Apple quietly improves iPhone with update

Several days after Apple's first iPhone firmware update, owners of the cellular handset continue to report changes in their usage experiences for the better. Despite the company's claim that the update only plugged security holes and included minor fixes, iPhone owners insist that the device is much more pleasant to use after installing the new firmware. According to users posting to Apple's Discussion boards, the update has fixed some calculator bugs and ensured that VPN (Virtual Private Network) security and password settings are remembered between sessions.

The firmware update also adds calendar alerts to sound settings, fixes a bug in Google Maps functionality, and allows FM transmitter accessories to work with the device. As previously reported, there is now a BCC option in the iPhone's mail settings to send yourself a copy of outgoing mail, whereas before there was only a CC option. In addition, the Passcode Lock functionality now offers up to one hour to request the password when usage is idle, where before it the only options were immediately or one minute.

Applications are said to load quicker and feature faster response times after users complete the update, which takes around five minutes and comes as a 7MB download via iTunes.

Apple CEO Steve Jobs unveiled the iPhone for the first time at Macworld 2007 earlier this year, and promised to provide software updates to customers who purchased the device to ensure every iPhone owner had access to the most recent improvements. The iPhone's design is inherently adapted to suite this concept, as users do not press any physical buttons but rather touch the screen to access "virtual" buttons that are drawn beneath the fingertips.

This blending of software with Apple's new multi-touch displays allow the company to make small changes to or completely overhaul the iPhone on demand, versus other phones with built-in buttons that cannot adapt the same way to new interface concepts or user demands. The company may be adapting its phone to work more smoothly in the hands of users who flocked to Apple and AT&T stores when the phone launched on June 29th, clearing store shelves in less than a weeks' time in all but two states across the U.S.

Filed under: Apple