iPhone 2.2 firmware update available now, Google Street View and plenty more
It's here. Google Street View and over the air Podcast downloads from iTunes. Yup, public transit and walking directions too and the ability to share your location via email.
Context & Ripple Effects
Apple had already been using firmware to extend the iPhone's location capabilities through a 2.1 GPS-focused beta, while October coverage previewed transit and walking directions for version 2.2. Apple also enabled over-the-air podcast downloads during the 2.2 rollout process, so the release turns several staged additions into a single consumer update.
The update matters because it combines mapping, navigation, location sharing and media retrieval in the device software rather than tying those functions to a new handset model.
First-order effects
- iPhone users gain Google Street View, transit and walking directions, email location sharing, and over-the-air podcast downloads through the 2.2 firmware update.
- Apple expands the iPhone's everyday utility through software, while Google Street View becomes part of the iPhone mapping experience.
Second-order effects
- Podcast publishers and iTunes gain a more immediate mobile distribution path because listeners can retrieve episodes without returning to a computer.
- Google's mapping features become more valuable to iPhone owners as Street View, directions and location sharing reinforce the handset's role as a location-aware device.
Third-order effects
- The release makes firmware cadence a competitive lever for Apple: navigation and media capabilities can be added after purchase rather than reserved for a hardware refresh.
- If Apple continues bundling third-party services with its own software updates, handset differentiation will increasingly depend on platform partnerships and update delivery as well as device specifications.
The trend: Smartphones are shifting from fixed-function handsets toward software-updated platforms that combine location services, media delivery and partner content.