 3G S will bring much of the missing functionality of the iPhone to the table, making it sit even more proudly on its throne in the cellular world. And hey, who knows what else we’ll realize Apple failed to include in the device?
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Complete iPhone Jailbreaking Guide 
Complete iPhone Specification Matrix 
Unless AT&T offers tethering for free (which seems about as likely as them giving away the phone itself), then tethering apps like NetShare, PdaNet, and iPhone Modem will likely continue to be frequently used.
Anyone thinking Apple is just monitoring the Apple store for ideas and creating their own? Do the developers have any rights against their ideas being taken?
its good that the 3.0 software will address a lot of these points but its also sad that it wasn’t done in the first place, and that’s where jailbreaking came in, to give added functionality like cycorder, clippy and quick gold.
Why would turn-by-turn directions render MotionX GPS obsolete? It is mainly used to track where you have gone, not tell you where you are going.
None of these are obsolete. Nice try. People will continue to purchase the 3G, especially at the new discounted rate.
Most of the apps you mention are only for “Jailbroken” phones.
Most of us don’t go there. I am fairly Tech savvy and figured out long ago that jailbreaking a phone is more of a hassle than it’s worth.
down with iPhones!
“Most of the apps you mention are only for “Jailbroken” phones.
Most of us don’t go there. I am fairly Tech savvy and figured out long ago that jailbreaking a phone is more of a hassle than it’s worth.”
What??!! You are ‘tech savvy’ and think JBing is ‘more hassle than it’s worth’?! You couldn’t be more wrong. It takes about 10 minutes from start to finish, increases functionality and allows you to have a far more customisable phone.
And I’m not even that tech savvy.
Looks a bit like Microsoft, they see something in the market place and copy it in the next release of their OS.
Apple does the same with their App store….!!!
How the hell is cycorder being rendered as obsolete?! I’d wager the millions of people with first gen and second gen iphones will disagree with that…
Good riddens!! I’ve used some of these and they are quirky at best. I’m all about quality and that’s what Apple does best. That’s is why I have an iPhone over any other “smartphone”. I’m just glad the new 3G S has perfected versions of most of these.
Right Title should be: 15 Apps that Make Useless The New iPhone 3GS
The fact that most of these apps will continue to be popular on an outdated hardware (yes 3G is old now) is besides the point here. Just because asoftware is still being used doesn’t mean it’s not obselete. *cough*dos
OMGosh I cant wait. I really want this new OS. Now, if AT&T would just get their act together and offer tethering, we would be in good shape!
RT
http://www.privacy-tools.echoz.com
If ATT what? Why should Apple be waiting on ATT in the first place. I say breach and move on. ATT dropped their 20% of the relationship and Apple should in turn drop the exclusive on them. Once again check the repeat box as cycles every few years: YOU B.L.E.W.I.T yet again ATT!
Tethering won’t go away (pdanet is better anyway) due to the fact that when it is available, AT&T will charge for it… Why do I need to pay for 2 data plans when 1 handles it all? It’s BS and I won’t pay for it… I will continue to use PDAnet for the foreseeable future..
It’s = it is
Not to worry guys with http://www.appgiveaway.com you can always rely on free quality apps that you would have had to pay for!
So this is a really poor way to get 15 apps. Half of these are duplicates.
This article should be renamed “15 reasons you don’t need the new iPhone”
These are hardly obsolete, since many of the new features will not work on the iphone 3g.
It’s nice that Apple is *starting* to catch up with the functionality of a JB phone, BUT…
There’s no way I’m gonna dump PDA Net and pay AT&T $60 a month to tether.
There will also be no MMS for the 1st Gen phones…Gee, I wonder who will fill that void?
OS 3,0 isn’t available until Dev Team says it is!
PDANET is awesome…
But will att charge for tethering???
You should def check this out… Called an
electronic cigarette Tobacco companies are trying to keep it shush shush….
Yeah, this is just wrong. These apps will remain because they are FREE versus the ridiculous price AT&T will charge for these. Nice try though.
Even if you have the older hardware (1st gen or 2nd gen) you can still update to OS 3.0 and get most of the new features. That’s what he means by making these apps obsolete. You don’t need them when their functions are integrated into the OS.
@n4sty
but the video recording, voice dialing, and FREE tethering aren’t available on any iPhone — hence those apps aren’t obsolete at all actually.
One other App is the ArabInstaller, which adds Arabic support to iPhone, it works on Jailbroken apps, and were sold for 29$. Now Arabic comes standard in iPhone OS 3.0
Half of the mentioned apps are Jailbroken and there’s regurgitations of the same concept apps on the list.
Even though I appreciate the hard working hackers who slave to get me more freedom on my Apple-stuff, but when they work around “the rules”, this is to be expected.
Do note that the “jailbroken apps” are probably going to be relevant for a while yet, as jailbreaks tend to flag behind even minor firmware updates. Some people are going to stay behind for quite a while.
Q readers. Think of the extra business this will create for designers when they can embed messages in abstract designs everywhere?
Sweet! All new spotlight. Kind of like how video is new… and MMS… and tethering….
Apple really needs to get their rear in gear. I’d blame it on AT&T… but they have always been lame.
