iPhone 3G and 2.0 affected by buggy software, sensors, wireless
While iPhone 3G itself is hard to buy, those who do own the new handset are reporting a number of common problems that range from crash-prone third-party apps to lag, Bluetooth, and GPS.
Of all the problems, the most widespread is simply the tendency for third-party software to crash, including at times on launch -- a problem that participants in Apple's support forums notice is absent from Apple's own built-in applications.
In many cases, users are able to resolve some of the problems by reinstalling apps or resetting the iPhone, though at least some caution that the problem gradually reappears over time and isn't simply a byproduct of their early state.
"At first, it was just a couple of free applications which all worked for the first few times, then suddenly stopped working," one user says. "Deleting and re-downloading them fixed the issue but [the problem] came back, eventually."
Other problems, however, are more immediately troubling even on stock devices. A large number of owners observe that the iPhone 2.0 software is suffering from interface lag where the response to a command follows well after the actual input. While resetting can again temporarily fix the problem, the issue is widespread enough to affect both old and new iPhones and is always gradual, which leads some to believe a memory leak is present and sapping away at available performance over time.
And for more users, the hardware itself is becoming a noticeable problem. Early adopters of iPhone 3G are now complaining of echoing audio on their side of calls when paired with a Bluetooth audio system, particularly in cars. The feedback doesn't occur on the receiving end but is known to be tied to the device itself, as fully updated original iPhones don't suffer from the echo.
BMW drivers in particular are suffering from an apparent flaw which refuses to sync contact data over Bluetooth with their phone integration systems, with multiple 2006 and newer vehicles refusing to show contacts through their iDrive interfaces or to properly identify an incoming call. Some Land Rover SUVs also appear to suffer the flaw, though some note the problem also crops up in first-run iPhones using 2.0 firmware while some with new software or phones have no problems at all.
GPS mapping also proves to be unreliable or even non-functional, according to some reports. At its most basic level, some find the device locating itself in Google Maps well away from its actual position -- in one case, claiming a British owner was located off the coast of Canada. More serious instances see users needing to reset the iPhone to invoke GPS or, in the most extreme circumstances, receiving no lock whatsoever. AppleInsider itself can confirm at least periodic GPS issues.
A handful of problems are independent of wireless, including an unresponsive tilt sensor and the refusal of many in-car audio kits to charge while playing, though the latter is described by iLounge as part of a hardware change that no longer supports legacy docking systems that deliver power over a FireWire interface rather than USB.
Two reports (1, 2) also note the ringer volume resetting regardless of individual preferences.
For all these initial complaints, Apple is nonetheless showing signs that it's addressing problems soon. Those same BMW drivers complaining of contact sync have been contacted by Apple with hints that the company is aware of a problem it intends to resolve.
Website logs at multiple websites, including AppleInsider, also reveal Apple working on an iPhone 2.0.1 update that may fix one or more of the outstanding issues upon its release.
Of all the problems, the most widespread is simply the tendency for third-party software to crash, including at times on launch -- a problem that participants in Apple's support forums notice is absent from Apple's own built-in applications.
In many cases, users are able to resolve some of the problems by reinstalling apps or resetting the iPhone, though at least some caution that the problem gradually reappears over time and isn't simply a byproduct of their early state.
"At first, it was just a couple of free applications which all worked for the first few times, then suddenly stopped working," one user says. "Deleting and re-downloading them fixed the issue but [the problem] came back, eventually."
Other problems, however, are more immediately troubling even on stock devices. A large number of owners observe that the iPhone 2.0 software is suffering from interface lag where the response to a command follows well after the actual input. While resetting can again temporarily fix the problem, the issue is widespread enough to affect both old and new iPhones and is always gradual, which leads some to believe a memory leak is present and sapping away at available performance over time.
And for more users, the hardware itself is becoming a noticeable problem. Early adopters of iPhone 3G are now complaining of echoing audio on their side of calls when paired with a Bluetooth audio system, particularly in cars. The feedback doesn't occur on the receiving end but is known to be tied to the device itself, as fully updated original iPhones don't suffer from the echo.
BMW drivers in particular are suffering from an apparent flaw which refuses to sync contact data over Bluetooth with their phone integration systems, with multiple 2006 and newer vehicles refusing to show contacts through their iDrive interfaces or to properly identify an incoming call. Some Land Rover SUVs also appear to suffer the flaw, though some note the problem also crops up in first-run iPhones using 2.0 firmware while some with new software or phones have no problems at all.
GPS mapping also proves to be unreliable or even non-functional, according to some reports. At its most basic level, some find the device locating itself in Google Maps well away from its actual position -- in one case, claiming a British owner was located off the coast of Canada. More serious instances see users needing to reset the iPhone to invoke GPS or, in the most extreme circumstances, receiving no lock whatsoever. AppleInsider itself can confirm at least periodic GPS issues.
