iPhone 2.2 firmware is out, with Street View and podcasts

by Jay Hathaway Nov 21st 2008

iPhone and iPod Touch users can upgrade their software to version 2.2 today. The update, which weighs in at around 250 megs, adds some highly-anticipated features. The two biggest for me are Street View in the Maps app and the ability to download podcasts from the iTunes Store. There are some smaller tweaks that you might appreciate, as well: that bug that sometimes kept messages from downloading in Mail is fixed, and you can click the home button when you're on any page of the home screen to go back to the first page.

Street View on the iPhone is every bit as cool as it sounds. It looks good in landscape and is really smooth to control. I suspect it won't be long before we start seeing photos of people holding up iPhone street view pictures of the place they're standing. Less flashy, but just as useful, walking and transit directions are available in maps now, as well. If you're an iPod Touch user, you're unfortunately out of luck on Street View for now, so far it's iPhone only.

Downloading podcasts was at the top of my wishlist for the iPhone (although I know a lot of you have lists of your own). It's always frustrating to finish an episode of a good podcast while you're out walking or on a train, and then wait until you get home to hear the next one. Not a problem anymore, thanks to the latest iPhone update. All in all, 2.2 offers some excellent new features. The only thing I have to complain about is the new Safari layout, which feels cramped with the address bar and the search bar smooshed in next to one another.

Tags: Apple, Google-Maps, iPhone, iPhone-2.2, iphone-firmware, iphone-software-update, podcasts, street-view

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)

Mikael said 12:19PM on 11-21-2008

Nice update indeed, although I can't for the life of me figure out how to activate Street View!
Safari seems a lot faster and smoother, no more lags or crasches when browsing, but I'm not at all sold on the new address bar and search bar in one. What happened to usability Apple? Now the address bar doesn't show any useful info at all and the stop/reload button has been crammed in about 2/3 from the screen edge...

TED said 12:30PM on 11-21-2008

how do you activate Street View in the Maps app ?

cool43900 said 1:35PM on 11-21-2008

To activate street view drop a pin (not the contact name but the pin), and then click on the left you will see a little icon and it will flip to landscape mode

tuaw reeder said 3:44PM on 11-21-2008

I'm not sure 'bout the huge advance with podcasts, except that they now seem to be available through the iTunes iPhone app. I can't easily download additional episodes of a particular podcast without getting shuffled to the main iTunes app page, having to do a search, and then downloading episodes individually. It's not a real timesaver, but I guess if you're not at home and want another episode it's (just) okay. Am I missing something? Isn't this just Apple adding some free stuff in the iPhone iTunes app, not automated podcasting over the air. Over sell.

The google voice app was a much bigger deal than this.

Brian said 2:30PM on 11-26-2008

VingTalk has a new iphone app that will be available mid December. It will let you send or respond to personal or group messages by text, e-mail and voice to text.

http://www.vingtalk.com/cpp

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