Comments on: Apple stomps bugs with iPhone 2.1 software release

Company says the software update extends battery life "significantly," improves e-mail reliability, speeds text messaging, and means fewer crashes with third-party applications.

[Super2online]

Sounds like a nice update, to bad they didn't put that kind of effort in the first time around! Apple is clearly showing that they are no different than any other company that starts to grow large. They put time tables before quality, profits before logic, and monopolies before people. It's pretty sad.

[gopnick]

.. because everyone knows the purpose of business is warm fuzzies...

[TheHotGeek]

It's hard for a company controlled by shareholders to hold back production on a groundbreaking product because the software isn't quite glitch free. I, for one, am happy that it was released earlier instead of waiting until now to start selling the phone. As long as the hardware is all working properly, software can always be refined along the way

[Sane_Person]

I've been using Apple products for 20 years and (obviously) I think they're generally excellent. While the company has always tried to put out quality products, first releases have almost always had at least a few problems. I know of no computer/technology companies that have done better. This is the price impatient consumers who simply must have the newest thing first pay - and probably always will.

[bubblebathgirl]

You're pretty sad, and pretty clueless if this is how you really think.

[Fil0403]

As the replies to your comment show, bugs, flaws, security vulnerabilities, everything bad you can think of remotely related to technology is perfectly acceptable and understandable if you're talking about Apple; these things only prove that a company sucks if you're talking about Microsoft (whose business purpose seems to be "warm fuzzies"); and if you think otherwise, you are an idiot and you don't know what you're talking about.

[Fil0403]

Oh, and I forgot: Microsoft is seemingly not controlled by shareholders (that's why, when it is Microsoft, it is unexcusable when they release something that isn't perfect, which just proves how much they suck).

[wratbatblue]

Didn't help 3G connectivity. If anything, that is worse. And what is WITH the iTunes 8/Vista thing, anyway? I don't care how much Jobs wants me to, the last thing in the world I'm gonna do is buy a Mac. Or, for that matter, any Apple product.

[bashmandu]

wait...so you'd never buy an Apple product yet you own an iphone? how does that work?

[whattheblueyoudo]

I find it funny that someone who vows that the last thing they will do is buy a Mac or Mac product can state that this update didn't help with 3G connectivity. If you don't like Apple products, don't comment on this article and state falsely that your update didn't help.

[SteenMachine]

You just contradicted yourself. You state that it didn't help 3G connectivity (implying you have an iPhone), but then state the last thing you'd ever do is buy an Apple product. Well? Which is it? Regardless of your answer, you sound like a complete simpleton.

[gopnick]

Wow. You contradicted yourself after just one sentence.

[Dalkorian]

Wait a second, I'm confused. You said the update didn't help 3G connectivity, in fact that it made it worse. This at least implies you have an iPhone, or you're just talking from your seat without the brain engaged. Next thing you claim you won't buy any Apple product.

So which is it? Do you know what you're talking about at all or are you just trying to be a fashionable troll?

[Subtle Matter]

Microsoft really needs to raise their troll hiring standards.

[zMudvayne]

"Or, for that matter, any Apple product." Yet you bought an iPhone? Did you only now find out that the iPhone is made by Apple?! And 2.1 update definitely helped 3G connectivity; I'm seeing full bars and having no problems with calls!

[arubadude]

I am just a normal windows user that has pretty migrated everything to apple products. As a software engineer, I know how hard it is to meet deadlines, quality and scalablity of products. Apple is really getting into the enterprise game now and everything has to be scaled up to handle millions of users. I wish people would just stop complaining about them and realize that you wanted their cool products and you wanted to be early adopters of their products. I don't know 1 product EVER that came out brand new and worked as expected and didn't have problems. Blu-Ray, Windows Vista, iPhone, Blackberry Curve all had problems. Either stop buying products or stop complaining. Overall apple did a fantastic job getting it out the door and with things working well. They fix bugs rather quickly for the most part. iPhone came out in July and Sept all my problems are solved. That is a pretty good turn around since they are new to the mobile market and new to 3G. Give them a break, they still do provide quality products.

[gopnick]

I, too, am an IT professional. Like you just said, everything has to be scaled up. Overall, Apple is doing a good job. Not perfect, mind you, and not up to Steve Jobs' personal ambitions; but then what again is?

[sportsfan206]

If you describe dropped phone calls and spotty 3G performance (on a network that has other 3G phones working fine) "a fantastic job getting it out the door", then you have serious credibility issues. The iphone 3G had two PRIMARY functions, making phone calls and the upgrade to 3G. Having issues with both of those is hardly getting the product out working well. Once the bugs are fixed it will be a great device for those who use it, but honestly, how can you say Apple did a great job releasing a phone that had serious issuse with it's two primary functions?