Watch STEVE JOBS CHOKE OUT IN 3D at BLOUZEFEST.com
BLOUZEFEST.com
It’s “its,” not “it’s…” argh.
Search van Polar bear Farm & Search Dial from iBranc.com becomes also obsolete
Wow Apple, you mean I can now do everything I can already do on my Touch Diamond? The only things my Win-Mo phone can’t do are 8 and 14, and I don’t really care if can or not.
So thanks, Apple, for inventing the wheel after everyone else has been rolling along for years.
Since a majority of us never Jailbroke their phones, half these apps were already obsolete for us.
There’s no auto-zoom on 3G S. Just auto-focus.
Re: #13 – with iPhone OS 3.0 GameKit APIs you can create sponataneous peer to peer networks over Bluetooth, so contact information could be shared even easier than email or SMS. We wrote an app that lets you “beam” your info from one phone to another. Developers can get it free from and it will be in the app store shortly.
Joel Spolsky had an interesting thing to say about these apps that are being replaced. I thought it was very informative.
http://www.joelonsoftware.com/items/2009/06/10c.html
When you’re developing for a platform you have to realise that you have no control where that platform is going. If it runs you over then its just tough.
First of all, your premise is flawed. There are literally millions of 3G (non-S) iPhones out there, and while some of these new features are part of iPhone OS 3.0, many others require the new hardware. So the apps aren’t needed on the 3GS, but that doesn’t mean they’re obsolete–there are still millions of potential customers.
#1 is a perfect example of that. Video recording only works on the 3GS.
Secondly, your list mostly sucks. I’ll be specific:
#2 – yes, it’s in the new OS as far as I know, but without AT&T’s official support, jailbreaking (or switching providers) is still the only way to tether an iPhone in the U.S. right now.
Yes, #3 is in the new OS.
#4 is the same as #3, duh.
#5 requires the 3GS.
#6 same as #5–I’m starting why you decided to make this a top-15 list instead of just a top-10 if all you’re going to do is pad it with similar items.
#7 – You are retarded. “With the new “Find My Phone” feature available to Mobile Me users, all security applications like this are no longer needed.”–um, yeah, unless you don’t want to pay $99/year to protect a $199 device.
#8 – Yes, this is now covered. I’m so happy that Apple finally implemented functionality that was present in Palm devices 15 years ago.
#9: Um, how does TomTom releasing an app make this one obsolete? That’s called “competition”, not “obsolescence.” And again, the compass itself requires 3GS hardware.
#10: Extra bonus points for being factually incorrect. The new camera in the 3GS has a lens that will focus but I don’t see zoom mentioned anywhere. “Zoom” only relates to zooming in on pics that have already been taken.
#11: again, only on the 3GS.
#12: sure, Apple released their own, but who’s to say that other apps won’t remain popular due to different features? Also, grammar 101: no apostrophe needed here: “Apple, however, decided to include it’s own…”
#13: again, Apple, thanks for finally implementing something like 15-year-old Palm-style “beaming.”
#14: no argument here.
#15: yes, this will become obsolete as soon as AT&T decides to bless iPhone owners with the exact same MMS ability that tens of millions of other phones on its network already have. But if you want to send an MMS in the next 3 months in the U.S., this is still viable. And what is the second half of this sentence supposed to mean? “But now that Apple has announced that full MMS functionality will be part of the iPhone OS 3.0, they days of Swirly MMS.”
This is just the same thing that always happens in the software field. Initially word processors did not offer spell checkers so 3rd party companies did and then the word processors included their own in a subsequent version effectively killing the 3rd party companies.
So tell me please, why do I need to upgrade again? I have these apps, so all i need is a shiny new (S) sticker and I’m good to go!? “Wave of the future”
I Completely disagree with the Motion-X gps becoming obsolete. It is way more than just a compass. And i can almost certainly say they will incorporate the digital compass into their program, to make all of its features even better.
I just wanted to comment on number 13 above: the contact sharing applications. For the most part you are correct, the new OS will eliminate the need for apps such as the one pictured above. However, I am a registered iPhone developer and want to point out that the new OS is simply just adding the antiquated feature of sending contact information via vCard. Not to mention, the text part isn’t going to do anything special but send you a vCard through an MMS text, which will not be available in the U.S. until late summer anyway. Also, you will not even be able to decide which parts of the contact info you want to send to people-you will have to send them the entire contact by default, which sucks if you have info in there you don’t want others to have.
I recently developed and launched an application called “Presto” which allows users who have the application installed to change personal contact information in their phone‚Äôs address book and then have that information automatically update in the phones of all their contacts (or whichever contacts they choose to have this information). It uses a person’s mobile telephone number to send information and alerts the user via text message when one of their contacts has changed information about themselves (including pictures).
