The skinny on iPhone and iPod touch firmware 1.1.3
By Chris Ziegler 
posted Jan 15th 2008 3:29PM
posted Jan 15th 2008 3:29PM
So let's just boil down the newly-available firmware 1.1.3 to the nitty gritty, shall we? Here's what Apple's latest juicy morsel is going to do to your iPhone (or iPod touch, if that's how you roll and you have $19.99 to spare) once you can finally reliably get it from iTunes:- Maps: New hybrid view, same as Google Maps. Satellite imagery and street mapping available on a single view.
- Maps: Location triangulation. Uses nearby WiFi access points and GSM towers (on the iPhone, anyway) to roughly guesstimate your current location.
- Web Clips: Web bookmarks can now be saved as home screen icons, including zoom and location information.
- Home screen: Icons on the home screen can now be rearranged.
- Home screen: Up to 9 home screens can now be created and "flicked" between.
- SMS: A single text message can now be sent to multiple recipients; groups can be recalled for future use.
- iTunes: Movie rentals are now supported.
- iTunes: Support for lyrics.
- iTunes: Option to "manually manage" music and videos instead of synchronizing. Thanks, Vlade D!
I am outraged that Apple is charging early buyers of the iPod Touch $20 for a system update that ought to be free.
While I understand Apple's decision to charge money for the new applications the new $20 "application pack" also includes a SYSTEM UPDATE in the form of the home page editing, web clips, and lyrics features. All of these are updates to the currently existing iPod Touch software and NOT new applications, which means that they ought to be free to all users of the iPod Touch.
Adding insult to injury these applications are all hidden in the 1.1.3 system update, a whopping 104.4mb file that all users must download if they want to fix bugs in the system. These applications can only be used when you pay Apple $20 to "unlock" them, but even if you decide not to buy them they stay on your iPod taking up precious space that could be used for songs, videos, or photos.
Apple is normally wonderful when it comes to providing system support and updates, but having them shaft early adopters and loyal fans like this is offensive and shows that Apple has absolutely no regard for the iPod Touch community.
You can leave Apple direct feedback here:
http://www.apple.com/feedback/ipodtouch.html
You can also sign this petition:
http://www.petitiononline.com/freeappi/petition.html
For the maps and mail and what not do you have to be presently connected to a WI-FI server?????????
You forgot lyrics for the iPod (and music on the touch) app.
is there lyrics for the touch now?
i wonder what happens when you try to put it on a hacked touch.
Just bought it but i guess i can't install it yet?
your iPod has to be 1.1.3 and you have to have the new itunes to get that...
I think the most important question for more than a million IPhone users is...
Will it brick my Jailbroken phone?
When you update the ipod touch, nothing wil change apart form the dock bar unless you fork out the 12.99 (uk). This seems unfair, maybe i wouldnt mind if it was 2/3 pounds but 12, nah thats bullshit.
Plus i cant move my apps, shouldnt things liek web clips and the movable apps be free for us . I eman WTF!
I agree. Total BS!! iPhone babies received credits after crying about a price drop, maybe if the iTouch users complain like the iPhone users, we will get the update free (as it should be!)
http://biz.yahoo.com/e/070510/aapl10-q.html
In March 2007, the Company began shipping Apple TV and expects to begin shipping the iPhone in late June 2007. For Apple TV and the iPhone, the Company plans to provide future unspecified features and additional software products free of charge to customers. Accordingly, the sale of the Apple TV and the iPhone handset are accounted for under subscription accounting in accordance with Statement of Position ("SOP") No. 97-2. As such, the Company defers the associated revenue and cost of goods sold at the time of sale, which will then be recognized on a straight-line basis over the currently estimated 24 month economic life of these products. Costs incurred by the Company for engineering, sales, and marketing will continue to be expensed as incurred.
they better get rid of the $20 dollars to buy those apps for the touch. at least make it a lot less
Does the update fix the alarm bug on the Touch (ie alarms not working after sync)?
Simple one-word solution: BitTorrent!
WTF!!!! i paid the same amount for my iPod...and new ones automatically get the apps...does that mean a price jump? NO.....its ok though cause they wont sell as much as they think...cause i sure as heck am not payin $20 for those apps...
This update is really annoying me. I keep getting "The iPhone software update server could not be contacted." I have the latest version of iTunes and for some reason I keep getting this. I am soooo frustrated with apple. I have never had problems with itunes before in updating. Im on a mac btw.
yah i did too, it just magically worked now though :P downloading the update as i type this... 23 freaking minutes to go.
