Review: iPhone Firmware 2.2

One of the more anticipate Firmware releases of the year, besides version 2.0, has finally arrived via an iTunes update for iPod and iPhone owners everywhere. The rumor mill has been busy churning out predictions and screenshots of future functionality which so far, has been very much true without a single rock being left unturn. While not as groundbreaking as 2.0, Firmware 2.2 brings some welcome changes albeit with a few annoyances.

Over The Air Podcast Downloading

Apple has finally opened another door leading to users everywhere severing their USB cable for iTunes syncing. MobileMe already pushes email, contacts, calendars and contacts. The iTunes Store already downloads music over WiFi and now, Podcasts. While it’s not in the traditional sense of Podcast subscriptions in that you must manually download each episode yourself, just the fact that Video and Audio Podcasts can be downloaded is a major addition to the iPhone.

But you’ll run into a snaggle. Just because Apple says “Over The Air” it should really say “Over WiFi” due to the 10 MB cap on each episode download. I have yet to meet a Podcast that offered a substantial amount of content in under 10 MB per episode but there a few that exist. Most range in size from 30-80 MB for Audio and in the couple hundreds of Megabytes for Video. The good thing is downloads can be paused once you leave a WiFi connection and completed episodes will be synced back to your computer once they’re downloaded but they are generally played within the iTunes App.

Google Maps

One of the biggest overhauls in 2.2 has got to be Google Maps. Not only have walking and bus transit directions been incorporated but Google Street View as well.

Bus Transit directions give you the exact departure times and calculate the fare for each trip showing a detailed map of where to go, where to get off and where each bus stop is. You average transit time is calculated according to bus departure times. Walking directions calculate a walking friendly route devoid of major freeways, oceans and major obstructions caused by extra terrestrial life. You could probably use these directions for cycling but of course, your calculated time will be way off.

Street View is a massive time waster when it works in your area but trust me, when it does, Maps does it well. 360 degree panoramas load without much delay on a speedy 3G connection and can be traversed just as easily. My only gripe, requiring a pin to be dropped just to see if that area has been mapped by the Street View brigade. Dropping a pin is already problematic enough but having to second guess yourself makes it troublesome.

Safari

While not one of the most monumental changes in the newest iPhone Firmware. Safari has undergone a minor facelift. The reposting of the URL and search bar opens up the opportunity to toggle each and shift to the other when one is selected. The “http://” prefix has been removed to show more of the URL and the search bar adjacent to it. The refresh/stop loading button has also been integrated into the URL bar.

Another thing baked silently into 2.2 is support for App Store links. Before clicking such a link gave you an item could not be found error but now you’re directed just as you were with the iTunes store.

Other Tidbits

-Emoticons are included but noticeably absent from non Japanese iPhones. Sorry guys, unless you don’t mind moving to Japan, learning their native tongue and signing up for an account with a Cellular carrier there, you’re out of luck.
-Although Apple has claimed Visual Voicemail quality has improved, (it has, but not by leaps and bounds) 3G connections lag and often drop out for some, including me. Switching to EDGE works fine but the problem is most persistent in Apps that don’t send data in bursts such as Safari and Google Maps. This could be the trouble of a new Baseband revision
-Tapping the Home Button takes you back to your main screen, unless of course you’re there already.
-Apple has updated some APIs so a few Apps that rely on the underlying changes will break until developers update them so hang tight.