iPhone roundup: Apple seeds 2.1 with new GPS features, possible copy/paste, also completely out of phones
By Ryan Block 
posted July 25th 2008 8:57AM
posted July 25th 2008 8:57AM
Another bit which may or may not make it into 2.1 is copy/paste. We're still both hopeful and skeptical, but supposedly in the new version of the WebKit framework exists commands for "plugins," "copy," "paste," "cut," and some others. We can't confirm if these really exist (and if they do, we don't know how they've actually been there, or if they're simply holdovers from the desktop WebKit frameworks), so don't hold your breath. Also supposedly making its first appearance in the 2.1 beta code: Apple's push notification service.
Oh, and by the way, if all this has whet your appetite for the device, sounds like today will be a bad day to try and snag one. Apple's retail site shows absolutely zero iPhone availability in the US, so if you're jonesing then check out eBay or the seedy looking dude on the corner with the overstuffed trenchcoat.
Update: Looks like the stores have been updated in the last hour, many have stock. Game on!
[Thanks to Cameron and everyone who sent these in]
Read - Apple all out of stock
Read - New GPS features seeded?
Read - 2.1 getting background push?
What happened was that Apple found out people were using a loophole in the online tracker yesterday afternoon where you can get realtime inventory at any time of day. They put in a temporary fix that showed all stores as out of stock until 9pm. It was still like that before 9am this morning, but apparently the original trick works again now.
It is definitely not out of stock. The big Apple stores have been getting replenished almost daily and the lines are still there. (I've been checking hoping for no lines)
The Chicago store has all of the iPhones in. They are adequetly stocked and don't expect to run out today. The line is 3 hours long though right now though. And it's not even 900a yet.
I'll wait for mine...just not in a line.
I still think it's pathetic that we have to be "hopeful" about COPY/PASTE on a phone. WHAT IS THE DEAL
I hope it fixes some of the glaring issues which, for me, make it almost unusable as a business phone. Some background -- I've never been an Apple user. I thought the products were great, but I don't like the closed system. I build my own PCs, ran all sorts of software on my Window Mobile phone, etc. With the slight opening up of the iPhone 3G, I thought I would give it a try. I've had one for about a week and may be taking it back today. There are things it does amazingly well, that WM devices still cannot do or do poorly. The interface is wonderful, the screen is great, it's responsive, etc. I want to love this phone, but there are things it doesn't do that a business phone needs:
- Repeating reminders for missed calls, SMS, appointments, etc. Example -- I have a conference call at 9AM and set a 15 minute reminder. When it goes off on my WM phone, or in Outlook, I snooze it for 10 minutes and it reminds me just before the call. Many people who use Outlook (like most business users) use the Snooze function all the time.
- For people who use SMS for work, having to repeatedly turn the phone on to check for missed messages makes the phone unusable. WM phones (and most other phones) have an LED indicator, letting you know you've missed something, so you don't have to turn the phone on to check, or the phone will vibrate/ring every few minutes as a reminder.
- No Tasks. WTF! How can a business phone not manage tasks, especially when it's set up to sync with Outlook.
There is also a serious calendar syncing bug, which, according to Apple's own forums, Apple isn't owning up to. Whether it's iTunes or the iPhone that's the problem, past appointments disappear from the Day/Week/Month views in Outlook. It has to do with the way repeating appointments are handled, even when an appointment isn't set to repeat. Apparently, the iPhone defaults every appointment to repeating even when repeat has not been set, but with no dates for the repeat, so Outlook doesn't know how to handle it. The workaround is to set every appointment to repeat and then set the repeat to end on the same day as the appointment. This may be the killer for me. I need to have a reliable Outlook calendar. I don't want to have to open the calendar on my phone and compare the two every time I need to check on something.
Yeah...someone please tell me why I can't choose a different ring for email? Who other than someone with a sound amplifier for ears, can hear that stupid beep?!?!?
And for the love of circuits why can't I set it up to buzz or beep until I read something.....
pleeeeeeeeeeeeeeease apple!?!?
:(
What are 'myriad bugs'?
Yikes! Maybe the Apple retail page is synced with MobileMe. That could explain the discrepancy :)
Any word on stereo bluetooth??
is that a hardware change for BT stereo?
Frank Furter,
See my post above yours about issues. The only one I list that I would consider a bug is the Outlook calendar syncing, but that is a huge bug for business users, not something minor. I've also had it kick me out of Safari on several occasions. Safari will just close and the home screen will come back up.
If you look in the Webkit framework of the final release of the SDK you'll see they exist there too. Surprised no one had found them before.
http://img169.imageshack.us/img169/6058/picture1ol5.png
@kal326 you know GMail by default is set to not do POP3 and IMAP; you have to turn them on.. Wasn't mentioned so I thought I would just see.