Yea, it finally started. It is taking waaay too long though.
try deleting and then reinstalling itunes
One word for all existing iPod touch owners: Extortion.
exactly, its a complete joke.
this kind of stuff should have been included from the beginning, and now im being told i have to pay an extra 20 bucks for the privelige?!?
and they wonder why people try to jailbreak their touches...
Where is the list of apps for the iPhone?
stop saying ipod touch users get the same thing, we get nothing.
What about lyrics support? And even then it's still £12.99 (or $20) too much!
Where is the list of apps for the iPhone?
can i downgrade 1.1.3?
Pluis no lyric support for the non buying people
the new apps for touch are only for osx 10.4 and above according to itunes 7.6
rip off anyway. didnt stevey j say that the touch didnt have the apps so that it was distinguised from the iphone
google locator very accurate even with low signal so far, spot on which road im on.
No cut and paste yet?? Kinda weird.
Dang I was really holding my breath for A2DP. Anybody know if this was slipped in? It's driving me nuts that this was not in the iPhone from the beginning. Other features look cool. Can't wait to try them out tonight when I get home.
Great job covering MacWorld Engadget. Please keep up the great work!
- Kiteless
Me in the UK. ive just updated my touch...1.1.3...now i want to upgrde my itunes to 7.6...anyone know if this will be available in the uk now as well? or just the states?? the uk apple site only has 7.5 to download, unlike the u.s one which has 7.6...?!?!?!?!?
Errm...just download the US one, it's exactly the same.
Yea, no way I'm paying $20 for this... it should be free.
Given that 1.13 firmware update was the only iPhone related news at MacWorld, does that mean that there are no plans to release a new iPhone this year?
Where is the outrage, they are charging $20 for a simple firmware update that should have been the way the device was from the beginning. If M$ tried to pull something like this people would be going crazy, imagine if I had to pay $20 every time my 360 got a new update. This is rediculous.
you dont have to pay to upgrade the firmware, just to get the apps. first, upgrade (free) then apps...
$20 for something that should have been there in the first place. You going to charge someone $400 for a phone then charge them a addtional $20 to move the icons on the start screen. this is Bull $#!t. this is why i don't buy mac products.
The update is free for the iPhone.
Mail and Maps on my iPod Touch! Thank you Jebus!
$20 for ported apps? WTF?
So is there any reason why I'd want to upgrade my jail broken v1.1.2 touch to this?
NO NO NO NO NO NO NO. This is such a freakin JOKE. My jailbroken touch does all this for FREE...FREE i tell u!
I will continue to help my friends jailbreak their iphones/touch.
I WANNA HEAR THE APPLE FANBOYS SPIN BEING CHARGED FOR UPDATES...CMON I DARE U.
Apple is not the thief. It's the cellphone operators' fault! Or, umm wait... record companies maybe? Aw dammit!
This is a bit wierd saying this because I like apple products so Im just gonna say it.
Props to Microsoft for the free updates on the Zune. (even for people with the 1G Zune)
Boo to Apple for making Ipodders pay.
Thanks for the pops psycho Joe.
Funny, everyone is bitching about the $20 for the iPod Touch (it seems a bit steep to me too), but no one is mentioning the $70 price drop for AppleTV, and the free software for existing AppleTV owners. Apple giveth, and Apple taketh away...
Oooh, eMail has been updated - it properly supports my GMAIL account now!
Does the location based thing work for the ipod touch? I dont think it will and Steve didnt mention that....
also why the heck would I pay $20.00 for some thing that www.jailbreakme.com does for free?
Yes, you can find out where you are on the iPod touch using cell phone tower triangulation.
No you cannot triangulate yourself off of cell towers on a touch, no phone! you can however triangluate off of wifi..... I haven't downloaded as it is obvious the 1.1.2 has much more potential then the 1.1.3....... so..... maybe by friday someone will crack this beeeeeach
does jailbreakme work on 1.1.2 touchs? Cause im trying it and its not working for me
to jailbreak 1.1.2 you must download 1.1.1 somewhere, search and find. With 1.1.1 downloaded and iPod attached to pc and viewing hold right shift and click restore, navigate to 1.1.1 after install cancel a sync for faster time till jb, then load safari at the jailbreakme.com I wouldn't normally post something like this but that 20 dollars is eating at me, I want respect as a customer not leftovers I think everyone who agrees its f'd up to charge should write a how to on jbing if you know how, then we'll print them all out and stand in front of our local mac store
thanks. I would have never thought I'd be looking for how to jailbreak either, but this $20 business is just ridiculous.
