Apple Releases iPhone OS 3.1.2, Fixes 'Coma Mode'

Apple's newest iPhone and iPod Touch update, 3.1.2, corrects a few bugs that had plagued users of the latest iPhone OS. One of the iPhone’s most-reported recent issues, the smartphone’s occasional refusal to awaken from sleep mode, has also been reportedly fixed by this update

In addition to rectifying what some Apple users derisively referred to as "coma mode," the software update repairs bugs that occasionally crashed the device during video streaming, and “resolves intermittent issue that may interrupt cellular network services until restart,” according to the iPhone OS 3.1.2 Software Update screen.

The iPhone OS 3.1 included additional business and consumer features, but also came with bugs quickly noticed by users.

The smartphone's updated operating system boasted improvements ranging from a streamlined iTunes experience to simplified synchronization between Voice Control and Bluetooth headsets, but users headed to the message boards to complain about reduced battery life and random crashes. "Coma mode" required irritated owners to perform a hard reboot on their devices.

Reports suggested that Apple quickly realized the issues, and that Apple Care reached out to discussion-board posters to query them about their issues. Apple has cautioned users that, before they choose to restore their iPhone, they should take care to back up the data on their device, including photo or video content, which might not be included in an iTunes backup.

According to a Sept. 30 report by AdMob on mobile phone use, the iPhone OS share of the smartphone operating system worldwide market grew from 33 percent in February to 40 percent in August. During the same period, the firm found, the number of smartphones using Google’s Android operating system climbed from 2 percent to 7 percent, while share for Research In Motion and Palm fell to a respective 8 and 1 percent.