New iPhone software improves Safari stability

The latest iPhone firmware update should be available Tuesday in iTunes.

(Credit: Tom Krazit/CNET News)

Apple has released a minor iPhone firmware update that is supposed to help improve the stability of its Safari browser.

The update should be popping up Tuesday if you connect your iPhone to iTunes. Update 2.2.1 is the first tweak released since Apple added Google's Street View to the iPhone's software back in November with the 2.2 release.

Despite the brief list of new features and fixes, this update is just as big as that release, weighing in at 246.4MB. As a result, it's taking awhile to download and install. I'll let you know if I encounter any problems, and likewise, please let us know if you experience any issues downloading and installing the update.

Update 11:15am - iPod Touch owners had an additional fix as part of the update. Apple fixed an issue with Apple Lossless files that tended to skip during playback, according to The Unofficial Apple Weblog.

[MacDellMan]

Just installed it. Do not notice much of anything new. Seems to work fine. The only thing I DID notice was that before the update I often got an ANNOYING digital data sound coming from the earpiece during all calls. With this update...that annoyance seems to be gone. So...it was worth the install for me...

[linuxgeek90]

Great, now I'll finally be able to use safari on my iPhone, without constant crashing! It's taking far 2 long to d/l.

[Perry_Clease]

I have not yet experienced Safari crashing on my iPhone. Not that I don't believe you, but it has yet to happen to me. Anyway, I hope that this update fixes it for you.

[seven7dust]

funny that I never once managed to crash safari
everyone else seems to have issues

I think the Ipod touch's OS is more stable
than the IPhone's for some reason

[sroussey]

Just open a few tabs at marketwatch.com and you will see it crash. We'll see how the update fares...

[PCfan14]

I am currently downloading it.. i wonder why it is such a big file if its just fixing minor issues?

[srhoda]

Probably because it is a cumulative upgrade rather than a "stand alone" upgrade.

[ASROSS]

So far it blows. Every time I do a firmware upgrade it fails because iTunes can't find some "USB recovery" software... which prompts a dialog box to locate it... which I then point to the Win32/Drivers folder and it reinstalls... but by then my iPhone is in recovery mode and I have to start over and restore my phone. Lucky I always do a full phone backup and sync as a separate step before I run these upgrades. In any case, totally lame that this phantom file seems to disappear from iTunes on it's own every time, when it's obviously right there.

[wowza3]

well your first problem is that you are using a windows computer...get with the program

[CristGarage]

You gotta pay to play baby.

[thelemurking]

it's comments like wowza's that makes Apple fanboys some of the most hated people on the internet!

[shinji257]

@ASROSS: That's weird. I never have had that issue. Have you tried reinstalling iTunes? The other possibility is that something is automatically removing devices that are no longer present. Windows keeps a list of "phantom" devices and their drivers readily available for the next time you connect them. If something is looking for them and removing the entry this may also be causing your issue.

[whitey1600]

If you have windows you may of draaged an App to the recycle bin. I had this problem too until I found all of my apps in my bin. Tell me how it goes.

[TechGuyMobile]

I've never had issues with Safari downloaded anyway. Download time was only 9-minutes (not too bad). Installing now. I'll re-post after install.

[thelemurking]

The only crashes I have noticed tend to come from MySpace apps, or going into the new Yahoo Mail instead of the older 'classic'. Maybe a few other random crashes, but Mobsters and Yahoo Mail 99% of the time crash the browser.

[TechGuyMobile]

Okay...it took 9-minutes to download the 246.4 MB file and 7-minutes to install (without issue).
Now it's time to TEST !

[niztec]

i just installed the firmware and now i noticed that certain sites when browsing on safari says "safari cannot open the page because the server cannot be found" i went to the same site before the update and everything worked fine. is this only happening on my phone or are other users having the same issues?

[df88]

I have the same problem. The last few days I often get the "safari cannot open the page because the server cannot be found" error, or errors connecting to Itunes store. This happens regardless of wheter I have WIFI turned ON or OFF, and regardless of cellular signal strength. I dont know if this is related to the upgrade or if this is an ATT network issue.