App download buttons not working.

Thanks to everyone writing! Same frustrating problem in PA. Started around the same time. Using 3.1.3...will definitely be calling! Hopefully we can get somewhere!

I'm gonna call as soon as i can and it isn't in the middle of the night xD

I have also noticed that some of my apps like

Facebook 4.x , Viber, Ebay , etc just crash on the launch ??!!

so as I got no access to AppStore I can't reinstall them....:(

I am abroad for holidays and don't have my mac computer with me

so I can't possibly upgrade to iOS 4.x

and I don't want to cause I am on iPhone 3GS 3.1.2 and all was working very well till Apple

has desided to pull a plug without warning or any exuse! -

Forcing clients to upgrade iOS or even Hardware is actually illegal on the Apple side, I guess?

I am from Pakistan and I have iPhone 2g and I am having exactly same issue but now I am confirmed that this issue with all the 3.1.3 and 3.1.2 users.

Okay guys, I got another mail from apple support. And I think it doesn't help..

Here it is:

Dear Kevin,

Welcome back to iTunes Store Customer Support. This is Stephen again.

I understand that you have been facing difficulties in making purchases with your iPhone. I know how eager you are and I will provide the best possible solution for this issue.

Kevin, your request for assistance has reached iTunes Store Customer Support, which answers non technical questions about billing, customer accounts, downloading purchases, and iTunes Store content. Although this team does not offer technical support for iPhone, I am happy to guide you to some Apple resources that should help.

You can get lots of useful information at our iPhone support pages, which are packed with instructions to help you learn about your iPhone and resolve issues:

http://www.apple.com/support/iphone

In Apple's public discussion forums you can read questions and answers provided by experienced users. You can also post questions of your own. Click the iPhone folder on the Apple Support Communities webpage:

http://discussions.apple.com

You may also get advice, insight, and hands-on technical support at a local Apple Store (there may be a fee for the visit). Find the Apple Store nearest you and click the link to make a reservation at the Genius Bar:

http://www.apple.com/retail/storelist

Kevin, if you require more assistance, you may wish to call our AppleCare technical support team. A technical Advisor will be able to tell you about Apple's complimentary and fee-based support options as well as assist you in determining what option might be most helpful in this case. To find the appropriate phone number, please visit:

1-800-MY-IPHONE (1-800-694-7466)

If I can provide additional help in finding the right Apple resource for you, or if you need assistance with your iTunes Store account, please reply to this message. I will be happy to help.

If you have any further questions, please feel free to contact us and we will be happy to assist you.

Thank you for being a valued iTunes Store Customer. Have a nice day!

Sincerely,

Stephen

iTunes Store/Mac App Store Customer Support

----

Crappy copy and paste ****..

I will visit a local apple store in my city in some days.. You'll hear from me.

I think You shoud not waste your time going Apple store just like anyone else on this thread. Same thing happend to me and from what ive read it is clearly Appstore problem and not a device. Have two of these in front of me here both 3.1.3 and one accessing Russian local appstore. Both started having same problems as described here. So magical. I am sure they (Apple) aknowledge the problem so we just gonna have to wait.

Dan ][e wrote:

It took an hour, but I believe I finally got someone's attention on this at Apple, so with any luck we'll see some progress someday soon.

I wouldn't hold your breath. This is Apple we're talking about; when they DO backpeddle on stuff like this, it usually takes weeks or months.

I just got this reply:

Hello Anders,

This is Larry again, from iTunes Store Customer Support. I understand that you are still having issues with the application store, and would like to know if there is a problem with the iOS firmware.

Anders, again I would like to sincerely apologize for any inconvenience that you may have experienced. I realize your concern regarding your iPod Touch, and I am happy to provide more information.

Anders, I have submitted your inquiry into our database for investigation, we have not received any news stating that there was an issue with iOS 3.1.1, and accessing the application store.

I tried a factory reset this morning and it did not fix the issue with the app store purchase/download buttons.

Don't waste your time with Factory Resets and Resync's. They will not change anything.

The AppStore is based on web standards (in fact it is like a "limited" web browser); and they did something that now doesnt work on iOS3.1.x.

In fact, they made a change some time ago that didn't allow us to update individually the updated apps at the UPDATE tab; and they never solve it. We had to update all the apps ready, or re-buy them one-by-one to get the update.

This is a HUGE bug, that I cannot imagine that the Validation Engineers or QA from Apple forgot to test on devices with iOS3.

I am so sorry and pesimistic, but I think that all the iOS3 users will be out of the loop from now. 😟

I too am having the same frustrations with my apps not responding to installation. I am going to give apple the benefit of the doubt and hope that it is just an error on their behalf and that they are going to fix the problem quickly. However, I do believe that they need motivation to do anything urgently. Therefore I contacted my local news channel in Miami, FL. I copied the link to this forum and hope that they take our concerns seriously! I urge you to speak up as well. If this is not an error and it is their intentions for us to upgrade it is wrong and unethical!

Well folks....this is the beginning of the end for IOS 3.1.3 users!!! News Media outlets are starting to catch the news. THIS ISSUE IS A PROBLEM WITH THE APP STORE!! Do your research...it turns out that there is a huge security flaw in IOS versions below 5. Apple has patched version 4, but since they no longer support versions below this, I seriously doubt that they will address this. The fact that they're being quiet about this is starting to back that up!!

You can still sync apps using a PC, but to me, that is 2nd-rate!! Most of us buy the IPOD Touch or IPHONES for their freedom from "wires". Having to tether it to a PC every time you want to install an app is a real pain in the *** and totally devalues the IPOD itself.

I'm in panic mode now....I bought two refurbished 1st gens for my kids for Christmas!! Now I'm in a panic to sell them and get 4th gen shipped to my house for Christmas!! Thanks Apple....Have a Merry Christmas!!!

Only way to get feedback / resolve on this is take it to your media outlets....I'm going to contact my local news!!

Here is a link to a news source that sheds some light and offers a bleak outcome to this:

http://www.phonenews.com/first-generation-ios-devices-locked-out-of-app-store-hi ghlights-lifecycle-issue-18605/

torakaru wrote:

Don't waste your time with Factory Resets and Resync's. They will not change anything.

The AppStore is based on web standards (in fact it is like a "limited" web browser); and they did something that now doesnt work on iOS3.1.x.

[...]

This is a HUGE bug, that I cannot imagine that the Validation Engineers or QA from Apple forgot to test on devices with iOS3.

Exactly. They must have changed the product pages in a way that the iOS 3.1 App Store app can't handle. It's essentially a "browser compatibility" problem.

They actually admitted to me on the phone that they don't test against older devices. (I reminded them that it's a good practice to test against any OS you support at all, to avoid embarrassing yourself with bugs like this.)

dito

I'm on an iPod touch 1st generation, running 3.1.3. I just restored to see if that would possibly fix the problem, but, alas, it still persists. Same exact problem.

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.

I really hope Apple will fix this, and that it is not their way of forcing users to upgrade.