Apple has released a firmware update for the iPhone that might be the fix iPhone 3G owners have been awaiting.

The iPhone update dialog window

We're putting iPhone OS 2.0.2 through its paces at the moment, but it should be available in iTunes the next time you connect your iPhone. The Boy Genius Report reported earlier on Monday that the update was coming, although that report was unable to verify whether the iPhone 3G reception problems would be fixed with this release. Business Week reported last week that Apple and Infineon were preparing to release a software fix for the iPhone's 3G chipset.

The release notes accompanying the new firmware refer rather obliquely to "bug fixes," the same term Apple used when it released the 2.0.1 firmware update a few weeks ago. If anyone out there notices an improvement in their 3G connectivity as compared to yesterday's performance, please let us know.

We contacted Apple for more information about the update, but didn't hear back immediately. We'll update when and if we do hear back from the company.