Immediately after today’s event the iPhone OS 3.1 upgrade became available for download. Unlike previous updates of the firmware, 3.1 did not have a GM version release for developers, it went from beta 3 straight to the release version. For the 3.0 release Apple seeded developers with a GM version to test out their apps, something they didn’t do for 3.1, probably because the update mainly improved on first party apps like the App Store and iPod App.

Now lets see what have changed since beta 3…

• Beta 3 build number is 7C116a, the new version is 7C144
• Carrier version went from AT&T 4.5 to AT&T 5.0 (we are in the US)
• MMS support is no longer available. Probably because of the carrier file update
• App Store now shows the “Genius” button up on the “Featured” page along with “New” and “What’s Hot”
• … More to come

NOTE This is a clean install, no hacks, on a family text plan. We are located in Miami, Fl so they might be turning it on for difference service areas at different times.

UPDATE Still working several hours later, looks like MMS is good to go!

I got excited back on July 15th when my MMS started working, but was disappointed only 15 mins later when I realized it was just a temporary crossing of the lines (when I sent messages out, it had a different number than my own) while AT&T was testing. Well folks, it’s the real deal this time…MMS is working on 3.1! …and it shows my correct phone number now

This brings me to my second point which I brought up in my 3.1 release date guess post:

What about AT&T and MMS you ask? As of beta 3 MMS functionality is still included, but not functioning thanks to AT&T. I don’t think Apple would want to hold up the release of 3.1 for AT&T, but they might since they are the biggest iPhone carrier in the world in terms of the number of iPhones. Apple could always remove the MMS support like they did with the 3.0 beta prior to the release, but something tells me they will want to release 3.1 with MMS support.

I continued this rant with:

Another angle you may have overlooked is AT&T being  ready now and just waiting for Apple to release 3.1 to the public before flipping the switch. AT&T did flip on my 3.1 MMS for about 15 minutes a month ago so I know they are testing it and it’s working. This could explain the vague, late summer release date because Apple probably didn’t have a solid date for 3.1.

So continuing on this line of speculation I think the release date for 3.1 will be September 25!

We know many of our iPhone customers are eager for an update on our rollout schedule for Multimedia Messaging Service (MMS). We’ve been working for the past several months to prepare our systems and network to ensure the best possible experience with MMS when it launches – and that launch date is: September 25 for iPhone 3G and 3GS customers. MMS will be enabled through a software update on that day.

Also, it looks like either 3.1 won’t be out until Setpember 25 or Apple will remove MMS from the current 3.1 beta before release and update via carrier file on the 25th.

UPDATE We have a winner for our MMS poll

Not to worry though, as soon as you clear the search the deleted email is no longer referenced in future searches. So it seems even though the data is still on the phone the spotlight index (or at least the specific index referencing the deleted message) is now being cleared / updated immediately after deleting an email message in 3.1.

For those of you that don’t think this is a good enough  fix since the data is still on the iPhone keep in mind that most computers don’t erase data when something is deleted, but just mark it as free. So the fact that the data is still on the phone is no more a security hole than using Outlook on any desktop computer.

Matt Janssen has discovered what looks like a bug in iPhone 3.0 Spotlight, whereby the search feature keeps emails in the index/cache even after they’ve been deleted from the inbox and purged from the trash (and even obliterated from the host server). Janssen claims in the video above he’s found emails he deleted several months ago using this method.

UPDATE Tested with both POP3 and IMAP accounts and was not able to reproduce the bug

UPDATE 2 Related Post: How the 3.1 spotlight email bug fix seems to work

Below you can see a video of iPhone 3.1 no longer showing the deleted emails in spotlight

Here is the video of iPhone 3.0 with the bug

UPDATE Looks like my guess is going to be off. It’s now August 29 and still no beta 4 or GM…unless beta 3 turns out to be the GM that is???  Either way it’s looking like they may wait to announce it at the iPod event rumored for September 9th for release later that day or shortly thereafter.

UPDATE 2 Looks like I’m going to be WAAAAY off (as expected ). MMS is coming September 25th and I believe this to be the 3.1 release date as well…here’s why.

Apple first broke their 2 week beta release cycle with the Monday (vs Tuesday) release of iPhone 3.1 beta 3 on July 27th. It has now been over 2 weeks since then and no beta 4. This leads me to believe they are preparing a Gold Master release. If 3.1 GM arrives next Tuesday and Apple gives developers the same lead time to test as they did with 3.0 I think we can expect 3.1 as early as September 2nd.

What about AT&T and MMS you ask? As of beta 3 MMS functionality is still included, but not functioning thanks to AT&T. I don’t think Apple would want to hold up the release of 3.1 for AT&T, but they might since they are the biggest iPhone carrier in the world in terms of the number of iPhones. Apple could always remove the MMS support like they did with the 3.0 beta prior to the release, but something tells me they will want to release 3.1 with MMS support.

I’m still holding hope that AT&T delivers on their promise of MMS in late summer…which technically we are already in now. Summer in the US “traditional ends” on labor day (September 7th), although the more technical equinox isn’t until September 22nd. Either way I don’t think AT&T needs to wait to the last day to flip the switch, they just didn’t want to lock themselves or Apple into a particular release date. Another angle you may have overlooked is AT&T being  ready now and just waiting for Apple to release 3.1 to the public before flipping the switch. AT&T did flip on my 3.1 MMS for about 15 minutes a month ago so I know they are testing it and it’s working. This could explain the vague, late summer release date because Apple probably didn’t have a solid date for 3.1.

It’s still possible we could get a beta 4 next Tuesday the 18th and then a GM September 1st with a release  around September 9th, but until beta 4 hits the streets I’m sticking with my guess of 3.1 on September 2nd with functioning MMS from AT&T!

Related Polls
when will iPhone 3.1 firmware be released?
when will at&t enable iPhone MMS?