iPhone OS 4.0
Since it was made available last night, I updated my iPhone to the newest OS 4.0. It seems to work really well so far, but Apple didn't update any of the documentation links in Safari, so I had to read about how to use the new features elsewhere. Here is a good guide from Gizmodo that goes through the ins and outs of the newest update.
UPDATE: The Ars Technica review is actually more thorough.
iPhone Update 3.1.3 Problem
I've recently updated to the latest iPhone 3.13 software that claimed to have fixed some battery issues brought on by the previous 3.1.2 version. While I didn't think I was having any battery problems, I gave it a shot. BIG MISTAKE. I would advise anyone who is NOT having any problems with the 3.1.2 version software to stay right where there are. Even with little or no use in a day, I find my battery drained more than half way. With the previous software I could sometime go a day without recharging. I hope Apple fixes this soon. It seems I am not the only one with the complaint either.
View text iPhone messages once you start typing.
I'm a big fan of the SMS & MMS user interface on the iPhone. However I've always found it annoying that once you start typing, you can not minimize the keyboard. In other words if you want to view all of your messages from one contact in full screen mode, after you've started typing a new message, you have to go back to the previous screen, then back into the conversation you started in the first place. I found that you can avoid this by clicking edit (upper right-hand corner). You can view all of the messages in edit mode, then hit cancel when you're finished. You don't lose any of the new message you started typing. Just be careful you don't accidentally delete anything!
Switching between AT&T 3G and 2G networks
To battle a reception problem (can't send/receive calls or texts) I'm having with AT&T's 3G network, I had to force my iPhone to connect to their 2G (Edge) network while AT&T works out their local tower problems. To do that I touched:
- Settings
- General
- Network
- Enable 3G (turned off)
Lesson learned: If you're having reception problems and power cycling your phone doesn't work, try turning off the 3G before calling AT&T to see if you can connect to the 2G network. Normally, if 3G isn't available, the iPhone should default to 2G. In my case, the problem seemed to be intermittent so my phone was bouncing between both networks, unable to actually connect to either.
Has AT&T Sabotaged its Own 3G Network? | The iPhone FAQ
Eight second ping times? If you don't know what that means, just think "real slow." A normal ping time over the 3G network should be around 200 milliseconds (that's 40 times faster than eight seconds).Why do some connections initiate right away while others take eight seconds or longer? Telecom blogger Brough Turner has researched the problem and explained that AT&T's network configuration could be to blame.
via Has AT&T Sabotaged its Own 3G Network? | The iPhone FAQ.