The tech world is buzzing today with news of Apple's new iPhone 3GS, a device that's likely to entice mobile computing geeks. We're especially looking forward to giving the new three megapixel autofocus camera a try, as well as test whether the much touted faster speeds hold true.

We've yet to see the new 3GS in action, so we asked a few Seattle iPhone app developers (several of whom were at the launch today in San Francisco) what they like and dislike about it. Here's what they had to say. (Feel free to add your thoughts in the comments.)

Hal Mueller, founder of Mobile Geographics:

What most excites you about the new iPhone? "My focus as a developer is on map-related software. In the new phone, I'm most excited about the compass, which will allow map and GIS applications to orient themselves to the phone's orientation, in the same way that you orient a paper map. I don't have any particular applications in mind for this new functionality but the wheels are turning."

What feature do you wish it had?  "The missing feature for me is an SD card or some other removable storage. That would be a terrific enhancement for the customer who wants to take along large amounts of custom maps or images, and for video and photo capture."

Aaron Brethorst, developer of Slate Poll Tracker:

Brethorst

What most excites you about the new iPhone? "I'm excited about the faster CPU and more capable camera."

What feature do you wish it had? At the same time, I'm infuriated that Apple and AT&T are going to charge me at least $500 for the new 3GS. I'd love to be able to build new applications that are made possible by the new capabilities in the 3GS' camera, but it's immensely frustrating to me that I'm getting gouged for the privilege of helping to make Apple's platform more appealing to new users who'll be picking up the same phone for $199 or $299."

Damon Danieli, co-founder of Zero260:

What most excites you about the new iPhone? "I like two things from a developer point of view: 1) The new price models will bring us a lot more customers.  There was (an) audible gasp when they announced the $99 price point of the 3G and $199 for the 32GB 3GS. 2) Push Notifications: The ability to notify mobile users even when their phone is in sleep mode will open up a whole new set of applications."

What feature do you wish it had? "Better network connectivity (through different providers or technology).  Right now, I cannot get an EDGE connection in the middle of downtown San Francisco.  This has to change if we want to raise the level of communication between devices."

John SanGiovanni, co-founder of Zumobi.

SanGiovanni

What most excites you about the new iPhone? “Even with the ever-more-accurate WWDC speculation from the rumor community, it always amazes me how Apple continues to have the ability to surprise and delight with unexpected new twists. Touch-based video cropping; voice-based Genius interop; improved bandwidth.  We’re also super excited about the new APIs – enhanced OpenGL featureset, programmatic access to video capture.  So cool.”

“From the perspective of our network, most of our users will not upgrade their hardware, so we’re thankful that many of the 3.0 enhancements will have featureset and performance implications to users of 1st and 2nd-generation devices.  In our tests, Apple’s new HTML renderer is insanely fast.  With the upgrade to the 3.0 ROM, most of our apps will automatically get faster by up to 60 percent, with only minor code changes.  Can’t wait to start partying on 3.0 notifications, video, and more!”

What feature do you wish it had? “In the new pricing model, you can still choose to either distribute a free app or a paid app.  However, only paid apps can be ‘upgraded’ with additional in-app modules (such as issues, items, or levels), or monthly recurring fees.  You can’t distribute a free app that offers a taste of a content experience, then upgrades to enhanced content or features, which we feel would be a cool twist.  That said, we completely understand why Apple made that choice.”
 
Chad Kirby, creator of the OneCalc application:

What most excites you about the new iPhone? "The video recording features and improved camera! The best camera is the one you always have at hand, and in my case, that's the iPhone. So, with 3GS, my camera just got better, and I'm super-excited about that as an iPhone user.

As a developer, to be honest, I haven't checked out the 3.0 SDK in any great detail, so I can't speak about that. However, I'm pretty excited to check out the voice-control SDK. When Apple sets its collective mind to it, it can make it pretty easy for developers to use very advanced features. I think there's a lot of opportunity around using voice as a primary or auxiliary input device, and I'll be looking into that in future.

Also--speed. Speed is good. I want to do some apps involving real-time audio synthesis, and more faster is more better."

What feature do you wish it had? "I wish it were easier to incorporate haptic feedback into user interfaces. I haven't heard that the 3.0 SDK has improved in this area. I would also like to have heard Apple address some of the complaints about its opaque and capricious app approval process (not to mention developer relations in general).

I also wish they had a better solution for running processes in the background. Push notifications are better than nothing (and are really good for some things), but they are a poor substitute for many potential uses of background apps."

Derek Del Conte, co-founder of Innerfence:

Del Conte

What most excites you about the new iPhone? "I'm excited about both the upcoming 3.0 release and today's iPhone hardware announcements:

1) Integration between apps and hardware accessories in 3.0. We're really excited to be working on a card swiper (magnetic swipe reader) that works with the iPhone. The great thing for our customers is that not only will swiping cards be much faster, but they can qualify for better Visa/MasterCard rates.

2) The lower price point ($99) of the existing iPhone 3G. At this price point, it's tough not to recommend an iPhone to everyone. For developers, this means more potential customers in the App Store."

Kenneth Wong of SoftBox Group:

What most excites you about the new iPhone? "Speed and memory which means less resource constraint for the developer.... Video capabilities and the apps that could be developed around it."

What feature do you wish it had? "Front facing camera.... There was a rumor that there would be another camera on the LCD screen which could enable video conferencing. But that didn't happen.... Cheaper upgrade plans by AT&T. Looks like current 3G users will have to pay an additional $200. This could limit the 3Gs Hardware audience and apps that can target it."

Michael Schneider, founder of HiveBrain:

Schneider

What most excites you about the new iPhone?

1)  In App Payments.  This is a big deal because it enables dirt simple payment transactions on the phone.  If a user wants to buy an additional feature for an app, it can be purchased with a few clicks from within an app.  The charge would show up on the user's iTunes account.

2)  $99 base-price for the current 3G iPhone.  Lower prices means more devices and more customers in the App Store.

3)  Magnetic Compass Functionality.  This will allow developers to create very unique apps that take advantage of position and direction.  Think Wii-mote like functionality.

4)  Better camera with auto focusing lens and macro abilities.  They didn't talk about this in the keynote much, but this feature will enable OCR and scanner like applications.  Text doesn't photograph well on the current iPhone.

What feature do you wish it had? 1)  There were rumors of video conferencing capabilities with a front facing camera.  This isn't a disappointment from a development standpoint, but I think it would have driven lots of sales of the device.

2)  AT&T's failure to support Apple's initiatives.  MMS functionality apparently wont be available on AT&T until much later than the international carriers.

Michael Burford, founder of Headlight Software:

What most excites you about the new iPhone? "The most exiting news I saw was the announcement of the $99 version of the iPhone.  I think that gets to a critical price point where if you're looking for a phone, there is no reason to not get an iPhone. As an app developer, the more people with an iPhone, the better."

What feature do you wish it had? "The simple thing that I wish it had was a little light when you had new email or other messages.  A small blinking light on the top or front would be easier and faster than unlocking the iPhone to check."

Daniel Pasco, CEO of Black Pixel:

What most excites you about the new iPhone? "As a game developer, I'm most excited about the faster processor and OpenGL 2.0 support.  Both of these additions will allow us to create high performance titles that look great.  The compass also figures heavily in some of our upcoming two player games. Another thing that I'm very excited about is the $99 price point for the iPhone 3G.  This new market segment is going to represent a very large number of new potential customers for our titles."

What feature do you wish it had? "Only the ability to get one today."