A handful of problems are independent of wireless, including an unresponsive tilt sensor and the refusal of many in-car audio kits to charge while playing, though the latter is described by iLounge as part of a hardware change that no longer supports legacy docking systems that deliver power over a FireWire interface rather than USB.
Two reports (1, 2) also note the ringer volume resetting regardless of individual preferences.
For all these initial complaints, Apple is nonetheless showing signs that it's addressing problems soon. Those same BMW drivers complaining of contact sync have been contacted by Apple with hints that the company is aware of a problem it intends to resolve.
Website logs at multiple websites, including AppleInsider, also reveal Apple working on an iPhone 2.0.1 update that may fix one or more of the outstanding issues upon its release.
Comments
But, today, I started getting dropped calls. This happened several times talking to different people.
I called apple, and they said to pull out the sim to clear any debris.
2. Turn on airplane mode for 15 seconds then turn back on.
3. Reset the phone.
I'm sure it will get better with the 2.0.1.
Yes, on my 1st Generation with 2.0 apps kept crashing and I have had to reset the phone a few times, which did resolver the problem.
But, today, I started getting dropped calls. This happened several times talking to different people.
I called apple, and they said to pull out the sim to clear any debris.
2. Turn on airplane mode for 15 seconds then turn back on.
3. Reset the phone.
I'm sure it will get better with the 2.0.1.
I've had almost all the issues mentioned on my iPod touch as well (w/2.0 installed) so I would point my finger in the direction of the software for sure.
Sometimes the UI lag, (which occurs for me primarily with contacts, mail, and calendar), seems like it's a result of the poor performance of the syncing software though. MobileMe not only does not work for me (still!), it actually loses data and (apparently) freezes the apps sometimes.
In my experience, opening MobileMe from the browser takes 10 or 20 seconds to load and is buggy, slow as molasses and occasionally even freezes. It's not a stretch to think that the failures and general slowness of MobileMe sync might have something to do with freezing the apps on the iPhone/iPod at times also. It would make sense programmatically for instance, that the Contacts app would check with the MobileMe server when you open it, and this is exactly where it freezes.
Alternatively, since the MobileMe sync is still not working properly for me (and for many people), my iPod often has a different set of mail, contacts, and calendar info than any of my Macs or the server (yes, hard to believe but MobileMe *is* that busted for some of us). That alone could easily cause problems with slowness. This assumes of course that the set of people experiencing the problems with their iPhone are the same set or a subset of people still having troubles with MobileMe.
While iPhone 3G itself is hard to buy, those who do own the new handset are reporting a number of common problems that range from crash-prone third-party apps to lag, Bluetooth, and GPS.
Glad I waited & avoided the early adopter headaches. The "push" on mobileme less than satisfactory and along with this there are multiple, repeated application crashes.
Hope they can get these bugs fixed soon. It seems to be the same with all new tech hardware these days....(not only Apple).
I have noticed a lag, especially in contacts from the Phone icon ( I don't see why the additional contacts icon is even there...is there a reason to have two access points/icons for the same data?)
So far no problems with Bluetooth integration on '08 BMW as described above.
In my experience, opening MobileMe from the browser takes 10 or 20 seconds to load and is buggy, slow as molasses and occasionally even freezes. It's not a stretch to think that the failures and general slowness of MobileMe sync might have something to do with freezing the apps on the iPhone/iPod at times also. It would make sense programmatically for instance, that the Contacts app would check with the MobileMe server when you open it, and this is exactly where it freezes.
A good deductive reasoning, but that gets shot out of the water with me. I do not have MobileMe and I do see those exact lags when going into Contacts. Also times when bringing up the keyboard to type it takes a few seconds (4+) to show.
And for those who complain about the iPhone being a "closed" platform; I spent 3 years with Verizon and EVERY phone I got was a hunk of shit that made satisfactory calls and that was it. THEN I noticed that people on other carriers had other things on the same model of phone, I was pissed. Come to find out, the carriers program their own software for the phone to suite their needs and desires, sometimes locking out cool features of the device. While the iPhone is being tightly controlled by Apple appears to be bad, consider if they left it open and let the carriers lock and unlock features based what they want you to have. Now that would truley suck.
Sorry ANDROID, but I can see your future of a bastardized unrecognizable platform that any carrier can do with whatever they want, not a very stable future in my opinion.
Of course, there's no 100% guaranty that a product will be bug-free, but lately, Apple has gotten noticeably sloppy. The iPhone/Mobile Me launch is one example, but Leopard is another poster-child for Apple's tendency to rush a product out before it's truly solid.
