Complaints about Apple's new iPhone OS 3.1 are flooding the web, with one poster calling it "the buggiest update that Apple has yet released for the iPhone."
The problems being reported are legion. They include iPhones becoming totally unresponsive, dropped calls, poor battery life, difficulties with Wi-Fi connections, failed …
I started with iTunes 4 (never use the iTunes Store for music though) and have never had a problem with updates. I'm now using iTunes 9, glitch free @ 60GB of music and growing.
Granted, it's a crap media program compared even to Media Player, but at least it's always worked for me.
Same with iPhone. iPhone updated from OS 2.x -> 3 -> 3.1 all perfect. Yes it might be "crippled" but it has worked flawlessly from day one and is simple enough for a dunce to use even when under extreme pressure and heavily distracted.
I'll trade "optimising" random settings and an infuriatingly sluggish user interface for a bit of cripple, any day. Oh yes, let's not forget the remarkable achievement of the App Store in and of itself which IMHO more than justifies the device's existence.
The fact I like my iPhone doesn't make me in any way more retarded than I would be had I chosen a Crackberry. For me, It Just Works, with my network of six perfectly synched Macs and that's what I love about it the most. YMMV.
My iPhone 3G started being slow to wake up recently. It would just drop off the network and required a reboot before 3G or the telephone features would work again.
I did a full wipe and reinstall (took a while to wipe - the reinstall was painless) and have had a pain-free couple of days. Back to how it should be. I assumed it's because I was on the developer's 3.0 beta previously, or that I was using a custom provisioning. Sometimes it's not APple's fault.
Oh, hang on, this is El Reg. I should go on about how iPhone users are sheeple and it's all marketing, no trousers. Let's just pretend that's what I did.
Nokia N900 is looking nice right about now. OK so its a failed update. I understand the urge to indulge in schadenfreude, but really all this is is a lesson to Apple that the other Phone manufacturers learnt a long time ago.
"If you want to make calls on the move, buy whatever (insert manufacturer name here ) model you like and make calls. If you want to take photos, get a camera. If you want to send emails, use a f*cking pc/laptop/internet cafe."
So from that, can I take it that you carry a phone, camera, video camera, mp3player, TV & DVD player and laptop with you everywhere you go, and every time you leave the house? Do you also carry a sat-nav, games machine and diary everywhere too? You must have a hyooge bag and be built like Arnie in his heyday.
Yes, there are doubtless some users who have had problems. I'm sure, also, that Apple did test their update extensively. I wonder, tho, if there's any effect depending which apps are installed or being used when the update is initiated. If it turns out that app use might affect updates, then it suddenly becomes an impossible task to test the update with every possible combination of apps.
I always find it funny to see how many people jump on the bandwagon to slag off any manufacturer, whether it's MS or Apple. As far as I'm concerned, I buy what's right for the job, and if I find it inadequate, buggy faulty or just not right, I don't buy it. I don't, however, slag it off. When the nay sayers can assure us that they've NEVER made a mistake in their life then certainly they can cast the first stone. Yes it's a company, yes they are providing a product for consumer use, and yes it shoud be tested to ensure it works, but ultimately, any company is run by, and their products made by humans, and people DO make mistakes.
Go to the Mac Ach in Ars Technica, and see how many posts there are about 3.1 screwing up iPhones. Remember, this is the place that has numerous discussions on the minutest problems connected in any way to Apple. Find any?
There's the odd discussion of some issues, but they are sometimes due to iTunes 9 glitches, or are issues with the Home button that also occurred before 3.1. And almost all of the issues are sorted by resets or restores.
With The Reg, one needs to apply Diax's Rake on every article now, it seems.
This, boys and girls, is why you should never *ever* update software on your devices until a few weeks have passed, so that foolish early adopters can test it for you.
Exchange 2007 SP1 was released two years ago but Exchange 2007 SP2 was released about three weeks ago, maybe the Active Sync problem has something to do with that?
"If you want to make calls on the move, buy whatever (insert manufacturer name here ) model you like and make calls."
-I like the Apple iPhone, so I did exactly as you ask. Except what you really meant was "if you want to make calls..........buy whatever phone I have, otherwise you are a twat"
"If you want to take photos, get a camera."
-I have a proper camera thanks, but generally I don't want to carry it around and I don't need its resolution so I find the camera on the iphone occasionally quite useful.
"If you want to send emails, use a f*cking pc/laptop/internet cafe."
