Problems reported with iPhone 3.1 update
And new firmware puts free iPhones back in jail
The Telegraph has spent the evening collecting up reports of problems with the iPhone 3.1 update, which many users are having difficulty installing.
The update is apparently leaving iPhones completely inoperative while stuck in a 'restore loop'. The bad news is the point at which the device freezes is after its content has been wiped, and before its backup has been restored. Backtracking to the 3.0 version is also proving difficult from this position.
"I've been trying everything I've found on trouble shooting pages and on some searches," says user Batwing on Apple's own forums (who has subsequently had his iPhone officially replaced at an Apple store). "I'm getting numerical errors after the phone/computer tries to restore to 3.1. (6, 14, etc.) I've reinstalled iTunes, tried restoring on 3 different computers, held down power/home buttons, moving to different USB slots."
Similar stories are cropping up across the internet, while others report they're unable to access their Exchange servers that worked smoothly before the upgrade, due to the implementation of server encryption that's only compatible with the iPhone 3GS. Reports are also filtering through about shorter battery life and podcasts being randomised.
On top of this, it seems the 3.1 update has been carefully designed to lock jailbroken iPhones safely back up in Apple's clutches. Jailbreaking, as it's become known, allows users to run non-Apple approved code, and to switch carrier networks - something that Apple has often tried to prove as illegal, though without much success (or consumer empathy).
Our upgrade went smoothly, it should be noted, and without any apparent subsequent problems. No word from Apple (and there probably won't be), but we'd be interested to hear your experiences with 3.1 in the comments section below.