Steve Jobs

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.

When Steve Jobs announced, at the September 5th Apple media event, that Apple was cutting $200 off the price of the iPhone, many a cheer was heard across the US. However, almost as resounding were the jeers of early iPhone adopters who had essentially paid $200 for the privilege of owning an iPhone for two months or less.

Though penalizing early adopters financially isn't a foreign concept to Apple, and is in fact a reality that many Mac faithfuls accept, the magnitude of this scenario exceeded anything seen before by Apple customers. As a result, countless emails and complaints were reportedly received by Apple by customers who had purchased the iPhone previous to the price reduction.

In an open letter, published on the Apple website, Steve Jobs has offered an apology to the community. In the letter, he states