-Why? I have an iPhone which sends emails without having to lug around a big laptop, go home or to the office to use a PC or pay to use an interweb cafe. So not only does it save me money, it saves me time and effort.
You also forgot to tell me to buy a separate music player, PDA, GPS, external storage unit and so on, all of which are available on a _single_ device. Which is actually very convenient.
Now, the iPhone is not for everyone and it is certainly no bad thing if you chose to not buy one, and I am sure many people did buy one just to try to be better* than their mates, but I wanted one for what it does and as soon as it had proper GPS software I got one and I am very happy with it.
Oh, and for the record I updated to OS 3.1.1 with no problems at all.
*This is not a phenomenon unique to iPhones, and certainly started well before Apple got into the business.
Could we please have a poll with each thread, to save people posting their predictable rants and us wading through them? A lá:
- ha ha
- mine works
- serves the smug gits right
- my expert opinion (anecdotal evidence) says this is BS
- I blame reg/MS/user/anyonebutjobs
- reg is biased
If there is a bias in the poll, why is the reverse true in this thread? It occurs to me Apple users keep it in the family, crying in the 'privacy' of their forums but being defensive in 'public'. A bit like an abuse victim.
Special hugs to Lord Shocktroop for a great attempt at pre-emptive defence for Master Jobs. I didn't bother reading the post but those caps tell me all I need to know about how you are feeling inside. It's a tough moment when faith and facts can no longer be reconciled.
Each of my iPhone updates has gone without a hitch, problem with some of the people on the Apple sites is they are such devout advocates that they consider any failure a personal betrayal.
Plus its not entirely unheard of for people to disconnect the phone or try rebooting it during the upgrade - though of course there will always be people who followed the instructions and still have issues.
Coverage does seem a little OTT though, still it's what you get when you position yourself as a boutique brand.
What you smell off is no concern to us, the problems with the iPhone only seem to get worse by the "update", just most of the Macturds are too busy pulling off to pics of Skeletor Jobs to notice.
As we all know, anyone who is so stupid that they don't know how to work the caps-lock key will have all their posts ignored. I *tried* to read yours, I really did but the massive amount of spelling errors put me right off...
Why do people seem to be trying to sell Nokia phones whenever there is an iPhone story? I'm unfortunate enough to actually have one and it's the worst piece of electronics I've ever had the misfortune to have to use (It's a work phone and I'm too tight to buy a new handset). I'll have to assume it's a case of misery loves company.
For about an hour. I remember this happening a lot when I first got an iPhone 3g - I sent it back and replacement didn't have the issue. As for a full reboot - it wouldn't accept the input - so I had to wait it out.
To take a step down the rarely trodden (on the el reg comments pages) middle path on iPhone vs not iPhone trollfest, I'm looking forward to the decision I'll be making in 3 months when my contract expires.
When I first got the phone it was a complete revelation. Certainly the restrictions were pretty jarring. Bluetooth a joke, no cut n paste yada yada yada you all know the issues. But the interface was so smooth, and reactive and easy. If you were willing to play in Apple' s sandbox it was a great place to be. The worst aspect was the battery life - but given how much I was using it it was hardly surprising I'd drain it every day.
Since then the rest of the world has taken notice of the Jesus phone, and have outright copied some aspects while adding from their own copious knowledge of the world of mobile handsets.
There's not a lot left in it between them and the other sandboxes are looking a lot roomier and just as comfy.
In the meantime the design of the iPhone has meant that crap has got behind the round button and made it only respond to about 1 press in 3, but I can't open it to clean it. The rocker switch that makes it silent has mysteriously fallen off, and unforgivably the warranty on the phone runs out 6 months before the shortest available contract. Stuff that nonsense.
Rumours suggest that O2 will lose it's monopoly in time for Christmas. I certainly hope so - if I can ditch a network that only works when the population density actually causes smog, I might consider the 3GS, but these android phones are looking pretty tasty at the moment.
Thanks for the article though - thought it was just a phone designed to last 13 months trying feebly to survive till the end of it's contract rather than a rubbish software update. When they released the software patch shortly after releasing the 3GSthe interface on the 3G suddenly felt slower.
I can't have proof, but can't help feeling that the phone is designed to expire between 12 and 18 months to help lock you into another 18 month contract as part of an "early upgrade" - would certainly be a USP for O2. When I complained to O2 about the issues above they offered me a "new" 3G as an "upgrade". For only £100 odd and a new contract. I don't think so.
