Filed under: Analysis / Opinion
Original iPhone owners & Push Notifications
Editor's Note: For more information about this post, see here.
We have received multiple reports from 3.0 firmware users on original iPhones who are NOT experiencing the problems described, and who do receive calls without difficulty with the push notification service turned on. Cory's original post is left as-is below; however, we no longer believe the issue is widespread or will affect most original iPhone users. Our apologies for any undue anxiety or confusion.
If you bought the original iPhone, you have the pride of being the first to own one... but you will also be left out when you install and use some of the nice new features in the iPhone 3.0 update.
One of the most awaited features, push notifications, requires a constant data connection. While the iPhone 3G can handle data and voice simultaneously when using a 3G/HSDPA connection, on EDGE (the cellular data service that the original iPhone uses) you are unable to take calls and maintain a persistent data connection.As a result, if you turn on the push notification service, you may be unable to receive voice calls.
Some iPhone owners might consider this a slap in the face from Apple, while other iPhone users will just be glad that their phone now has notifications. Either way, the good thing is that the voice mail system uses a data connection, so you will still get your voicemails.
Push notifications could also end up being a flop for other iPhone users too. Due to the structure of the service, push notifications can get lost in transit, and pushes to the same app (possibly all pushes) kick older ones out of the push queue.
We have received multiple reports from 3.0 firmware users on original iPhones who are NOT experiencing the problems described, and who do receive calls without difficulty with the push notification service turned on. Cory's original post is left as-is below; however, we no longer believe the issue is widespread or will affect most original iPhone users. Our apologies for any undue anxiety or confusion.
One of the most awaited features, push notifications, requires a constant data connection. While the iPhone 3G can handle data and voice simultaneously when using a 3G/HSDPA connection, on EDGE (the cellular data service that the original iPhone uses) you are unable to take calls and maintain a persistent data connection.
Some iPhone owners might consider this a slap in the face from Apple, while other iPhone users will just be glad that their phone now has notifications. Either way, the good thing is that the voice mail system uses a data connection, so you will still get your voicemails.
Push notifications could also end up being a flop for other iPhone users too. Due to the structure of the service, push notifications can get lost in transit, and pushes to the same app (possibly all pushes) kick older ones out of the push queue.
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 4)
odelljamie said 11:39PM on 6-16-2009
The original iphone supports push email, doesn't it? If it does, then I don't see why it can't support other push notifications. There'd have to be some queueing on the server side for when the data connection was lost -- but even with a 3G phone, the data connection can drop (as we all well know).
Way before the iphone, the early Sidekicks had push notification support for IM, and that worked on T-Mobile's edge only network.
Jamie
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Safu said 11:40PM on 6-16-2009
Your Telling US NOW~!!!!!
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MacSlut said 11:41PM on 6-16-2009
I guess that's the price to pay for being retro.
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John B. said 11:54PM on 6-16-2009
That's why they call it the "bleeding edge".
Greg said 12:26AM on 6-17-2009
I have an original iPhone and have been testing push services on the AP News app and haven't had a problem. I get push notifications and phone calls and I don't have 3G (until this Friday when I get the 3GS)
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Tom said 11:41PM on 6-16-2009
Uhh, what? Turning on Push Notifications doesn't tie up the data connection 100% of the time. If it did, the phone battery would be dead way faster then normal. Push notifications for my MobileMe and Exchange accounts certainly didn't prevent my iPhone from receiving calls.
This "article" is horribly inaccurate and doesn't quote a single source for any of this.
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Brandon said 11:59PM on 6-16-2009
I agree. I'm not sure Cory knows how push works. Where did he get this info from?
How did you figure push email works on first gen iPhones?
oz_paulb said 11:42PM on 6-16-2009
>> "As a result, if you turn on the push notification service, you will be unable to receive voice calls"
Have you actually TESTED this?? I have an original first-gen iPhone, and use MobileMe (which has push notifications, and I believe is based on the same mechanism as the new push notifications).
The MobileMe service's "push" feature uses a data connection (NOT SMS). I am able to receive phone calls just fine with "push" enabled.
I am willing to believe that if I am in a voice call, I won't receive push notificaitons (because EDGE data can't come in at the same time). But to say that having push notifications *enabled* will completely disable all voice calls seems ridiculous.
My *guess* would be that with "push" enabled, the iPhone 'polls' the EDGE connection - leaving time for normal phone calls in between polls. That's just a guess, though.
Again: have you tested this (proven it to be true), or is this just rumor/wild baseless speculation??
- Paulb
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stigallj said 11:43PM on 6-16-2009
This is not true at all, TUAW is such a joke.
No source either, excellent reporting.
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Elias said 2:02PM on 6-17-2009
Are you sure about that? I have an original iPhone with a push Exchange account. An incoming call interrupts the data connection and rings.
I think it works the same way dial-up used to work, if your modem didn't dial *70, call-waiting could kick you off.
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oz_paulb said 11:44PM on 6-16-2009
Oh, and to comment on the 'icon' for this article: "TUAW Fail!!"
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Daniel said 11:52PM on 6-16-2009
I'm in Hong Kong and own a 3G. I'm currently on a carrier which doesn't support 3G - does this mean that I will be unable to receive Push notifications without sacrificing voice calls?
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danjsherman said 11:45PM on 6-16-2009
Please retract or clarify this article. It is factually inaccurate as push notifications have functioned via MobileMe and email on EDGE iPhones for quite some time. Sources would also be appreciated.
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Alex said 12:09AM on 6-17-2009
+1
Please remove this article before it starts to make rounds in the blogosphere.
Ben said 11:46PM on 6-16-2009
Is this confirmed, or just speculation? Somehow I doubt that this is the case...
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Brian said 11:46PM on 6-16-2009
This article makes no sense. The push services are turned off during calls. How could Apple get away with a new feature that cripples the primary function of the device?
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mchristopherweems said 11:47PM on 6-16-2009
Umm, as an iPhone Dev that has been testing Push notifications for a while (on my 1st gen, none the less); the 1st gen does not have a problem with Push notifications. Not only would this problem you are claiming exists lock out all the 1st gen'rs but also all 3G and 3Gs users while on Edge. Apple aren't stupid; they wouldn't design something that wouldn't work on their entire line of phones when not on 3G.
Do some homework instead of spouting off random information just because you have a hunch.
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calvin said 11:48PM on 6-16-2009
Are you guys really serious about blogging about apple? This looks more like an anti-apple weblog than a weblog about apple. Heck, appleinsider is way better.
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will.kuhn said 11:47PM on 6-16-2009
This is very inaccurate. iPhone on EDGE will only miss calls if the call happens to line up with a data transfer, which is to say, very few calls will be missed.
If push email works, push notifications should simply feel (from a voice/data standpoint) like you're getting more emails than usual.
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Neil said 12:08AM on 6-17-2009
I'm a developer and I get push notifications and phone calls on my original iPhone under iPhone 3.0. I'm not sure what you're smoking Cory. My iPhone must be the magic forbidden Apple or something because it does exactly what Apple promises.
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