So let's just boil down the newly-available firmware 1.1.3 to the nitty gritty, shall we? Here's what Apple's latest juicy morsel is going to do to your iPhone (or iPod touch, if that's how you roll and you have $19.99 to spare) once you can finally reliably get it from iTunes:
- Maps: New hybrid view, same as Google Maps. Satellite imagery and street mapping available on a single view.
- Maps: Location triangulation. Uses nearby WiFi access points and GSM towers (on the iPhone, anyway) to roughly guesstimate your current location.
- Web Clips: Web bookmarks can now be saved as home screen icons, including zoom and location information.
- Home screen: Icons on the home screen can now be rearranged.
- Home screen: Up to 9 home screens can now be created and "flicked" between.
- SMS: A single text message can now be sent to multiple recipients; groups can be recalled for future use.
- iTunes: Movie rentals are now supported.
- iTunes: Support for lyrics.
- iTunes: Option to "manually manage" music and videos instead of synchronizing. Thanks, Vlade D!
Additionally, the iPod touch now features Mail, Maps, Stocks, Weather, and Notes, all of which were previously exclusive to the iPhone. Cheers!
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
slamEVIL @ Jan 15th 2008 4:30PM
so if you want to move the icons around on your ipod touch you have to pay $20. steve jobs is an ass.
Trevor @ Jan 15th 2008 4:34PM
No free lunch for you!
Matt @ Jan 15th 2008 4:37PM
Slam,
very shortsighted of you. for the ipod touch users it adds 5 more applications which may or may not be worth $20. iPhone users are paying a monthly fee so they are essentially paying for it anyway.
Love,
Your Mom
Andy K @ Jan 16th 2008 5:53AM
Excuse me Matt, but I believe you are missing out on one very important point - new Touch buyers are getting this damn thing for FREE. For the same price as the rest of us paid a few weeks ago!!! Plus, the five apps which it comes with are worth diddly squat in the UK (unless of course you live in 'Lun-duun') and as usual the UK pays more for these apps than the US - by 3GB at today's exchange rate (Ouch!!). I'm sick of apple cultists trying to justify bad business practices!! I know I'll be taking my money elsewhere (where they can appreciate my loyalty)and other users should seriously think about doing the same.
CJM @ Jan 15th 2008 5:08PM
Are we ever going to get true MS Exchange integration on the iPhone so us "suits" can go out and buy one?
boss-hogg @ Jan 15th 2008 5:15PM
groundbreaking! SMS to multiple people
Parker @ Jan 15th 2008 6:09PM
Im not sure if this is the new itunes update or the iphone but you can now manually manage your music and videos, so yea...
PB Thompson @ Jan 15th 2008 7:27PM
This $20 fee to upgrade your Touch reminds me of the iPhone price and then price DROP a few months ago. Remember the $100 rebate that Apple finally gave us. EVERYONE call Apple and COMPLAIN. Let your opinion be heard !! I just bought my Touch last month and now I have to pay $20. Call 408.996.1010 and complain.
Dave @ Jan 15th 2008 8:23PM
cheers my ass...engadget maybe for once you can get off of your knees and instead of servicing steve jobs you can portray this for what it truly is, a $20 heist for what is the equivalent of freeware.
whoiscraig @ Jan 15th 2008 8:43PM
When you bought your iPod Touch a month ago you bought it as is. Period. You aren't owed anything because it worked exactly as advertised when you bought it. If you don't want to pay for new features then tough luck.
pkg @ Jan 16th 2008 5:09PM
I bought my iPod Touch knowing what I was getting - and that jailbreak was the first thing I would do with it... If you have one and haven't... think about it, it's easier than you think and adds an incredible amount of functionality.
drewtat2 @ Jan 15th 2008 9:19PM
OK. Fine. Great updates...but I STILL can't delete that freakin "stocks" button from my homepage! I dont' give a crap about stocks! I don't WANT a stocks button on my homescreen! Sheesh!
extant59 @ Jan 16th 2008 1:45AM
yeah thats true... but you can do what i did. just move it to the last home screen. looks waay nicer :)
mlvowell @ Jan 15th 2008 10:49PM
Correct me if I'm wrong, but didn't Steve say touches sold from today on would have the new apps included? Well, I got one today and it's still wanting me to pay 20 bucks for the new apps. I sent an e-mail about it. We'll see what they say...
