Filed under: Software Update, iPhone
iPhone 2.1 firmware out now
As announced on Tuesday, the iPhone 2.1 firmware is out now, downloadable via iTunes.According to Apple's website, updates include:
- Decrease in call set-up failures and dropped calls
- Significantly better battery life for most users
- Dramatically reduced time to backup to iTunes
- Improved email reliability, notably fetching email from POP and Exchange accounts
- Faster installation of 3rd party applications
- Fixed bugs causing hangs and crashes for users with lots of third party applications
- Improved performance in text messaging
- Faster loading and searching of contacts
- Improved accuracy of the 3G signal strength display
- Repeat alert up to two additional times for incoming text messages (in case you missed the beep the 1st time)
- Option to wipe data after ten failed passcode attempts
- Genius playlist creation
Thanks to everyone who sent this in!

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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 9)
Jed said 9:29AM on 9-12-2008
I would love it if, after upgrading, someone could confirm that this update did not add nike+? thanks.
Reply
Andreas said 9:37AM on 9-12-2008
To add nike+ support the device needs hardware support which the iPhone does not have as well as the iPhone Touch 1st gen. Only 2nd gen iPhone Touch has support build in.
Brandon Martinez said 11:26AM on 9-12-2008
Wouldn't they be able to just program the Bluetooth receiver to send/receive those specific signals? That's apparently what the Nike thing uses anyway. Just a thought…
William said 9:30AM on 9-12-2008
Wow, Nice!
I was able to do the update from my work computer, which I updated to iTunes 8.0. I am not sure if you have always been able to do this, thought you had to use the computer you normal sync with for things like updates.
Reply
Joel said 10:55AM on 9-12-2008
No, I think the iPhone allows you to get updates from anywhere. Which is very handy. I've done it at work a few times.
Actually modifying the media content that is synced is what requires you to use your own machine. People who manually manage music on their device however, get around that for music at least.
LifeSux said 9:32AM on 9-12-2008
yes folks, you MUST be running iTunes 8 !
Reply
glynor said 11:02AM on 9-12-2008
Not true. I just downloaded and installed it using iTunes 7.1.1.
glynor said 12:53PM on 9-12-2008
Gah... With the fake out. iTunes 7.1.1 will let you download the update and will try to apply it, but it won't actually apply it.
Sorry for the bad info...
glynor said 1:09PM on 9-12-2008
Hmmm.... Okay, I misread the error message I got apparently. You CAN do the update using iTunes 7.7.1.11, but once you've updated, that version of iTunes can no longer use the phone.
So you can do the update, but then it won't work anymore from then on. This wouldn't be a big deal if iTLU didn't break with the new version!
(And BTW, I apparently couldn't type properly before. I meant iTunes 7.7.1.11 all along, obviously.)
LifeSux said 2:14PM on 9-12-2008
as I said, Apple says you must be running iTunes 8.
;-)
iPhoneMilk said 9:36AM on 9-12-2008
Repeat alert for incoming text messages???
Reply
chance said 11:11AM on 9-12-2008
Nope. :(
brice said 11:39AM on 9-12-2008
If you get an SMS and do not look at it, the iPhone will notify you again 5 minutes after the SMS was received. If you still do not look at it, the iPhone will notify you again 10 minutes after the SMS was received.
Nick said 7:25PM on 9-12-2008
And is there a way to make the phone NOT do that? My phone sits on my desk all day, and I like being able to see the text message pop up without having to touch the phone. I don't need it to buzz two more times to tell me about the text I already saw.
Tony Ward said 9:57AM on 9-12-2008
I've been using the iPod touch upgrade since Tuesday night.... App installs, backups and sync are dramatically faster and more stable (thank God). So far, so good! (Not noticing the "Significantly better battery life for most users" thing though....)
Reply
db said 9:40AM on 9-12-2008
Installed... No genius button that I can find. Only difference so far is a new edge icon on the first gen iphone. Signal is always 5 bars here but calls arent as choppy when im inside.
Reply
Richard hart said 10:00AM on 9-12-2008
To find the genius icon, pick a song on the cover art tap once.
The Genius icon is at the top in the middle.
OmicroN said 9:40AM on 9-12-2008
After updating my v2.0.2 iPhone to v2.1 on my Mac OS 10.5.4 computer running iTunes v8, I am now getting an error message that reads:
The iPhone "my name's iPhone" cannot be synced. An unknown error occurred (13213).
Reply
Gikku said 9:55AM on 9-12-2008
1. Unplug your iPhone and turn it off. Hold the power button at the top until the red slider appears and power it down completely.
2. Quit iTunes 8
3. Relaunch iTunes 8
4. Plug in phone - DO NOT TURN IT ON FIRST. Make sure it's still off completely from step 1.
5. Should sync normally
Yep. Worked perfectly.
Jon Eric said 9:56AM on 9-12-2008
I had the same error. Disconnected the iPhone, powered it off and back on. I also restarted my MacBook Pro. Reconnected and it synced fine.