iPhone 3.0 beta firmware FAQ

While most people would probably agree that 3.0 doesn't represent a revolutionary upgrade for iPhone users, it's still large (and interesting) enough to warrant tons of questions, which we've been collecting to answer in a FAQ about the beta. Feel free to submit some more below! Just remember that just about anything can change between now and the final launch of 3.0 -- it is a beta, after all.

So, how do I get this thing?
Well, unfortunately you need to be part of the developer program (which costs $99).

Whatevs, I just got it off of BitTorrent!
Okay, but it may not work. Your iPhone's unique ID must be authorized for the 3.0 upgrade, and Apple checks that. So until someone cracks the 3.0 beta firmware image, you have to be a registered developer, or know somebody who can hook you up, pretty much.

How did installation go? From Miqal
Running it on a non-jailbroken device, it went smoothly. Took about as much time as your traditional restore. Just be warned: from what I've been hearing, once you go to 3.0, you can't go back to 2.0. (Apple must have changed some of the baseband firmware or something, no real surprise.)

How's performance been? I heard it's really sluggish.
Actually, it's been pretty good for me so far! Spotlight is actually faster than I expected and the rest of the common interactions feels the same as 2.2. I'm going to continue to keep an eye out for issues, but so far things have been humming along nicely. [Interestingly, Nilay, Ross, and Chris have all reported occasional slowness, proof that Ryan's zen-like patience is a virtue. -Ed.]

Do all of your apps sync? Do they work okay? From Kwarren and davidiom
So far, yes, I haven't seen anything really go missing. 3.0 isn't a fundamental architectural change, so I don't think most apps need to be re-worked to function. Granted, there have been a few apps which have definitely given me some trouble when running in 3.0 (like the Peanut Butter Jelly Time! app -- don't you judge me), but so far I've run into very few problems and apps have been working mostly without much issue. As always, with something like this your mileage may vary.

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Filed under: Cellphones

iPhone 3.0 beta firmware FAQ originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 19 Mar 2009 16:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Engadget Cares: save us from Apple’s groundbreaking, developer-shackling App Store

Filed under: Cellphones

Engadget editor-at-large and gdgt co-founder Ryan Block contributes Engadget Cares, a friendly advice column for the people who make your technology.

It's not hard to argue that the App Store's inspired success for the mobile software world, with over 100 million programs downloaded on only a few million phones in just a matter of months. Palm, Nokia, Microsoft must all be simmering (and understandably so). But Apple, if you're having trouble getting buy-in from passionate developers with a serious creative vision for iPhone apps beyond the dozens of me-too calculators and to-do lists -- and you know you are -- the writing's on the wall, and you're the one who put it there.

But it's not just about the draconian SDK agreement (which we'll get to in a minute), or the uncertainty that runs through every developer -- large and small -- as they wonder whether you'll give the all-important thumbs-up to the app they've just invested all that blood / sweat / tears / money into (we'll get to that, too). What seems to the rest of us like nefarious intent may simply be Apple coming to grips with its own successes by reacting with the same kneejerk response it plies to most everything else: control and micromanagement.

Let's rewind for a moment though, and go back to what Steve said at this Spring's iPhone roadmap event, where the SDK was introduced for the first time. As Steve's introduction reached its crescendo, he excitedly declared, "The developers and us have the same exact interest, which is to get as many apps out in front of as many iPhone users as possible," but "there are going to be some apps we're not going to distribute: porn, malicious apps, apps that invade your privacy..." The slide listed "malicious," "illegal," "porn," "privacy," "bandwidth hog," and "unforeseen." Ah, unforeseen -- glorious wiggle room. I suppose "apps that might compete with our own" wouldn't have gone over as well with the crowd. Read on.

Continue reading Engadget Cares: save us from Apple's groundbreaking, developer-shackling App Store

Engadget Cares: save us from Apple's groundbreaking, developer-shackling App Store originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 25 Sep 2008 14:07:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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