And by 3.0, I mean both the iPhone OS 3.0 software update and the next model of the iPhone, both of which will arrive this Summer.

Everyone likes a shiny new gadget, so let’s talk about the hardware changes we’re likely to see in the next-generation iPhone. From the various discoveries made known on the grapevine, the new iPhone is shaping up to be quite the upgrade. So far, evidence indicates that the next iPhone is very likely to sport some, if not all, of the following:

3.2 or 5.0 Mpx Camera

Unless it is physically a larger sensor, I can’t care less if the resolution of the camera gets bumped up to 12 Mpx. The fact that most cell phones have image sensors the size of the nail on your pinky makes an increase in megapixels a moot point. A shitty out-of-focus photo taken with a 5.0 Mpx camera is still a blurry one, and, hey, 56% shittier too!

What we really need are auto-focus, manual mode, and a higher refresh rate (read: less lag between the time you launch the Camera app and the time you can actually take a shot). As it stands now, you could miss a snail crawling across your window sill waiting for that shutter to open.

If the new camera does have auto-focus—and there is evidence in iPhone OS 3.0 that there will be—I reckon it will work something in the way of touching the screen to select an AF point, the way it already works in the Sony Ericsson G900 and the HTC Touch HD. AF is a strong possibility.

Video Recording

In the past two days, more evidence of video recording functionality has surfaced. What is known for sure so far is that video recording has been implemented on the software side. Whether it is something that will be exclusive to the new iPhone or can be enabled for existing models through a software update remains to be seen. Personally, I won’t get my hopes too high it’ll be something that can be switched on for the iPhone 3G; Apple has to set some differentiation to push sales of its latest and greatest, right? If you do not already own an iPhone, good for you.

OLED Screen

Since OLED screens draw less power than its LCD and LED counterparts, this would be nice. Plus, it’ll look pretty! Also nice if Apple implements some notification light of sorts beneath the screen, as detailed in this patent. My guess? Quite possible, now that system-wide Push Notification has finally come to 3.0.

802.11n Wi-Fi

Longer range and more speed? What’s not to like, especially for public Wi-Fi hotspots?

Biometric security

A recent patent filed by Apple covers the use of a biometric sensor buried beneath the screen, where the “slide to unlock” area is, to detect the biometric pattern of a user. Nice, if this feature makes it into the new model in time.

Voice Control

Which is what Apple calls voice dialing. I’ve enjoyed this for a while, thanks to third-party apps such as Melodis Voice Dialer and Vlingo. I don’t know about you, but I’ve always found voice dialing in any cell phone to be so unreliable I don’t care for it.

Magnetometer

Otherwise known as a digital compass. Good for turn-by-turn GPS navigation and photography-related apps.

New accessories
Software developers can now create iPhone 3.0 apps that talk directly to accessories through the Dock connector. Remember how foldable keyboards were all the rage back in the heydays of the PDA? I’m hoping someone, if not Apple, will come up with one for my iPhone 3G and 2nd-gen iPod touch. Something like the detachable keyboard included with the LG Versa that also doubles as a flip case would be very, very nice.

On the software side, you’ve probably heard by now that Apple is preparing a major software update for the iPhone (and the iPod touch, of course). Much has been unveiled by Apple when it gave a sneak preview of 3.0 last month. In iPhone OS 3.0, the majority of features currently missing in the iPhone have finally been implemented.

Cut, copy and paste

About time. Having used both Windows Mobile and Palm PDAs heavily in the past, it was a collossal pain in the ass not being able to move chunks of text around in the iPhone. Cut, copy and paste in iPhone works fine, and is system-wide. You can copy text in three different ways:

1. To copy just a word, or to make a precise selection, you double-tap on a word. It will be highlighted, with two handles at the start and end of the highlight, along with a pop-up balloon containing the Cut, Copy, and Paste buttons. You grab the handles to mark the start and end of your selection. While grabbing, a magnifying loupe shows you exactly where the cursor is.

2. You can double-tap any space, or move the cursor to an insertion point. A balloon containing Select and Select All buttons will pop-up.

If you choose Select, the passage of text immediately proceeding will be highlighted. Choosing Select All selects, uhm, everything (duh). Either way, the selection highlight box has start and end handles you can grab to finesse your selection.

