First impressions: iPhone 1.1.2 goes global
After much speculation, iPhone 1.1.2 has been released—sort of. While it’s not yet appearing for everyone who runs the iPhone software update check in iTunes, you can snag the rather hefty 160MB file directly from Apple. To install, you’ll need to drop the ZIP file in your ~/Library/iTunes/iPhone Software Updates folder and then connect your iPhone and option-click the “Check for Updates” button; iTunes will give you a dialog box from which you can select the ZIP file and it’ll carry out the update as normal. Or you could just wait until it shows up in iTunes. Any moment now.
I’ve only been running 1.1.2 for a matter of minutes, but there are already a few new features. The biggest change, as predicted, is the International support, which you’ll finder under Settings -> General -> International. You can change the language of the entire phone into French, German, or Italian (wait, when is Italy getting the iPhone?); I changed it into French for kicks, so I could check my courriel. You can also enable four additional keyboard layouts: English (UK), French, German, and again the mysterious Italian; doing so puts a little globe icon next to the spacebar whenever the keyboard comes up. Tapping it will cycle through the keyboard layouts you’ve enabled. One nice touch I discovered was that if you toggle into the number/punctuation mode, it replaces the $ key with the appropriate currency symbol for your layout: £ for the UK, € for French, German, and Italian.
The International section also contains an “Asian Font” setting, in which you can pick either Chinese or Japanese (what, no Thai? Korean?). And “Region Format” lets you control how information like date, time, and phone numbers are formatted. You can choose from a bunch of different locales for each language. There’s still no built-in support for Arabic and Hebrew in Safari, though. Apparently some regions get more loving than others.
1.1.2 brings a couple of other small additions as well. The phone’s battery charge now shows up in iTunes, next to your phone icon under Deviccies (pictured above). And your custom ringtones—both those purchased through iTunes and those you transfer with software like Ambrosia’s iToner—now appear in their own “Custom” section of Settings -> Sounds -> Ringtones, above the “System” tones (and all of my iToner ringtones remained intact through the update).
The one downside to the update—which, in and of itself is actually a good thing—is that Apple has patched the TIFF exploit that could be used to jailbreak the phone and install third-party apps. All third-party apps disappeared along with the update. The good news is that iPhone hackers have already apparently cracked 1.1.2, so look for a new jailbreak procedure shortly.
The biggest question for me, which I’ve yet to answer, is whether 1.1.2 does anything about the much-discussed battery draining problems which seem to have plagued many an iPhone user. I’ll be checking it out in the next few days, and shall not rest (or recharge) until I’ve discovered the truth.
[via MacNN]
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Comments (11)
Will my USA T-Mobile SIM work in a "German" iPhone?
Posted by ftbotsb![[TypeKey Profile Page]](http://iphone.macworld.com/nav-commenters.gif)
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November 9, 2007 12:21 PM
Bluetooth??? From the O2 UK site FAQ
Transferring contacts (Mac users)
Your Mac includes iSync software which will synchronise your mobile contacts with Address Book when you connect your existing mobile phone to your Mac, using Bluetooth or a data cable. You may need to download an iSync plug in from your mobile handset manufacturer. A list of compatible devices and known plug ins is available from Apple [link opens in a new window]
Posted by WWWW | November 9, 2007 1:53 PM
Can you verify that it is came from apple? i made a mistake and installed it this morning and i noticed some weird things going on my iphone, even though it is not causing any major problem. I realized the version number listed with "B" after the code, so it must be a beta version. I suggest people not installing it until the newer version showing up on itunes.
Posted by Mango | November 9, 2007 2:04 PM
Do all these updates take away memory capacity? If they do, at only 7.24 gigs we'll be down to 4 by summer.
Posted by jim | November 9, 2007 2:22 PM
I think (not sure I remember correctly) the 1.1.2 update also removes the "Contacts" icon that appeared in Settings; which I think appeared under 1.1.1.
And many (like me) wished it had it's own button on the home Springboard.
I remember it looked like the Contacts in iPod Touch. I think it's only option was the name order, which is now under Settings->Phone.
Also, I had used the TIFF-jailbreak, and had no probs. updating.
Posted by billy morocco | November 9, 2007 2:27 PM
Although it probably will hit Italy, don't read too much into language support; it may've just been simple to include Italian and Apple may've realized that Italians (like any other country's natives) sometimes move/live abroad.
Posted by Kendall | November 10, 2007 1:36 AM
If you've kept around iTunes 7.4.0, you can now re-use your M4A-to-M4R renamed files as ringtones. The 1.1.1 update made it so these ringtones wouldn't play. Now, with 1.1.2, they will play again.
Posted by Nate | November 10, 2007 9:31 AM
Hi Dan, thanks for the info and link to the software download. Unfortunately, I'm on a windows XP machine.
I know, I know! Someday when the next gen PowerBooks (oops, sue me) err I mean MacBook Pros come along. My 7 1/2 year old PowerBook G3 Pismo still running strong, albeit slow. And say what you want, PowerBook is still a cooler name than "MacBook."
I downloaded and installed the latest version of iTunes (7.5). I keep clicking on Check for Update, but I am not seeing any 1.1.2. Keep getting the "This version of the iPhone software (1.1.1) is the current version."
I had to find the right path which I believe is:
C:\Documents and Settings\*USERNAME*\Application Data\Apple Computer\iTunes\iPhone Software Updates
I downloaded the 160 MB update, moved it into the above location (which oddly enough had all 3 previous updates 1.0.1, 1.0.2 and 1.1.1). I tried "ALT" clicking and "CTRL" clicking on Check for Update and Nada!
As to Mongo... don't read too much into the version number having an "A" or "B" at the end. If what you said is true, then the 1.1.1 update, the file named: iPhone1,1_1.1.1_3A109a_Restore, is "alpha" software. Ouch! And that came directly from Apple via the approved iPhone software update channel.
Guess I'll just have to wait for the update to show up in iTunes.
Cheers!
Posted by Aaron | November 10, 2007 9:20 PM
Hello again,
Well, I figured it out. I'm now running 1.1.2.
If you have iTunes 7.5 and a windows machine, once you download the update and put it in the iTunes Software Update directory, you have to do "SHIFT" + "CTRL" and click on "Check for Update".
After that, just let it do it's thing. I did notice while watching the iPhone screen that it showed the iTunes icon and the dock connector end of the USB cable. Just let it do its thing and after about 5 or 6 minutes, it restarted and viola!
I put it in both Italian and German to see. I was writing a SMS to a friend in Italy, it appears to know some Italian words, but i don't know how extensive the international spell checking is.
Hope this helps!
Posted by Aaron | November 10, 2007 11:13 PM
When, o when, will we see the A2DP Bluetooth service? It's all I care about right now. I have my snazzy Motorola S9 headset and can't use it. Do you think we'll be able to add this once the SDK comes out?
Fewer crashes would be cool, too...
Posted by Canada | November 12, 2007 10:36 AM
Regarding Korean font, the iPhone had Korean font since 1.0. No Thai though.
Posted by PeanutJelly![[TypeKey Profile Page]](http://iphone.macworld.com/nav-commenters.gif)
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November 12, 2007 7:42 PM