Q: Mysterious random total shut downs following 3.1 update

You know this is really interesting and great that you are exploring this issue, explaining what you are doing and why, and developing a plan for approaching it more systematically -- kind of what you would expect from Apple. I applaud your efforts and your example, an example that is not only not being followed by Apple, but Apple is actually obstructing your efforts.

I do not have the time or the inclination to spend hours and hours debugging, rebooting, restoring from backups anymore. This is why I stopped buying Windows machines and starting using Apple products. The longer there is no word from Apple about this, the more I feel like John Hodgman from the Apple ads. In this world of constantly crashing phone, tech support that pretends I am hallucinating, and a company that refuses to acknowledge reality, I feel like I am back trying to figure out why Windows is crashing all the time.

I wish you luck, you very generous and ambitious troubleshooters in this forum, at solving the problem, for Apple. Perhaps the reason we have not heard from Apple on this issue is that they are waiting for you folks to figure it out for them. Godspeed.

I tried step 1 and it didn't revert me back to OS 2.x. It still said 3.1.1.

Well, I thought my problem went away after I set the email pull to manual, but it happened again today. my symtoms are less sever then others, but EXTREAMLY frustrating. The phone will not make or receive calls until after a hard reset. I think it happens when I am in an area with weak reception.

It is hard for me to understand why apple has not made a statement, even that
they are working on the problem.

I did fill in a bug report.

I tried this suggestion from another thread from someone who said that when he spoke with Apple, they said that the network settings need to be reset with the 3.1 update

1. Turned Airplane mode on for 15 seconds then off (Settings/Airplane Mode)
2. Turned 3g off for 15 seconds then back on (Settings/General/Network/Enable 3G)
3. then "Reset Network Settings" (Settings/General/Reset/Reset Network Settings)

Then I shut down the phone (normally) turned it back on and it's been working ok since.

Hope this is helpful to someone.

My "new" iphone from the Apple store has 3.0 installed, and there is no way in **** I am f@#king installing the P.O.S OS 3.1 on this phone.

The only way Apple will fix this problem is if they get enough bad press that hurt sales.

Before going to the Apple store, I tried most of the suggestions from this discussion forum, nothing worked for me.

I also am experiencing this issue. I will use the phone and a few minutes later it wont respond,then I have to hard reset. i would say 2 times a day since 3.1 software update.

I want to make sure Apple sees the numbers - I want to be counted. My iPhone is now utterly USELESS! It doesn't respond to touches, freezes randomly, then just restarts. My battery life is also now unacceptable. It might work for a bit, but is slow as all get out, then will freeze up. (With each new release, this phone has been getting more and more sluggish. No wonder they came out with 3GS. They are going down the same path as Windows and the PC hogs.) This is unacceptable and there better be some firings going on for this! How this could be released and have such a devastating impact is beyond explanation. At a minimum, Apple should supply a way to gracefully fall back from this upgrade. If that means they pay for a new phone that hasn't been poisoned with 3.1 then so be it!

I did talk to someone in the airport that has a 3GS and they updated with no problems. I was totally jealous. If this is not fixed in a reasonable amount of time, I expect Apple to supply those of us that have paper weights that glow to be compensated in some fashion. I switched from the world of PCs to Apple products under the assumption that Apple produces quality, but of late they have demonstrated the contrary. Maybe it's time to give Windows 7 a shot and switch to the Mobile Windows devices after all! My two year commitment is rapidly approaching...

An obviously displeased user....

Same here!!!
I had same problem after I updated a week ago... I restored it as new phone 3 times (1st with apps and 2nd & 3rd without apps). Did not work.
I finally got my iPhone replaced today and it has 3.0.1 on it!!!
There is NOOOOOOOO WAAAAAAY I am going to install 3.1.

At Apple store, they said they haven't heard/seen much problems from 3.1... yeah right. Everybody get your phones replaced and maybe they might start admitting.

