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TheAppleBlog
TheAppleBlog, published by and for the day-to-day Apple user, is a prominent source for news, reviews, walkthroughs, and real life application of all Apple products.
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Apple Investigating Poor Battery Life With iPhone OS 3.1

At first I thought I was alone, and that my iPhone 3GS was defective, but now it looks like battery complaints relating to iPhone OS 3.1 are far from isolated incidents. Apple is officially investigating the matter, according to The iPhone Blog, which is something the company generally only does if enough people crow loud and long enough.

My own experience is that the iPhone charges in far less time than it normally would, and then only lasts about 12 hours on standby with my average daily usage of around three hours talk/browsing/gaming time. That’s probably a full 12 hours of standby off of what it used to be able to handle post-updating.

The behavior seems to indicate that the iPhone isn’t recognizing or using the full capacity of the battery anymore. I’ve tried resetting the phone, but I haven’t done a full restore, since I’d rather wait and see what kind of fix Apple comes up with before I lose all my data and settings. Also, support forum posters indicate that doesn’t correct the problem.

Other problems include a sticky battery indicator, which sometimes also won’t go below 100 percent after a full charge, and a huge additional drain when using Push features. My temporary fixes include turning off Push altogether, and charging the phone whenever I’m near an accessible power outlet, since the battery indicator can no longer be trusted.

Hopefully, Apple can solve this quickly with a x.x.1 release, but until then, drop by the support forums and answer the questions Apple is asking about the problems to help expedite the process. You might even be able to get one of the “Battery Life Logging” profiles Apple is distributing to gauge the extent of the problems. If you’re experiencing similar issues, please share in the comments with specific details.

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AT&T Begins Public Trial of 3G MicroCell

For iPhone users like myself chained to the shoddy service of AT&T by Apple’s seemingly interminable exclusivity contract with the carrier, hope for better reception springs eternal, at least if you live in North Carolina.

The AT&T 3G MicroCell that looks more like a video game console is actually a tiny cellular base station, or femtocell. For those with more bars in more places, except where they live, the 3G MicroCell will access AT&T’s network via broadband, DSL or cable.

Initially, it appears AT&T is only taking orders for parts of Charlotte, NC, the service agreement stating the “device may not function except in specific counties in the Raleigh, NC, Charlotte, NC, Columbia, SC, and Atlanta, GA metropolitan areas in a phased network roll-out.” In other words, it’s not ready for those languishing in areas that could really use a 3G MicroCell, like San Francisco or New York. No doubt, the 3G MicroCell will get there eventually, but if you want one now you need to live in the southern U.S.

If you do, and you have a 3G phone — original iPhone users need not apply — the 3G MicroCell will support up to four users simultaneously in a coverage area of up to 5,000 square feet. Of course, you need to be an AT&T wireless customer, and you’ll need to pay outrageously, but if you’re an AT&T customer you already know that.

While Sprint charges as little as $4.99 per month for its competing service and Verizon requires only a purchase of the device, AT&T users can look forward to paying as much as $20 a month to make up for the carrier’s poor coverage. That’s the price if you only have AT&T wireless. If you have AT&T wireless and DSL, it’s $10 a month. Those who have a landline, too, can use the service for free, but what’s the point if you have a landline?

Finally, you will be burning cell plan minutes using an 3G MicroCell that may not even be piggybacking on AT&T’s broadband, though there may also be unlimited call plans in association with the service. If this sounds like a lousy deal to you, it does to me too. Unfortunately, until the exclusivity contract between Apple and AT&T ends — if it ends — options aside from jailbreaking are limited.

AT&T: More Bars in More Places — for a price.

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Google and Apple Debate the Meaning of "Rejected"

Apple rejected Google Voice for the iPhone. That’s not what Google says, exactly, except by posting the unredacted response to the FCC on the issue there remains little room for interpretation.

According to Google, none other than Apple Senior VP Phil Schiller told Google Senior VP Alan Eustace “that Apple was rejecting the Google Voice application.” The main reason for rejection was “because Apple believed the application duplicated the core dialing functionality of the iPhone.”

Google claims that the letter (PDF) is being released because of requests through the Freedom of Information Act, and because Apple released the full contents of its own response to the FCC.

Apple representative Steve Dowling immediately fired back, stating that Apple “did not agree with all of the statements made by Google in its letter. Apple has not rejected the Google Voice application. We continue to discuss it with Google.”

That “not rejected” assertion refers to the limbo-like status Google Voice has been in for months. That status was also referenced in Apple’s response to the FCC. In that nuanced letter, Apple voiced concern over the application because it appeared “to alter the iPhone's distinctive user experience,” arguing that “Apple spent a lot of time and effort developing this distinct and innovative way to seamlessly deliver core functionality of the iPhone.”

Google Voice does change that experience in fundamental ways. It effectively shuts down Visual Voicemail by routing calls through Google Voice, replaces Apple’s text messaging, and moves contacts to Google’s servers. But is that what’s really bothering Apple? Om Malik offered another opinion way back when people were blaming AT&T for the not-rejection of Google Voice.

This battle between Google and Apple is going to get very ugly — as it should. Both companies have pinned their futures on smartphones.

This is a war Apple has fought before. The Mac lost the desktop wars to Windows because Apple did not defend its “experience” sufficiently. Protestations about the user interface aside, Apple is not about to make the same mistake with the future of mobile computing.

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SlingPlayer for iPhone Now Available in Europe, Wi-Fi Only

You no longer have to gaze wistfully across the Atlantic, European readers, because SlingPlayer today officially released its mobile app (iTunes link) for iPhone across 16 countries in your continent. You may, however, bemoan the lack of 3G streaming in the version that was released.

It’s been four months since the original SlingPlayer app was released in the initial launch countries of the U.S., the UK, and Canada in May. Thus far, none of the apps released have support for streaming over 3G, a limitation which some users are jailbreaking their phones to get around.

Sling Media’s president and general manager spoke to Macworld UK about the European launch of the Wi-Fi version of the app, and the continued inability to get Apple to approve the 3G version of the same:

We are disappointed that Apple has not yet approved the 3G version of the SlingPlayer Mobile application for iPhone and iPod customers outside the U.S. However, we are very excited to launch the Wi-Fi version — it gives our European customers access to the full spectrum of viewing choices on their iPhone or iPod touch when connected to a Wi-Fi network — the ability to watch and control both their live TV from home — local channels, local sports, video-on-demand and pay-per-view — as well as their home digital video recorder (DVR).

If a 3G version is approved, it’s likely it’ll happen outside of the U.S. first, since AT&T is notoriously protective of its somewhat fragile and overtaxed network, and a boatload of SlingBox owners streaming content over said network could exacerbate existing problems significantly.

The jailbreak option to allow 3G streaming is appealing to many SlingPlayer Mobile users, as evidenced by the top review when I checked up on the U.S. version of the app today. User “giliswhet” recommends jailbreaking and installing a utility called 3G Unrestrictor, which allows you to do anything you can do over Wi-Fi over 3G (including Skype calls, presumably). He describes the quality over 3G as comparable to that over Wi-Fi.
Despite the lack of 3G streaming, and a vocal minority making complaints about said limitation, SlingPlayer Mobile is rated three and a half stars in the App Store, with a high percentage of five-star ratings.

The app itself costs $29.99 in the U.S., and requires a Slingbox installed on your home theater system to function. The new countries where it is now available include Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway, Spain, Sweden and Switzerland.

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