This is a continuation of A roundup of iTunes 9.0 and iPhone OS 3.1 – part 1. In the previous post we saw some of the neat (and not so neat) stuff that comes with iTunes 9.0. So what’s new with iPhone OS 3.1 then? Well before you install iPhone OS 3.1 you will need to download iTunes 9.0. Once you’ve done that then you got to of course download iPhone OS 3.1 (which is a pretty huge file) and this would probably take you quite some time if you’re on Streamyx – how surprising (trying to keep a straight face here).

Ok, so what’s new with OS 3.1 actually? Here’s a quick snapshot:

I’ve pretty much covered most of the features here in the previous post and I wont go through them again. But here are some of the features that are worth mentioning:

- You can now trim a video (if you have an iPhone 3GS) and save it as a new file
- You can save a video file from MMS or email
- Organize your apps via iTunes 9.0 on your homescreen(s)
- Remotely lock iPhone via Mobileme (useful if your phone gets stolen and you have personal information)
- Use voice control with the iPhone 3GS using a bluetooth headset

These are some of the features that really caught my attention. For a more comprehensive list of features and updates you can go to the official iPhone OS 3.1 website.

So what are the issues that I found with the firmware update? The most obvious one is the quieter “tick” sound while typing the keys. I miss the louder ticks as I got used to it already. Well I guess at least people around me are not going to get annoyed anymore. Here’s a forum I found which lists some issues on iPhone OS 3.1 as well. I’m still playing around with the new firmware and I will update this post if I find any other issues with the new firmware update. Meanwhile if you find anything unusual feel free to share it in the comments section as usual !

Overall you aren’t really losing anything if you didn’t update to the latest and greatest firmware for the iPhone. Of course you wouldn’t be able to take advantage of all the features in iTunes 9.0 without this update but like I mentioned in my previous post it doesn’t mean much to Malaysian users since the iTunes store is not available to us anyway. What use is Genius when we cannot even download music from the iTunes store?

One word of caution: For those who are happy and contended with your jailbroken iPhones please DO NOT upgrade to OS 3.1 yet! You will NEVER be able to jailbreak your phone again. Please wait for the dev team to release the new jailbreak/unlock for OS 3.1. Be patient – after all it’s not that big a deal. If you’re using OS 3.0 then you’re good to go.

Related posts:

1. A roundup of iTunes 9.0 and iPhone OS 3.1 – part 1
2. How to become an iPhone app developer – Part Three
3. Video review of iPhone firmware 3.0
4. Yes, your iPhone 3G can work with Maxis – simple software unlock!
5. How to become an iPhone app developer – Part Two