Sidebar Sidebar
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.

Isn't it time for a substantial iPhone software update?

TheSpaz

TheSpaz

macrumors 604
Original poster
Jun 20, 2005
7,032
1
How come it seems like lately there has been next to no iPhone news at all? Apple doesn't seem to be talking about their promised push and the few updates that we got didn't really bring much to the table.

Is this the calm before the storm? Does it usually get all quiet before a huge announcement or did Apple just forget about us? I think we're more than overdue for a substantial update.
 
kzoojason76 said:
Didn't we just have an update to 2.2.1 and a carrier settings update from AT&T?
Click to expand...

Yeah... really... 2.2.1 was huge. And the new Carrier Settings PNG graphic is really nice.

Last winter we got a really big update that allowed iPod touch users to have all the iPhone apps and the ability to reorganize the home screen... as well as support for lyrics and webclips. I thought that was pretty big. I guess what I'm saying is... it's time for Apple to step it up another notch.
 
But your question was: "Has Apple forgotten about the iPhone?"

The answer is no. They recently released an update.
 
There was a quote from Schilling (I think) about product time frames and how Apple are moving away from major events.

In that quote June was mentioned as the iPhone time. Wait until then.

As for software features, I'd rather 3.0 came with lots of new stuff.
 
kzoojason76 said:
But your question was: "Has Apple forgotten about the iPhone?"

The answer is no. They recently released an update.
Click to expand...

You're right. If you take my question in the literal sense, then yes, you are correct. I'll change the thread title so that more people don't get confused.
 
Yes, not only have they forgotten about the iPhone, they forgot what it is and how to use it.

This is due to early senility.
 
emotion said:
There was a quote from Schilling (I think) about product time frames and how Apple are moving away from major events.

In that quote June was mentioned as the iPhone time. Wait until then.

As for software features, I'd rather 3.0 came with lots of new stuff.
Click to expand...

Exactly. Wait until then as everybody else does (including me).
That will be the time when the first adopters and their 24 months contracts will be runing out.
 
OK, new your new title..sure it's time it's still lacking some basic stuff (but again, everyone knows that for sure).
I guess they're waiting with it until June to make it even a bigger upgrade then along with the new hardware.

Maybe they even say that few new features only work on the new generation..to make you wanna upgrade. Let's wait and see.
 
If we are to be treated to crashing applications, inability to handle POP3 mail, and eternal backup times, like we were when we got 2.01, I don't want a big update.
 
iFerd said:
If we are to be treated to crashing applications, inability to handle POP3 mail, and eternal backup times, like we were when we got 2.01, I don't want a big update.
Click to expand...

I hear ya. With new functionality comes new problems. I guess I should be happy they finally got it running almost as smooth as 1.1.4.

I wonder how much work it would be for them to let us add our own SMS tones... it's weird that we can change ringtones, but not SMS tones.
 
You can wait for 3.0 all you want, but it won't be here till the end of July or August at the earliest. We saw what happened with 2.0 and it's delays. Don't be surprised if we see that again.


The real question is whether we'll be allowed to update our iPhone's to the new model if one is indeed released in 2009. If it is, I hope we finally see better battery life and system memory than the current incarnation.
 
I have said for some time that the iPhone development team is badly managed and doesn't actually seem to achieve very much.

I wonder how much time was spent on push for example, given it now appears to almost certainly have been abandoned entirely.

I really hope some of the rumours about 2.3 are true. But I think it's much more likely the easy way out is being taken, and everything is now shunted to 3.0 which will be new hardware only. For some things, like running background apps, that might make sense. For others, like landscape mail support, it doesn't, but Apple just don't seem to give a toss.

Phazer
 
Apple will not move to add these requested features to the iPhone until they see either a slowing of sales or a competitor challenging them because of certain features the iPhone lacks. If they are on top of their target audience, there's no reason to waste time and resources developing features.

Would copy/paste be nice? Sure. I jailbreak just to be able to use it. Will the majority of people use it? Probably not.

MMS, iChat are two things I do believe would be useful to a large majority of users, but Apple isn't losing many sales over not having them. Until they see an alarming number of people pass on iPhone because it lacks MMS, we won't see that either.

PUSH seems like it was a big mess. How a company could announce a feature like that and promise it in September, yet still hold out as late as March of the next year is bizarre to me. It must have been a huge failure for no one to say a word about it. They are lucky they haven't been hit with a false advertising suit because some people may have been expecting that when they bought the phone. Background processes are nice for Pandora/iheartradio, but may drain battery if something like BeeJive is left on for 24 hours at a time.
 
