iPhone 2.0: Customized

So the iPhone 3G came out, the 2.0 firmware was released to all iPhone 1.0 users, we are all happy and content now, right? Well, kind of. The 2.0 firmware is a major step forward for the iPhone platform, this is true, however we aren’t quite to that “perfect device” status yet. The single greatest feature of the new firmware update, at least in my opinion, is the introduction of the app store. Those of you that had a hacked firmware running on your original iPhone know how great apps are on the phone. Those of you who didn’t, well now is your chance to find out what everyone was raving about. I am very happy with the app store, so much so that I don’t miss the Installer.app all that much. Hold that, that isn’t completely true. There is one MAJOR feature I do miss from the Installer.app, the ability to have apps that would customize just about every single little part of the phone you can think of. From Changing the carrier logo, to changing system message display text. This is completely missing in the app store, maybe it’s on the way, maybe it’s not, no one knows. I did jailbreak my 2.0 firmware to see if I could get back some of the customization, but I found little benefit and it actually made the phone even more unstable than it already was, plus it wouldn’t let me update some of my purchased apps. Needless to say, back to factory 2.0 I went. I can understand that Apple wouldn’t want this fine grain tweaking of the OS for security and stability reasons, that I get. However, here is the solution; create a packaging method that enables the OS to handle theme packages. These bundled up theme packages could then be created with a plugin to Xcode or even a simple stand alone theme creator for the non techie, to be sold and installed through the app store. Lets face it, the phone is amazing, but when you’re flipping through pages of icons, nothing says “this is my phone.” Below are 2 screen shots, one from my old hacked 1.1.4 firmware and one from my newly installed from the factory 2.0 firmware. The new one is simply boring. I am hoping that eventually Apple will do the right thing, and let there be some forms of customization, because after all, like all the features the iPhone is missing, other phones have had those features for YEARS!

WHERE THE HELL IS MMS!!!!????