Presto can also be used to send contact information and pictures to any mobile phone on any network- not just iPhones! If they’re in your contacts list they’ll get the information you’ve changed via web link through a text message, email, or vCard. For more information search for Presto in the App Store or visit http://www.Apponado.com
What an IDIOT ! non of those APPS are obselete ! Specially Cycorder ! unless you think that all 3G owners will pay more money to get things we should be getting for free then yes. But Cycorder is our only way to record video. But Im pretty sure somewhere along the line, someone will figure out how to put some features from 3GS to 3G with the exception of the compass. Voice control, 3G can handle it, Video Recording 3G can handle it, Nike + 3G can handle it. Come on, APPLE once again wants to stick it to people. I love the iphone and ipod devices but am looking forward for the day that Microsoft or Sony come up with a killer. People are getting tired of getting screwed every year by Apple.
Ok people. First most of these apps will become obsolete because of the 3.0 update next month to all iPhones. So saying that having an older iPhone will keep them around is naive at best. Second, most all of the apps listed are on the app store and for iPhones that havent been JB’ed. Finally, AT&T doesnt sell the apps, Apple does through the iTunes and has no rev sharing with AT&T for them.
I have used most of these apps and tested the 3.0 and you will soon see that the article is correct and you will be wrong.
I think the title should be: “15 Apps that can make your iPhone 3G Function Somewhat Like A 3G S, But For Less!!!” I just bought a 3G, because of the price drop, & the 2 camera apps. I got a refurb, so it only cost $79, plus the 2 apps, for a total of about $85 after tax. This article was one of the things that cemented my decision to get rid of my BlackBerry & get an iPhone. (Actually, I sold my Curve to someone for $50, so altogether, I really only paid $35!) Whatever y’all may think of it, this article IS very helpful. I don’t plan to JB my iPhone, but it still DID HELP. Thanks, folks!!
before going for an iphone3gS.. u might want to look at here first
“…but it’ll have the ability to auto-zoom and auto-focus”
No camera zoom on the iPhone 3Gs. Autofocus and selective focus, yes.
@Deen: if you were really “all about quality” you’d learn to spell. Good riddance to you and your spelling.
Now all’s the Iphone needs is flash support and a forward facing cam and its finished.
All of these apps work on the new 3Gs, but do not work on the G2 or G3 phones and that goes for the camera features as well.
I have a G2 and will not be paying AT$T more $ for the same service just to get a G3s. So I will be using most of this apps.
Voice, Compass & Stereo BlueTooth amongst others, do not work with the G2.
So keep coding!!
Sony did the same thing. Did anyone notice how their updates for the PSP are just ideas stolen from homebrew PSP apps?
I’m all for progress, but also for giving credit where it is due.
THIS FONE SUCKS MAJOR BALLS FUCK THIS FONE AND ALL OF ITS FUCKING FANS MAN!!!!!!!!!!
Well, since a lot of these apps are for the 3G S, and not just for most of the phones out there (regular iPhone 3G), then half the “obsolete” apps are actually not.
What a waste of time for a post.
what?! are you kidding jailbreaking is soo easy and there are tons of benifits to doing so.
im 15 and i jailbroke 2 iphones and 2 ipod touch (2g) in probly 3 hours
att sucks!!!!!!!!!
teathering is going to cost around 70$ a month (not including what you already pay) its like the wireless laptop cards except you dont have to buy a card just pay for service.
jailbreak iphone OS 3.0. (if you dont know how…. youtube!)get PdaNet 1.53 cracked (again dont know how to get cracked version…. youtube) then…. Teathering for free
p.s. at least att wont be charging extra for MMS too
you probly arlready know but you can enable teathering rite now……….
it takes about 5 min to do. i dont use it cause im not positve if it charges to your account or not and my phone is already jailbroke so i use PdaNet
Perfectly said!
and the 3Gs will be old in 11 short months. Keeping the suckers chasing new hardware is a trillion dollar business.
Rather ignorant post. According to you attributes like price and quality are irrelevant for products. If so, why is there more than one kind of car on the market? Or bread, or we can generalize it to food. When McDonalds came out with their big mac meal, how come all other food producers did not just close shops and go home?
In fact as many point, old tethering was free, vs. the new one, while easier to use, will likely cost you dearly. I see healthy competition for the turn by turn navigation market, voice recognition is far from solved problem, i suspect people will still prefer the one that works on their voice, and other apps can all fight on the usability and better integration grounds. And not all will win, but that is normal in the market.
Is there an app out there that can give you 32 gig of memory too? Didn’t think so…
lol you’re a fuckin idiot
The thing is, Palm’s are shit. He obviously is using the term ‘obsolete’ in a tongue and cheek manner. Honestly, I don’t know anyone and I’m sure you won’t know anyone, who is going to continue to run the jailbroken counterparts of the native S-model versions. You’d run the iPhone standard, because it will be the most heavily supported, Apple can through more resources at dev etc. pretty obvious. Wake up and stop trying to pick a fight..
Justa, don’t get me started with the corrections.
I cringe reading these.
Riddens?
Jailbreaking an iphone is a waste? Don’t think so. A good iphone is a jailbroken iphone.
Also, all, look at 9to5mac.com for download, yes, to a jailbroken iphone, for tethering not using pdanet, or modem anything.
It will change your Network page to include internet tethering. No other pesky app sitting on your iphone screen needed.
Keep it clean.
“the time has come that there is no longer anything to work around”
Hahahahaha. You must be a Mac User.