Original iPhone - Only 2% of Apple Mobile Web Traffic
If that's the percentage that the Original iPhone generates worldwide (compared to the 3G and 3GS which make up almost 60% of the Apple Traffic), then I can get why they're not gonna support it with iPhone OS 4.
EDIT: Actually, there's some more info to go along with this... that nearly 30% of the 6.1 Million Original iPhones sold are still ticking... so that makes about 2 million Original iPhone users who won't get the iPhone OS 4 upgrade.
But that's still 2 Million users out of an installed base of more than 85+ Million iPhones worldwide. That means that just over 2% of iPhones out in the world are Original 2G models. Not a huge sample for Apple to disappoint
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Last edited by fyrefly; Apr 27th, 2010 at 01:12 PM.
A little misleading to show a worldwide summary for a product that for the most part was only available in the US. Also, as 2G is fairly slow, you are limited as to how much and what you can surf. I'm on my 2G iPhone all the time yet my data usage is only at 50meg over the past 2 weeks. Of course, if I had a faster connection that number would be significantly higher.
These statistics fail to reflect the whole market though. A very large portion of the original iPhones were sold to Canadians (and others) who have unlocked it and blocked data. That chart only measures data traffic... if data is blocked (like on my wife's original iPhone) it won't "see" the phone. So those numbers are flawed.
The decision on not supporting the Original iPhone (2G to most of us) has more to do with the insufficient CPU power (speed) and limited RAM (128MB). The 3G has a faster CPU, but because of the limited RAM (still 128MB), it won't support multitasking, according to Apple. I'm pretty sure that Apple would have liked to support the 2G and the 3G with all of the new iPhone 4 capabilities, but it just isn't possible.
I personally don't think there were all that many 2G iPhones that have come to Canada. I'm not saying that none did, just not a "very large portion" of the original iPhone 2G production. Reason one is that those phones were extremely expensive (I remember seeing an unlocked one for $700 at a local pawnshop), and the blocked data. Even if the data was unblocked, the data trasfer rate was so slow as to make the phone fairly useless for web browsing.
A lot of the above data is more a reflection of the improvements that the 3G and 3GS have, and the more competitive pricing, both for the phone itself and the plans that go with them, opening up the 3G/3GS phones to more people. The metal back of the 2G also reduced its RF performance some, which made even regular phone calls more difficult, fixed with the plastic backs on the 3G/3GS.
The decision on not supporting the Original iPhone (2G to most of us) has more to do with the insufficient CPU power (speed) and limited RAM (128MB). The 3G has a faster CPU, but because of the limited RAM (still 128MB), it won't support multitasking, according to Apple. I'm pretty sure that Apple would have liked to support the 2G and the 3G with all of the new iPhone 4 capabilities, but it just isn't possible.
wrong.
that was what i first thought when i heard that the original iphone couldn't run the new OS. but doing some research turned up that the original iphone and iphone 3G have the EXACT same processor and ram. The only difference is the iphone 3G has GPS and 3G.
^^I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT THAT EVERYONE UNDERSTAND AND READ THE ABOVE^^
Now obviously the lack of 3G and GPS shouldn't be a hindrance to running os 4 since every ipad that's been sold as of now has neither of those features.
If there was some sort of VALID technical argument for the original iphone to not have OS 4 i'd be fine with it. I don't think OS advancements should be held back by old technology, BUT THAT IS NOT THE CASE HERE. Apple is not allowing it on the original iphone for no other reason than greed. And iMO that is wrong and VERY disappointing.
Yet is accounts for 100% of mobile web traffic in my house...
I purchased a 2G model from the States, unlocked it, added a Rogers pay-as-you-go SIM for a few years, before I purchased a $15 a month plan from Fido. I'm not that interested in purchasing a 3GS or 4G model as I don't want or need the data plan that will undoubtably be attached to the price tag.
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If that's the percentage that the Original iPhone generates worldwide (compared to the 3G and 3GS which make up almost 60% of the Apple Traffic), then I can get why they're not gonna support it with iPhone OS 4.
EDIT: Actually, there's some more info to go along with this... that nearly 30% of the 6.1 Million Original iPhones sold are still ticking... so that makes about 2 million Original iPhone users who won't get the iPhone OS 4 upgrade.
But that's still 2 Million users out of an installed base of more than 85+ Million iPhones worldwide. That means that just over 2% of iPhones out in the world are Original 2G models. Not a huge sample for Apple to disappoint
Given Apple's past practices, it's likely that any original iPhone owners will be able to upgrade to a 3GS for $99 when the new one comes out or $199 for the 4G. It's no different than upgrading to the newest OSX operating system when the one you have just doesn't quite cut it anymore. I imagine the good price would also come with renewing your 3 year contract, however.
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I heard about the reasons for the 2G not being allowed to upgrade to iPhone 0S 4 on the MacCast podcast of April 15, with guest Clayton Morris, who reports on tech for Fox News, and writes a column for them on tech as well. He, and the host for MacCast contend that not only is the 2G obsolete, so is the 3G. The point they made is that developers are not going to keep checking for backwards compatibility with 2G iPhones when they not only have to check compatibility with the 3G, 3GS, 4G, iPad, across iPhone OS 3.X and iPhone OS 4. I guess its a point of where do you draw the line in the sand? Apple controls the platform, and they have decided to not support the 2G going forward. Doesn't mean that you can't keep using your phone, it just means that the added functionality of iPhone OS 4 is not available to you. In any case, as was pointed out in the MacCast podcast, most people who have bought carrier iPhones should be eligible for upgrades by now, even the 3G owners like myself (I will be eligible in July).
This is no different from Apple obsoleting Power PC Macs when 10.6 came out, and no different from RIM obsoleting some of their Blackberry models when the Blackberry 6 OS comes out in the fall. It is not a far stretch to imagine that the 3G will be completely obsoleted when iPhone OS 5 comes out, or the 3GS being obsoleted when iPhone OS 6 comes out. Diamonds are forever, cellphones are not.
Kostas
P.S. The same MacCast Podcast had some interesting discussion on the Flash issue as well, along with some interesting observations as to what is going on with Flash vs. HTML5 at some major web sites.
Last edited by kkritsilas; Apr 27th, 2010 at 10:19 PM.
This is no different from Apple obsoleting Power PC Macs when 10.6 came out
*sigh*
this is COMPLETELY different. PPC Macs chips CAN NOT run 10.6 because their processors CAN NOT run the code.
If the iphone 3G can run OS 4, then the original iphone can as well. THERE IS NO TECHNICAL OBSTACLE.
I would have less of a problem with apple saying the iphone 3G can't run OS4 because it doesn't have enough ram & processing power (which would be a valid technical reason) then them saying the original iphone can't for no valid reason.
Quote:
Originally Posted by kkritsilas
It is not a far stretch to imagine that the 3G will be completely obsoleted when iPhone OS 5 comes out, or the 3GS being obsoleted when iPhone OS 6 comes out.
I agree that this is (unfortunately) what's going to happen. iphones from here on in will only be able to run the latest iphone OS for 3 years of product life. I wouldn't have a problem with this if it's to keep the OS cutting edge and there was valid technical reasons, but in a few years cell phone processors will become powerful enough that they'll be able to outlive this arbitrary life span. Apple is building in a 3 year obsolescence into their products.
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