Case in point: It's more than 9 months since Leopard's launch, and my RSS feeds in Mail regularly disappear (only to re-appear after a relaunch), and also mysteriously stop updating for days at a time. Plenty of other people have this problem, so I know it's not just me (plus, it happens on the three Macs I have in my house). To go 9 months without a fix for this is just unacceptable.
Also, iDisk synching has partially broken in Leopard. Everytime you change a document on one computer, Leopard gives you a Conflict Resolver dialog box asking you to choose which version--your new version or the iDisk server's older version--to keep. This never happened before; the system used to be smart enough to simply pick the new version.
Anyway, I truly hope this isn't going to become a trend....otherwise, sooner or later, it's going to be very hard to tell the difference between a Mac and a Windows PC....
Apple seriously needs to slow down its development schedule, and focus on the minutia of making sure everything works very reliably.
Of course, there's no 100% guaranty that a product will be bug-free, but lately, Apple has gotten noticeably sloppy. ....
I couldn't agree more.
More than anything else, it worries me as a shareholder.
Which is odd, because the 3G data channel is separate from voice, right?
Anyone else had this experience?
edit: I admit, I want one... trying hard to justify the extra $100/month the plan would cost me, and my Cingular reception was poor (nonexistent) at my home. Can't say I trust AT&T. I will, however, certainly wait till the furor wanes.
I couldn't agree more.
More than anything else, it worries me as a shareholder.
What did you all think about OSX 10 - 10.3? Success or failure? I think Apple has done a good job especially seeing that they are on the forfront and not in the back of the line.
You are part of an elite group of people that have the coolest phone on the planet.
Elite in the sense that they're someone who can afford to spend $199 on a cell phone?
Aim high!
Which is odd, because the 3G data channel is separate from voice, right?
No. EVDO (which is what verizon and sprint use for 3g) seperates voice and data. 3g GSM encompasses both voice and data. That also explains the battery draining faster.
Without going on about the misleading Mobile Me issues (no Mac to MM push, no calendar groups support or address book groups syncing) this is really about the phone itself..
Here are the initial observations:
1. Compatibility with Mercedes Benz- my old iphone worked flawlessly. There was even a cool feature that by pressing single digits on the dashboard keypad, it would speed dial my iphone's favorites .. So pressing #1, would speed dial the first favorite, #2 the second, etc. With the new phone that feature no longer works. Calling AWS (Mercedes dedicated wireless support group) actually stated "the new phone is not compatible, so the fact you even get it to work is a positive thing!"
2. Current model Mercedes also have a built in iPod integration kit. This allowed me to plug in my iphone and have it charge the iphone, use it as an iPod through the on dash system, but didn't allow for phone functioning. So when trying with the 3G, i got a weird yellow warning symbol on my new phone saying that "This device cannot be charged". this is BAD BAD BAD given the battery life on the new phone.
3. Battery Life- I left the house yesterday at 6:30am with a fully charged iphone. I flew to a meeting in Las Vegas (1 hour flight) and by noon, my phone was already needing a recharge. Keep in mind, this was simply due to checking email (no Fetch was activated), no wifi searching, etc. THIS WAS NOT 5 hours of constant talk time, but simply having the phone "on".
4. GPS- when I wanted to show off the GPS feature, it took several attempts before it located me. It just was frozen on a map from the previous day.
5. Signal Strength- I'm not yet clear on the virtue's of 3G network. Not once have I experienced the signal bars exceeding 1 bar. I've tried to get clear information if the singal bars are irrelevent on the 3G system, but i've never had more calls dropped, or just the mind bender of constantly thinking I'm going to drop a call because of not seeing any signal strength bars.
So what I wind up having to do, is turn off 3G to preserve battery life and then ask WTF? This is WORSE than the first one and can't even use it in daily life.
I can't tell if the battery or reception issues are due to a bad phone or simply the new "state of the art" of this thing. Any ideas?
Thanks.. I just HATE to have to be so DISAPPOINTED about something I want to love so much!
UPDATED INFO: Apple graciously exchanged the phone for a new one with a new SIM card. While the new phone is still incompatible with the Mercedes iPod integration kit, hopefully battery life and reception will be improved.. Was cool that the store had new iphones to be used for exchanges but none for sale.
Let's face it if you where not tuned into the state of rev 2 before buying then you have no right to complain! I just got my first iPhone and must say I'm pretty impresssed.
Is it perfect - certainly not but that was expected if you where up to speed on development of have had recent experiences with apple. The most rational reason to go with Apple is that they have a history of continously improving there systems. If I didn't believe that each release of mobile OS 2 wasn't going to improve I would have stayed with a dumb phone.
So yeah some rough spots but think about this how many other smart phones out there get the sort of support iPhone does? I'd say about zero. Let's face it even a common user can update the iPhone 10 times a year if need be.
