Immersion and Empathy

My eldest daughter is looking through the folders of games on my phone. She pauses when she spies one she hasn't yet played- Canabalt.

The man begins to run before, inevitably, he plunges to his death. She inhales sharply, puts her hand over her heart and stares at the spot where he fell. Eventually, she turns toward me, her dark eyes pools of despair. She turns back toward the screen, pauses, then exhales and removes her hand from her heart. She composes herself and presses 'play'.

Every. Single. Time.

She is not yet 3.

Fine Control

There's a feature I hope to see in a future version of iOS but before I explain, I think a little context is required:

I'm still using a 3GS.

The battery in the 3GS, like all phones of it's generation, takes a fair pounding when using 3G as opposed to 2G; even more so when cellular data is being used. This is a problem that has only been exacerbated by the age of the battery in my 3GS (bought on relase day here in the UK in late June 2009).

Even though I have unlimited data I rarely use much mobile data as I tend to be within range of a wifi access point at the places where I'm most likley to access the internet (home and work). It's not a money thing either- I'm on a SIM-only deal where a tenner a month bags me unlimited calls to others on the same network, 250 cross-network minutes, unlimited text messages and unlimted data- it's the network contention and poor battery life that has me avoiding using mobile data except when necessary.

It's odds on that my usage will change when I get the next iPhone, as it should contain one of the newer radio chipsets, which tend to be more energy efficient, but others are not so fortunate and some folks are still paying through the nose for their mobile data.

This is where my idea comes in- think of the current Notification settings in iOS 5, but for mobile data instead. The one place you can go to control which apps get to use data- data on/off; wifi or mobile; just wifi or just mobile.

I realise that some apps allow you to have this level of control but not all do (some are even nigh on unusable without a decent data connection- I'm looking at you Podcasts) and having one place to control this would make life much easier.

On a final, optimistic, note- I am aware of method in the latest iOS API that may help with the above and leads me to believe that Apple may even have something like this in mind, one day...

The 3GS- it's held up well.

If the grape vine is correct, the newest iPhone will be announced at a media event on September the 12th. With that it mind I thought I'd take a few minutes to sing the praises of my favourite (and current) iOS device- the 3GS.

I know that in every technically way possible, the 4S is a far superior device but I still hold (and that's going to be a key word) the humble 3GS in high regard. For me, it was the first iPhone that really felt like Apple had perfected both the software and the hardware. The 1st and 2nd iPhones were missing software features and the hardware always felt like it could be doing with just a bit more memory and a bit more ooomph. Still, their real-world usability meant they were miles ahead of the competition.

​That all changed with 3GS- it was the first IPhone that really ticked all the remaining niggles off the cons list of the naysayers.

Since then, the subsequent OS updates have taxed its hardware to a much greater extent- so much so that my 3GS is positively laggy at times. I mostly turn a blind eye to these senior moments though as so much extra functionality has been added in the later releases. Presuming that iOS 6.0 (which will run on the 3GS) will probably be released at, or just after, the September 12th event, it will mean that a device that is approximately 39 months old is still being actively produced and supported. That has to be a record in the smartphone market.

There is one other aspect of the 3GS that I value greatly- the shape. I handle various mobile devices every day, yet none of them are as comfortable in the hand as the 3GS. That curved back fits the palm of your hand so much better than the more angular form of the 4 or 4S. The curve also allows the 3GS to belie it's true thickness and makes the device feel slimmer in the hand than it really is. The plastic rear is also more tactile than the glass on it's more recent siblings (for the same reasons, I like the way the Nexus 7 feels in hand). If you can, compare the two designs- put a 3GS in one hand and a 4/4S in the other and try to tell me you prefer the feel of the 4/4S.

​Don't get me wrong, I will upgrade to the latest and greatest not too long after the new iPhone is released but I'll still have a soft spot for my trusty, old 3GS.