Apple releases iPhone 2.2 update
(Credit:
Apple)
Apple released a hefty update for the iPhone on Thursday night.
The 2.2 software update is available through iTunes, and it's packed with lots of goodies. Apple released its 2.1 software update in September.
Some of the highlights of the update center on GPS and Google Maps. For example, version 2.2 includes Google Street View in Google Maps, which allows users to see a 360-degree view of locations taken with cameras mounted on Google's cars. It also added walking directions in Google maps with information on public transportation stops.
In addition, the iPhone can now download podcasts over the air using a Wi-Fi or 3G network. Previously, users had to download podcasts into iTunes on their computers and then sync their files. Now iPhone users can also turn off the auto-correction on the virtual keyboard, which I must say is a nice alternative to allowing the iPhone to guess what you're trying to type.
Other improvements include a bug fix for scheduled e-mail fetching, improved stability and performance for the Safari Web browser, improved phone quality to reduce dropped calls (hooray!), and improved sound quality in visual voice mail messages.
But there are still lots of things missing--for example, cutting and pasting. And the iPhone still doesn't support MMS messaging nor does it have GPS turn-by-turn directions.
Marguerite Reardon has been a CNET News reporter since 2004, covering cell phone services, broadband, citywide Wi-Fi, the Net neutrality debate, as well as the ongoing consolidation of the phone companies. E-mail Maggie. 
Marguerite you forgot the biggest whine, no Flash on the iPhone.
Cutting and pasting? Maybe that is something about which I could care.
As to MMS it is not big a deal that it is missing.
GPS turn-by-turn directions, that is real a back burner item. In the meantime learn to read the map, learn about how block numbers work.
And yet without all those must have or fail items the iPhone is the number one Cell phone on the market and has the highest in customer satiation outside the "tech" world. Who hates the iPhone, and at a compleat loss of its suscess.
Even MacWorld called Apple incompetent. The number one music retailer, the number one digital music retailer, the number one cell phone, the highest in customer satisfaction, desktop and laptop market share increasing. I bet more investors wish their company was as incompetent as Apple.
No I don't, where?
I agree, MMS, while nice... not really missing it, when you can get e-mails.
C&P, Flash, those are big deals. C&P especially if you want to get into the business world, with copying between e-mails or webpages or whatever to show a point/etc.
Plus, wasn't turn by turn navigation promised / strongly rumoured to be in the 2.2 release? With turn by turn navigation the iPhone would subsume one more role that up to now you'd need a separate device for. It's already an MP3 player, phone, camera, and video player all in one, add in GPS turn by turn navigation and that's more incentive for people to buy it, I would have thought.
You're right about MMS though, it's only ever been a half step between normal text and email in my opinion, something that was never going to be around longterm, maybe Apple are banking on it disappearing over the next few years as more and more phones become smart.
I have been to cities, East and West, like that and yes it is a pain in the ass to get around when you don't have local knowledge. However, I stand by my statement .
Lack of MMS is the reason i will not buy an iphone, my friends don't have the ability to send me any pics over email to get on my phone. They use MMS, therefore i want MMS.. not to mention certain bonuses it can provide with the G/F
Come on Apple what is your problem.... And what about Flash? Adobe made it, they are sitting on it waiting for you clowns to allow it. And how about turn by turn for the GPS in which there are applications ready for that too that you still have not approved! Stop limiting the phone so much Steve. I know you are the only reason this stuff is not out yet. You think you have to keep your thumb on everything because you have an over inflated ego the size of China. Why make a phone that can be a power house to only make it ride in a wheel chair? Release Flash, Release turn by turn and give us something as simple as copy and paste and enjoys the profits instead of acting like an overlord.
Get with it Apple before you screw up again like you did in the 80's when every school had an Apple...
You got a big ego then and before you knew it everybody left you in the dust... It took how long to make a come back? Give the people what they want.
Copy and paste would be nice.. but would use it probably once a week or so.
