Apple Announces iPhone Software Update & SDK Release Date

[shadowfax]

We better not start getting charged for updates.

You do get charged for updates. Anyone remember how much of our monthly Cell Phone Bill goes to Apple? It'll make that $20 upgrade for iPod Touch users look like CHUMP CHANGE. On the other hand, we're getting a good deal in the US because our cell bills are pretty competitive no matter whom the bill is going to.

 

[Leney]

What do you mean no updates? This is a pretty major update and the previous weren't nothing to sneeze at.

Just one bit of this update, google mapping, looks like a major rewrite of the app. Frankly I don't get the negativity. The download is like 160 some Megabytes of code, and that isn't an update.

Dave

The updates weren't criticized. The comment was directed to the fact that there has been no new hardware change although it's been speculated about since the iphone was released.

 

[McGiord]

Updates are meant to be free.

That was part of the marketing they did when they showcased the iPhone.
3rd party apps may not be free, most will be shareware, and current available ones are free. I'm ok to pay for a good app that satisfy a need.

Charging the Touch owners $20 to make their Touchs closer to the iPhone is a test they are doing, and it's not fair specially if the new Touchs will have all the new apps.

Why didn't charge TV owners? Because they know they will loose more than what they'll gain.

I am against paying for updates.

Upgrades are a different thing.

If you pay more than what you should, you will make a case for to start charging for anything. I feel sorry for the Tocuh owners.
________
Mini (BMW)

 

[foneschlomo]

You do get charged for updates. Anyone remember how much of our monthly Cell Phone Bill goes to Apple? It'll make that $20 upgrade for iPod Touch users look like CHUMP CHANGE. On the other hand, we're getting a good deal in the US because our cell bills are pretty competitive no matter whom the bill is going to.

Yeah, if you remember one of the apple financial calls, they went over this. TV and iPhone revenue is booked in increments over a 2-year span because due to some bizarre accounting rule they can be considered out of compliance if they offer free updates. Not sure how MacOS updates can be free, but I remember it started with Airport.

 

[pedroistheman]

oh man, do I regret updating or what. This sucks. The new map feature keeps giving me about a 3 mile radius...a cool feature but not worth losing my pages and pages of apps. And the ability to move your bookmarks as icons on the home screen just reminds me of all the great apps I once had. This update is nothing more than a prep for February when the sdk is released. So if u have a hacked iPhone, I advise u NOT to update. Its a mistake. Just wait for the real apps to come out.

In conclusion, this app is nothing more than the common "customize" app. Great if u have some real apps to rearrange, but pointless when u are simply cycling through pages of web links.

 

[mmcneil]

Traffic Feature on iPhone

Is the Traffic feature new or have I just not been exploring my iPhone enough?

 

[cybereal]

Is it just me or does anyone else think that the Camera app is smoother and focuses faster?

Smoother? I don't notice that. And focusing faster? That would be amazing since there is no focusing in the iPhone!

Maybe you're noticing a difference in how it adjusts the sensors for lighting. I think they adjusted the algorithm for light adjustments, it seems to do a better job in my apartment which is mostly low, spotlighted environments which is just a mess for most simpler cameras.

 

[Cleverboy]

The story should be updated to say that the "release date" was "LATE FEBRUARY". That's the only "new" news, and the article doesn't comment on it. Previously, it was "February". Now its "Late February". To be expected (like the iPhone release date), but there was always the possibility of running ahead of schedule.

~ CB

 

[jbommelje]

help!

okay so i finally got through to the server and downloaded the new update. i do not have a hacked iphone so i expected it to go just fine. when it finished downloading, i started to install it, then the phone shut off and on about 5 times, then finally turned back on but it has a picture of the cable plugging into the iTunes logo. then i get a message saying "iTunes has detected an iPhone in recovery mode. You must restore the iPhone before it can be used with iTunes" after saying "**** **** ****" many times because this shouldnt happen, i try to restore. then i get a message saying something along the lines of "This device can not be detected" so it just sits there. i would be pissed if i had to restore it and lose all of my **** for no reason, but at least i have a working phone. anyone have any ideas?