Dave
P.S.
It has been mentioned all over the web that for the size of this roll out Apple did an excellent job. I tend to agree. There wasn't much of an option to spread all the various parts out.
D.
0x01: I would have preferred Apple to release 1.1.5 with the iPhone 3G as 2.0 clearly wasn't ready for primetime, but with the GPS chip that probably wasn't and option for them Still, having a 3G iPhone would have worked for many people until a few later when a proper 2.0 could be released and the App Store launched. Would this affect the first weekend sales? Sure. Would this affect the quarterly total? Not at all.
0x02: I think Apple should have released 'parts' of .Mac with Beta portals to MobileMe by placing the MM icons at the top of the .Mac page or by allowing to switch between MM and .Mac. it's only a header to input, it's not difficult. AJAX is complex and MM looks great and works well (now). I don't understand these comments about it not working as I've had fast access since last Sunday and even my Push for all things are working as advertised.
0x03: I also think that they should have removed the 60-day free trial from the site. I suspect a torrent of new iPhone 3G users wanting to try out Push signed up for the service which slowed it down and made them not want to buy MM. I mentioned earlier about logistics; Gmail did an invite only method with limited invites that automatically ramped up as they could handle the load. This was smart. Of course, you can't do that with the paid service in the same way, but they could have worked out something similar with allowing a certain number of 60-day trials at a time or by allowing hte oldest .Mac members try out MM until they felt they got all the issues fixed. They could also have offered ,Mac member a free month or two for reporting issues. As Teckstud mentioned, it's an empty gesture in some ways, but at least people feel they are getting something.
0x04: Syncing and Backing up takes hours. I don't understand what is happening with these small apps that is taking so long. I could write some of these apps faster than it takes to load them on the iPhone from iTunes.
0x05: The interface and transitions are slower. Besides Safari's crashing, having to wait 15-20 seconds for the keyboard to catch up makes typing very difficult. The audible click when typing a letter made the lack of a tactile response okay.
0x06: It took 3 system restarts before I was able to access Settings. There was just a blank page and I couldn't get back to the Home screen.
0x07: As stated, there are a lot of bad apps. I preferred Apple being the judge, jury and executioner of the App Store (and I still do) but to me that mean they were testing these apps and telling the developer to fix this or that before they will hist it. Like an editor for a book. This does not seem to be the case. With 20% more apps on the App Store since last week and Apple accepting me into the program i think this issue will get worse. I'll have to find a site I respect that lists the 'good' apps. Perhaps on this forum?
0x08: My sensors seem to work fine. I get excellent 2G and 3G coverage.The accelerometer is fine too. I think any issues with these is purely software-based so while it's lagging.
0x09: The screen is brighter. Even the minimum brightness seems to be more than the original iPhone. Does anyone notice that the display shows prints more? Perhaps I'm more oilier than a month ago, but even at the highest brightness prints still show up, whereas I could never see them with the original iPhone. (This could very well be my imagination
Now for things that aren't bug fixes, but things I want.....
0x0A: The 3G On/Off needs to be above Airplane Mode under Settings. WEll, it would be ideal for me with the way i use the device. As of this writing I'm already at 418MB Tx/Rx without using WiFi. I also have 1 hour 28 minutes in call time, but over an hour of that is on hold with AT&T about my account. But it was for something not related to an actual issue, I was looking for info about buying multiple iPhones. (I know, I'm arsehole for buying many when people are still waiting)
0x0B: Like a fanboy I DLed all 150 free App Store apps and some paid ones. I DLed most of these on my iPhone 3G. I have 9 screens on apps I probably won't use. I'll try one here and there and then delete, but then later forget which I deleted when I get back to iTunes so it syncs back up again. That is my 'jackassery' there, but I realized that the one thing that is missing from the home pages are folders. A hierarchal method of accessing apps without using multiple swiping pages.I'm certain this is coming, it just makes since. What probably won't be coming is an iTunes interface that lets me organize my Homepage(s) using a proper mouse/trackpad and keyboard.
0x0C: I wish I could delete the Contacts app. I know some people have been wanting it but hitting the Phone icon is plenty efficient for me. In fact, we should be able to remove most of the native apps that we don't want, the exception being Phone and maybe Safari, Mail and iPod. Though if this were allowed and was marketed as a feature for corporations, not as Parental Controls then iPod would certainly have to be an option to remove. I don't see this happening either.
When I used to have a Razr, there was so support what's so ever. They used to be $299 too, and no updates.
I wish Apple find more great developers faster, but its very hard in this market. )
I couldn't agree more.
More than anything else, it worries me as a shareholder.
That's what happens when you choose to grow from a top notch computer company- Apple Computer and go the Sony route into an trendy electronics company - Apple Inc.