iPhone Updates

Hot on the heels of the latest iTunes update (8.0.2) the latest iPhone firmware (2.2) was released early this morning. It appears there are some pleasant surprises, as some unexpected features have been added, including a 3G baseband update. This update will not affect first generation iPhones but promises to reduce dropped calls and call setup failures on 3G models.

Other unexpected improvements include improved sound quality of Visual Voicemail messages, enhancements to Mail, and a new use for the Home button. Now from any Home screen pressing the Home button will display the first Home screen. This is a simple change that will cut down on tiresome swipes between screens.

Three more days until the latest iPhone software release. Ever since the September release of firmware 2.1 there has been speculation of what features might be added to 2.2. Confirmed improvements mostly revolve around the maps application, including pedestrian and Google Transit directions, Street View, and location sharing.

Firmware 2.2 also includes improvements to the MobileSafari browser, support for audio input from third-party devices, and over-the-air (OTA) podcasts. Downloads of audio or video podcasts will be limited to 10MB file sizes when using 3G or EDGE, similar to app store downloads.

The beta 2 release of iPhone firmware 2.2 is here. There are major improvements to the Maps application. Directions can now be found in three different modes, for driving, mass transit, and pedestrians. Street View has also been added, and allows the user to see street level photographs of a location just like Google Maps on the web.

When getting public transportation directions, subways and buses are both included along with scheduled times from Google Transit when available. Want to send your location to someone you're supposed to meet? Location sharing is another built-in feature that makes this easy.

Apple has seeded iPhone OS 2.2 beta 1 firmware to developers for "compatibility testing." Along with the new firmware they have also released iPhone SDK build 9M2611 beta. Most of the speculation circles around a few key features that were missed in the 2.1 upgrade. Of course, it seems Apple had its hands full with connectivity issues and a long list of usability problems that had to be addressed first.

Regardless of Apple's NDA it seems that one screenshot was leaked of definite improvements to the MobileSafari browser. The menu bar will more closely resemble the desktop version, placing the URL field and search field next to each other on the same line. The latest Webkits include JavaScript improvements that should also be released with 2.2. No word on whether or not the phishing vulnerabilities in MobileSafari and Mail will be addressed along with this cosmetic change.

The next iPhone firmware update will be released this Friday, according to Steve Jobs at Apple's Let's Rock event in San Francisco. The new version will include fixes for many ongoing problems reported by users in version 2.0.1 and 2.0.2. On the list of fixes is a solution to the application crashing problem, battery life improvement, faster iTunes backup speeds, and other bug fixes.

In addition, firmware 2.1 is purported to solve many connectivity issues and reduce the number of dropped calls. The download will be free for iPhone users, although iPod Touch users who haven't already upgraded to 2.0 will have to shell out $9.95 for the upgrade. Along with the firmware, iTunes has been updated to version 8.0 and is already available for download.

Many users have reported an unknown error message (1602) when attempting to update their iPhones to firmware versions 1.1.3 or 1.1.4. Though there are many documented approaches to solving this problem, none seems to work for everyone. Our readers have reported success using the following approaches:

1) Reset sync history (instructions here)
2) Turn off Auto-lock on the iPhone prior to attempting an update. There is no indication why auto-lock being on would affect the update process, however.

For a variety of reasons, should you need to restore your iPhone, you may not always want to use the most recent version of the iPhone firmware. We've found a good deal of instruction out there that suggests complicated (and likely ineffective) ways of doing this which usually involve disconnecting your PC from the internet during the early stages of the restore process.

Thankfully, there's a much easier, and effective way to restore your iPhone with a particular firmware version of your choosing

Apple's newest update for the iPhone, firmware version 1.1.1 has been released and includes a long list of feature additions, bug fixes, and security enhancements. As always, the new firmware can be installed on your iPhone via the iPhone "check for updates" button in iTunes.

As previously reported, Apple has made it quite clear that applying the update to a modified or "hacked" iPhone can cause permanent and irreparable harm to the device which will NOT be covered under and Apple warranty. if you have performed ANY type of unauthorized modifications to your iPhone (custom ringtones, jailbreaking, custom software, and especially unlocking), make sure to read on and/or research the new update before applying it.

Most iPhone owners out there have been awaiting a second iPhone update as eagerly as they were awaiting the first iPhone update. Well, the good news is, Apple issued the second update, 1.0.2, to the iPhone this evening.

For the time being, it doesn't look like there's too much to talk about surrounding the 1.0.2 update. Information provided by Apple indicates that the update contains only bugfixes and does not

Although we theorized yesterday that the .Mac web gallery integration feature demonstrated at yesterday's Apple media event would come to the iPhone in it's next update - it appears we were wrong. Apparently, this feature has come to many iPhones without any update at all.