Mactards? Fair enough, but a bit pot and kettle wouldn't you say from a cowardly fanboi? Skeletor Jobs? Mouth-breathers like you are the reason pointless "flame-wars" like this one happen. What a pointless little limp-dick you are . I've said it before, attacking the appearance of an individual who is recovering from major surgery, like them or not, is fucking out of order - especially when you are too cowardly to put your name to it. Comeback when you gone through puberty. Prick.
Why couldn't you post this article yesterday?! I just clicked on the update button before I read about all the problems. Well, so far - I don't see anything wrong (knock wood). Strong signal, GPS working, messaging looks ok, email and web working.
Like you, I also have a Nokia e63 although I got mine on contract with Three.
It's a great little phone, I can make calls and send texts which is great, and I like the fact it has a camera (not great quality but works fairly well, I have a digital camera for good quality photos), an MP3 player with podcasting, Wifi, and the killer app for me (other than calling and texting) - Putty so I can SSH into Linux boxes from my phone.
Sure, I dare say an iPhone could do all that too, but the difference is, the Nokia was a whole lot cheaper and I don't feel like I've sold my soul to Nokia to be able to use it.
I'd deliberately avoided updatig it for about 6 months as I had a stable release that was lovely even though still no flash. Updated on Friday and bang, no phone any more, had to use a different machine, roll the entire thing back to factory default, tried to resync with Itunes to restore the my backup, nope, it destroyed the phone again, I now have it running stand alone, I'm not even trying to sync any more as it destroys the phone if I use my main machine. Roll on December when my contract expires, Android here I come, with the added adavantage that I don't need to buy a mac to develop apps for it.
I just got a 3GS with 3.1 - my first Apple product. Solid as a rock. Well engineered. The best piece of electronics I've ever bought. No problem like those listed - however, it's a new phone and there are no "legacy" apps... I've just loaded one (Shazam - best app of 2008).
It does have flaws however:
1) No easy way to import numbers from .vcf
2) No profiles. Really - no profiles. My K800i had profiles. My 6310i had profiles that could be set by time of day. This phone has no profiles. Amazing.
3) 02 have not implemented the phone capabilities properly. Setting call-waiting required a call to the help desk and then a manual dial. Same with MMS.
4) iTunes. I had to set up an account to make the phone work. Really - why ?
5) Non-consistent user interface w.r.t. text input. Sometimes I can go into landscape to enter text with a bigger keyboard, sometimes I can't.
Even with these problems, the engineering (hardware and software) are outstanding. Expensive ? Yes - but I also drive a German car and have German appliances (Miele, Bosch) and a Swiss watch....
"just most of the Macturds are too busy pulling off to pics of Skeletor Jobs to notice" there's an app for that.
@Simon Banyard
Maybe it is, but insulting someone like that over the internets makes you look even more of a prick. Have you ever met Steve Jobs? Maybe he likes being called skeletor, but you wouldn't know that would you? And breathe.
@People getting mad at Lord Elpuss
It was clearly a bad joke, and the caps were meant to highlight that. Anyone who thinks that something that ends with "IF MORE PEOPLE LIKE ME HAD THE BRAINS TO STAND UP TO THE ADVERTISNG BRAINWASHING WE WOULDNT BE IN THE STATE WERE IN WITH THE COUNTRY GOING TO THE DOGS AND ALL." is not meant to be a joke is clearly an idiot.
Sales of Goods Act guarantees your goods for 6 years (as that is deemed a reasonable lifetime for electronic goods) so long as it hasn't been stored in full daylight, left in the bath, dropped from the top of buildings etc...
What's important to realise is that it's not the manufacturer that guarantees your goods for this time, it's the shop that sells you the product. It's then upto the shop to reclaim their costs from the manufacturer.
As a general rule if less than 6 months old you can demand repair or replace and it's upto the shop to prove the goods are working.
After 6 months you can demand repair, but it's upto you to prove the goods are faulty and that you haven't broken them accidentally.
The 1 year warrenty simply states the minimum amount of service you can expect outside of the Sale of Goods Act.
I have 4 year old LG, my missus updated the firmware 3 years ago when she had it. It's shocking pink and works OK most of the time. I have one number stored on it ( home for a lift when the trains are buggered ) and picture of my kids. I have absolutely no idea how to use it other than dial numbers and make calls. I must have a camera somewhere as my missus took the picture of the kids about 2 years ago! My missus has an iPhone, she understands this phone cack!
