iPhone firmware 2.1 review

The iPhone in Japan is not working so well. You could not get a decent signal so I have 2 iPhone, the second one is an iPhone I got in Hong Kong which is SIM FREE, so I stick in my NTT Docomo into it, and make the Softbank iPhone transfer the calls to it. Even then, my NTT iPhone was dropping calls. I need phones to function to get work done, so I was considering buying a new non-iPhone phone. It was that bad.

So yesterday I downloaded the iPhone 2.1 update and here are my results.

* Decrease in call set-up failures and dropped calls - a little better
* Significantly better battery life for most users - then I am not a member of MOST users
* Dramatically reduced time to backup to iTunes - yes, this is so quick.
* Improved email reliability, notably fetching email from POP and Exchange accounts - not quantifiable yet
* Faster installation of 3rd party applications - yes
* Fixed bugs causing hangs and crashes for users with lots of third party applications - not tested
* Improved performance in text messaging - yes
* Faster loading and searching of contacts - yes
* Improved accuracy of the 3G signal strength display - yes
* Repeat alert up to two additional times for incoming text messages - yes
* Option to wipe data after ten failed passcode attempts - this is really good.

Overall the software update seems to fix crucial flaws and proves that Apple can modify vast parameters of the chip functions in their product. Other phone manufacturers are not so lucky as their product is made by components of 2 ore more different companies, an OS and the Unit etc.., giving them less chance, accuracy of getting firmware and application and hardware in tune at the same time. So Apple has an advantage.