You may have already thought of upgrading to the latest iPhone OS version, 3.1.2.
I myself have completely skipped version 3.1 released in September because both of the bug reports (see for example
THIS) and the problems I faced during trying to upgrade to a jailbroken firmware image on both my iPhone 3G and iPhone 3G S.
Now that the (otherwise, not very good) third-party browser BOLT (not to be mistaken for Bitstream’s excellent, Java-based browser on other, Java-enabled mobile platforms!), with the latest version, stopped supporting operating systems prior to 3.1 and the bugfix version, 3.1.2, was released (along with a reliable way of jailbroking it), I found it, at last, necessary to upgrade.
As far as the
OS 3.1 iPhone 3G Voice Memos problem is concerned, it’s still not fixed for the 3G (as is both reported
HERE and tested by me). While the recordings in the 3G S are unlimited (I’ve tested with a 2:10 recording), not so with the 3G. I don’t know whether it’s an oversight, or Apple introduced this bug to force present 3G users to switch to the 3G S. (Many say OS 3 runs definitely slower on the previous-generation iPhones and iPod touches so that Apple can force more people to switch.) I don’t know whether this is true.
The new, 3.1 version (strictly for 3G S users) has also introduced voice control support for Bluetooth headsets (both traditional mono and stereo ones). This, unfortunately, has also some consequences: one of the stereo headphones (the Plantronics Pulsar 590) I’ve tested has become completely useless under the new operating system version as is also explained
HERE. Unfortunately, the Gear4 BluPhones have lost their ability to initiate calls on both models. The same has happened to most? all? the Motorola stereo headphones I know – the HT820 and the S9 / S9-HD on the 3G S (but not on the 3G).
If, for some reason, you don’t want to lose the ability to use these headphones (or, on the 3G, the unlimited recording with the built-in Voice Notes), you may want to stay away from upgrading. If you’ve already upgraded and would like to downgrade (to 3.0.1), keep in mind that it can only be done on the 3G (but not the 3G S).
Jailbreaking
I’ve shown several examples of why jailbreaking is useful. Not only because of the ability to access Bacgkgrounder (by far the best and most useful utility ever released for the platform), YourTube, 3G Unrestrictor (which I also use a lot to conduct, for example, Skype calls while on the move – much-much cheaper than traditional phone calls!), the numerous emulators etc., but also the ability to quickly fix bugs or problems.
Just an example: an iPhone user
HERE explained his Safari always crashes when he enters something in the address bar because of an offending entry in the history he just can’t get rid of. Without jailbreaking, all you can do is returning the device to the manufacturer settings and setting up everything again. While this is by far easier than on most? all? alternative smartphone platforms, simply editing
\private\var\mobile\Library\Safari\History.plist and removing the entire
dict entry under which the
string key points to the offending site would certainly work (as has also been explained by me in the original thread). And it’s just one example where jailbreaking a phone can make one’s life much-much easier.
It’s, fortunately, very easy to jailbreak both the 3G and the 3G S. With the new, 3.1.2 version of the (jailbroken) firmware, you no longer need to switch to
DFU or recovery mode (as is also mentioned on the official Dev-Team homepage).
Jailbreaking, in general, depends on whether your phone is factory unlocked by default or locked to a specific phone operator. If the former (or you don’t mind it losing the unlockability – currently, the new baseband version can’t be unlocked and no one knows whether it will ever be – as was the case with the 2.21 firmware early this year, remember?), you can just go for
blackra1n. Go
HERE, download either the Mac OS X or the Windows executable, let your phone being upgraded to 3.1.2 via iTunes (that is, just let the phone upgrade to the official firware, also including the official, new (and unlockable) baseband) and, then, just run blackra1n. It’ll jailbreak your phone in about a minute.
If you want to keep your old baseband (so that your phone remains unlockable – that is, you can use it with any SIM card with
ultrasn0w as is explained
HERE), you’ll need to do the following:
- Make sure your phone is already jailbroken (with an earlier firmware version; for example, 3.0 or 3.0.1. If you’re still on those firmware and your phone isn’t jailbroken, just use
purplera1n. See the dedicated chapter
HERE for more info.)
- If it’s an iPhone 3G, get the firmware
HERE; if it’s a 3G S,
HERE. Note that these firmwares are non-activated. Should you need the activated versions (you’ll only need them if you don’t have an active SIM card of the original phone operator), then, you’ll need
THIS (3G) or
THIS (3GS).
- Connect your phone to your iTunes and, while holding Shift on your keyboard, click Restore. Just find the above ipsw files. It’ll be flashed back to your phone.
Should the above not work (you get some errors while flashing – I haven’t when flashing the 3G S. Note that I haven’t tested the non-recovery mode-upgrade (see the last bullet) with the 3G; I upgraded it in recovery mode), you’ll want to switch the phone to recovery mode. To do this, follow
THIS (alternative
HERE; to sum it up, Press and hold the sleep button for a few seconds. Slide the red button to turn it off. Then, hold the home button and, while continuing holding it, connect your iPhone to the computer with iTunes running. When the iTunes logo is shown on the iPhone, release the Home button) to switch to Recovery Mode. Then, again, Shift-Restore in iTunes and select the downloaded firmware version.