Phone Luddites join me, although we will have to arrange something by email as we can't call each other if we get lost near the meeting place!
Obviously I misunderestimated* the strength of feeling in this thread. I'll be careful to preface my next facetious remark with <joke> and close them with </joke>
* Yes, that was a joke too. Google 'Bushisms' for more.
Do you not realise it's all part of Apple's obsession with slimming everything down? Next year he's having some good alpha effects applied to him so that his shadow isn't as horribly sharp. They didn't want to do it all at once because, well, they needed something new to unveil next year.
I'd hope Apple are employing programmers sufficiently clued up as to the relationship between hardware and firmware such that normal levels of deviation in component performance would be accomodated by the code. I'd also hope they're employing production line engineers with sufficient clue as to be able to spot any potential problems brought about by process changes on existing components, using supposedly compatible components from alternative suppliers etc, and that all subsequent firmware changes are fully tested on both the new AND old hardware platforms.
As an embedded systems engineer myself, I know how tedious product lifecycle support work can be sometimes, especially if you're itching to get on with some fun new project, but it's an essential part of the development process, and I can't believe Apple would be stupid enough to cut corners in this area, given the impact it'd have on their reputation. So I'd be very surprised, and rather dismayed, if the problems with 3.1 did turn out to be related to hardware variances between handsets.
It's not just Apple, in fact, they seem to be effected less than others...
We have Excvhange 2007 with about 15,000 users. About 20% have their phones connected to it, nearly HALF iPhones (and not a single RIM device, since BIS will never be deployed here for numerous security audit reasons) .
Just spoke with the admin team. So far, only 2 people with an iPhone have called in to complain, and it appears re-installing iTunes 9 and then reimaging the device with 3.1 solved their issues. However, dozens of WinMobile and a few Palm folks have called in, some of them with completely bricked devices that had to be serviced to get working again (several of them replaced). Apparently not 3.1, but some Exchange side security patch caused the issue. It was identified and removed, and there's no further complaints since 2 days ago.
I'm learning that with the Ip-Hone-y one should be very careful about updating anything. I'm running about 50% of the updates (including apps) making things worse or removing key features.
3.1 made cut/copy/paste disappear from certain dialog boxes. Very annoying and stupid.
Pahahahahaha! That's what you get for buying a bloody Apple product with all its locked downess! You wouldn't get that with a Windows phone, any problems, just install a different version. And if the phone was from other manufacturers it wouldn't need updating every month as it would work properly and have a full feature set from the off... I'll leave it there.
Register
Complaints about Apple's new iPhone OS 3.1 are flooding the web, with one poster calling it "the buggiest update that Apple has yet released for the iPhone." The problems being reported are legion. They include iPhones becoming totally unresponsive, dropped calls, poor battery life, difficulties with Wi-Fi connections, failed …
Page:
So far: Flawless... (touch wood)
I started with iTunes 4 (never use the iTunes Store for music though) and have never had a problem with updates. I'm now using iTunes 9, glitch free @ 60GB of music and growing.
Granted, it's a crap media program compared even to Media Player, but at least it's always worked for me.
Same with iPhone. iPhone updated from OS 2.x -> 3 -> 3.1 all perfect. Yes it might be "crippled" but it has worked flawlessly from day one and is simple enough for a dunce to use even when under extreme pressure and heavily distracted.
I'll trade "optimising" random settings and an infuriatingly sluggish user interface for a bit of cripple, any day. Oh yes, let's not forget the remarkable achievement of the App Store in and of itself which IMHO more than justifies the device's existence.
The fact I like my iPhone doesn't make me in any way more retarded than I would be had I chosen a Crackberry. For me, It Just Works, with my network of six perfectly synched Macs and that's what I love about it the most. YMMV.
@Lord Elpuss
I sincerely hope that was ironic, otherwise you have absolutely no business being on a tech website like the Reg.
Everyone else, Android awaits you. Muhuhhahahahahahaaaaaaa!
@DZ-Jay
"...blown out of proportion..." good or bad news that phrase goes hand in hand with Apple products
@Lord Elpuss
Does Lord Elpuss have a setting on him lower than mute?
...I do kind of agree with him though.
Just one problem with mine
twice since the 3.1 update has my Iphone 3G decided that there's no music content on it requiring me to resync to make it recognise it again.
Full restore
My iPhone 3G started being slow to wake up recently. It would just drop off the network and required a reboot before 3G or the telephone features would work again.