There is absolutely NO DOUBT in my mind that Apple is purposely harboring a lot of these apps/minor functionality upgrades for the Touch & iPhone to entice users to update their devices & therefor breaking unlocked phones/jailbroken Touches with non-approved 3rd party apps/working with other carriers.
Bullshit, Apple. Thats not right.
You license the right to use their software on the device. You do not own the apploe software on the touch/ipod. You CHOOSE to upgrade the software and by changing THEIR software you run the risk of making the device unusable.
It's amazing how many people don't understand that they do not own the OS on their devices.
Apple updates the iPhone/iPod touch for two reasons:
- Keep customers happy
- Add new features to entice new users to switch
- Fix security bugs
- (Obviously) Keep up contract obligations with AT&T/O2..etc which includes making sure the iPhone stays locked
It's Apple's obligation to stop people unlocking the phone. If they didn't, and it was possible for them to, they'd be sued by the carrier for breach of contract. That's part of the bargain they struck. Don't think Apple don't want to go carrier-neutral; of course they do (it means more customers), but that just wasn't an option when they were getting the ground prepared.
I read somewhere that it was Apple's policy not to stop Jailbroken phones, unless the exploits used cause a security risk (reasonable), or unlock the phone (as stated above, out of their control). I don't know where that information comes from, perhaps a memo leak or something, but it makes sense - Apple don't want to stop people enjoying their phones unless they have to. They have nothing to gain by stopping jailbreak, unless it fits in to one of the two cases above.
sorry guys, I'm trying to be able to update my profile, read this comment here on how to do it... says I need a new post
http://www.engadget.com/2007/11/10/commenters-learn-how-to-change-your-engadget-password-edit-you/
i have no idea how you pay, the $20 (i am in uk) i have itunes 7.6 and have installed: iPod1,1_1.1.3_4A93_Restore.ipsw
but now my ipod touch thinks its an iphone as the dock bar looks iphone like and the youtube icon has moved too the end. no ability to move icons?
I agree, now my touch, which had a cool mirror effect, looks kinda dumb. So you have to pay the $20 to be able to move icons to the order you're used to (youtube 2nd)? stupid.
And still no flash built in. :(
you can now add events in calendar too.
You could do that in the last update.
I've bought and paid for the touch software upgrade, connected my touch to itunes and synced it.. but nothings happening.. nothings changed.. what can i do ?
Same thing here, downloaded and did the sync, but nothing happened. Tried rebooting, tried restoring - nothing. I am not an apple fan, but I liked my touch - it was great for browsing the web while at the bar or coffee shop, and it was even starting to open me up a little to apple. But I just paid $20 for a software update that should have been free, and does not update. Now I need to contact their product support to get them to fix their problems.
Dude, I figured it out - Along with paing the $20 and downloading the update, you need to update iTunes to 7.6 and update the iTouch firmware which you download within iTunes. Its 165MB. That should do it!
further down someone says to download the new iTunes.
Does the new home screen function allow a background image behind icons?
Bricked me :(
Unmodified/unjailbreaked iPhone failed during upgrade.
Yup, bricked mine too. Un-jailbroken iPod Touch. Currently going through a lengthy re-sync right now...
Regarding the 13 quid for the new iPhone apps. On the one hand, I can understand the charge. You are getting new functionality for a device that you previously considered to be priced correctly. Additional cost for additional features. Having said that, it is quite a lot extra. A fiver would have been about right.
yeah I dissagree. If that were the case apple shouldn't have given anyone who paid for the iPhone at the larger price anything at all. Price isn't an issue, its the fact that it has been proven the apps worked in 1.1.2, as if they belonged and now that they do belong anyone who got a Christmas present is having to buy something extra that others don't have to? Very similar situation to the iPhone owners gripe except the company has nothing to lose except projected revenue while they crap on there current touch customers. I was really starting to warm up to apple too. How do we touch owners go about causing the iPhone :'o( for change?
Bricked me too. un-modified un-jailbreaked iphone
Yep. Bricked me too.
I have an virgin iPhone that was still on 1.0, I hadn't updated in the past for this very reason- others I know were bricked (with unmoded phones) when they did try to update. The update downloaded fine, installed fine, and when my phone went to restart- the restart failed. It left my phone stuck in 'please connect to iTunes' while iTunes would say it found a phone in restore mode (ironically it also said I had the latest version of the software, so the update took...it just had issues restarting the phone) but when I tried to restore, it failed.
