Apple to Detail iPhone OS 3.0 on March 17th

On Thursday, Apple sent out invitations to a Tuesday, March 17, 10 AM PDT special event in Cupertino to discuss the iPhone OS 3.0 and a new SDK. The invitation doesn't mention new hardware, just new software. Perhaps this means I will be spared the temptation to buy a new iPhone this year. My wallet hopes.

Probably in vain, though, as last year's SDK update for 2.0 was a precursor to the new 3G hardware.

Anyway, despite what people say about the iPhone, it is missing a number of features other phones already have. Things that make people go, huh? Such as:

• Video recording
• Copy-and-Paste
• Landscape mode in email / SMS
• Background processing
• MMS (I've been informed this is in for sure)
• Tethering (AT&T has confirmed this feature was coming in 2009)
• Flash

This will make me hold off on the jailbreak that I, er someone I know, was considering, since a lot of the reason this person was considering doing so was because of some of the missing iPhone features listed above.

On the other hand, you have to assume that iPhone OS 3.0 will make jailbreaking a ton harder, if Apple has anything to say about it.

It also means that Google and Palm will be watching the event carefully. Though, as I stated, in reality Apple is playing catch-up with some of these things, not vice-versa. We'll see what happens on Tuesday.