iSmashPhone

iPhone/iPod touch 2.2 Software Review

Apple issued iPhone/iPod Touch 2.2 update after 12am November 21, we have anticipated it but not that early.

Before you start your update

NOTE:
1. After update jailbreak will not work on both 2g and 3g
2. If your phone was activated via jailbreak process you will loose activation for 3g iPhone.  2g iPhone will stay activated unless you perform full restore.
3. If you have iPod Touch you will not have any majorGoogle Maps updates: Google Street View, public transit and walking directions

Also, iTunes 8.0.2 is available for download

Some helpful links:

Download latest iPhone Software

iPhone 2G:
http://appldnld.apple.com.edgesuite.net/content.info.apple.com/iPhone/061-5779.20081120.Pt5yH/iPhone1,1_2.2_5G77_Restore.ipsw
iPhone 3G:
http://appldnld.apple.com.edgesuite.net/content.info.apple.com/iPhone/061-5778.20081120.Aqw4R/iPhone1,2_2.2_5G77_Restore.ipsw

More info for users with jailbroken phones

List of all security updates in 2.2 iPhone software

For those who read manuals and not blogs, updated iPhone 2.2 Manual

List of notable updates in 2.2:
1. Google Maps
            Street View
            Walking Directions
            Public Transit
            Display address of dropped pins
            Share location via email

2. Enhancements to Mail
            Resolved isolated issues with scheduled fetching of email
            Improved formatting of wide HTML email

3. Podcasts are now available for download in iTunes application (over Wi-Fi and cellular)

4. Pressing the Home button from any Home screen takes you to the first Home screen

5. Preferences to turn on/off auto-correction in Keyboard settings

6. Other Less cool stuff
            Improved stability and performance of Safari
            Decrease in call set-up failures and call drops
            Improved sound quality of visual voicemail messages

Check back for more updates, while we are testing and documenting.

If you have some screen shots send them via submit tip form or submit post comment.

Auto-Correction ON/OFF switch is under Settings -> General -> Keyboard

Google Search box is next to URL, this makes search one click away as suppose to two clicks.  It may look a bit cramp, but the two click part was driving me crazy.

iPhone: Failure Is Not An Option. (Compared to Blackberry and Treo, That Is...)

A study carried out by a mobile-phone warranty firm has found that iPhones have a lower rate of failure in their first year of use than Blackberries or Treos.

The SquareTrade study looked at more than 15,000 handsets that were covered by the company's policies. It found iPhones had a malfunction rate of 5.6 percent in the first year, compared to 11.9 percent for Research In Motion's BlackBerry smartphones. Palm's Treos fared even worse, with 16.2 percent having some sort of malfunction in the first 12 months of use.  Also noted: fewer than half-a-percent of iPhone owners reported battery problems after a year of use, compared with around 1 percent for BlackBerry and Treo users.

Keep in mind that the study looked at smart handsets over a two-year period -- and since it hasn't been around for two years, the iPhone's failure rate had to be extrapolated from current data.  Additionally, the study found that 12 percent of iPhone users reported accidental damage to their handsets within the first year of use--the average for other handsets is 9 percent.

"It's likely that any iPhone owner can guess the reason iPhone accidents are so common," the authors wrote. "After two minutes of handling an iPhone, it's impossible to escape noticing that the handsets are incredibly slippery. The form doesn't help, either. The dimensions make for a difficult grip, especially for those with small hands. These two factors conspire to make the iPhone more accident prone than just about any other handset model we've seen."

So far, no comment from either RIM (the Blackberry's creator) or the House of Jobs.

[Via cNet]