 

[nicoboss]

Smoother? I don't notice that. And focusing faster? That would be amazing since there is no focusing in the iPhone!

Maybe you're noticing a difference in how it adjusts the sensors for lighting. I think they adjusted the algorithm for light adjustments, it seems to do a better job in my apartment which is mostly low, spotlighted environments which is just a mess for most simpler cameras.

I agree - takes way better pictures and the preview is not as "jaggy" - did an amazing job at taking inside pictures with a great auto-white balance.
It also loads and shows the pictures faster.

Finally, they seem to have improved the scrolling thing a bit - it feels a lot "smoother" (just check switching between locations in the weather section - it is wayyy better).

I do not believe this update should be overlooked - not only do they add features to the phone, but they do a lot of fizxing in the background they do not necesarly communicate – with each update the overall stability, performance, security of your phone is improved (thank god because this little machine is far from being perfect...).

Overlooking an iphone update is like overlooking OSX system updates/security patches.

 

[penguy]

I haven't figured out how to access the lyrics in this update...has anyone else?

 

[thefourthpope]

I agree with you on the cut and paste and phone numbers, but everything else has worked flawlessly for me. Driving directions from cntacts still work, and are much improved thanks to the "current location" feature, and all my syncing (though I only use Mac software) had been smooth. And I do appreciate the webclips, because I finally have a dictionary--or at least and easy way to reach dictionary.com.

I was able to download and install the update after a few hours of waiting. A few observations;

-Driving direction functionality no longer works when looking up addresses from the address book
-Triangulation has worked flawlessly thus far
-Still no copy & paste
-Rearranging icons is a nice feature, but mostly worthless at this point
-Webclips works as advertised
-Phone numbers listed as notes in either the calendar or notes application still do not link to make a phone call.
-Reset my gmail IMAP account. I must now go back through all the messages again to mark as read.
-The phone is now incorrectly syncing contacts with Outlook on Windows XP. I am not sure why and iTunes lacks the control to fix the problem
-Still fails to sync email via Outlook on Windows XP
-Still unable to sync bookmarks with anything other than Internet Explorer on the PC (how about Firefox Apple?)

Overall, I find this update extremely buggy and very lacking. The couple of new features are impressive but several key usability enhancements are still curiously absent in this update.

 

[thefourthpope]

Is the Traffic feature new or have I just not been exploring my iPhone enough?

it's been there the whole time. one of their ads mentioned it.

 

[megfilmworks]

I haven't figured out how to access the lyrics in this update...has anyone else?

See post #149

 

[Cleverboy]

I feel sorry for the Tocuh owners.

Why? Because they're getting 5 new apps for $20? Both the iPhone AND the Apple TV were not everything Apple wanted them to be when they were released. They said as much, and promised new features through FREE software updates. iPhone owners already pay Apple a portion of their monthly cellphone bill to compensate them for software updates. The Apple TV was the other product Apple said in their quarterly conference call, that would have its profits be calculated over a 2 year period, so that they can properly account for substantive features/value additions over time. Now... if that's not enough, in order to retrofit these apps to the iPod Touch, Apple had to do a number of things other than just testing them. For the Google MAPS feature, they made sure they scored a licensing deal with Skyhook to use their WiFi node triangulation, so Touch owners needn't lose out for not having access to cell towers. Comped in with the cost of the device, Apple has provide technical support and catch possible security breeches/exploits. Touch owners were never promised anything more than what they got (otherwise, why buy it?) It's really not that much money. You'll never pay as much as iPhone owners do. Meanwhile, I'm happy for Apple TV owners. I'm tempted to jump on eBay myself, and buy some wireless AppleTV goodness.

oh man, do I regret updating or what.

If you hacked your iPhone, WHY DON'T YOU JUST WAIT? As someone who hacked my iPhone, and restored it long ago, its kind of weird to keep watching the waves of people who "upgrade" THE DAY of the release and then complain that it wasn't worthwhile to them. That's why I don't visit Gizmodo anymore. They'll give you the skinny, nice and loud. No need to complain that you hacked your phone, and then lost your hacks, and then couldn't downgrade to get them back.

