iPhone owners wrestle with missing e-mail downloads
As much as the iPhone 2.1 firmware appears to have resolved many outstanding glitches with Apple's device, an increasing number of users say the update has broken background e-mail checks.
Dozens of users in Apple's support forums (1, 2) note that Mail in version 2.1 appears to drop frequent mail checks regardless of whether the device is set to fetch messages on a schedule or to push mail in real time. As a result, these users often don't receive e-mail until they check manually -- even for Exchange and MobileMe accounts that should respond almost instantly.
The problem occurs regardless of the particular iPhone model as well as the troubleshooting steps taken. While some have tried disabling the auto-lock feature to force the iPhone to stay awake, others have tried recreating accounts or restoring the phone entirely, all of which produce the same ineffectual result.
Most of those vocal about the problem, however, have discovered that the issue seems directly tied to the power state of iPhones. As long as the handset is active or plugged into a power source, it continues to receive mail at whatever rate its email settings would dictate. In a user's pocket, however, the phone appears to stop checking altogether until it's woken for use.
A few also report even a powered device failing to receive mail as long as the screen is blank.
Apple's response to the problem has been mixed. At least some customers say they have received acknowledgement from technicians that the problem is widespread, while one Apple representative has gone so far as to briefly join in the discussions and suggest troubleshooting steps.
"I just received a telephone call from the same product specialist, and he confirms that 6 other iPhones in their building are exhibiting the exact same problem," says one of the affected iPhone owners. "This is a global problem. This in their eyes is a 'major' issue and is getting escalated as we speak."
Even so, Apple hasn't as of yet chosen to inform all its technicians and is still asking Geniuses and other staff to perform normal troubleshooting, including phone replacements. For some customers, the lack of a more public and comprehensive recognition is pushing them to consider other smartphones that don't suffer the same e-mail issues.
"Funny how there are articles on loads of sites on how 2.1 does this and that and how great it is meant to be but no one outside forums is mentioning this," one British iPhone owner states. "My friends blackberry [sic] may not look as flash and may not do all the things my iphone [sic] can, BUT IT WORKS."
Dozens of users in Apple's support forums (1, 2) note that Mail in version 2.1 appears to drop frequent mail checks regardless of whether the device is set to fetch messages on a schedule or to push mail in real time. As a result, these users often don't receive e-mail until they check manually -- even for Exchange and MobileMe accounts that should respond almost instantly.
The problem occurs regardless of the particular iPhone model as well as the troubleshooting steps taken. While some have tried disabling the auto-lock feature to force the iPhone to stay awake, others have tried recreating accounts or restoring the phone entirely, all of which produce the same ineffectual result.
Most of those vocal about the problem, however, have discovered that the issue seems directly tied to the power state of iPhones. As long as the handset is active or plugged into a power source, it continues to receive mail at whatever rate its email settings would dictate. In a user's pocket, however, the phone appears to stop checking altogether until it's woken for use.
A few also report even a powered device failing to receive mail as long as the screen is blank.
Apple's response to the problem has been mixed. At least some customers say they have received acknowledgement from technicians that the problem is widespread, while one Apple representative has gone so far as to briefly join in the discussions and suggest troubleshooting steps.
"I just received a telephone call from the same product specialist, and he confirms that 6 other iPhones in their building are exhibiting the exact same problem," says one of the affected iPhone owners. "This is a global problem. This in their eyes is a 'major' issue and is getting escalated as we speak."
Even so, Apple hasn't as of yet chosen to inform all its technicians and is still asking Geniuses and other staff to perform normal troubleshooting, including phone replacements. For some customers, the lack of a more public and comprehensive recognition is pushing them to consider other smartphones that don't suffer the same e-mail issues.
"Funny how there are articles on loads of sites on how 2.1 does this and that and how great it is meant to be but no one outside forums is mentioning this," one British iPhone owner states. "My friends blackberry [sic] may not look as flash and may not do all the things my iphone [sic] can, BUT IT WORKS."
Comments
really starting to peeve me off that they haven't fixed this yet though.
As much as the iPhone 2.1 firmware appears to have resolved many outstanding glitches with Apple's device, an increasingly large number of users say the update has broken background e-mail checks for many e-mail accounts.
But, hey, battery life is significantly improved with 2.1!
Oops, maybe this is why.
But, hey, battery life is significantly improved with 2.1!
Oops, maybe this is why.
This problem predates 2.1 for me as well. I believe it was introduced in 2.0.1, but it may have been there beforehand.
As always, early adopters get to play beta tester. I, on the other hand, wait until everything has been ironed out before buying.
You could end up waiting a LONG-TIME, my friend! :-)
Randy
THIS IS A JOKE what a HUGE error to make, did they not test this 2.1 firmware AT ALL
APPLE ARE DELETING ALL POSTS ON THEIR SITE WITH LINKS TO THIS NEWS REPORT AND:
http://digg.com/hardware/iPhone_owne...en_email_fetch
Seems ther take on this is to shut their CUSTOMERS up.
THIS IS A JOKE what a HUGE error to make, did they not test this 2.1 firmware AT ALL
No, it was not tested at all. They paid a 16-year-old kid to cobble it together in his mom's basement and then pushed it out on iTunes with no testing whatsoever. Isn't that how all companies do it?
Geez, I'm so sick of these whiners. Everything was pleasant (but admittedly not perfect) until iTunes/iPod for Windows. Then we got this huge influx of people who have complaining on the internet as their hobby. Now the iPhone has made it worse.
From the article -- six people had a problem and the guy labels it a "global" crisis. Ummm... no.
I'm not pretending that Apple is perfect, but you Windows whiners need to get a grip. Feel free to return all of your Apple gear so the signal to noise ratio on the internet can return to normal.
There are lots of times when the software does not check for mail and many many times when it does not sync your mail folders. It has a "smart" (i.e. - dumb) algorithm that lets it save power by not doing all this stuff 24/7.
For instance IMAP clients are supposed to sync all your mail folders all the time so that it's always the same everywhere. iPhone and iPod don't even come close to this functionality.
If you don't check your sent mail folder on your mobile for weeks, it won't sync it for weeks. Also even if you set your mobile client on your iPhone to use the local trash, it will still fail to move an email to the trash if it can't connect to the server. Conversely, if you set the mobile client on the iPhone to use the trash on the server, it will keep a copy in the local trash, a copy in the trash on the server and a copy in a folder on the client that is synced with the trash on the server. Giving you three trashes. Hands up anyone who has looked at their iPhone/iPod and seen about a dozen stupid duplicate folders underneath the regular set. Every single person I know with one of these has.
Needless to say syncing all this and keeping track of the things wilfully synced and purposely *not* synced (despite your clear direction to the software to sync it), is a nightmare. It's no wonder that they cant get all this nonsense straight.
It does make me wonder though why they don't go the simple route and adhere to the standard IMAP situation where everything is synced always. It would be far easier to keep under control even if they do have to admit that the battery life sucks that way.