[pjhenry1216]

I'd do cartwheels around the office if MMS, Voice dialing, and copy & paste were ever added to the iPhone. Well, copy & paste is nice, but I honestly never used it to begin with, but the first two I really miss.

[joetille]

I had an I phone, but returned it because of these same issues. No voice dialapps were touted, but then I heard from many that the software only works sometime! Maybe the next version will include that! I loved pretty much everything else about the I phone. I have Sprint now, and hate it, just waiting for the right phone to emerge Joe!

[wasserstoff1991]

So far everything on my iPhone works well. But hope this update will not let us down. Will there be a review on this update at a later time?

[arubadude]

Stop posting about iPhone and then....do something better than complain? Go help people in need instead of wasting time complaining. I would like useful helpful quotes when I come and read sites. It is for enlightement not to hear b*tching. wratbatblue if you don't like apple products then don't post or read about apple stuff. Post on windows, linux sites how much you love their stuff and how helpful and nice they are. Because we all know that Microsoft is SOOOOO much better releasing products that are bug free without security flaws and all their stuff just works as it is stated to...that is why I have to update windows every freaking week because it just works so well.

[nb2000nb]

Don't be mad Apple doesn't spend as much time fixing bugs...

[wratbatblue]

This space is meant to comment in. If you don't like the posts, don't read them.

[sportsfan206]

Actually this thread is for comments about the story, not "useful tips and quotes" on how to use an iphone. If you want that, go to a apple iphone site.

[samkass]

It's nice to see these bugs fixed, but I didn't really see them in my iPhone 3G in the first place. Forums get filled with people who have the most to complain about, but there are millions of iPhone 3G users out there and dozens of complainers, so odds are good you'll have a great experience (like I did).

[MaggieRed]

The funny thing about their complaining is they are stuck with a two year contract to AT&T.

Ah we feel so sorry for all the complainers and people laid down a couple hundred bucks for a product by a company they hate so much. Makes you wonder why they did it in the first place.

Just think you only have about 22 more months to go and you get throw it away and switch to Sprint. So there is light at the end of the tunnel for those who are truly unhappy. Look at the bright side to make your day go a little better, and tomorrow you'll have one less day to have to deal with this.

[6stringluke]

Hang on a second, did you say Sprint? Seriously? Sprint?? Wow...I guess the company must be getting desperate to send its cronies out to troll for them.

[katzjamr]

i would rather have two tin cans and a string than ever use Sprint, my iphone is a year and a half old and has worked better than any other phone i have ever owned. It is my first apple product, i am not a fan of Steve Jobs however it has made me take a serious look at other products apple makes.

[alexacker]

People... calm down. I'm pretty sure the commenter is using Sprint generically. Everybody here needs to take a big fat iChill Pill.

[yves_k]

Installed the 2.1 update.

For what it's worth, I used to get 1-2 bars of 3G when indoors in the bay area and now get 5. On the other hand, I still get ~1 bar when in an elevator in SF. Wonder how the phone will perform on a 50 mile drive along I-280.

[Wheezerdr]

2.1 does NOT fix the 3g Woes.
Apple MUST be stopped from selling this defective product ASAP!
There needs to be a recall or money back/ cancel contract without penalty.
Seriously, they are not providing what they are selling.

[FireFox_User]

Funny how the some of these postings are so stupid... So I spend my hard-earning money to buy a product, it is full of bugs. If I complaint I am a bad customer!! I should kiss my crappy iphone no matter how bad it is!!

If it is come to Vista, RIM, or other product, the same idiot will complaint like nut! Better clean your mouth after keep kissing Steve Jobs' as*...

[Beeks1]

Downloaded the new firmward today...9/12/08...3g is till non existent!!!!!!!!

[gopnick]

That isn't an update or Apple iPhone issue. If AT&T does not provide 3G coverage in your area, there's not a whole lot you can do about it.

[PCfan14]

You know its probably because you dont have 3G in your area.
I dont have 3G either.

[bob1xxxx]

I really feel sorry for the suckers who fell for the hype and got this crappy phone. It obivous to me talking to the few poor mofo's I know with the I poop phone 2 is it a hardware issue not software. Like the orginal X box apple out source the bulid of these phone to very very cheap and very very low quality cell phone manufacters in china, with liittle record of quality equipment builds just dirt cheap production costs (ie red army owed factories with most likely prison labor). Really got a huge recall on its hands I sure the worst hands set are going to be trace back to two or three factories that cranked out vast majority of the ipoo phones. The other possible is again hardware, poor design created a great mp3 player and gps device a but is a massive steamy pos as a cell phone because they designers of the phone were mp3/gps designers and never sucessfully designed a sucessful cell phone. My advice to people if you still in your 30 days and have ipoo phone brick return it for a cell phone made by a really cell phone manufactor not apple.