I agree with you on the cut and paste and phone numbers, but everything else has worked flawlessly for me.

Same here, but I don't agree on the cut and paste either. It's on my wishlist too, but I think its ridiculous to look for it like it was promised, and when you can't find it, list it as a disappointment. I'm in the camp where I bought the phone forwhat it DOES (not what I'm expecting it to do). I send in my requests to Apple, I report my bugs, and in the meantime, I'm pretty happy (if I'm not crashing)... cause the phone is doing everything I expect it to. When new features come, I'm excited, and I'm even happier if they turn out to be well implemented. I just got back from extensively testing the location feature. It's AMAZING! Getting directions, and then "updating" your position on the blue-line is a thrill. I'd previously used "Navizon", and was even dutifully willing to pay them. Instead, Apple rolls the feature in as part of my subscription/purchase. Excellent. The homepage stuff isn't too shabby either. Do I want cut & paste? Sure DO. Until then, I'm not going to download each iPhone update and then turn up my nose and say "where's cut and paste"? It's pointlessly unconstructive.

~ CB

 

[pedroistheman]

okay, right now the most accurate "current location" is within a 20 mile radius. Im not exaggerating! Now i don't live in a huge city or anything but I would think apple could do a little better. I still like the looks of that external gPS device for a real reading that is consistent.

 

[Cleverboy]

okay, right now the most accurate "current location" is within a 20 mile radius. Im not exaggerating! Now i don't live in a huge city or anything but I would think apple could do a little better. I still like the looks of that external gPS device for a real reading that is consistent.

Sometimes trying it twice in the same location helps. I've actually gotten it to point to the exact street I'm on. It's not Apple though. It's Google... and NO, I don't think they can do better. The methodology is only ever going to be a triangulated approximation. I don't see myself bothering with parts foundary at this point unless it can integrate directly with this system and retrieve coordinates very quickly (at least twice as fast as this method).

~ CB

 

[bretm]

ERRR I don't get it. Why are you managing your mail on your phone? That's sorta what the computer is for, you know? It's the whole point of sync.

ok, so i did this wonderful update, but now 2 things happen.

1: i now have 2500 messages in my inbox. what the hell! i dont want to delete each of those individually. what do i do?

2: in my mail accounts on the phone, i now have like sub headings it says gmail, all mail etc... what is that, how do i get rid of it?


all in all, some good features, i just dont want to spend 4 hours deleting 2500 messages

 

[TitoC]

Love reading the different reactions/comments/notes on the latest 1.1.3 iPhone update. Personally, I'm going to try to wait it out as long as I can before updating (it looks very tempting though). But still loving way too many of my 3rd-party rights right now to give them up:

(1) Voice Notes for recording on the iPhone
(2) VNC Connection between my iPhone and my desktop computer (VNSea App)
(3) The Drag and Drop features between my iPhone and my desktop computer (DropCopy)
(4) Terminal command line app
(5) Viewing all my stored PDFs with PDFViewer
(6) Dashbuster App for adding, editing, viewing my Blockbuster movie rental selections, Queues, etc.
(7) Finder App for moving, deleting, modifying, making alias' of ANY of my files, right from the iPhone
(8) Search App for . . . . well, searching on my iPhone
(9) CameraPro for getting a whole lot of extra functionality to the Camera App (Digital Zoom, Burst feature rapid photo shots, B/W or color feature, etc.
(10) Listen App. Just simply put your iPhone up to any stereo speaker and find out the artist, song name, album, etc.
(11) Video Apps (beta still, but pretty cool nonetheless) like Drunknbass and Showtime
(12) Customize App to . . . . well, customize a lot of my iPhone settings
(13) Summerboard to really tweak out my iPhone
(14) Being able to SSH directly to my iPhone
(15) Apollo to IM with all of my friends and co-workers
(16) Converter App to convert just about anything (just like the Apple Converter widget)
(17) Sketches (Etch-a-Sketch)
(18) Games, games and more games . . . such as FiveDice (Yahtzee), Blackjack, Chess, BallFight, BlockPuzzle, the many, many iPhysics games (GREAT games), Dominoes, Othello, Backgammon, Towers of Hanoi, ContraSense, etc.

