Subtle refinements, major fixes slip into iPhone update

Those users who leapt on the first iPhone software fix have discovered that the update covers many of the initial complaints about the Apple handset's reliability.

Anecdotal reports from the official iPhone support discussions and AppleInsider readers has revealed that the 1.0.1 update to the cellphone includes many undocumented but potentially critical solutions to recurring problems with the device.

One of the fixes is said to address unusually low call volumes, which in some cases rendered normal calls and the speaker phone difficult to hear in typical environments, no matter how high the volume setting. A publicly recognized battery error which refused to acknowledge a fully-charged iPhone has also been resolved for a number of users, some reports claim.

Additional readers noted that Safari was no longer as crash-prone as it had been in the past. The web browser is particularly more stable when running with multiple open pages or with music playing in the background, they said.

A few minor feature changes have also been worked into the update. IMAP e-mail accounts now properly display more sub-folders, according to some users. The mail client can now also send blind carbon copies of messages to the sender to keep track of messages. Previously, these recipients required a public carbon copy.

Other fixes include an expanded number of time limits for engaging the passcode lock, which can be set as late as an hour for those less concerned about security, and an enhanced VPN client with a cancel button that backs out of failed or slow connections.