Apple releases iPhone firmware update, 3G fix?
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Apple has released a firmware update for the iPhone that might be the fix iPhone 3G owners have been awaiting.
We're putting iPhone OS 2.0.2 through its paces at the moment, but it should be available in iTunes the next time you connect your iPhone. The Boy Genius Report reported earlier on Monday that the update was coming, although that report was unable to verify whether the iPhone 3G reception problems would be fixed with this release. Business Week reported last week that Apple and Infineon were preparing to release a software fix for the iPhone's 3G chipset.
The release notes accompanying the new firmware refer rather obliquely to "bug fixes," the same term Apple used when it released the 2.0.1 firmware update a few weeks ago. If anyone out there notices an improvement in their 3G connectivity as compared to yesterday's performance, please let us know.
I contacted Apple for more information about the update, but didn't hear back immediately. I'll update when and if I do hear back from the company.
Tom Krazit writes about the ever-expanding world of Internet search, including Google, Yahoo, online advertising, and portals, as well as the evolution of mobile computing. He has written about traditional PC companies, chip manufacturers, and mobile computers, spending the last three years covering Apple. E-mail Tom. 
I think ATT's network is just pretty crummy in Orange County, CA. I have problems with my Blackberry Pearl keeping a signal at work or home.
I will let u kno when it is finished installing.
* More 3G bars (5 bars rather than 3 or 2) (It seems so far... For me anyways )
* Snappier transitions
* No More keyboard or contacts lag! (2.0.1 didn't fix it)
* Haven't had a crash (yet)
* No dropped calls (yet)
* Faster GPS lock-in (Around 15 secs when I am outside, wheres yesterday it took around 40 secs)
Looks like a solid update! Good Job Apple!
They might have added a new font and yet people will swear their product is like brand new.
I hope that AT&T and the other providers around the world own up to their side of the equation and deal with the bandwidth and signal strength issues.
It's an amazing fix!
- Network speed overall is faster. Edge or 3G. ( i have no 3G towers where i live )
- Everything seems faster ( loading things )
- Contacts no longer freeze up
- GPS location tracking through Google maps is faster
- Mail loads faster ( how quick it checks the mail)
- No app crashes ( yet )
It looks like Update version 2.02 has proved worhty. Keep it up Apple!!
The birds sing louder.
The women are more beautiful.
...oh, and the keyboard loads a little faster...
DATA TESTS
(did most of the tests in the Worst area of my place with lowest bars 2 to 3)
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Tests started out with a hiccup, then was good, then ran into some more hiccups:
- After install, I went to settings, and switched from Edge to 3G mode, but got the No Service message and couldn't get service no matter where I stood. Ended up switching to Airplane mode and back again, then I got 3G
- Moved around in my place and did not once switch to Edge, which has NEVER happened before in my place - good sign - overall stronger signal strength
- 3G acquisition seemed to be more aggressive as places where I went had 2 bars then shot to 5 bars when I tried to pull data
- Always get 5 to 4 bars near my window with 3G
- I connected to this page on cnet.com and it loaded pretty quickly
- I connected to Weather nd refreshed fast
- I connected to Stocks and refreshed fairly quickly (8 stocks to refresh)
- This is what impressed me the MOST: I connected to mlb.com At Bat to watch videos of my Mets lose to the Pirates today and the videos loaded quicker than ever and buffered nicely (though I did not like the highlights themselves :) )
- I connected to Jott and uploaded a voicenote and it uploaded fairly quickly (10 second message)
- Sent 3 long SMS text messages to myself and they were the quickest I've seen to date as it did not pause before the end of the Sending progress bar. I recieved the message quickly as well
Now the hiccups ...
- I went to send eMails and I wrote a quick message and hit send with 2 bars and I was waitng and waiting for about a minute. It went to the "Sending" progress bar the fastest I ever saw BUT stayed there. As I moved to the window and got 5 bars, it FINALLY got sent quickly. I repeated the test (since mail is important) and got the same exact behavior (delay, walk, send). This was the BIGGEST disappointment, though mail connection to refresh was quicker.
- I went to Safari and tried to reload the cnet page, still at the 5 bar window and all of a sudden it gave me the error message that Safari could not connect, reloaded couple times again, same message. I reloaded again, and FINALLY I got the 3G logo back, but then Safari crashed and I was back to the home screen :(
PHONE TESTS
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I have not done any phone tests yet, so this is not a full review by any means. I will post my phone tests later ...
Tom Krazit, thanks for doing all the hard work to investigate this. May I suggest you create a 1 to 5 grading system GUI for the different categories that users use the iPhone for? Like eMail, internet, weather, mlb.com At Bat, SMS, Phone, etc. That way we can get a better feel for what users are experiencing, though I can see how this may be misleading to some extent.
So far happier, but the next couple days will tell the full story ...
Download
With 2 bars 3G = 918 kbps or 4.59 times faster than Edge
With 4 bars 3G = 950 kbps or 4.75 times faster than Edge
Upload
With 2/3 bars 3G = 29 kbps or 0.64 times faster than Edge (Slower than Edge)
With 4 bars 3G = 82 kbps or 1.82 times faster than Edge
Still a bit more sensitive/erratic than I would like with the signal even standing in same place
It seems in many places I will get 5 bars for a 3G PERFECT SIGNAL *BUT* Safari, mlb.com At Bat, etc WILL NOT CONNECT! Is this update lying about signal strength?!?! I never had a phone where signal strength showed as perfect and I did not get a quick connection! Is this still a possible hardware issue?!
I have 2 days to return this thing and that is why I am testing the heck out of it ...
I just downloaded the 2.0.2, for sure it did not help the 3G, I am have 5 bars without the 3 G and if I turn the 3G on, is only have one bar or no service!
It's sucks!
I just downloaded the 2.0.2, for sure it did not help the 3G, I am have 5 bars without the 3 G and if I turn the 3G on, is only have one bar or no service!
It's sucks!
- by BeatleMegaFan August 18, 2008 5:53 PM PDT
- I saw thus article after reading the comments on the previous one, so I'll repost my comment here too.
- Reply to this comment
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Showing 1 of 4 pages (74 Comments)I own an iPod Touch, and the 2.0 software has been buggy and relatively slower than firmware 1.1.x. Here are some details about the WiFi connection:
After the 2.0 upgrade, my iPod began registering one (1) bar of WiFi connectivity in my home when the router was just in the other room. After one of my PCs died, I moved the router into my primary office room (I kept the networking gear in the middle of the house in order to provide adequate coverage to all wireless devices) at a different end of the house. Now my iPod usually sits in here when I am not using it, and even though it is sitting RIGHT IN FRONT OF THE ROUTER, the WiFi connection register only ONE (1!) bar. The iPod was running 2.0.1.
I just now updated to 2.0.2 and no longer does the iPod register a consistent one bar connection. As soon as I turn WiFi on, it immediately goes to 3 full bars. Very good indeed. Download and browsing speeds are normal, and I think that the iPod is running a little more efficiently now. Good job Apple. My point is, if the 2.0 software limited wireless connections on the iPod, the 3G and EDGE problems may be in fact software issues as well. So far, I haven't heard if the update has fixed coverage problems for iPhone users, but I hope it does; I plan on switching to AT&T soon. For existing iPhone users: my advice is to wait it out. There will be a fix if the update today does not solve the problems.
-BMF