I did a full wipe and reinstall (took a while to wipe - the reinstall was painless) and have had a pain-free couple of days. Back to how it should be. I assumed it's because I was on the developer's 3.0 beta previously, or that I was using a custom provisioning. Sometimes it's not APple's fault.
Oh, hang on, this is El Reg. I should go on about how iPhone users are sheeple and it's all marketing, no trousers. Let's just pretend that's what I did.
Main stream
This is just Apple catching up with the main stream. My last 3-4 phones (two Nokia and two HTC) have all managed to do this from day one.
Nice to see Apple moving from being a niche player into the wider market.
It's good to see the idiots' playtime in full swing today, too.
Do you guys stand on the street yelling at everyone who bought different stuff to you as well?
OK, so, alternatives?
Nokia N900 is looking nice right about now. OK so its a failed update. I understand the urge to indulge in schadenfreude, but really all this is is a lesson to Apple that the other Phone manufacturers learnt a long time ago.
Mine's the one with an OS-OS in the pocket.
@Mrkdvs
"If you want to make calls on the move, buy whatever (insert manufacturer name here ) model you like and make calls. If you want to take photos, get a camera. If you want to send emails, use a f*cking pc/laptop/internet cafe."
So from that, can I take it that you carry a phone, camera, video camera, mp3player, TV & DVD player and laptop with you everywhere you go, and every time you leave the house? Do you also carry a sat-nav, games machine and diary everywhere too? You must have a hyooge bag and be built like Arnie in his heyday.
Yes, there are doubtless some users who have had problems. I'm sure, also, that Apple did test their update extensively. I wonder, tho, if there's any effect depending which apps are installed or being used when the update is initiated. If it turns out that app use might affect updates, then it suddenly becomes an impossible task to test the update with every possible combination of apps.
I always find it funny to see how many people jump on the bandwagon to slag off any manufacturer, whether it's MS or Apple. As far as I'm concerned, I buy what's right for the job, and if I find it inadequate, buggy faulty or just not right, I don't buy it. I don't, however, slag it off. When the nay sayers can assure us that they've NEVER made a mistake in their life then certainly they can cast the first stone. Yes it's a company, yes they are providing a product for consumer use, and yes it shoud be tested to ensure it works, but ultimately, any company is run by, and their products made by humans, and people DO make mistakes.
@Mrkdvs
Dear sir,
I concur.
Yours sincerely,
Me.
That would explain it
Ha! Thats why my mobile internet on o2 from my Nokia is so fast today - long may it last!
This post has been deleted by its author
@The Cube
In other news, according to the latest poll carried out by thehun.com 98%* of web users view pornography
(+- 2%)
I call Bullshytt
Go to the Mac Ach in Ars Technica, and see how many posts there are about 3.1 screwing up iPhones. Remember, this is the place that has numerous discussions on the minutest problems connected in any way to Apple. Find any?
There's the odd discussion of some issues, but they are sometimes due to iTunes 9 glitches, or are issues with the Home button that also occurred before 3.1. And almost all of the issues are sorted by resets or restores.
With The Reg, one needs to apply Diax's Rake on every article now, it seems.
Thankyou, beta testers!
This, boys and girls, is why you should never *ever* update software on your devices until a few weeks have passed, so that foolish early adopters can test it for you.
@Tone
Exchange 2007 SP1 was released two years ago but Exchange 2007 SP2 was released about three weeks ago, maybe the Active Sync problem has something to do with that?
@Mrkdvs
"If you want to make calls on the move, buy whatever (insert manufacturer name here ) model you like and make calls."
-I like the Apple iPhone, so I did exactly as you ask. Except what you really meant was "if you want to make calls..........buy whatever phone I have, otherwise you are a twat"
"If you want to take photos, get a camera."
-I have a proper camera thanks, but generally I don't want to carry it around and I don't need its resolution so I find the camera on the iphone occasionally quite useful.
"If you want to send emails, use a f*cking pc/laptop/internet cafe."
-Why? I have an iPhone which sends emails without having to lug around a big laptop, go home or to the office to use a PC or pay to use an interweb cafe. So not only does it save me money, it saves me time and effort.
You also forgot to tell me to buy a separate music player, PDA, GPS, external storage unit and so on, all of which are available on a _single_ device. Which is actually very convenient.
Now, the iPhone is not for everyone and it is certainly no bad thing if you chose to not buy one, and I am sure many people did buy one just to try to be better* than their mates, but I wanted one for what it does and as soon as it had proper GPS software I got one and I am very happy with it.
