iPhone Updates

Apple has released the first iPhone firmware update since iOS 4 was launched not even a month ago. The operating system officially went public on June 21 and has shipped on millions of iPhone 4 devices since then. iOS 4.0.1 is a minor update with changes to the cellular signal bars.

Apple promised the update after the company discovered an error in the way that signal bars were representing signal strength in areas with poor reception. Apparently the iPhone was making the signal appear stronger than it actually was at the lower end of the scale.

Well it didn't take long to hear from iPhone owners who tried the 3.1.3 firmware update to fix their existing battery problems. Some people are reporting the same problems, if not worse after updating to 3.1.3 from 3.1.2 or earlier iPhone OS versions.

Previously, many users updated to 3.1 software so they could take advantage of MMS functionality on AT&T and found that an unwelcome side effect was shortened battery life on the iPhone 3GS. (Learn how to turn on MMS without updating your 3.0 firmware here. Some have speculated this has something to do with the iPhone losing and acquiring the 3G signal repeatedly which drains the battery.

Ready to download 306 megabytes of Apple iPhone update? If you're looking for a fix for your outrageous 3.1 battery drain then keep looking.

Apple has released 3.1.2 firmware (skipping 3.1.1 altogether) but the bug fixes they have included might not help everyone. The most significant problem that 3.1.2 fixes is the so-called "coma" or "zombie" bug, where an iPhone refuses to wake from sleep.

This Friday AT&T is expected to text its iPhone customers in groups every hour, notifying them that MMS is finally ready for action on their iPhone. Some reports have indicated this process could start as early as 10AM Eastern Time.

MMS will be activated by a carrier settings update from iTunes. The service will make it possible to send photos and videos along with text to other mobile devices without using email. MMS will not be supported on the original (2G) iPhone.

One of the most common problems reported with the iPhone 3.1 firmware update is significantly reduced battery life. Apple has noticed the issue, and some AppleCare employees have sent requests for more information from affected users.

Until now, Apple has recommended that 3.1 problems can be solved either with a hard reboot or a complete restore using iTunes. The restore method results in a reset iPhone and the owner has to reconfigure settings from scratch.