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iPhone 2.1 Firmware Now Available

Enigmafan420 said:
Interesting-I have not read the release notes-I do find it interesting that they claimed (when 2.0.2 came out) that it would address the issues of dropped calls and poor reception-and now they say something similar (all this is paraphrased of course by me).

So if what you say is true-it appears a deliberate attempt to make people think they are getting a better signal by manipulating the strength meter?!? Weird!
Click to expand...

Unless of course signal strength wasn't the reason the calls were being dropped. ;)
 
I just updated now and ran the field test before and after. My phone went from -91 to -99. This is sitting in the exact same spot. I'm very annoyed that my 3G strength actually got worse. The funny thing is that I know have 5 bars, whereas before I was lucky to have 2. It appears this was all a scheme to make you think there was an improvement.
 
hey guys,

long time reader, first time poster. Had to register to comment.

I really really dont want to be the party pooper so please dont attack me too much. I just want to know why when i do the field test mode thingie i get a -107 reading, but 4 3g bars?

Also, I noticed that when i wake up my phone it has 4-5 bars, but when i unlock it it goes down to just 1 bar. Any reason for that? This has always been the case since i bought my phone.

GPS is not accurate at all with this firmware for me :(. Before it was showing my street, but now its showing the highway thats 3 miles away.

I have to mention though that my house is the ultimate test for cellphone signal and perhaps GPS. GPS is not that big a deal for me since im inside my house, but id still like to know why such a difference. More importantly, id like somebody to further explain to me the whole field test readings vs the 3g bars.

Edge is not even an option in my house....tons of hissing,robot voices,echos that sound like demon choirs, and dropped calls. 3g is a little more stable, but it either works or it starts hissing and then drops.

PS. what i have noticed in the past (too early to tell with this firmware) is that my call quality is SURPRISINGLY more stable when i use headphones instead of putting my ear to the phone. Any explanation for that?
 
macphisto said:
Sending an MMS is not that big of a deal, it is receiving the MMS from other people. The way ATT handles it is a URL with a unique login and password, and unfortunately, it does not work on Safari for the iPhone because the way it serves the image up is a flash interface. So I have to wait until a get to a computer to even look at the MMS. That is simply annoying.

And not everyone has email on their phone to send a photo.
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Maybe they should use a typewriter and mail it to you.
MMS is that outdated.:eek:
 
themadpunter said:
For an accurate test of your 3G signal strength, and to see if the 2.1 update really does someting, other than just bump the bars up visually, put your iPhone into "Field Test Mode" prior to the update and then after the update. Example:

To do so, go to the number pad and type *3001#12345#* hit send.
Look at the numeic indicator next to your carrier logo in the upper left of the screen. The lower the number, the weaker the signal. Keep in mind that all numbers are actually - negative. The closer to 0 the better the signal. This is resulted from the carrier, not from Apple.

-75 gives all 5 bars of strength. Call quality is perfect.
-105 no bars, just barely hanging on to 3G. Call quality is sub par.

to exit field test mode, just hit your home button. Ther are a slew of other things in this mode that you can see, but unless you are a UMTS technician, most of it will be gibberish to you. This will really tell you what is going on behind the scenes of the signal bar.
Click to expand...

Strength:-97
Transmit Power: -128
 
Format of phone number is changed?

I don't know yours, but on mine (Italian International Settings) now I got the correct version of Country Code, Area Code (it recogn also the Area Code of the cell phones) and the numbers. Version < 2.1 were all together and not separed.

Also I noticed the "Carrier Version" which may indicate the Carrier Setting version?

Ciao
Gps
 
djinn said:
I totally agree with you. I switched to the Blackberry Curve cause my iphone kept on having echos with calls. People would call or I would call them and they would hear echo'ing; full signal.

Anyhow, my call quality is better with the Blackberry. For now the iphone is used for gaming or movies when I am on the go.
Click to expand...

For me, I noticed the echo problem is caused whenever I hold the phone on the bottom and half of my hand slightly loops/covers the microphone hole. This caused my hand to magnify the microphone sensitivity and it picked up the sound from the headset which caused echo. As soon as I remove my hand from the microphone hole, the person I was talking to said the echo stopped. This happened numerous times until I learned not to hold the phone in that manner.
 
johata3 said:
I've updated my iPhone 3G to 2.1 (great improvement btw)
But Have anyone noticed how the 3G icon doesn't have the square icon around it? Mine just says 3G. Is this normal?
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no one has noticed this but you. congrats on the awesome find.
 
Helianthus said:
I just updated now and ran the field test before and after. My phone went from -91 to -99. This is sitting in the exact same spot. I'm very annoyed that my 3G strength actually got worse. The funny thing is that I know have 5 bars, whereas before I was lucky to have 2. It appears this was all a scheme to make you think there was an improvement.
Click to expand...

