All stories about "Iphone 3g"

[Image via Gizmodo]

After weeks of complaints from owners of dysfunctional iPhone 3Gs, Apple released a software update yesterday along with this brief formal statement: "The [latest] software update improves communication with 3G networks." It's about as basic a comment as the company could possibly make, and yet cryptic enough to inspire the kind of analysis usually reserved for text messages from recent dates. If the update improves communication, does that mean Apple admits there's room for improvement?

The company hasn't officially acknowledged the phone's problems anywhere else (although Steve Jobs did rather randomly send a personal e-mail to a customer in which he mentioned "a known bug"), so if this statement does count as an admission of fault, then it's sort of a big deal. Then again, if you're really looking to point fingers, you could always blame this adorable kid, since she appears to be the person actually assembling the phones.
· Apple tries to de-bug iPhone [USA Today]
· Apple: iPhone Update Improves 3G Network Issues [Gear Factor]
· iPhrenzy Dark Side: The 3G's Three Major Bugs [Racked]
· Steve Jobs vows iPhone app crash fix for September [Apple Insider]
· New iPhone Comes Loaded with Photos of the Girl Who Made It [Gizmodo]

Since the new iPhone went on sale over a month ago, users have complained about a plague of reception problems: Dropped calls, poor signals, slow or broken web access. Computer World's FAQ sheet is an excellent primer on the situation, but even they don't know how Apple will fix the problems because Apple, as usual, won't say anything to anyone. The most optimistic rumor has it that Apple might release a firmware update that would solve all the bugs, and that it might do so this Friday, August 22, when it rolls out iPhones in over twenty new markets.

Till then, though, users will be stuck with ironic problems like this one: "I have a Genius Bar appointment on Thursday morning to discuss my iPhone’s inability to access the Internet consistently, even when I have full 3G bars. I tried making the appointment from my iPhone but it kept stalling, so I had to make the appointment from a computer. How fitting." Racked readers: Have you had 3G problems? Let us know in the comments!
· FAQ: iPhone 3G reception -- What's the problem? [Computer World]
· Dealing [The Doree Chronicles]

These people are all waiting to see teen pop performed at the Apple Store

SOHO—Earlier this week, the Apple Store in Soho sprouted lines that made the iPhone madness in July look like a day at the beach. Were the city's geeks hearing the siren song of yet another sleek new Mac product? Not even. As a commenter pointed out, it was just Disney Channel megastars the Jonas Brothers. Says a tipster, "The Jonas Brothers have done what neither the iPhone 2G or 3G couldn't — create a line (for their concert at the Apple store) that stretched all the way around to 45RPM on Mercer! Absolute insanity. I feel lame even typing this to you!" Luckily, he didn't feel too lame to send us pictures. [RackedWire]

WILLIAMSBURG—Hello Health, the new pay-as-you-go, text-when-you-need-to 21st century health clinic in the 'Burg, got into all sorts of trouble with a series of MTA ads in which blank comic-book speech-bubbles literally begged passersby to write in them. First, the ads got pulled, ostensibly by the MTA, leaving Hello Health with six months of ad space and nothing to put in it. Then, the blog Animal New York discovered that it wasn't the MTA that objected so much as their media management group, which, as far as we can work out, must have sold Hello Health the ads in the first place. The upshot: No more ads—though a bit of free publicity. [Animal NY]

Apple just announced that its users have downloaded 60 million iPhone apps since the 3G launched last month. Want to join the party? Today's line report, below:

Apple Store Midtown
Line length: No line
Availability: They're all in
Color: Right now, a voucher will get you an appointment within the next hour.

Apple Store MePa
Line length: 2 hours
Availability: They're running low on the 16 gigs in white
Color: The voucher system is still in place, but most people choose to wait in line anyway.

Apple Store Soho
Line length: Less than an hour
Availability: Everything is in stock
Color: Definitely a better bet than MePa today.

As long as it's not urgent (and at this point, how could it be?), we humbly recommend waiting until tomorrow or Tuesday to pick up an iPhone. Stock at the Soho and MePa stores is running low, and the voucher line at midtown sounds especially long today. The full report:

Apple Store Midtown
Line length: None, for vouchers
Availability: Plenty of stock.
Color: When you come back at the time designated on your voucher, expect a 1-2 hour wait

Apple Store Soho
Line length: At 9:10 AM, no line.
Availability: Everything's limited—they'll probably run out.
Color: The genius predicted waits of about an hour later today.

Apple Store MePa
Line length: 1.5 hours
Availability: Running low
Color: They might get more in tomorrow, but couldn't promise anything.

Welcome to the second month of iPhrenzy! If you squint you can make out a faint glimmer of light at the end of the tunnel, but the waits aren't quite over yet. The report:

Apple Midtown
Line Length: Once you get the voucher, it's about an hour.
Availability: Everything is in stock.
Color: Is the voucher system not the panacea it's cracked up to be? An hour is still a significant wait.

Apple MePa
Line Length: 30-45 minutes
Availability: Everything is in stock.
Color: Most people are getting the voucher and then just staying in line.

Apple SoHo
Line Length: 1-2 hours
Availability: Everything is in stock.
Color: "If you get there early, you'll have no problem getting a phone." Early like noon? "Early like now." (9 AM.)

The L Magazine's "Best of New York" issue contains a list of the best and worst things to happen to New York's retail world since August '07. Best: Rogan, Thistle & Clover, Madewell, Aloha Rag, the Acne Studio, and THECAST. Worst: Blue & Cream, John Varvatos, and the Coach Legacy store. Predictable, maybe, but we can't really disagree.

We can, however, and do disagree with the following description of the iPhone 3G launch as New York's best unintentional public art exhibit: "Last year, in an impromptu citywide performance, lines formed outside Apple stores across New York as eager consumers lined up to purchase the iPhone. Many anticipated a reenactment of the piece this year, and while the lines weren't always as long — a typical wait ranged from 2-5 hours — they did last for seven days. This reference to the Bible was an obvious strategy by the artist to reflect the paradox of the awe inspired by the existence of such lines and the irritation on the part of waiting consumers." Seven days? Tell that to the people who waited outside the SoHo store for an hour this morning.
·Welcome, Newbies [The L Magazine]
·The Best of New York City [The L Magazine]

Today marks a month of iPhone 3G line coverage. Pure insanity. Thankfully, the waits for the phone keep getting shorter, and the supply seems to be steady (though stores are still selling out by midday). Your morning availability report:

Apple Midtown
Line length: No line
Availability: Have all the models
Color: Which models will sell out earliest? "Don't know. It's hard to tell."

Apple Soho
Line length: One to two hours
Availability: Everything is in stock
Color: The genius wouldn't speculate as to when the lines would disappear completely.

Apple Meatpacking
Line length: One to two hours
Availability: Have everything in stock
Color: Are you going to run out? "By the middle of the day, yeah."

It kind of feels like everyone and their mother has an iPhone 3G at this point. But that can't be true, because people are still (still!) queuing up for the gadget. Your morning availability report:

Apple Midtown
Line length: No line
Availability: Have 'em all
Color: Regarding the voucher system, now customers can pick a time to come back. Previously, you just took whatever was assigned to you.

Apple Soho
Line length: Two hours
Availability: All models in stock
Color: "We usually run out by the early afternoon."

Apple Meatpacking
Line length: 30 minutes to an hour
Availability: It's all in stock
Color: Still doing vouchers