iOS 6′s “Do Not Disturb” Feature May Not Get Disabled Automatically On New Year’s Day

If you use “Do Not Disturb” schedule feature in iOS 6 then it may not get disabled automatically on New Year’s day.

MacRumors reports that a number of users who use “Do Not Disturb” feature’s schedule functionality are reporting that the feature is not getting disabled automatically.

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Apple Fixes iPhone 4S Compatibility Issue With China Mobile SIM Cards

The Next Web reports that Apple has fixed the iPhone 4S compatibility issue with China Mobile SIM cards. Due to the issue, China Mobile customers were unable to make calls even though they had a full signal in their area.

The Next Web reports that Apple had acknowledged the issue back in February and has fixed the issue by "modifying how iPhone 4S interacts with the GSM chip".

The issue is believed to have been caused by GSM chips which support the P frequency band (885-915MHZ), but not the E frequency band (880 – 890MHz). This led to many users finding they had full signal in indoor areas, but were unable to make calls.

It looks like Apple has fixed the issue in iPhone 4S units manufactured after February 8th. But those who had purchased iPhone 4S units manufactured before that will have to wait for Apple to release an iOS software update to fix the issue. We're assuming that China Mobile is referring to iOS 5.1 software update that is expected to be released on or around March 9th.

Even though Apple has not partnered with China Mobile yet, it is important for Apple to fix the issue as it is the country's largest mobile carrier with more than 70% of the market share (or more than 650 million subscribers). China Mobile  also announced earlier today that it has more than 15 million (unlocked) iPhone users on their network. They claim that more than 5 million iPhone 4S' were activated by them ever since it was launched back in October.

It's not clear what change Apple has implemented to fix the issue in iPhone 4S units manufactured after February 8th,   as the tweaked version of iOS 5.0.1 released back in mid-December 2011 was the last software update. We'll update this post if we get more information.

Apple is expected to release iOS 5.1, which should include a fix for the issue on or around March 9th.

[via The Next Web]

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Apple Settles iPhone 4 Antennagate Lawsuit; Will Give Free Bumper or $15 to U.S. iPhone 4 Users

When Apple launched iPhone 4, users reported reception issues when they held the iPhone in a particular way.

The issue which was dubbed Antennagate received so much negative publicity that Apple had to call a special press conference to talk about it and forced them to give away iPhone 4 bumpers or third-party iPhone cases to all iPhone 4 customers.

Apple didn't do a good job of handling the Angtennagate controversy, they first said it didn't exist and that users should avoid gripping it in lower corner or use a case, then said that it was due to a software issue, which was quite bizarre, then they admitted it existed but was a industry wide issue and ended up giving a free iPhone 4 bumper case to all users and then stopped the program after a few months saying it didn't exist anymore.

This led a to number of class action lawsuit from iPhone 4 users. CNET reports that Apple has reached a settlement in a class-action lawsuit, which claimed:

"Apple was misrepresenting and concealing material information in the marketing, advertising, sale, and servicing of its iPhone 4--particularly as it relates to the quality of the mobile phone antenna and reception and related software."

CNET reports that the settlement comes from 18 separate lawsuits that were consolidated into one.

As part of the preliminary approval, Apple has agreed to give all original iPhone 4 users in the U.S. an iPhone 4 Bumper, which are available for $29 or $15 in cash.

If you're in the U.S. and had bought an iPhone 4 then you should be able to get information about the settlement and  how to claim it from www.iPhone4Settlement.com (which doesn't seem to be live currently).

Apple is also supposed to be sending emails to original buyers informing them about the settlement before April 30, 2012 and users will have 120 days to claim their iPhone 4 bumper or $15 in cash.

Though one can debate if the amount that Apple is paying is enough or not, the settlement seems to be fair as all iPhone 4 owners now have the right to claim it.

It remains to be seen how Apple plans to compensate international iPhone 4 users.

[via CNET]

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iPhone 4S Call Audio Issues May Not be Fixed in iOS 5.1

Apple is yet to fix the call audio bugs plaguing iPhone 4S users (and maybe even iPhone 4 users) that we had reported couple of months back.

In the last two months, the discussion thread on Apple's website that was opened on the issue has gone from 36 pages to a whopping 110 pages, indicating that the issue is affecting many iPhone users.

One user on the forum, who initiated the thread complaints:

Picked up a Verizon iPhone 4S - 32GB and on about 1 in 10 calls I get no outbound audio when dialing.  Call shows the timer counting as if the call is progressing but absolutely no ring back and cannot hear the party on the other end when they answer.

Another user on AT&T chimes in:

I am having the same issue with an AT&T 32G 4s, hitting the speaker button only works sometimes. It also has happened to me when using the Apple provided headphones/microphone.

According to the user complaints, the problem is intermittent.

We were hoping that the issue will be fixed in iOS 5.1 that is currently available to developers for beta testing. Unfortunately, AppleInsider reports that the issue is not yet fixed in the latest beta version of iOS 5.1:

Some iPhone 4S owners have been experiencing a sporadic yet persistent issue that mutes all audio when a user places a call, and new reports claim that Apple's upcoming iOS 5 build will leave the problem unsolved.

However, Apple has not released a new beta version of iOS 5.1 for more than three weeks so there is still hope that Apple will fix the issue (assuming it is a software bug) in the final version of iOS 5.1 that would be released to iPhone users.

Have you experienced any such issue on your iPhone 4S or iPhone 4? Have you figured out a workaround to fix the issue?

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Pre-iOS 4 Device Users Reporting Issues Downloading Apps From App Store [Updated]

Engadget reports that users of pre-iOS 4 devices are reporting that they're not able to download apps from the on-device App Store.

Based on this thread in Apple discussion forums, the issue seems to be affecting quite a few pre-iOS 4 device users.