Oh, and for the record I updated to OS 3.1.1 with no problems at all.
*This is not a phenomenon unique to iPhones, and certainly started well before Apple got into the business.
Loss of signal here
I've had problems with loss of signal that can only be fixed by resetting the device on my 3GS.
Battery life seems slightly worse when Wi-Fi is enabled, but I haven't done any scientific testing of this so I may just be imagining things.
Who needs a virus...
..when you have Apple writing your software!!
@David Cantrell
Spot on.
@skewed
Could we please have a poll with each thread, to save people posting their predictable rants and us wading through them? A lá:
- ha ha
- mine works
- serves the smug gits right
- my expert opinion (anecdotal evidence) says this is BS
- I blame reg/MS/user/anyonebutjobs
- reg is biased
If there is a bias in the poll, why is the reverse true in this thread? It occurs to me Apple users keep it in the family, crying in the 'privacy' of their forums but being defensive in 'public'. A bit like an abuse victim.
Special hugs to Lord Shocktroop for a great attempt at pre-emptive defence for Master Jobs. I didn't bother reading the post but those caps tell me all I need to know about how you are feeling inside. It's a tough moment when faith and facts can no longer be reconciled.
No problems here
Snow Leopard, iTunes 9, iPhone OS 3.1, all working fine for me.
Another 'no probs' upgrade here
Each of my iPhone updates has gone without a hitch, problem with some of the people on the Apple sites is they are such devout advocates that they consider any failure a personal betrayal.
Plus its not entirely unheard of for people to disconnect the phone or try rebooting it during the upgrade - though of course there will always be people who followed the instructions and still have issues.
Coverage does seem a little OTT though, still it's what you get when you position yourself as a boutique brand.
@Rupert Stubbs
What you smell off is no concern to us, the problems with the iPhone only seem to get worse by the "update", just most of the Macturds are too busy pulling off to pics of Skeletor Jobs to notice.
@Lord Elpuss
As we all know, anyone who is so stupid that they don't know how to work the caps-lock key will have all their posts ignored. I *tried* to read yours, I really did but the massive amount of spelling errors put me right off...
Nokia, really?
Why do people seem to be trying to sell Nokia phones whenever there is an iPhone story? I'm unfortunate enough to actually have one and it's the worst piece of electronics I've ever had the misfortune to have to use (It's a work phone and I'm too tight to buy a new handset). I'll have to assume it's a case of misery loves company.
I had Coma mode a couple of days ago
For about an hour. I remember this happening a lot when I first got an iPhone 3g - I sent it back and replacement didn't have the issue. As for a full reboot - it wouldn't accept the input - so I had to wait it out.
To take a step down the rarely trodden (on the el reg comments pages) middle path on iPhone vs not iPhone trollfest, I'm looking forward to the decision I'll be making in 3 months when my contract expires.
When I first got the phone it was a complete revelation. Certainly the restrictions were pretty jarring. Bluetooth a joke, no cut n paste yada yada yada you all know the issues. But the interface was so smooth, and reactive and easy. If you were willing to play in Apple' s sandbox it was a great place to be. The worst aspect was the battery life - but given how much I was using it it was hardly surprising I'd drain it every day.
Since then the rest of the world has taken notice of the Jesus phone, and have outright copied some aspects while adding from their own copious knowledge of the world of mobile handsets.
There's not a lot left in it between them and the other sandboxes are looking a lot roomier and just as comfy.
In the meantime the design of the iPhone has meant that crap has got behind the round button and made it only respond to about 1 press in 3, but I can't open it to clean it. The rocker switch that makes it silent has mysteriously fallen off, and unforgivably the warranty on the phone runs out 6 months before the shortest available contract. Stuff that nonsense.
Rumours suggest that O2 will lose it's monopoly in time for Christmas. I certainly hope so - if I can ditch a network that only works when the population density actually causes smog, I might consider the 3GS, but these android phones are looking pretty tasty at the moment.
Thanks for the article though - thought it was just a phone designed to last 13 months trying feebly to survive till the end of it's contract rather than a rubbish software update. When they released the software patch shortly after releasing the 3GSthe interface on the 3G suddenly felt slower.
I can't have proof, but can't help feeling that the phone is designed to expire between 12 and 18 months to help lock you into another 18 month contract as part of an "early upgrade" - would certainly be a USP for O2. When I complained to O2 about the issues above they offered me a "new" 3G as an "upgrade". For only £100 odd and a new contract. I don't think so.