It seems to me that Copy, Paste and Cut are incredibly important to the iPhone 2.1 update. While many may never use the feature, and the UI may not be completely intuitive for it, this may be the one last real qualm for those who run BlackBerry's still.
Updating the GPS would be cool, but even more cool would be either updating the interface to include standard stand-alone GPS views/features or allowing actual GPS software vendors to add their already working apps to the App Store. (I wonder how much Tom Tom would add their software in at? Hrm...)
No. You know why it seems like copy/paste is the "big thing that Apple has to fix next"? It's because everybody wants to complain about the iPhone because it's popular. All these people bitching about it probably don't even use copy/paste on their current phones. And since the main reasons people complained about the iPhone prior to 2.0 (3G, GPS, apps) have been taken care of, the only thing left to whine about is copy/paste.
So everybody jumps on the copy/paste bandwagon without even thinking about whether they actually need it or not. It's just the popular thing to complain about, so everybody complains about it.
Anybody with some actual common sense will realize that copy/paste does not make or break a PHONE. If it did, ALL PHONES would have it. Not only that, copy/paste would be at the top of the list of important features, instead of things like 3G, battery life, etc. You know, the things that are actually important in a phone.
I can only partially agree with that statement, Zak. I would personally find copy and paste very useful on the iPhone. If I could copy and paste a long URL for example then I could use that in an Twitter app to share it with friends. That's just one example, but I would certainly use it.
That said, I do think it's been blown out of proportion and that battery life is more important. Some people will continue to hate the iPhone for it's popularity and those people will continue to find something to bitch about regardless. Some others will see small but crucial reasons to use another platform.
This is the same thing as the reason I use Safari and not Firefox; bookmarks are (for my uses) broken/non-existant in Firefox and it's always been that way and until that is fixed I can't use it. Very much the same small gripe that some overlook, some don't notice and some switch platforms for.
Zak,
I can't speak for everyone, but for me criticizing the lack of Copy/Paste is not picking on the iPhone because it's popular (isn't Engadget already too much like high school, do we now need to make it even more clique-ish?) For me, it's about Apple's refusal to put a very simple feature that is very useful and important for smart phone users. I say "refusal" because copy/paste was a major complaint from the first gen iPhone that was made by many reviewers. Basically, Apple had to be saying "Sure it could take our programmers about 10 minutes to implement this, but we don't want to."
And while copy/paste may not be a "make or break" feature for the average cell phone user in America (i.e. those who currently have a RAZR or the functional equivalent), or a consumer-only user of a smart phone, but it absolutely is a make or break for the average smartphone user (particularly a business user). I have a Blackberry Curve, and it would be frustratingly inadequate if it did not have copy/paste (think about how often you use copy/paste on a normal computer, and then imaging how annoying it would be if you didn't have it and had to instead memorize a piece of text that you wanted to quote in another document, and then type it out on a smaller keyboard). I've asked several of my friends who use their phones for business, and they have all agreed, lack of copy/paste is a deal breaker for any phone that they will use for work. Most business users recognize the value of function over style... consumers are generally the exact opposite.
For me (again, I can't speak for everyone) it all comes down to this. I'm not going to spend $200 or $300, switch phone carriers, and pay more for a data plan for a phone that is missing an easy-to-program feature that I use every day. And I'm certainly not going to buy a second smartphone just because it has a better-looking OS and web browser If others are willing to make that switch, more power to them.
@Mikey: I know you aimed your response at Zak, and for the best part I agree with you (as I have already said). I do however have to point out that it's not about picking on the iPhone.
Some people simply are that way, and some people will criticise until they are blue in the face; nothing is ever good enough. This is what Zak was originally alluding to I think.
I'd also like to point out that Apple isn't refusing to add a feature. They have never stated that they won't add a feature "so there". The product is theirs to do with what they will in terms of future development and nothing has to be added because someone says it should be. It's not our God given right to make every single product turn the directions that we as individuals think it should.
I am not trying to say that you are implying this, but it's not out of the spin that some people would put on your words.
@ Zac
All phones do have copy and paste and its not usually mentioned as a feature because its something that is just standard in 99% of phones released today and 2 years ago and is not worth mentioning.
...with the exception of the iPhone.
Really needs automatic network switching from 3G to EDGE when 3G signal drops below a certain point (1 bar). Currently, in order for network switch, 3G has to be non existent. When in low 3G coverage (inside home/office) have to manually switch off 3G in order to get full EDGE network coverage to make calls/emails. Of course, email works fine within WiFi zone. I've been reading that this is an issue on Apple discussion boards. 2.0.1 please!
How about something as simple as SMS delivery notifications?!
Not sure what you mean. When you get a text message, the iPhone plays a noise, vibrates and displays a message onscreen.
Actually i mean the notification that a SMS you send has been delivered to the recipient. Common feature here in europe...
