MacShrine

As Apple promised, today they have released the new iPhone 2.1 firmware this morning. The iPhone 2.1 firmware contains the following updates:

- decrease in call set-up failures and call drops
- significantly improve battery life for most users
- dramatically reduced time to backup to iTunes
- improve email reliability, notably fetching email from POP and Exchange accounts
- faster installation of 3rd party applications
- fixed bugs causing hangs and crashes if you have lots of 3rd party applications
- improved performance in text messaging
- faster loading and searching of contacts
- improved accuracy of the 3G signal strength display
- repeat alert up to two additional times for incoming text messages
- option to wipe data after ten failed passcode attempts
- Genius playlist creation

The 2.1 firmware is listed as build 5F136 and can be directly downloaded through iTunes. The new firmware also contains a number of security fixes including the well publicized passcode flaw.

O2 today confirmed that they are in the process of a $1 billion 3G network upgrade in the UK in preparation for the new 3G iPhone in June. The new iPhone will feature 32GB and a new thinner, black plastic enclosure.

From the 1st February, O2 will raise the tariffs for iPhone users in the UK. Those on £35 per month will move up to 600 minutes, 500 texts and unlimited UK internet; £45 per month will move up to 1200 minutes, 500 texts and unlimited UK internet; and £75 per month will move up to 3000 minutes, 500 texts and unlimited UK internet.

Microsoft’s Hilton Locke, who used to work on the Tablet PC team and now works on the Windows Shell team, let Pocket.info know that if you are impressed with touch on the iPhone, then prepare to be blown away by the touch features of the upcoming Windows 7.

“I will say that if you are impressed by the “touch features” in the iPhone, you’ll be blown away by Windows 7. Now if only we could convince more OEMs that Windows Touch Technology is going to drive their sales.”

Goldman Sachs analyst David Bailey notes that Apple will launch 2 new iPhones and and updated Apple TV next year. We can expect a “bumped” up version of the existing iPhone in January, a revamp for the 3G iPhone expected in the second half of the year and then an updated Apple TV with bigger storage and and LCD display.

Google today announced that they have launched a new web-based application for the iPhone that integrates its multiple services into a single interface. The new application is based on AJAX/Web 2.0 and is launched when an iPhone user visits Google.

Google is taking advantage of browser technologies (like AJAX) that made Gmail and Google Maps possible. In supporting these advances in web technology, the iPhone’s Safari browser not only delivers an excellent mobile Internet experience; it enabled our product and engineering teams to create an optimal Google experience on a mobile device.

To be in compliance with a court ruling, Deutsche Telekom announced today that they will immediately start selling an unlocked iPhone without contract for 999 Euros. The iPhone will still be sold, as before, with 2 year contract for 399 Euros. Bloomberg reports that customers who purchased the iPhone in Germany after November 19th may have their iPhone unlocked for free. Existing German iPhone customers can reportedly also receive the unlock for a fee. Would you pay 3 times as much for an unlocked iPhone?

Seems Apple hyped up the European launch a bit too much. The iPhone which launched on Friday sold just 10,000 in Germany and the UK sales look set to be similarly miserable. We don’t know about Germany, but here in the UK there was no promo for the iPhone at all. No TV ads, no posters, nothing in newspapers. The only way you could possibly know that the iPhone was coming out was either if you knew about it already or had passed by an Apple Store, O2 or Carphone Warehouse. Shame really.

Update: Okay, we take that back as we just saw an advert now on Channel 4 during The Simpsons for the iPhone.

Yay.

Love Starbucks? Got an iPhone? Live in the USA? Then good, starting 2nd October they’ll be giving you free songs from the iTunes WiFi Music Store. They won’t just be any song downloads though, they’ll be “Song Of The Day” gift cards. These will be from 37 artists that are signed on with Starbucks’ Music label including Paul McCartney, Joni Mitchell, Joss Stone, Dave Matthews, John Mayer, Annie Lennox and Band of Horses. “Joker Man” by Bob Dylan will be the first song available to customers on October 2nd.

We’ll make this quick as we’re mightily upset at how Apple is treating us Europeans. A press conference was held at the Apple Store here in London this morning and they announced the iPhone will finally launch here on 9th November via O2 for £269. As America, it’s only available on an 18-month exclusive contract. That’s all very well but what’s with the high price? Doesn’t Apple know we Brits expect to have the handset cost dissolved into our contract? Can anyone remember when they had to pay for a contract phone? Also no 3G? What is this.. 2001? And don’t even get us started on the pathetically overpriced tariffs. Screw you Apple. Sort this mess out. Fast.

Apple announced today that it has sold its one millionth iPhone. They said:

“One million iPhones in 74 days — it took almost two years to achieve this milestone with iPod. We can’t wait to get this revolutionary product into the hands of even more customers this holiday season.”

Those who purchased an iPhone before Wednesday’s price cut will get a $100 rebate to use at the Apple Store and online Store. Details will be published on the Apple site next week. We just feel sorry for those who bought a 4GB…

Apple today discontinued the 4GB iPhone and cut the price of the 8GB to just $399. This was due to intense consumer focus on the top 8GB model. They also announced that they will ship a firmware update later this month to provide iPhone users access to the new iTunes WiFi Music Store. Still no word on a release date in Europe or elsewhere.

P.S. We love you too.

The Guardian is reporting that Vodafone has dropped out of negotiations with Apple over the iPhone because of “extortionate revenue share demands”.

Apple is understood to be demanding that its European mobile phone partners hand over a significant proportion of revenues generated by the iPhone and restrict the content that users can access.

The iPhone is expected to reach European shores by Christmas time and is rumored to be 3G capable. Other networks rumored to be carrying the iPhone include T-Mobile in Germany, Claro in Italy and O2 in the UK.

Wall Mossberg answered some visitor questions and said this on Flash support:

At launch, the iPhone version of the Safari browser is missing some plug-ins needed for playing common types of Web videos. The most important of these is the plug-in for Adobe’s Flash technology. Apple says it plans to add that plug-in through an early software update, which I am guessing will occur within the next couple of months.

Yes, we’re sick of it. Hence why we haven’t been posting anything for the past few days - everything’s been on the iPhone! Can we have some new rumors and news please? We might as well mention this nugget of info though:

Each iPhone gives Apple $320 in profit and they sold around 500,000 last weekend. So that equals around $160,000,000 profits in 3 days.

NewsWireless.net is reporting that Apple has partnered with Vodafone, T-Mobile of Germany and Carphone Warehouse and is expected to announce the UK iPhone on Monday. It is expected to launch this October. They say:

Vodafone is currently in an ideal position to take on the iPhone, because its 3G network is hugely under-utilised. Pricing on mobile data is normally prohibitive, but Vodafone has recently revised its 3G data charges down, following “rip-off” complaints from users.

Update: We’re also hearing that the European iPhones will NOT feature WiFi because of battery issues. That would seriously put us off purchasing it.

If you want 1 iPhone head to an AT&T store or if you want 2 then head to the Apple Store. Comprende? All this iPhone news is wearing us out, thank god it’s out tomorrow.

Seems Apple is preparing a new RSS reader exclusive for the iPhone. Visit: http://reader.mac.com/ to preview the splash page. No idea when it will launch, but we’re guessing tomorrow. Good to see Apple taking .Mac a bit more serious with new services.