I (and many others) think flash on the iPhone/touch would be disastrous to the web experience. 99% of flash is web ads. I don't want flash ads ruining my web experience.
I'm not sure why turn-by-turn should be an Apple issue at all, actually. Leave that to the nav companies. In fact, I know Tom-Tom has said they're working on one, among others.
I do wish Flash would get released.
Example #1- First the iPod then the iPod Photo and FINALLY the iPod Video.
Example #2 - 1st Generation Nano - OK... 2nd Generation... *** with that small screen... 3rd Generation... FINALLY the right one with screen size big enough and the choice of colors.
As for iPhone... Living in the 21st Century where the rest of the world is moving towards 4G and what Apple does... 1st Generation iPhone doesn't even support 3G??? 2nd Generation supports 3G AND has the App Store HOWEVER still doesn't have the very basic feature COPY AND PASTE. I CAN GUARANTEE IT WILL BE IN 3rd GENERATION.
They'll never allow Flash as long as it makes it possible for an application developer to install their flash game by merely visiting a flash-embedded site.
Yes, and your battery will run longer too if you only use your phone for phone calls and nothing else? What is the point there. If all you want is your battery to stay charged, never turn the damn phone on.
PS: As for flash I would loathe to see it put on the iPhone due to all the flash ads and it's bloated nature and the ironic part about this is I work full time as a Flash developer hahaha
Apple needs to forget the stuff that tech junkeis love about the iphone or whatever and remember that they need thus device to appeal to the masses, yes alot of people did by iphones, but who says they are going to keep them at upgrade time or if they damage and need to replace them. All those people complaining about those little dumb features that you may once use once a month may be the difference between a returning iphone customer and a customer returning to a blackberry or other phone.
seriously?
the economy stinks.
the poor are getting poorer.
iraqis are still suffering.
and you lot are whining about iPhone features??!! who are you people?
@ badmojo42
The iPhone has an App Store. BlackBerry is copying that but apps that aren't free must be a minimum of $2.99? Advantage: iPhone
The iPhone's media player is easy to the core to use. No Window Mobile or BlackBerry menus to have to figure out to find your music.
As for comparing the iPhone 3G to the 1st iPhone, that had nothing to do with anything, but its nice that you're reaching for such an erroneous argument. Hope you got balance behind that reach ...
In my opinion, the Storm's screen is intolerable. Scrolling takes more pressure than needed for a capacitive touchscreen. That click screen is really a bad idea. It's a failed gimmick. The device itself seems rushed. There is really nothing remarkable or revolutionary about the OS the Storm runs on, either. It's more of a very minute evolution of BlackBerry's past OS's. The operability of is just as cumbersome as a BlackBerry with a trackball, if not, made worse by the poor mechanics of scrolling with your finger on the click-screen.
A consumer not hanging my hat on every new thing that's out, I'd still want a device I'll want to USE, not cope with. It's just a matter of personal preference. Didn't mean to make you go poopy over my assessment. Go ahead and wipe yourself kiddo.
@ make_or_break
No iPhone fanatic here, I mean it DOES have its own set of limitations. However, it's advantages far outweigh the balance of the pros and cons on the other devices for me. But don't get loose at the mouth without considering what I've already made clear and without stating your own position (common flame-technique ... my compliments to you): I've lived a couple years with Blackberry and Windows Mobile. Some people just jumped to the iPhone from "normal" cell phones without trying any of the other comparable devices. Enterprise users will likely prefer a BlackBerry, and they should, but there is no infatuation influencing my interest. I know better.
MMS? Yeah it would be nice to join the rest of the mobile community with this.
Flash? Okay I want this too.
Copy & Paste? ARE YOU FREAKING KIDDING ME STEVE? WHAT IS THE HOLD UP ON THIS? You are making me crazy.
But personally where my browser crashes is on sites that have flash, usually text and image based sites are fine, but anything with heav flash crashes all the time.