[gopnick]

Another brilliant review from someone who doesn't own an iPhone. Genius.

[samkass]

Not sure where you are (you're obviously not a native English speaker) but both me and everyone I've talked to with the phone have exactly the opposite reaction. Works great, best phone out there and you get the best MP3 player on the planet to boot.

[Lance Jones]

Yes Bob the phone has faults just like anything wlse. Would I like it to be perfect, sure. Please tell me what phone and service is perfect. Thanks for your scientific evaluation on the build qaulity, description of designers, and description those who produced the device. You are clearly an intelligent person and look forward to hearing more from you. I will post something describing my experience with the new release (2.1) and hope AT&T continues to build out the 3G network before 4G comes along.

[rgmenke]

Another loser post! No information just bashing. Unfortunately, CNET seems to be full of these. It's fine to criticize but spam is no help.

[jaybarrow]

Personally I don't think it's any different from any other company. Software glitches are going to happen. You can't release a product that works 100% of the time for everyone, particularly cross-platform. Things are bound to go awry no matter how much testing goes on. I run both XP and MacOS and it's hard to say which operating system releases updates more often. But I'll give props to Apple. They've stepped up and are making an effort to fix things as quickly as they can.

[PCfan14]

I definatley agree with you on this. EVERYTHING ever released has had bugs, or problems.
so dont everybody get on Apples case. they are a great company, and like every other company, there products will
have issues. But i updated my phone, and it is way faster at loading everything. I dont have 3G in my area, so i dont know if that worked or not.

[whattheblueyoudo]

Update is great. Contact loading and searching is great. Performed the update flawlessly on a gen 1 and 3G iPhone. Looks like a bit better reception on the 3G too in the one location I'm in after update. Promising start.

[Prince2k3]

I still would pick the iphone of a stupid windows mobile phone anyday.....

[sportsfan206]

Yeah, who would want a phone that does more than the iphone. Sexiness over function I say! Who needs a phone that works!!! who needs MMS!!! The AT&T tilt does everything the iphone does and more, but it's not as sexy so screw it. I'll take a phone that can't connect half the time and doesn't do everything i want any day of the week, just so people can look at my phone an say "cool phone".

[alexacker]

SportsFan: Thanks for your brilliant observation (not). What you fail to realize is that a large chunk of iPhone users are already Apple brand enthusiasts. I've worked on Macs since 1986 and when Apple hit the cell phone business, the choice was clear. I didn't want a 'cool phone' as you say but a phone that would provide me with the best experience possible. It's too bad Apple has all these recent bumps in the road to tarnish it.

[dmarichal]

I live in Central Florida and had noticed significant improvement after 2.02. I just installed 2.1 so I have not had enough time to evaluate it thoroughly. In the past 3 weeks, we have noticed that the 3G signal in our area has become almost ubiquitous. It used to be only in certain areas of town. I suspect that AT&T is doing something on their side of the equation in addition to whatever Apple has done. I say this because I have a colleague with an HTC Tilt who has seen the same thing. Regarding the trolls trying to fan the flames, please don't feed them.

[MaggieRed]

Same area too, no problems with either update.

[Snowdriftn]

Great update I think but one thing I wish they included was the Contact bug. An iphone connected to MS Exchange can access the Global Address List if you go through the Contacts button on the main screen but if your in the phone section and then hit contacts down below and try and search the Global Address List it returns a "Search Failed" and even is nice enough to create an Event ID error of 3005 on your Exchange server. I guess I'll wait for the next update for this one.

[mrgoodall]

hey, ive tried to recreate your bug to no avail and I'm still on v2.0.2(5C1), i go phone, contacts(from the bottom), by default i'm in all contacts, those contacts are what are local tgo the phone. click Groups at the top of the screen (left hand side) and you can select your exchange directories, select the directories, and complete search, no issue, at least not for me.

[eezing]

I am now updated, and wow! A world of difference. It's faster in every aspect.

[srynningb]

I just got my iPhone 3G on Wednesday, but I didn't do much with it other than download a few apps since I new the 2.1 update was coming today. I installed it this morning in a few minutes. Then 10 minutes later, I'm automatically synching up with my corporate email, calendar, directory, and personal contacts. This little computer is amazing. Call quality is great, and I haven't experienced any dropped calls...at least yet.

[srynningb]

snowdriftn said:

"if you go through the Contacts button on the main screen but if your in the phone section and then hit contacts down below and try and search the Global Address List it returns a "Search Failed" and even is nice enough to create an Event ID error of 3005 on your Exchange server. I guess I'll wait for the next update for this one."

So I tried doing this with my corporate Global Address List (200,000+ names) from the Phone app and it had no problem finding me and placing a call to my work phone. Maybe it's not your phone?