Update: Engadget now reports that the issue has now been fixed.

Engadget reports:

Unfortunately for them, ever since a recent update on the 16th they haven't been able to download any new apps from the App Store straight to their devices.

Apple discussion forums member mwiesner explains the problem he is facing on his iPhone 3GS:

Whenever I go into a specific app in the app store, none of the buttons work properly.

1) clicking on the price no longer downloads the app,

2) the ratings button does nothing,

3) the 'tell a friend' and 'git this app' buttons jump back to the top of the app window,

4) pictures usually don't show up.  They usually appear as five gray rectangular boxes with white borders (though in one app one too-large-for-the-window picture shows up (see pic),

5) the 'app support' button still goes to the developer's website.

6) the 'top in-app purchases' banner is just text now.

We're not sure what change Apple had rolled out on December 16th, but according to users complaining about the problem, the issue seems to have started on that date.

Thankfully these users can download apps from iTunes on their computer and sync them with their pre-iOS 4 devices as a workaround to the problem. This issue seems to affect original iPhone and iPod touch users as iOS 4 or later iOS software updates did not support these devices and also some iPhone 3GS users who decided not to upgrade to iOS 4 or later.

While the blogsphere seems to be speculating that Apple is blocking these users from accessing the App Store, we feel it's a bug, which will be fixed soon.

Update: Engadget now reports that the issue has now been fixed. So as we had mentioned it wasn't a conspiracy against pre-iOS 4 device users, it was just a bug, which Apple has now fixed.

What do you think? Are you facing the problem? Let us know in the comments.

[Source Engadget]

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iPhone 4 “Spontaneously Caught fire” While Charging

Just when we thought that the incidents of an iPhone exploding in Brazil and self combusting on an Australian airline were isolated incidents, we have another iPhone user, this time a firefighter in the Pennsylvanian town of East Brandywine reporting that his iPhone 4 "spontaneously caught fire" while charging.

MacRumors points to the following report on East Brandywine Fire Company's website:

While charging the phone using the Apple provided computer connection, the phone spontaneously caught fire.

After the phone fell to the floor igniting the carpet, the phone was thrown out a nearby window.

Despite the phone being relatively small it produced a large volume of smoke and a noxious smell.

MacRumors reports that the department has sent the damaged iPhone to Apple headquarters in California to investigate the

These are not the only incidents where users have reported that their iPhone has caught fire. Back in July 2010, a report claimed that an iPhone 4 apparently caught fire and burnt the users hand.

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Tweaked iOS 5.0.1 (9A406) Fixes “Invalid SIM”, “No SIM Card Installed” Errors On iPhone 4S

Apple surprised us by quietly releasing a tweaked version of iOS 5.0.1 for iPhone 4S users. Though the build number (build number of original iOS 5.0.1 was 9A405) suggested that Apple may have fixed some minor bugs, the details were not available.

MacRumors has just reported that according to a new support document, Apple has fixed the annoying SIM card issues that has plagued iPhone 4S users.

Some iPhone 4S users have reported that they receive an error message stating "No SIM Card installed" or "Invalid SIM" on their shiny new iPhone.

MacRumors reports:

With the update affecting a relatively small portion of users, Apple may have elected not to push it out to all users in the form of an iOS 5.0.2 software update, and instead rely on those users who are having problems following Apple's advice and obtaining the new build through the restore process outlined as a solution for the issue.  

The new Apple support document provides details about the issue:

In certain situations, iPhone 4S may have difficulty recognizing a micro-SIM card, resulting in the following behaviors: - "Invalid SIM" or "No SIM Card installed" alert appears intermittently. - Status bar displays "No Service" or "Searching" in a location with good network coverage.

The support document goes on to explain how iPhone 4S users facing the SIM card issues can fix the problem:

1. Back up your user content and settings using iTunes or iCloud. See this article for more information. 2. Restore your iPhone 4S using iTunes. 3. After the process is complete, restore your user content and settings from your backup. 4. To confirm that you've successfully restored, verify that the version is now iOS 5.0.1 (9A406) in Settings > General > About.

MacRumors reports that some users have reported that the tweaked version of iOS 5.0.1 fixes the SIM card issues, while others have reported that they're still facing the problem.

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iOS 5.1 Beta Doesn’t Fix Battery Issues

We reported earlier this week that Apple seeded the first beta of iOS 5.1 to developers. Users who have upgraded and tested this version claim that it does not fix battery issues.

Ars Technica sat down with Michael Morgan from ABI Research to analyze the various reports of poor battery life.

Many users are claiming a shorter battery life after upgrading their devices to iOS 5. This has affected both iPhone 3GS and iPhone 4 users, as well customers who have recently bought the iPhone 4S (which comes pre-loaded with iOS 5). The iOS 5.0.1 update has fixed some bugs and a major security hole, but has not cured battery problems completely.

Morgan claims that a software fix is the real answer. There has been some speculation that the iPhone 4S's newer dual-core A5 processor may be the culprit, as it seems iPhone 4S users have it worse off than others. Morgan stepped in to explain that the hardware isn't that different.

"We tore down the 4S and tested some of the major components, including the new A5 processor," Morgan said. "Nothing that we tested was significantly different from the iPhone 4, and power draw was right where we expected it to be."

Morgan also mentioned that it can be very difficult to find and fix all of the various issues that lead to poor battery life, especially when looking at such complex software. Of course, this is compounded by the fact that iOS 5 has automatic updating of Newstand content and background syncing with iCloud.

As this is only the first beta of iOS 5.1, things are bound to improve. We're holding out hope that Apple's upcoming betas finally fix the issue once and for all. In the mean time, check our tips for improving battery life to eke out as much juice as you can.

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