I ran the test and it came out 8 times faster than before the upgrade. Maybe to connection is just fluctuating up and down?
 
Shake to shuffle?

shrub said:
If you shake iPhone when playing music, it shuffles the current playlist
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When I play from a playlist, I can't get the shake to work. Are you sure this is available for the iPhone (I know it's a feature of the new iPods)? I want to make sure before I end up shaking out all the pieces of my iPhone to no avail! :D
 
Donations?

kev21986 said:
Sync time isn't any faster for me. Maybe cut a minute or 2 of the 20 minute backup.

After the first sync the backup is much faster. Now it syncs in 30 to 45 seconds with 10 apps installed.
Click to expand...

Wow! I would donate some other guy's left nut for a 20 minute backup!

My pre-update backup started 2 hours and 34 minutes ago and the progress bar is less than half way across. That has been typical. I thing that it's been since around July 18th since I've had a backup takes less than 3 hours. Over 4 hours has been the norm, so I just quit backing up.
 
cal6n said:
No. Use iPhoto.
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actually you can use the image transfer program on your mac. That's basically what it's there for. it does exactly what the guy was asking for, and some people don't like iphoto. I know i wouldn't install it just to xfer my iphone photos.
 
redcrow240 said:
PS. what i have noticed in the past (too early to tell with this firmware) is that my call quality is SURPRISINGLY more stable when i use headphones instead of putting my ear to the phone. Any explanation for that?
Click to expand...

yeh,
the headphone cable acts as an extra antenna
 
Genius Playlist Creation in the Iphone

I can use this function in my Itunes and see the genius icon in my iphone but still can not figure out how to use in the iphone. When I select a song and tap the screen I see the Genius Icon. I select it and get a message that says
"Genius playlists are not enabled. Use Itunes to enable Genius Playlists."

Can anybody lend me some guidance here?
 
The update has definitely benefited 3G reception for me. Before the update I could not get 3G in my office or even outside; it was always Edge. Now I have 3G, hovering between 3 and 4 bars.
 
signal

papiti said:
OK did the test. Here are my results:

My phone currently has 5 Full bars but the number is -97. So I just think they bumped up the visual bars so that we think we are getting bettr 3G signal.:eek:
Click to expand...

the update is supposed to change the thresholds at which the phone switches to the Edge network it doesn't change the signal strength. it just changes what the phone does with it.
 
JFKinDC said:
The genius tool makes me upset because it makes it perfectly clear what are Job's priorities. Genius is nothing more than a commercial for more music to purchase!!!!

We have been clamoring for more than a year now about cut and paste. If apple refuses to listen to it's customers it is going to become just like Microsoft and sooner or later someone will come out with a better product that will them in the dust. AT&T stores are already promoting RIM products over iPhones. If the iPhone is going to become the infinitely more useful tool that is should be it needs basic, basic utilities that other products have. We all know that 2.5G phones were just duped into beta testing the 3G phone. The iPhone is ultimately making us beta testers for a tablet so they need to focus on the function that users want and stop focusing on stupid music visualizers and music commercials on the phone and give us cut and paste.
Click to expand...

Ha ha you should listen to yourself. Last time I looked Apple was a private company who need to make money, if getting Genius/Pandora functionality into the phone makes people buy more music then so be it, its their business plan, just like a subscription model might be a logical next step to Genius. Copy/Paste would be nice but I live without it, just like all the other millions of people who live without it. I think you buy the conspiracy theories too much, beta testers for a tablet, because the tablet market is bigger than the phone market right? A tablet would be great but come on Apple's upgrade paths are pretty clear, I bought a 3G phone in July, in a years time there will be one with better software, more memory, more stable and cheaper. If I buy an iMac now they will get refreshed in 6 months, 18 months etc.

And RIM? The product is not out yet so let us see how good it is. Personally i hope its better than the iPhone as that will drive Apple and others to further improve their products. Does it listen to its customers? It could do better sure and as it grows it will have to further improve.
 
UK Google Maps - Traffic

I noticed that the Traffic button is no longer disabled in Google Maps. No traffic information is shown though so either it's a bug or they are looking to enable traffic updates very soon... any bets on which one it is? ;)
 
AMAZING !!!!!!

It's faster, the phone finally works like it should no slow down no crash !!! waouuuuu and the backup use to take 30min now 10 sec. I'M in Heaven !!!! :apple::D
 
LAX2TLV said:
You are flat wrong buddy! I have compared db of AT&T HSDPA reception between the iPhone 3G and an HTC TyTN/AT&T 8525—which is not known to have THAT GOOD of reception—and the results were staggering; I don't remember the exact results but the iPhone was <-100 while the TyTN was >-80. Don't make unbacked claims; while at&t's 3G network is far from perfect, the iPhone is very much to blame here.
Click to expand...

my iphone has never lost signal. maybe you got a bad iphone or something because everyone i know att is to blame.
 
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