Oh I see what you mean. On the iPhone, SMS messages are displayed as an ongoing conversation. If your message doesn't get sent, it won't show up in the conversation.
I know, but "sent" and "delivered" are 2 different things :)
I think you can add the request for a confirmation SMS by adding something like *0# when you start the message.
example message:
*0# Hello there, how are you?
Try it and let me know if it worked for you
source of tip: http://www.iphonestalk.com/tip-how-to-get-sms-delivery-reports-on-an-iphone/
thx for the tip but i already use a code, but still it would be nice if i didn't have to type it in all the time, considering that most of the times i forget to do it...
Apple's reversing their iphone sales policy, as of today. During the inital launch weekend if they received a shipment on saturday, they wouldn't sell phones until sunday - which then allowed them to update the availablity site properly. However, somewhere over the past week, they began selling phones as they arrived at the store - so even if they sold all of that shipment, the website would still show availablity for the next day.
As of today they're going back to the original policy of not sell the current day's shipment until the next day and they will now be issuing vouchers for those who stand in line and are within the inventory limit for that store (i.e. if they have 60 16GB black iphones and your number 60, then you'll get a voucher, if your 61 then you get no voucher and will have to stand in line another day). The voucher will only be good for that day, so don't expect to come in on Sunday with a Saturday voucher.
By the way, the above is all hush-hush don'cha know. The apple rep gave us this low-down today after some major pestering (thanks to the lawyer guy in line), but during their 'official' announcement all we were told was that they had no phones to sell today (beyond the measly 15 phones) and that they will not sell any phones today even if they receive another shipment (which arrived while we were in the store).
Here's an idea - add a common "Documents" folder on the iPhone and allow iTunes to sync txt. pdf, doc, xls, etc files the same way it does photos. Then, and only then, will true office-level applications be possible.
I bought a white one this morning in Boston and they had plenty. Website widget was wrong...
When you're adding new mail account, DO NOT change the description before you save it. It will fail. Change the description after you have saved it.
Also a bug in the MS Exchange, when you add exchange with contacts. Make sure you backup your phone. When you decided to delete exchange, it will delete all your phonebook contacts. The only way to recover your phone list is to sync it up again with iTunes. I hope this will get fix on the 2.0.1update.
Think maybe we could get FLASH Support? Please?
Thats my picture !
http://technicality.tumblr.com/post/43240976/cut-paste-tons-more-features-comign-to-future
wow i'm really surprised about the wait times... i guess i'm not really... but i waited in line 15 minutes for mine. showed up right at noon when they brought out the new daily shipment, waited about 6th in line, and was back at work in under an hour. this was in the denver park meadows retail store. it sounds like it's all about getting there at the right time.
Went to the Short Pump Apple store in Richmond after seeing on the non-Apple widget that they got their shipment in around 1130 - 1145 this morning. The widget shows in stock for all 3 models. Was told that they don't have any. They sold the "last" one they had this morning -- I'm thinking it was left over from yesterday (they told me on the phone yesterday they had some). At least here, it looks like that info about Apple changing their sales practices to sell the current day's shipments no sooner than the next day may be holding true. Was all set to get one; now, I'm not sure I can make it to the store at 9AM when they open to wait. I work 2 minutes from the store, I live 30 minutes from it.
The Apple stock page on their website is a joke. In the quest for an iPhone I called around and many stores that reported no availability had plenty of phones, and vice versa.
@ Zac
All phones do have copy and paste and its not usually mentioned as a feature because its something that is just standard in 99% of phones released today and 2 years ago and is not worth mentioning.
...with the exception of the iPhone.
I would gladly let Apple keep copy and paste if I could just have the stable iPhone that was v1 back. I love the apps that I have now, but between the apps crashing and reception problems, I have considered using my Nokia until this is sorted.
MMS? That would be nice too!
I can't believe you cant send multimedia messages on an Iphone. That is pretty crazy to me.
Something basic like multimedia messaging would be nice??
I just checked the "availability" page and of the numerous stores in CA, only three are sold out.
I assume Apple is meting out iPhones in this ridiculous day-by-day approach to sustain a sense of "I want what I can't get" and to drive daily foot-traffic to the retail stores. Maybe it's also designed to allow AT&T to deal with the influx of 3G load on their network.
It seems to me this has backfired because of the number of people I know who've decided their existing (i)phone is good enough now that the hysteria has died down or that they've hesitated because of the reports of software updates, bugs and missing features.
WHERE THE HECK IS HORIZONTAL KEYBOARD FOR EMAIL AND TEXT MESSAGING. WOULDN'T YOU THINK THIS WOULD BE TOP PRIORITY. ALL THE COMPETITORS ARE RELEASING PHONES SHOWING THEIR HORIZONTAL KEYBOARD FUNCTIONS! I COULD CARE LESS ABOUT COPY AND PASTE.