Basically had to go to the genius bar and have them restore my phone for me, then come home and backup so I could get my contacts (it was saved in iTunes prior to the update apparently) and sync for my music and what not. The bad thing is that any phone calls and texts, etc done during the period of genius restore and syncing at home were lost on the phone- but at least my phone works again!
updated my iPhone. Tried the location feature on Google maps. Am blown away.
I live in an urban area, and it got me within about 10 feet of where I am. I know this because I used the satellite view to identify where it thought i was.
amazing!
The Google Maps 'find me' feature has been working nicely on my Sony Ericsson W910i for a while now...!
Welcome to every other cell phone ever.
Triangulation is not new.
no but it seems that real usability is!
So after a little hacking, I've found out how to add your own Bookmark Icon when adding to the Home Screen....
It is exactly the same method as adding a favicon, but with a minor change...
The best part......it can be any type of image file. It does not need to be an .ico file.
since I can't add the direct code....
Change the REL type to "apple-touch-icon" and change the source to link directly to your image of choice.
upgraded to 1.1.3 and have itunes 7.6, just paid my £12.99 for the upgrade and followed the instructions but no icons in the home screen, no change except it says that (in itunes) i now have 110Mb of "other" (orange)? annoyed or what? anyone actually got it working? on the touch...
somebody should put a frikking class action law suit against the evil apple corp.
Hey, just thought of a lame comparison,....
Apple was the worst thing for Adam and Eve and "presented" by the Devil ..
Does this mean Jobsy is the Devil????
Boy am I glad I bought a touch 3 days ago. I am going to send this POS back if that's the way apple wants to play.
Ipod or iPhone?
Yup same as me upgraded for 12.99 and nothing has appeared after syncing, what the hell is going on.
Paying for the touch apps is bullshit. It's something that had to be there since the beginning, and asking more money to those who first paid for a touch is a poor taste practice.
Now I'm here with my touch and it's all new iphone style dock. Exciting.
ah i forgot to mention that the update buggered my ipod restored everything to factory settings, & the supposed back up didnt wokr properly. Leaving me wiht a naked ipod.
anyone else having problems with the quasi-gps function?? i'm in ann arbor, mi, but my iphone thinks im in denver, co.
Yeah, I have had similar things to that happen while I was on a Microsoft Live and I did the find me..... I think it has to do with your ISP, they may have DHCP'd your modems IP from another location.
DO NOT UPGRADE IPHONE USERS IT WILL MESS UP YOUR TEXT MESSAGING!!!
it will scramble all your messages and its annoying!!! I contacted apple there is no fix right now
I got the new apps as well and it installed and not a thing has changed. And this was right after i install 1.1.3
I think http://www.apple.com/feedback/ipodtouch.html is a better place to complain for the $20 fee.
Starting to open up to Apple? Dude you bought an iPod Touch. I'm just about certain you had warmed up to them the first time you used the device and decided to keep it.
Updated the iPod (115 mb download!), then updated iTunes (another 44 mb!), then finally bought the update... and it didn't work! Nothing is different! I searched my history and no new files were downloaded! And to top it all off, they double charged me, GRRR!
Home screen: Icons on the home screen can now be rearranged.
You dont get that till you install the apps on the iTouch
Yeah still cant install the apps, and got charged 3 times for them.
I suggest that we all email Apple and let them know that they can't charge us for something that they already stripped out of the iPod Touch!
They HAVE to cancel the $20 charge and supply it to every iPod touch user for free!
i'm on the phone with ipod support right now. i'll post when i'm done
Jobs claimed that they sold 4 million iphones... But swallowed the sales figures in UK and Europe,... the truth is that it is a colossal flop... the dealers are forced not to reveal the sales figures... The success of Iphone in US is just becuase smartphone is new to american market, and iphone is no fucking jesus phone...
WHAT?!?!?! I tried to make my iPhone find where I was with google maps and it was WAY off!!!!
ok so here's the deal i just got off the phone. the first time i downloaded it nothing happened nothing came from my bank account or my itunes reserve. when i was on the phone she had me do it again. this time $20 came from my itunes account. Maybe try it again i dont know if it will work tho. I had my rep take a note unless it showed up on my credit card account. Good luck to you guys.
http://rupertgee.wordpress.com/2007/12/03/install-iphone-apps-into-ipod-touch/
screw you apple