Apple iPhone v2.0 software on Saturday: Still M.I.A.

Approximately 36 hours after the release of the iPhone 2.0 firmware, existing iPhone customers still can't download it. iTunes says it's unavailable. Apple should have done better.

We already know that on Friday, there were severe activation problems with the iPhone 3G. This isn't exactly a surprise, perhaps, after the new in-store activation procedures and AT&T's dismal performance last year.

What is surprising is that approximately 36 hours after Apple said the new system software would be available for existing customers to access, it still isn't. At least not for everyone.

I have the first-generation iPhone I bought a year ago--and as of midday Saturday, the new v2.0 firmware was unavailable for download. iTunes tells me, incorrectly, that "this version of the iPhone software (1.1.4) is the current version." See the above screenshot.

This is in addition to what my CNET News colleague Erica Ogg reported on Friday: some existing iPhones have been bricked by software update glitches. At least that didn't happen to me.

I'm not exactly desperate to upgrade to the new system software (I'm at a political conference in Las Vegas and am mostly focused on what's happening here).

But this points to a bad miscalculation on Apple's part. Why didn't it come up with a better estimate of how many people would be connecting to its servers and add sufficient capacity? Apple probably is curbing existing customers' access to software updates to prevent its servers from overheating (this is at least a better failure mode than yesterday morning's odd errors).

This is understandable, perhaps, but it's disappointing--especially because this should have been preventable with even a modicum of advance planning.

Update 1:50 p.m. PDT: iTunes is now showing the update as available. I should have noted that I already upgraded to the latest version of iTunes. That wasn't the problem--Apple's servers were.

[totorototoro]

It took me 7 hours for the iTunes Store activation for updating from 1.1.4 to 2.0 on my iPhone EDGE, from 6 am to 1 pm.

At the Apple Store at 9:45 pm, it took 20 seconds to activate my iPhone 3G.

[lmasanti]

quote:
"This is understandable, perhaps, but it's disappointing -- especially because this should have been preventable with even a modicum of advance planning."

Apple's fanboys reactions are quasi-inscrutable. And Apple's iPhone-users reactions are even more inscrutable.
Microsoft made a lot of "advance planning" on selling "lots of Vista" and they failed too! (And MS is a "big and serious" company, except for its chair-throwing CEO!)

[olyhomer]

I started about 8am yesterday and it finally went through around noon. Mine is working great on 2.0 so far.

[infosecguru]

Downloads were available via Software Update on the Mac. I was able to updated iTunes 7.7 on Thursday and the iPhone 2.0 firmware was available on Friday.

[ballmerisanape]

I was able to download last night at around 11pm central. Been having fun with the new apps all day. Make sure you quit iTunes.. and reopen to try again. Last night on the Apple Discussion Forums the posts were flooding in around 11pm central regarding successful upgrades.

[kailin2]

I had no problem. I downloaded the software at 7pm on my first attempt.

[d.c.rogers]

I downloaded it yesterday at about 8:30 am and it was installed and completely awesome by 9 am. No problems at all.

[fshepinc]

Nice to see someone pointing out that part of the trouble is with AT&T's servers, which are out of Apple's control. Still, I'm surprised at Apple for not making sure they could deal with the capacity. It would have been simple to stagger the release dates to avoid the worst of the problems. Still, I waited until Friday night and had no trouble downloading and installing the 2.0 update in under 20 minutes with no error messages.

I'll be labeled a fanboy, but I think it's worth pointing out that (from all I've read on Apple's discussion boards) those claiming the 2.0 update "bricked" their phones had either installed non-Apple software or failed to follow instructions during the update. The vast majority of users either had everything work fine the first time, or were able to get things sorted out once the rush died down. None of it should have happened, and it's mostly Apple's fault, but - come on! It's a phone, not life support equipment...

[thenjtwin]

Re your comment: I think it's worth pointing out that (from all I've read on Apple's discussion boards) those claiming the 2.0 update "bricked" their phones had either installed non-Apple software or failed to follow instructions during the update." This is a rather supercilious over generalization. The VAST majority of folks went through the appropriate channels and were locked out for quite some time.

