This problem is not being exaggerated and the OP is not alone in excessive restores or any other desperate attempts to get their new (and original) iPhone up and running the way it was meant to work. First, click this link below to read just one of the many marathon threads (at Apple Discussions) on the issues that many people (including Technical Professionals) are having, but are being pushed aside due to the MobileMe and 3G Service issues getting all the attention:
http://discussions.apple.com/thread.jspa?threadID=1644897
The problem is within in iTunes v7.7.1 there is something within iPhone 2.01 and the latest iTunes that render *some* iPhones useless at random times. At first, both your gut and AppleCare know that a restore is the only answer (hence the excess restores just to get a working phone again), but after weeks of countless wasted hours, there may be a temporary work around.
With that said, I will never understand why people (who arent suffering from the same hardware/software issues) find the need to reply to these threads with ridiculous comments and unfounded accusations like, well, mines fine so you must have did something to **** yours up. I would say that its people like *that* who turn forums like this into a negative place where negative people who cant relate to the issues at hand, criticize those who are actually having them.
Heres a news flash just because your iPhone (or any other item/software) is working and good enough for you, doesnt mean all is hunky-dory for everyone else. I agree, there are many user-responsible issues, but you cant assume they all are. Also, lets not forget that most people arent power users, and they may not run into problems since they arent using their iPhone to their fullest capacity (as billed).
Everyone uses their iPhones differently. 1st (for me) my iPhone is my little Mac away from home (as its capable of being) so I have several useful and fun Apps installed. 2nd, its my Video iPod so I have a lot of audio and video content loaded which is a pleasure during my daily commute. 3rd, its my pocket internet/email/text communication device, so a steady and (quicker than Edge) connection is imperative. Oh yeah, its also a phone (4th) I get reminded of that when it rings.
So if my iPhone was merely my cell phone and I just had a handful of Apps installed and a couple of playlists loaded, I probably wouldnt be having many problems either. If that were the case, I certainly wouldnt be ignorant and immature and criticize others because they are running into issues that I am not.
Unfortunately, most problems with the iPhone *are* with and due to Apps (one of the main new features of iPhone 2.0) so why question those who actually use (and need) them? The iPhone is a multifunctional device, and all these functions should actually work as Apple tells us they will.
The iPhone isnt just a phone with a few added features, its the modern day Newton. The iPhone is Apples version of the Blackberry, their PDA, PocketPC or Smartphone. Regardless of what you call it, the iPhone is never *just* a phone. Way back when, I was very surprised to learn that the official name was iPhone since the phone is such a small part of the device but thats just me, since we all use the device differently.
Having said that, if youre a user like me and wish to use and enjoy *all* features of the iPhone and all of its (amazing) Apps and media available to the fullest capacity, chances are youre going to run into problems. If youre a light user and just use the native apps and native features your comments and accusations dont apply here. Using Email, Text, Safari and an App or two arent the actions of a power user.
Lets get real here. Little problems and bugs are totally acceptable. Its a new roll-out and there will be some problems to smooth out, connectivity issues, etc. No problem lets cut Apple some slack for a month or two. But, when a device is rendered useless over and over again, and Apple Support acknowledges the problem but doesnt know of a resolution we have a gigantic problem on our hands.
There are issues that are much larger than the MobileMe problems, the reception issues, the cosmetic issues, and all the other problems that have been getting the TechSite headlines. Ironically, the largest issues with the iPhone 3G (and or v2.0 on any iPhone 1) are barely headlined yet many people are suffering from them.
As the hundreds of replies to the countless topics at the Apple Discussion forums will show, here are two *major* problems that many Mac and PC users are having:
- There is some sort of bug in iTunes 7.7.1 that causes some sort of authorization problem or corruption during a Sync which blocks all media content on the iPhone, even though it is clearly still loaded on there. You click on the iPod icon and see the no content screen. This authorization issue (wish seems to happen at random) also blocks access to all Apps on the iPhone. You tap the App icon, it loads for 2 seconds, then closes. These are not App crashes or botched content syncs iTunes is signaling the phone to halt access to all Apps and content but they dont tell you why. It also doesnt give you an error message they just stop working. Usually a restore is needed to get any functionality of the phone back but thats a temporary fix. Until Apple updates iTunes and or the iPhone software, this problem will be back soon. For now, people are downgrading to iTunes v7.7 and have reported success (for now).
- The ALOD (Apple Logo of Death) has been haunting many since the launch of iPhone 2.0. The ALOD usually happens when something goes wrong with an App install (even though the user doesnt do anything to hamper the install/update). Weeks of trouble-shooting suggest that you should stay away from the AppStore on the iPhone itself, and do all installs, uninstalls and updates via iTunes. A mixture of the two should also be avoided. The ALOD wouldnt be too much of an issue if all it needed was a reset (restart) of the iPhone to resolve, but the only way to get back into your iPhone after getting the ALOD is to do (yet another) full device restore. Ive had the ALOD on screen for 2 hours hoping it would load my fully configured iPhone but it never did. Another restore was performed there was no other choice (per Apple).
During the last 4 weeks or so, I personally, *had* to do 25+ restores (from scratch as new) in order to get a working phone in my hands. I was also getting replacement iPhones before I found out what was causing these issues, and before I learned of some workarounds (which dont always work). I hate that I still cant fully enjoy my iPhone, or that when I click on the iPod icon I cant help but cringe to see if its going to show my media content, or tell me that there is no content (even though there are over 5 gigs of content loaded). Stress and anxiety shouldnt be what one feels when trying to enjoy their $500 iPhone (subsidized or not).
For most people a replacement wouldnt help as these problems are not hardware related theyre mostly software related. Unfortunately, many people didnt realize this until they were on their 2nd and 3rd iPhone. Of course, by that time theyve noticed drastic difference in displays (and build quality) from one iPhone to another and gave up a perfectly good display thinking their issues were hardware related.
It is at this point that people realize that Apple is using more than one supplier for their iPhone displays (which is normal practice), but the displays are not of the same quality. Warmer versus cooler preferences aside, some of the displays are gorgeous, some are so-so and others are just horrible.
Personally, I noticed some displays that were slightly warmer, suffered the negative black effect, but had good color, blacks and contrast. Other displays had a more cooler tone but lacked contrast and were a bit washed out looking. The worst display I saw had yellow/green tones with a washed out look and also suffered from the black negative effect. These were replacement iPhones over various build weeks. In NY & NJ, the in-store display iPhones (all showing week 26 whatever that means) all had gorgeous displays with rich color tones, high contrast, whiter whites, and no negative effect.
I was lucky to get a replacement with a gorgeous display and excellent build quality. But there shouldnt be a huge consistency problem. Getting a good one shouldnt be like winning a raffle. I can deal with little build quality issues, but to me the display is everything and must be a pleasure to look at since that is what you are doing 100% of the time while using the device.
However, the manic iPhone 3G display phenomenon and build quality issues deserve their own threads and there are plenty of them!
As far as the major iPhone problems that many loyal Apple customers (such as myself) are having, I have faith that they will eventually come out with a fix (most likely in multiple releases), and we will actually be able to use the features of the phone as they were intended.
Until then, Ive wiped my iPhone and computer clean, downgraded to iTunes 7.7, use iTunes and iTunes only to install, remove or update Apps, and I limited the amount of Apps that I have installed on the phone (to make the restore less painful and time consuming). I am sure Steve Jobs is not pleased about the problems that many users are having, and I am glad he doesnt take the same tone as many people do here, and dismiss perfectly valid complaints and concerns (for some bizarre reason).