. . . the list goes on.
Hopefully this version can be Jailbreaked so I can have all of these Apps PLUS all the new cool features in the latest update. It looks like it might be a tough cookie to break. We'll see.

 

[TitoC]

ok, so i did this wonderful update, but now 2 things happen.

1: i now have 2500 messages in my inbox. what the hell! i dont want to delete each of those individually. what do i do?

2: in my mail accounts on the phone, i now have like sub headings it says gmail, all mail etc... what is that, how do i get rid of it?


all in all, some good features, i just dont want to spend 4 hours deleting 2500 messages

First off, that usually is not supposed to happen. You might get that if you did a "Restore" and didn't delete you email messages off of your server, but usually not in a simple Update.

Having said that, what I usually do is to delete all of my emails from my server before Updating or doing a Restore. I use the Apple Mail program and there is a preference setting to delete all of your emails from the server at certain intervals (every day, week, month, etc.) as well as a button right next to that that will say "Remove Now." Most email programs have this.

Thought this might help. Good luck.

 

[penguy]

See post #149

thank you. I missed that one. Nice little extra.

I'm another that is pleased by the continuing improvements. The SDK is what most of us are waiting for. But any improvements are welcome.

 

[thegman1234]

okay so i finally got through to the server and downloaded the new update. i do not have a hacked iphone so i expected it to go just fine. when it finished downloading, i started to install it, then the phone shut off and on about 5 times, then finally turned back on but it has a picture of the cable plugging into the iTunes logo. then i get a message saying "iTunes has detected an iPhone in recovery mode. You must restore the iPhone before it can be used with iTunes" after saying "**** **** ****" many times because this shouldnt happen, i try to restore. then i get a message saying something along the lines of "This device can not be detected" so it just sits there. i would be pissed if i had to restore it and lose all of my **** for no reason, but at least i have a working phone. anyone have any ideas?

iTunes makes a backup of your phone, plus if you sync your contacts, they'll be in Address Book on your computer. You should be fine, unless of course iTunes can't figure out that the backup it has goes to that phone. Though I'm not sure if that would happen, and if it did what you could do about it. But nevertheless you should be fine as long as you sync your contacts (and let them copy into Address Book) and you keep your music in the iTunes music folder.

 

[wizard]

Why no 16gig version for the iPhone?

I'm with you on this! I showed up at the Apple store when the keynote was like half way through expecting to see either new iPhones or a new Touch. Got neither. A big disappointment considering that MWSF is very much a consumer oriented show.

Personally I'm hoping that Apple will debut upgraded hardware for both devices at the time the SDK is delivered.

How difficult is that? That's the only reason for me not buying an iPhone Today. 8 gig won't cut for me unfortunately.

Exactly. For me there is nothing else wrong with the iPhone except for its limited storage.

Man, tired of waiting.

Well we can only hope that people start to wise up and put off purchasing new iPhones. If Apples sales dropped from 20000 a day to 200 that would give them a little incentive to keep product current. In a nut shel it is the only recourse we have as consumers, that is make the company hurt in the pocket book.

Dave

 

[wizard]

The updates weren't criticized. The comment was directed to the fact that there has been no new hardware change although it's been speculated about since the iphone was released.

Ok I missed that and frankly am in 100% agreement. In fact I was in the Apple store when the keynote was going on specifically to see what was going to happen with iPhone and Touch hardware. If nothing else I need more Flash than iPhone offers up.

So yeah it is a huge problem. The only way I know of to deal with this is to convince people to stop buying until Apple gets the required hardware upgrades in place.

Dave

 

[alFR]

I showed up at the Apple store when the keynote was like half way through expecting to see either new iPhones or a new Touch. Got neither. A big disappointment considering that MWSF is very much a consumer oriented show.

lmao considering that last year everyone was like "Dude, it's MACworld. where's the mac stuff?".