In the 2 years since, I've gained multitasking (of a sort), full real-time sync of email, contacts and calendars (including shared calendars - but I have developments at Google to thank for that, not Apple), a good-enough Reminders / To Do list application, Real-time
But with iOS5 there's a price to pay, and it's performance: my iPhone has gone from snappy, instant response to taking a couple of seconds to load a new App (longer for 3rd party ones). The increase in memory load of the OS is notable in Safari where it's now rare for switching tabs not to cause the page to reload (a sign it's been stolen from memory and now needs to be re-retrieved and rendered), and on occasion I've had 10-second freezes where launching an application has caused some sort of Grim Reaper to go around in the background and start killing off unused apps. All of this is taking it's toll on the User Experience (and also battery life, always the smart phone's Achilles heal).
But my phone is 2 years old, and despite it still being sold (as the entry-level iPhone aimed at emerging markets), I have a feeling Apple have very little interest in spending much time performing the performance tuning and optimization for it. Indeed, if I were a more cynical man than I undoubtedly am, I would suspect that here is an excellent opportunity to Nudge fans of the iPhone like myself towards a replacement purchase: Here are all these great features, they may say, and don't you think they'd work better on a newer phone? Available right now from an Apple Store near you!
Anyway, my iPhone 4S is waiting for me at home once I return from this trip. Damn you, Brain, for being so easily led...