I see that a85 has not yet answered the question so I have my doubts that he has that many Safari crashes per day or perhaps he doesn't really have an iPhone. The Flash sites I have visited when using my iPhone haven't crashed Safari, but of course I could not see the content either.
perry (aka fanboy) I love my iPhone, too, but making excuses for Apple is just pathetic.
Who are you to say that he isn't having issues with his phone just because he didn't put URLs up for the websites that are crashing?? I work Tech support for the iphone and i can tell you that it doesn't matter. Stop being a fanboy, safari DOES have issues. Hopefully with the update it will be solved.
However, could this article be amended to reflect that fact that this update applies to the iPod Touch? And perhaps the article could outline changes to iPod Touch versus iPhone?
Thanks very much.
I would suggest staying in a cave :-) because the more you socialize the more you will find out that there is a large portion of the population using MMS.
Oh yeah, there are no emoticons on the iphone. ***?!?!?!
The poster who mentioned the "To Do List" - AMEN! I held off on the 1st gen waiting for Exchange connectivity, and then I find out that there's no way to synch tasks. Pretty shoddy.
Cut and Paste - no biggie for me. I had it on my Windows Mobile devices and never used it. But I do think it's a fundamental feature that should be in the product.
All that being said - the iPhone is the most entertaining and engaging phone I've ever owned. I'd love to try out a Storm, but my company is on AT&T so I'll be on the iPhone for a while.
For the non-technical people to understand, it's about the architecture of OSX for the iPhone. Applications are truly separate, to the point that only essential system deamons (background programs) will ever be running at the same time. ALL other applications have a single, sand-boxed space that they run in. Only one can be run at a time.
Cut, and paste requires support for simple textual data to binary object data. Well, binary none-the-less but memory management becomes a thorny potential problem, to the point that the current architecture cannot support loading an application in the same memory space. The apparent solution would be virtual (flash memory aka "ram-disk" since there is not hard-drive) memory. That means another architectural change where the applications would be allowed to have a common virtual memory for cut and paste.
Sounds like a great solution, but now it creates a huge security issue. It's kind of a toss-up and I believe they are probably arguing internally on the proper management of this if they are even thinking about it. But that's all but a big fat guess from me.
Bottom-line, cut and paste is that parallel issue that has been following evolution of the OSX iPhone system, only on the other side of the mirror. If you are super concerned about security and control, you'd never allow. If you want to make this an even more successful device, you'd figure it out. I believe it will happen, but has to be a part of the architecture's evolution. Sounds strange, that such a simple thing would be diametrically opposed to the architecture of the operating system.
So the end point is that, RIM has a more secure system they have had cut and paste since about their second device. Does this mean that RIM has a better operating system? Yes Safari is a better browser, but since it lacks cut and paste that ultimately, according to your argument, Apple's OS on the iPhone is an inferior product to Rim.
Not far at all...
I want to be able to connect it to my car stereo 2' away that doesn't have a headphone jack.
I want to run on a treadmill without some stupid armband while my phone sits 3' away not being shaken.
I want to work with my chopsaw 10' away without haveing to worry that my headphone cord will get caught in the blade.
I'd continue, but I think that makes the point.
Also, cutting and pasting would be great, so would a way to delete text quickly in an e-mail. The fact of the matter is that the IPhone is very crash prone -- mine crashes regularly.
If I was in the market again right now (and not locked into a 2yr contract) it would be a no-brainer to buy the Storm.
- by tcr071 November 21, 2008 12:03 PM PST
- Whoop De Doo. Some pointless features that I will never use and none of the features that I actually want.
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Showing 1 of 3 pages (107 Comments)I could walk into an ATT store right now and tell them I am sick of my iPhone and would rather have the cheapest crappiest phone they sell and it would have support for multimedia messaging and have speed dial.
Nah... instead of features we could actually use like landscape texting, copy and paste, voice activated dialing WITHOUT 3rd party apps, and speed dialing (favorites is an alternative but why not both) we get google maps updated with street view...