@AC 18th September 2009 10:16 GMT
Mactards? Fair enough, but a bit pot and kettle wouldn't you say from a cowardly fanboi? Skeletor Jobs? Mouth-breathers like you are the reason pointless "flame-wars" like this one happen. What a pointless little limp-dick you are . I've said it before, attacking the appearance of an individual who is recovering from major surgery, like them or not, is fucking out of order - especially when you are too cowardly to put your name to it. Comeback when you gone through puberty. Prick.
A day late
Why couldn't you post this article yesterday?! I just clicked on the update button before I read about all the problems. Well, so far - I don't see anything wrong (knock wood). Strong signal, GPS working, messaging looks ok, email and web working.
Re: @AC 18th September 2009 10:16 GMT
Boys, boys, boys.
Chill.
Re: Dave Harris
Like you, I also have a Nokia e63 although I got mine on contract with Three.
It's a great little phone, I can make calls and send texts which is great, and I like the fact it has a camera (not great quality but works fairly well, I have a digital camera for good quality photos), an MP3 player with podcasting, Wifi, and the killer app for me (other than calling and texting) - Putty so I can SSH into Linux boxes from my phone.
Sure, I dare say an iPhone could do all that too, but the difference is, the Nokia was a whole lot cheaper and I don't feel like I've sold my soul to Nokia to be able to use it.
Rob
@Anonymous Coward - Exchange 2007 SP2
Exchange 2007 SP2 was released a few weeks ago but the policy in question were introduced in SP1 nearly 2 years ago.
Possible fix worth a try
Your mileage may well vary, but we have had a thought based on a couple of people's experience. It certainly fixed the problem for us.
Switch off your iPhone.
Remove the SIM.
Switch on your iPhone.
Wait until it's booted and unlocked.
Switch off your iPhone.
Insert the SIM.
Switch on your iPhone.
Any better now?
The straw that broke the camels back
I'd deliberately avoided updatig it for about 6 months as I had a stable release that was lovely even though still no flash. Updated on Friday and bang, no phone any more, had to use a different machine, roll the entire thing back to factory default, tried to resync with Itunes to restore the my backup, nope, it destroyed the phone again, I now have it running stand alone, I'm not even trying to sync any more as it destroys the phone if I use my main machine. Roll on December when my contract expires, Android here I come, with the added adavantage that I don't need to buy a mac to develop apps for it.
Really ?
I just got a 3GS with 3.1 - my first Apple product. Solid as a rock. Well engineered. The best piece of electronics I've ever bought. No problem like those listed - however, it's a new phone and there are no "legacy" apps... I've just loaded one (Shazam - best app of 2008).
It does have flaws however:
1) No easy way to import numbers from .vcf
2) No profiles. Really - no profiles. My K800i had profiles. My 6310i had profiles that could be set by time of day. This phone has no profiles. Amazing.
3) 02 have not implemented the phone capabilities properly. Setting call-waiting required a call to the help desk and then a manual dial. Same with MMS.
4) iTunes. I had to set up an account to make the phone work. Really - why ?
5) Non-consistent user interface w.r.t. text input. Sometimes I can go into landscape to enter text with a bigger keyboard, sometimes I can't.
Even with these problems, the engineering (hardware and software) are outstanding. Expensive ? Yes - but I also drive a German car and have German appliances (Miele, Bosch) and a Swiss watch....
apple-users: apple hates you all
apple hate you, but they need your money - in fact they've already got your money, and it shows.
Apple can't stand how excited you customers get over whatever pretty case or UI they put around their semi-functional rubbish.
But they still need your money.
It's time to upgrade - take the hint - GOSH - and stop ruining their lives!
[Can we have a Napolean Dynamite icon please Mr. el Reg]
exchange sync
maybe not working because MS decided to restrict sync-ing to work with Zunes only ... or would that be "evil"?
Zzzzz...
"just most of the Macturds are too busy pulling off to pics of Skeletor Jobs to notice" there's an app for that.
@Simon Banyard
Maybe it is, but insulting someone like that over the internets makes you look even more of a prick. Have you ever met Steve Jobs? Maybe he likes being called skeletor, but you wouldn't know that would you? And breathe.
@People getting mad at Lord Elpuss
It was clearly a bad joke, and the caps were meant to highlight that. Anyone who thinks that something that ends with "IF MORE PEOPLE LIKE ME HAD THE BRAINS TO STAND UP TO THE ADVERTISNG BRAINWASHING WE WOULDNT BE IN THE STATE WERE IN WITH THE COUNTRY GOING TO THE DOGS AND ALL." is not meant to be a joke is clearly an idiot.
