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iOS 4.2 to Bring More Performance Improvements to iPhone 3G?

Monday November 8, 2010 6:40 am PST by Eric Slivka

TiPb posts a video demonstrating the performance of the iPhone 3G under the golden master version of iOS 4.2, revealing what appears to be an improvement over iOS 4.1. While the performance obviously does not match that of the iPhone 4, which offers significantly better hardware than the iPhone 3G, the new software version does seems to make for an improved user experience on the older device.

iPhone 3G's hardware isn't as fast and it's RAM is literally a quarter of iPhone 4's but it did a decent job typing, scrolling, pinching, and zooming its way around iOS 4.2.

Users reported significant issues with the original iOS 4 release on the iPhone 3G, primarily citing issues with performance, but also battery drains and overheating. Apple CEO Steve Jobs noted in response to a customer email on the issue that a software update was forthcoming, and an informal comparison did suggest that iOS 4.1 brought improved performance to the iPhone 3G.

Those improvements have not, however, satisfied all iPhone 3G owners, as one filed suit against Apple late last month, seeking class action status for claims that iOS 4 essentially makes iPhone 3Gs unusable.

In her complaint, Wofford claims that Apple was aware that iOS 4 would cause degraded performance on older iPhones, and she accused Apple of purposely creating an incentive for customers to purchase newer iPhones.

"Apple has falsely, intentionally and repeatedly represented to owners and consumers of the iPhone 3G that its new operating system for the device, iOS4, was of a nature, quality, and a significant upgrade for the functionality of all iPhone devices, when in fact, the installation and use of the iOS4 on iPhone 3G resulted in the opposite - a device with little more use than that of a paperweight," the complaint read.

Apple seeded the golden master version of iOS 4.2 to developers early last week, and many observers are expecting a public release sometime this week.

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