Don't get me wrong... I love Apple. I just have higher expectation from Apple.

It isnt needing a hard reset everytime i have noticed it is a bad delay and if you wait up to five mins it will come on by itself so if you have something you are working on and dont want to loose it or you do have time you can wait for it. It will eventualy come on it is just really slow.

Today my phone seriously shut down by its self at 5 times within 2 hours.


Apple PLEASE do something.

I see two possible different problems being discussed here. Some seem to have total lockups and some seem to just have the 'phone' portions lock up.

Maybe my experience will help.

First, some info that some of you may not know. Smartphones have two processors in the,. The faster one is for the PDA functions and the slower one is for the phone functions. The phone processor also has the modem, the signal strength, and the battery sensor. Many of the problems I read seem to be about the phone part locking up (battery shows nearly full until a reset, etc.).

The 3.1 update changed some of the programming for the 3G radio in the phone. I have had several lockups of the phone (no indication except that I seem to have an unusually quiet day at work). I switched off the 3G and just use the edge and it seems to not lock up anymore. This is not good, but better than nothing. The 3.1 seems to have increased the power slightly to the 3G network to achieve the better speed for data. This will lower battery life, but may cause problems with some chips. Remember that most of the 3G series were tested for the parameters of the 2.0/2.2 OS.

I spent time at AT&T this morning and they told me that a new update will be out on the 25th (to coincide with the MMS availability) and that it may address the issue. This would mean that Apple actually does see the problem, but doesn't want to admit it for some reason. I have an appointment with Apple Monday to discuss the problem and let them check my phone.

If you listen to Cyber Line (www.cyber-line.com) this Saturday I will be talking about it. Mainly I will be recommending waiting to update to the latest until this is resolved, but I will be doing a follow up next week with the results of my visit with Apple. I don't know if they will give me anything useful, but I am going to try.


-Kris

The post by ebpa did help me. The phone seems a little faster too (I'll have to see if I can always make a call).

s/he wrote:
1. Turned Airplane mode on for 15 seconds then off (Settings/Airplane Mode)
2. Turned 3g off for 15 seconds then back on (Settings/General/Network/Enable 3G)
3. then "Reset Network Settings" (Settings/General/Reset/Reset Network Settings)

Then I shut down the phone (normally) turned it back on and it's been working ok since.

Same problems after installing 3.1 shut down four times today and yesterday. It looks like the phone is working however I cannot recieve or make calls. Also my friends have sent me tsts that I don't recieve even after reset. Shut down is painstakeing and takes forever. Requires several attempts to restart. Unbelieveably buggy.

Dear Mr Apple

You only have to look at the number of messages that have been posted in such a quick time since the release of this latest OS to know you have a major bug/problem on your hands I will add my weight behind this by saying that ever since updating to 3.1 my phone just shuts down for no reason whatsoever which is a MAJOR MAJOR worry as people must be able to contact me - I have today started carrying another phone around which is just plain crazy after what I spent on the iphone and also strange things happen now when I now sync with itunes- nothing major but its just not right (mainly weird messages and slow times.)

First time I have had an issue with the iphone but worrying that for the first time ever I have worry about owning a mobile phone thats not "fit for purpose"

I am fed up. Enough is enough. We really should not put up with this!

I really don't think we as ordinary phone users should try to solve this problem for Apple. The more we try to figure the problem out, the more we look like a fool. I thought I was smart to buy and use iPhone!

Since Apple has said nothing this serious problem so far and does not seem to even try to address it, I say, if yours still under warranty, we all take our phone down to the service centre and demand a replacement, or a refund. This is not a piece of cheap piece of toy after all.

Do not go for accept refurbished replacement (you know why refurbished phones were returned!)

I hope if Apple feels to pain of replacing phones or there is enough bad publicity regarding this issue, it will do something about it quick.

I will do this on Monday Hong Kong time. Are you in?