[tbandl]

Hey, I understand your frustration, but....... I, too am a first generation iPhone user and I downloaded the firmware update last night without a hitch. I waited until the rush was gone and updated my phone via iTunes 7.7 about 9:30 p.m. eastern time. I certainly do wish you luck and wish I could provide insight as to why you are unable to get the update. If it makes you feel better- Super Monkey Ball is AWESOME! (and that's coming from a 41 one year old mom.)

Good luck.......

[obeddieg]

I have a first generation iphone. I waited to upgrade to 2.0. I'm ready to do it but get this warning via itunes "updating to iphone version 2.0 will delete all music, video's and photo's on this iphone. To preserve your media apply this update on the computer where you snch music, video's and photo's. Updating on this computer will only preserve contacts, calendars, and other settings.

If I update to 2.0 do I lose everything? Thanks.

[blkpoetx]

make sure you download and install itunes 7.7 first, then check for the update

[AccurateNews]

I am tried of reading all the articles about the "flawed" iPhone 2.0 software. The media's stories are quite misleading, the iPhone 2.0 software on both my new 3G model and the original is quite fine. The issues Apple and AT&T have been having are related to server infrastructure and capacity, this is very different from software. Yes they should have done better load testing and capacity planning. I read where they had trained employees to get activations done in 10-15 minutes, I thought great! They used some industrial engineering time studies to improve customer server, unfortunately they must not have applied this to their server capacity planning.

Bottom line, customers should not fear the software and Apple and AT&T should do some capacity planning. If you haven't been able to get updates, be patient, you are just in a virtual line, you will get through the process eventually and get the software that is not flawed.

[Perry_Clease]

"What is surprising is that approximately 36 hours after Apple said the new system software would be available for existing customers to access, it still isn't. At least not for everyone."

There is a world of difference between the software being MIA meaning that no one was able to download it and SOME users not being able to get it. However, a headline to the effect of 'Most iPhone user successfully upgraded to 2.0' doesn't get as many hits as a sensational one.

[wiggums1]

i downloaded thursday the 10th, installed after work friday. It did take about 30-40 minutes to re-activate(12pm-1pm)

[jaxmatt]

I had no problems at all obtaining and installing the software. However, it's obvious that Apple needs to come up with a better launch approach when and if there is a 3rd generation i-Phone. In-store activation obviously caused slower moving lines that are just ridiculous. How ironic... i-Phone twice as fast and lines twice as slow. LOL

[JiminLaos]

does anyone know whether the new iphone 2.0 firmware will work on hacked phones? will i have to re-hack the phone after it is update? If i have to re-hack the phone, i'm fined with what i have now. I dont want to pay another 50 bucks to get it hack again.

[professionaladventurer]

I upgraded to 2.0 8am today. No issues.

[rogerkhull]

About every 10 minutes all day yesterday and all day today, a buyer walks out of each of the AT&T stores here with a new, activated iPhone. On both days, this has continued until the stores ran out of new phones. I also upgraded my 2G iPhone on Friday afternoon to iTunes 7.7 and iPhone 2.0 (including the new app's I had downloaded earlier in advance of getting App Store). You may have had problems, but Apple iPhone 2.0 isn't MIA, and never was.
-5 points for cred.

[westindiangal]

I had upgraded to iTunes 7.7 a couple of days ago, and tried to download 2.0 today. I first got the message that 1.1.4 was the most updated software. Got on the phone, got nowhere... tried again in iTunes a few hours later and it finally popped up. It then took over 45 mins for the iPhone to synch after i downloaded the software. For those people who can't access 2.0, the software IS MIA. I can't get the contacts search keyboard to pop up, I'm still seeing the old contact list.

I downloaded the Apple remote and love using the iPhone as a remote.

[frankgee01]

I had no problem downloading the iTunes 7.7 software, but installing it was another matter entirely. On both my vista machines when I run 7.7 I get a continuously repeating "apple mobile device helper has stopped working" error box that pops up approximately every 10 seconds. My third attempt on my XP laptop was a success and 7.7 runs just fine on it with no errors, I have since upgraded my old iPhone to 2.0 without a glitch. Vista has been out for 1 1/2 years so I'm not going to blame microsoft for this one. I read on other blogs that I'm not the only person to encounter this problem.

[DKrudop]

Though I couldn't get through yesterday, this morning at 8:15 I was able to log right in to iTunes and download 2.0 for my iPod Touch. The whole process went smoothly and within about 20-30 minutes everything had downloaded, upgraded, re-booted and I was enjoying my new apps!