It's all better now.
(Credit: Corinne Schulze/CNET Networks)Yay! Apple's iPhone 2.0.2 software update has fixed our broken iPhone 3G. Its endless loop of system restores is over, and it's now back in working order.
Yet, that seems to be just about the only change from the update. Apple promised that 2.0.2 would bring "bug fixes" (and did it it ever) but the company hasn't promised anything else. Like others I have noticed a slight improvement in the typing speed when using the keyboard, but that seems to be about it.
AppleInsider reported that in the music player the transition from list to Cover Flow mode has changed, but I'm not seeing a difference just yet. Perhaps, I'm looking in the wrong place, though, so if you find it please let me know. I haven't seen a difference in 3G reception either, but (to be fair) there was never any promise that this update would fix that problem. Still, I maintain what I said earlier: Apple needs to acknowledge what's going on.
Are you noticing other changes from the update? If so, please let me know.
Update: It appears Apple finally has acknowledged the 3G issue. On Tuesday the company told the Associated Press that the 2.0.2 update "improved communication with 3G networks." Let me know if that's the case for you.
Apple has released iPhone OS 2.0.2 with its obligatory, but unhelpful, release notes indicating only "bug fixes."
Unfortunately, a resolution to widespread, frustrating 3G reception issues is not among those fixes. In fact, some users have reported that the update manifests poorer 3G reception than 2.0.1, with devices now giving a "No Service" message in previously 3G-accessible locations.
"I use to get one to three bars of 3G service in my house and now I can't make a call," wrote an Apple poster. "I have to switch off the 3G to get any bars. Things are going the wrong way!"
Even worse, many users are experiencing incompatibility with previously operational third-party applications. "Yes, I have about 15 apps loaded and now only eight to ten work with the new 2.0.2 software," said a user. Some are reporting even worse predicaments. "All my downloaded applications crash within 5 seconds of being opened," said another person. "Restarting the phone and reapplying update has done nothing to fix it."
What does iPhone OS 2.0.2 fix? Both typing and scrolling, which were plagued by extreme lag and slowness prior to this update, are now operating at acceptable speeds for many users, but not all.
"[The update] didn't improve my 3G signal, or my signal in general for that matter," said a poster. "And I still am getting the keyboard lag."
iPhone OS 2.0.2 can be installed by attaching your iPhone to your Mac or Windows computer then clicking the "Update" button. Based on current reports, however, the benefits may not outweigh the risks.
Originally posted on iPhone Atlas.
Achoo! I've caught a cold.
(Credit: Corinne Schulze/CNET Networks)As my colleague Tom Krazit over at CNET News already told you, Apple released the iPhone OS 2.0.2 software update on Monday. Unfortunately, our iPhone 3G has other plans. Our review model still is caught in an endless series of restore cycles. Hopefully, I'll get it fixed soon and can let you know what the update brings.
With tales of iPhone 3G horror abounding on the Web, I figured I was just lucky.
Since Apple loaned CNET an iPhone 3G just over a month ago, I had experienced none of the problems that have plagued so many other users. I didn't have dropped calls or buggy software, and my iPhone wasn't cracking around the edges. Sure, the 3G connection was a bit shaky, and the battery life suffered during a day of heavy use, but on the whole my handset was doing just what it was supposed to do.
Uh-oh, it's the dreaded white screen of death.
(Credit: Kent German/CNET Networks)That is, until today. Since I only got the iPhone back from the CNET Labs just this week--I'm convinced Eric Franklin was getting back at me for being cold-blooded--I had to wait until today to get the latest 2.0.1 software update.
After connecting the phone to iTunes and accepting the update, all was proceeding normally until suddenly, disaster struck. iTunes informed me that it was unable to complete the update because of an "unknown error" and my iPhone froze with the "connect to iTunes" prompt on the screen. Ouch...that was unexpected, particularly since I had updated CNET's first-generation iPhone moments before. But thinking it could just be a one-time quirk I tried a factory restore, reconnected the phone to iTunes in recovery mode, and accepted the update again. But alas, disaster struck a second time.
Though thoughts of doom began to flood my mind, I took the advice of my very knowledgeable colleague over at iPhone Atlas and tried the update a third time. And that's when Murphy's Law hit me over the head with a mallet. Not only did the "unknown error" flash across my computer screen again, but also my iPhone snowed over with the "white Apple logo screen of death."
Any screen of death, be it blue or white, is not fun as now it looks like a trip to the Apple store is in order. I was able to clear the screen with another restore, but now my iPhone won't get past the pesky iTunes prompt. It may not be bricked, but it might as well be.
It's more than clear, Cupertino, that we have a problem. I'm hardly the only one to experience this problem, as message boards across the Internet can attest. But so far, Apple has on this issue, not to mention the mounting reports of 3G reception problems and dropped calls. AT&T is denying responsibility, but the fact the user complaints are coming from outside the United States seems to support the theory that there is an issue with the phone.
Analysts and researchers have pointed to probable causes, from the Infineon chipset to a lack of 3G sensitivity, but so far iPhone users have been left to fend for themselves. And that's just shameful. According to a Business Week story, a software update to fix the reception problems is on the way. But until I hear anything officially, I consider it hearsay.
Apple, it goes without saying that you should fix these issues soon. But in the meantime, it would be nice if you could discuss them at all--even if it is a simple "we're working on it." I'm certain that even the very acknowledgment that something is afoot would put a lot of minds at ease. And AT&T, you should chime in as well. My iPhone is a free loaner so I deserve nothing. But there are plenty of people who paid a lot of money for your product. And they deserve better.
Have you been struck with the iTunes "white screen of death"? Leave a comment to let us know.
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