@ Alex C - warrenty
You don't need a warrenty.
Sales of Goods Act guarantees your goods for 6 years (as that is deemed a reasonable lifetime for electronic goods) so long as it hasn't been stored in full daylight, left in the bath, dropped from the top of buildings etc...
What's important to realise is that it's not the manufacturer that guarantees your goods for this time, it's the shop that sells you the product. It's then upto the shop to reclaim their costs from the manufacturer.
As a general rule if less than 6 months old you can demand repair or replace and it's upto the shop to prove the goods are working.
After 6 months you can demand repair, but it's upto you to prove the goods are faulty and that you haven't broken them accidentally.
The 1 year warrenty simply states the minimum amount of service you can expect outside of the Sale of Goods Act.
I love being a phone luddite!
I have 4 year old LG, my missus updated the firmware 3 years ago when she had it. It's shocking pink and works OK most of the time. I have one number stored on it ( home for a lift when the trains are buggered ) and picture of my kids. I have absolutely no idea how to use it other than dial numbers and make calls. I must have a camera somewhere as my missus took the picture of the kids about 2 years ago! My missus has an iPhone, she understands this phone cack!
Phone Luddites join me, although we will have to arrange something by email as we can't call each other if we get lost near the meeting place!
@Shakje
Thanks :-)
Obviously I misunderestimated* the strength of feeling in this thread. I'll be careful to preface my next facetious remark with <joke> and close them with </joke>
* Yes, that was a joke too. Google 'Bushisms' for more.
Apparent there is an App for this.
It's company policy.
@Simon Banyard
Do you not realise it's all part of Apple's obsession with slimming everything down? Next year he's having some good alpha effects applied to him so that his shadow isn't as horribly sharp. They didn't want to do it all at once because, well, they needed something new to unveil next year.
@Claus P. Nielsen
I'd hope Apple are employing programmers sufficiently clued up as to the relationship between hardware and firmware such that normal levels of deviation in component performance would be accomodated by the code. I'd also hope they're employing production line engineers with sufficient clue as to be able to spot any potential problems brought about by process changes on existing components, using supposedly compatible components from alternative suppliers etc, and that all subsequent firmware changes are fully tested on both the new AND old hardware platforms.
As an embedded systems engineer myself, I know how tedious product lifecycle support work can be sometimes, especially if you're itching to get on with some fun new project, but it's an essential part of the development process, and I can't believe Apple would be stupid enough to cut corners in this area, given the impact it'd have on their reputation. So I'd be very surprised, and rather dismayed, if the problems with 3.1 did turn out to be related to hardware variances between handsets.
Exchange ActiveSync issues
It's not just Apple, in fact, they seem to be effected less than others...
We have Excvhange 2007 with about 15,000 users. About 20% have their phones connected to it, nearly HALF iPhones (and not a single RIM device, since BIS will never be deployed here for numerous security audit reasons) .
Just spoke with the admin team. So far, only 2 people with an iPhone have called in to complain, and it appears re-installing iTunes 9 and then reimaging the device with 3.1 solved their issues. However, dozens of WinMobile and a few Palm folks have called in, some of them with completely bricked devices that had to be serviced to get working again (several of them replaced). Apparently not 3.1, but some Exchange side security patch caused the issue. It was identified and removed, and there's no further complaints since 2 days ago.
@Alien8n
Thanks for that - I'll look into this.
My understanding of goods and services act needs to be refreshed...
Cheers
Alex
Who made off with my cut/copy/paste?
I'm learning that with the Ip-Hone-y one should be very careful about updating anything. I'm running about 50% of the updates (including apps) making things worse or removing key features.
3.1 made cut/copy/paste disappear from certain dialog boxes. Very annoying and stupid.
Blame
I blame Van Jones. Kick 'em while they're down, as St. Francis said.
Or was that Frank Sinatra? I can't recall.
Pahahahahaha!
Pahahahahaha! That's what you get for buying a bloody Apple product with all its locked downess! You wouldn't get that with a Windows phone, any problems, just install a different version. And if the phone was from other manufacturers it wouldn't need updating every month as it would work properly and have a full feature set from the off... I'll leave it there.
@Michael C
Apple confirm problem is related to 3.1 here http://support.apple.com/kb/TS2941
Makes what you posted sound suspect.
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