RSSApple fixes bugs, security issues in iPhone 2.1 software update
By Ed Oswald | Published September 12, 2008, 1:00 PM
In a rare moment of clarity for a company known for secrecy, Apple has detailed the changes and security fixes that come with the iPhone's 2.1 software update, released Friday.
Apple CEO Steve Jobs promised during an iPod event Tuesday that the new iPhone firmware will fix some of the device's most egregious issues, including call drops and truncated battery life. In addition, security watchers note the update patches 8 security vulnerabilities, including a code execution risk for mobile Safari and the previously disclosed passcode flaw.
The 2.1 software will also improve the accuracy of the 3G signal display. Users should notice performance enhancements as well, from better responsiveness in the text messaging application and contacts to a significantly shorter time to backup the device when syncing with iTunes.
Reliability was also addressed, improving e-mail connection and resolving crashes. POP and Exchange e-mail syncing is more reliable, while those with "lots" of third-party applications should see the phone become more stable.
In the same vein, the installation of those third party apps should also take less time than previously experienced, Apple said.
Three prominent new features come with the 2.1 firmware. Most notably, the Genius song recommendation functionality introduced with iTunes 8 is now accessible from the iPhone, allowing for the automatic creation of playlists of songs that are similar to one another. Another feature repeats text message alerts up to two times after a text message is received if a user does not check it the first time the alert sounds.
The third new feature in 2.1 is designed for that those worried about the disclosure of data after losing their phone. Users can enable a wiping feature, which causes the iPhone to wipe itself clean by deleting all information after an incorrect passcode is entered ten times.
This must be a misprint - Apple products do not have bugs or vunerabilities, only Microsoft Products do. All Hail the mighty Steve Jobs, who invented the iPhone and builds each one by hand!
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I still can't buy this until I read lots of reviews that say call dropping has been fixed. Battery life is poor, that's a given, but I hope copy & paste and forwarding sms is sorted by Christmas. I don't want to wait - but I will.
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The update bricked my HTC phone. =(
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*laughing*
Oops.
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Why would you ever want to put the iphone software on a HTC phone anyway :)
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Em I'm not sure how Apple can fix a hardware problem with the 3g signal through a software update? :-S Seems to me they are making the signal look stronger than what it is. Also when are they going to release new functionality that users so often complain about i.e. copy & paste and the ability to forward sms messages!
Text messaging does seem to be more responsive however a 232 mb download doesn't really justify all these updates.
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I think the reason why it is so big is they make you download the entire firmware instead of something that just updates the current firmware.
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The only person who said it was a hardware problem was a FINANCIAL ANALYST. Not exactly an authoritative figure...
A group of Swedes scientists did a tests with the iPhone and determined there was no problem with the hardware - http://www.intomobile.co...ine-look-elsewhere.html
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What about the hardware problem that belongs to AT&T? Apple certainly can't fix that.
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I think a lot more needs to be fixed before the iPhone would meet the expecations raised through the roof in their ad campaigns and by the cellphone operators, to become what it was supposed to be.
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