iPhone users who have been itching to get on board on the 2.1 firmware will be happy to know that it’s now available for download. Here’s what you can expect from the new firmware:

• Decrease in call set-up failures and dropped calls
• Significantly better battery life for most users
• Dramatically reduced time to backup to iTunes
• Improved email reliability, notably fetching email from POP and Exchange accounts
• Faster installation of 3rd party applications
• Fixed bugs causing hangs and crashes for users with lots of third party applications
• Improved performance in text messaging
• Faster loading and searching of contacts
• Improved accuracy of the 3G signal strength display
• Repeat alert up to two additional times for incoming text messages
• Option to wipe data after ten failed passcode attempts
• Genius playlist creation

You do need to have iTunes 8 installed first if you haven’t upgraded yet, and some time on your hands as the file size of the update is a bit on the hefty side. If you’re ready, connect your iPhone to your computer, start iTunes, and download the update.

When you’re done, tell us how you find firmware 2.1 so far on your iPhone. Like it? Hate it? We’d like to know.

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