iPhone 3G

Looking to bring some of the best features of iOS 7 to older devices, such as the original iPhone or the iPhone 3G? For those iPhone fans who are still rocking these Apple-unsupported devices, Whited00r provides a custom firmware option to modernize their look and feel. Whited00r is fully optimized for the older hardware, and completely customizable by the user.

The latest version of Whited00r supports both the iPhone 3G and iPhone 2G, as well as the iPod touch first and second generation. Besides replicating the design and features of iOS 7, Whited00r is engineered for speed. Should the look of iOS 4.2.1 or iOS 3.1.3 be missed, reversing a Whited00r installation is achieved by simply restoring to original Apple firmware via iTunes.

iPhone 3G users were disappointed when Apple's iOS 4.0 made their devices all but unusable due to sluggish performance and short battery life. The iOS 4.1 update was a step in the right direction, with iPhone 3G owners reporting that Apple had made significant improvements. With the release of iOS 4.2 coming any day now, many are wondering if upgrading the firmware on their devices will speed things up even further or lead to more problems.

Apple has released the golden master of iOS 4.2, which is the last version that goes to developers before public release via iTunes. The iPhone Blog has thoroughly tested iOS 4.2 on the iPhone 3G and they have revealed that iOS 4.2 runs pretty smoothly in a video demonstration.

Many iPhone 3G owners have complained of poor performance and other issues after installing iOS 4 on their devices. The new operating system limits features such as multitasking on the older hardware to keep an acceptable level of performance. Unfortunately something went wrong and Apple has been investigating why iOS 4 brought so many iPhone 3G units to a crawl.

Fortunately, the company is poised to release iOS 4.1, a major update that's already in beta 3 with developers. Joel Evans over at ZDNet has confirmed a vast improvement in iPhone 3G performance with the iOS 4.1 firmware update. In fact, he reports that some functions on the iPhone 3G are faster with iOS 4.1 that they were using 3.1.3. This is welcome news for iPhone 3G owners, whose problems were overshadowed by reception issues on the iPhone 4 antenna.

Unfortunately for some iPhone 3G users the iOS 4 update did not go very well. Reports have surfaced that the new firmware has problems running on the older hardware. The good news is that Apple is working on iOS 4.1, which will alleviate many of the problems with iPhone 3G compatibility.

In the meantime, upgraders have experienced premature battery drain and excessive heat coming from their devices. Performance has slowed to a crawl for some users as speed issues dominate, with many unable to run simple tasks without a headache.

It's only happened once before, but another iPhone model is about to become history. The iPhone 3G was launched on July 11, 2008, meaning early adopters of the model will see their two-year service contracts expire just as their devices become one step closer to obsolete.

Apple recently announced the original iPhone (iPhone 2G) would not be supported in iPhone OS 4, the latest and greatest iPhone operating system coming this summer. Although no such announcements have been made about the 3G model, supplies are said to be short and reports have indicated that Apple has ceased shipments of the device.