KDawg295 @ Jan 15th 2008 10:55PM
does the ringtone hack still work on this upgrade?
Matt @ Jan 15th 2008 11:42PM
the ringtones still work.... 1.1.3 is very nice so far, everything is splendid as advertised.
Ben @ Jan 16th 2008 2:12AM
I don't understand what "support for lyrics" means. I have some lyrics loaded for songs on my iPhone, and I've synced it all up, but where on an earth do I load them? How do I view them on the phone?
Jon @ Jan 16th 2008 9:27AM
I do think $20 is rather unreasonable providing the fact there is no price push on new units, so current users (earlier adopters) once again gets screwed. I am sure that certain jailbreak site will have a fix in no time. If Apple really wanted to persuade people in NOT doing this method then this update should be FREE.
robert @ Jan 16th 2008 4:31PM
Did anyone else have their gmail all screwed up after putting 1.1.3 on? it re-loaded every single email i had in my gmail account... ugh... 1637!!! wtf? I dont want to have all those floating on my iphone. i liked it better when i deleted it off my phone, it stayed off.
oh, and... the spam folder found its way onto there as well... who wants spam on their phone?! >:|
IMcD23 @ Jan 17th 2008 7:03PM
I had all I wanted with 1.1.2 including the iPhone apps and many other ones too on my iPod touch just by a quick jailbreak. Now I can't even jailbreak it! Come on Apple!!! I don't want to pay 20 bucks for something I had for free earlier.
oB1 @ Jan 24th 2008 5:38AM
Hey - Apple isnt twisting anybodys arm to get the upgrade. They make it available and you buy or you dont. If you dont like it then sell your unit and STFU. 'Nuff said!
timkilroy @ Feb 15th 2008 2:06PM
There are so many that complain about early adopters getting the short end of the stick. Is that really the case? Is your Touch any less capable than when you bought it? No, I am pretty sure it isn't. Do you want the new features? Sure...so they charge you for them. Is that fair to you? If you bought your Touch the day before the keynote, maybe not. (But you can certainly return it and get the version with the upgraded software) If you have had your Touch for a while and it still works the way you expected it to when you bought it, then maybe you don't have an argument that you are harmed in any way.
Listen, do you get angry when the next year's car model comes out and it has more horsepower? If you want those extra ponies, you need to buy a new car. With your Touch, all you have to do is pay for some new software. Seems like a pretty OK deal to me.
Apple doesn't owe you any loyalty. You make the decision to buy their products at the price they offer. You have agreed to that value. When they come out with something new, they don't owe you anything. They delivered what you bought at the price you both agreed to... If you want more value from Apple, you need to pay them for it. $20 seems like a pretty low hurdle.
Jackson @ Feb 22nd 2008 2:11PM
Personally speaking, I am outraged that Apple is charging early buyers of the iPod Touch $20 for a system update that ought to be free.
While I understand Apples decision to charge money for the new applications the new $20 application pack also includes a SYSTEM UPDATE in the form of the home page editing, web clips, and lyrics features. All of these are updates to the currently existing iPod Touch software and NOT new applications, which means that they ought to be free to all users of the iPod Touch.
Adding insult to injury these applications are all hidden in the 1.1.3 system update, a whopping 104.4mb file that all users must download if they want to fix bugs in the system. These applications can only be used when you pay Apple $20 to unlock them, but even if you decide not to buy them they stay on your iPod taking up precious space that could be used for songs, videos, or photos.
Apple is normally wonderful when it comes to providing system support and updates, but having them shaft early adopters and loyal fans like this is offensive and shows that Apple has absolutely no regard for the iPod Touch community.
You can leave Apple direct feedback here:
http://www.apple.com/feedback/ipodtouch.html
You can also sign this petition:
http://www.petitiononline.com/.....ition.html