I’ve updated to iPhone OS 3.0 build 7a341, which is said to be Final/Gold Master and these are my initial impressions in short form.

Installation

• Performed full backup and sync in iTunes 8.2 before restoring 3.0 new firmware
• Update process is very smooth and doesn’t take too long

Springboard

• Some first-party icons have been refreshed. Messages, iPod, Phone now have a slight diagonal stripe pattern in the background.
• New Voice Memos App

Spotlight

• Search is the left of the Home screen as expected
• Works well, launching apps as necessary
• Once in Spotlight, ways to exit out is swipe back or press home key

General

• OMG COPY PASTE!!!!!
• Works exactly as demo’d. I can die in peace now
• Spy glass to set cursor appears to be larger now. A welcome change
• Horizontal keyboards everywhere… well, almost. Third party apps (i.e. Facebook) haven’t implemented it

Phone

• Recents lists now shows which number was called (i.e. mobile, work) or location (i.e. IL, USA)
• Additionally, outbound calls have a small icon to distinguish them from inbound
• Viewing recent call details shows more information including timestamp and length
• Number Keypad looks updated, though I can’t specifically detail what changed
• Visual Voicemail shows which number (i.e. work, mobile)

iPod

• App requires the library be “updated”. Didn’t take very long
• Nothing new here except search at the top of the index, as with many apps

Messages

• Vertical keyboard keys looks slightly smaller to accommodate more space between them
• Rotating to landscape keyboard works well. Very nice to have bigger keys!
• No MMS on AT&T, as expected

Camera

• Icon to view Camera Roll is initially blank
• After taking a picture, it will always show the last picture taken
• Camera seems more choppy than before

Settings

• “General?Home?Double-click the Home button for:?Search” is new
• “General?Home?Search Results” is new: to configure which items are indexed
• “Safari?AutoFill” is new. Must manually turn on to auto-fill forms and remembers logins

Safari

• Browser seems a bit more responsive, especially when accessing search or URL fields
• Typing seems quicker, less laggy

Calendar

• Availability setting now present (Busy, Free, Tentative, Out of office)

Stocks

• Hold Stocks app horizontal for larger stock chart
• Can scroll through new charts “around the world”. i.e. last wraps to first and vice versa

Mail

• Touch & Hold a URL to copy it

I’m still trying to pin down exactly how it works, but I noticed that when using the ESPN ScoreCenter app, I can select entire blocks of text to copy. More later.