09/12/2008, 10:35am, EDT
Friday, September 12th
Apple posts iPhone 2.1 firmware update
Apple has used iTunes to release its promised iPhone 2.1 update to the public. Although it adds the Genius playlist feature also seen in the iPod touch 2.1 firmware, the primary focus is stated to be improving long-standing connection issues, by reducing call drops and "set-up failures." Other iPhone-specific changes include improved accuracy in the 3G signal meter, and better performance in terms of text messaging, with the option for repeating an alert up to two more times for incoming texts.
The firmware is additionally said to "significantly" bolster battery life for most people, and speed up the installation of apps as well as eliminate hangs and crashes when a user has a large amount of third-party software. Apple says it has also sped up the loading and searching of contacts, and sharply cut down on the amount of time needed to create a backup. E-mail users should notice more reliability in receiving messages from POP and Exchange accounts.
A list of security updates posted by Apple shows a significant number of changes. Central are those for the passcode system, which not only include an option for wiping a phone after 10 unsuccessful logins, but a fix to an unintended bypass through the emergency call function. Apple has also closed vulnerabilities in WebKit, CoreGraphics, mDNSResponder, TCP sequencing and the Application Sandbox, the last of which could have allowed one application to access the files of another.
Filed under: iPhone, security, troubleshooting, software, networking, Apple
Other story tags: WebKit
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iPhone 2.1 sync issue fix
If you have sync issues (error 13213) with 2.1 do the following:
1. Unplug your iPhone and turn it off. Hold the power button at the top until the red slider appears and power it down completely.
2. Quit iTunes 8
3. Relaunch iTunes 8
4. Plug in iPhone - DO NOT TURN IT ON FIRST. Make sure it's still off completely from step 1.
5. Should sync normally
Triple-click to go back?
Does 2.1 add the new nano's ability to go back a song when triple-clicking the button on the headphone cable?
Push?
Any word on when/if we'll see the promised push notification service? It was originally supposed to debut in September.
Re: Push?
The way it sounded, I thought it was a 2.0 release, promised for July. Well, maybe they said summer, so they've got 10 days left.
Ugh..
It's an anticlimax..
Re: Push
You mean the background push notification right? Yeah that was originally Sept but reports said it was pulled from the last 2.1 beta builds. So my guess is it won't be making it until MacWorld.
stupid update
Thank goodness this finally came out. I installed it, dismissed the "iphone has been registered" box, and then saw my ATT symbol drop from one bar to "No Service". Fantastic Job Steve!!!!!!
Does exactly what it says
So far so awesome! Things feel almost as snappy as on my iPod touch (which is quite amazing as it ran circles around my iPhone previously).
Everything seems to pop a bit more, the address book delay really is a thing of the past and the keyboard is much more responsive.
The one glitch I do wish they would have fixed is the ridiculously short web page time-outs, don't expect much improvement on that front. I'd like if they would keep my pages active longer, so sites with popups didn't time out and force me to relog every few minutes.
Triple-click: Yes!
Someone over on the iLounge forums confirmed that the triple-click, previous song feature does indeed work on 2.1
Updated App stay in place
One of the biggest annoyances under 2.0 was updating apps. If you had icons arranged the app's new version would drop to the bottom of an available page and then all the other icons would scroll up. I found an install required me to memorize where I'd left the previous version.
2.1 the updated app goes in the slot that the app lived in. This to me is a major plus.