AHDuke99 said:
MMS, iChat are two things I do believe would be useful to a large majority of users, but Apple isn't losing many sales over not having them.
Click to expand...

That's hard to say. Having decent sales doesn't mean that you aren't still losing even more through a few things that should be easy to fix.

For all anyone knows fixing the main issues with the iPhone might improve volumes by five times what they are currently, and sales are beginning to slow.

Phazer
 
The Phazer said:
That's hard to say. Having decent sales doesn't mean that you aren't still losing even more through a few things that should be easy to fix.

For all anyone knows fixing the main issues with the iPhone might improve volumes by five times what they are currently, and sales are beginning to slow.

Phazer
Click to expand...

I'm sure a company of Apple's size has plenty of data suggesting what their customers want. If MMS and such are huge requests, they will get added eventually. 2.0 was a big step in the right direction when you look back to the 1.0 software. They added a lot of stuff that was requested by their power users that they felt would increase their sales. Maybe MMS and copy/paste isn't as widely requested as we all like to think it is? Maybe no one cares about PUSH? We are tech users. the average user may care less.
 
AHDuke99 said:
I'm sure a company of Apple's size has plenty of data suggesting what their customers want. If MMS and such are huge requests, they will get added eventually. 2.0 was a big step in the right direction when you look back to the 1.0 software. They added a lot of stuff that was requested by their power users that they felt would increase their sales. Maybe MMS and copy/paste isn't as widely requested as we all like to think it is? Maybe no one cares about PUSH? We are tech users. the average user may care less.
Click to expand...

I bet even a non tech user is using copy and paste on a daily basis on his Mac/PC...

Sure, I am a a tech user, but I use the copy & paste several times a day on my smartphone for daily tasks. Copying adresses, names, numbers, tasks etc. from one app to another. It makes everything so much easier. I don't see how hard it is to implement that..

True about MMS..I also don't think it's used to widely (I am living in europe). I have used it once. Same goes for Video recording..I only took a few videos to test the quality and never used it again (not because the quality is bad, which it is on an older phone with a VGA camera :rolleyes: but because I haven't needed to shoot a video with my cell.)
 
Attention seeking thread #2?

Your reasoning for a firmware upgrade is because Apple has not had one for a while?

Why don't you restore your phone and pretend it's 2.3 firmware upgrade.
 
I will say copy / paste, video recorder, and the ability to tether when in situations where no internet available is why I keep my phone jailbroken. I do hope Apple does add these features to 3.0 at least. The added touch of YellowSn0w as a soft unlock also is nice for international traveling.
 
CocoaPuffs said:
Attention seeking thread #2?
Click to expand...

Nope. It's a discussion.

If you don't like my thread... don't read it. You can skip over the threads that say "TheSpaz" under them... you know that right?

You only ever have negative things to say. I at least find negatives AND positives about the things I post. I try to look at things both ways before making a decision. I don't automatically disagree with everything everyone says.

When you have something constructive to add, I'll read it and decide if I agree or not.
 
Let's look at the latest upgrades on Apple's primary product lines:

MacBook - October 2008
Ipod/iPod Touch Last Update - September 2008
iPhone - July 2008 (w/February 2009 software update)
iMac - April 2008
Mac Pro - January 2008
Mac Mini - August 2007
Apple TV - May 2007 (w/November 2008 software update)

It looks like Apple really needs to push upgrades across their entire product line, except portables. The iPhone is actually more current than both the Mac Pro and iMac. Look for those to come first. Who knows about the Mini and Apple TV?
 
paduck said:
Let's look at the latest upgrades on Apple's primary product lines:

MacBook - October 2008
Ipod/iPod Touch Last Update - September 2008
iPhone - July 2008 (w/February 2009 software update)
iMac - April 2008
Mac Pro - January 2008
Mac Mini - August 2007
Apple TV - May 2007 (w/November 2008 software update)

It looks like Apple really needs to push upgrades across their entire product line, except portables. The iPhone is actually more current than both the Mac Pro and iMac. Look for those to come first. Who knows about the Mini and Apple TV?
Click to expand...

The real question is... when was 10.5.6 released? That's an update across the board.
 
AHDuke99 said:
I'm sure a company of Apple's size has plenty of data suggesting what their customers want.
Click to expand...

I'm not. Lets not forget, it wasn't so long ago Steve was telling everyone that nobody wanted third party applications on the iPhone and web apps were fine.

Phazer
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Register on MacRumors! This sidebar will go away, and you'll see fewer ads.
Top Bottom
Back