3. For apps in which you are viewing and not editing text, say, Safari, you double-tap and hold on a column of text to highlight it—that’s tap-tap-hold. In the same way Safari knows how to zoom-to-fit a column of text when you double-tap it, it highlights any text that is in the section you double-tap-and-hold as a box with four handles. Grabbing the top or bottom one expands the selection one paragraph at a time, while grabbing the left or right one invokes the magnifying loupe so you can finesse the start and end of your selection. This works the same way in Mail if you are reading and not composing an e-mail.

To undo pasting, simply give your iPhone a shake to bring up a pop-up.

The other big thing about cut, copy and paste is that you can now select multiple photos to attach to an e-mail. In both existing and previous versions of iPhone OS, you can attach only one per e-mail.

Better SMS Management

Long overdue, you can now forward an SMS, and individually delete one from a conversation thread. ‘Nuff said.

MMS

About time, too! While Apple clearly prefers everyone send stuff via e-mail, the fact that many people are still using cell phones with lousy e-mail clients, not to mention not everyone has a data plan for their cell phones, MMS still has a place in my mobile computing life.

In composing a new message, there is now an icon of a camera next to the writing field. Tapping on it brings up an action sheet that lets you choose between taking a new photo and attaching one from the Camera Roll.

In addition to sending picture messages, you can also send voice memos, contact information cards, and video clips. While the iPhone 3G is incapable of video recording at the moment, it can accept video MMS just fine.

Spotlight and Search

While you are on the first page of the Home Screen, flick your finger to the right and you can search for contacts, notes, mail, calendar, applications, music, video, podcasts and audiobooks.

Native apps such as Mail, Notes, and Calendar (only in List view) now sport a Search bar. When in Mail, you can continue a search on the server.

Landscape Mode in Native Apps

Safari, Messages (previously SMS), Mail, Notes, and Contacts now sport landscape mode. Personally, I find this most useful for Mail and Notes. The only native app that is still missing landscape mode is Calendar, though I am pretty certain this will change closer to the release date.

Notes Syncing

Notes will sync to Apple Mail on the Mac and Outlook on Windows. In Apple Mail, Notes appear in the Reminders section of Mail’s sidebar. You may have to turn on Reminders to see this; it took me a while to figure this out.

Data Tethering

This one’s for the mobile road warrior. Prior to getting a 3G modem for my laptop, I have always relied on hooking it up with a cell phone to get Internet access while on the move. Now, with 3.0, you can tether your iPhone via Bluetooth or the sync cable for Internet access. It’s plug-and-play; nothing to configure, and no need to install or fiddle around with modem scripts.

Voice Memo

This is a new native app debuting with iPhone OS 3.0. You can start a voice memo and continue recording even when you quit to the Home Screen. Voice memos sync to iTunes, into its own playlist.

Enhancements in iPod app

When playing a podcast or audiobook, you now have finer control when you scrub the time bar, in additional to new options such as 30-second rewind and variable playback speed.

Enhancements in the Phone app

iPhone’s Phone app now displays more details for each incoming and outgoing call.

Enhacements to Wireless Connectivity

With 3.0, you’ll be able to play a game peer-to-peer, a feature I’m sure will appeal to owners of handheld gaming devices.

On the Bluetooth front, stereo Bluetooth (A2DP) is finally here. AVRCP, which lets you control play, pause, fast-forward and rewind by Bluetooth currently works on a rudimentary level in 3.0, but will likely be available in the final release.

There is nothing regarding Bluetooth file transfers, something I really hope 3.0 will have.

Lastly, 3.0 will unlock Bluetooth on the 2nd-gen iPod touch; the Nike+ transmitter is a Bluetooth chip all along.

I have been using beta versions of 3.0 for almost a month now, and I can safely say that, feature-wise, iPhone OS 3.0 finally brings the iPhone up to parity with competing phones already on the market. Many buyers who had written off the iPhone 3G for what it lacked will be taking a closer look when 3.0 lands in June.

As for you and I here in Singapore, you can probably expect SingTel to have the new iPhone in August 2009. But I suspect we could have it as soon as no later than a week or two after it becomes available in the US, since the groundwork for laying the infrastructure needed for distribution, support and the such has already been done last year.

In the meanwhile, as June draws nearer, you can expect SingTel to begin offering the iPhone 3G at attractive prices in order to clear out its existing stock. If you are looking to get an iPhone, I’d advise you to hold out for two more months; 3.0, both software and hardware, is going to be big, and will be worth the wait.