Apple iPhone news

[jwinslow]

Dryden, what network were you on before your iphone? What is your data experience like living in a smaller area (relatively speaking)?

 

[Dryden]

Dryden, what network were you on before your iphone? What is your data experience like living in a smaller area (relatively speaking)?

Wife and I were already on ATT with V3 RAZRs before I got the iPhone.

Smaller area? You know we have TVs and motorcars and 3G cellular towers in Lancaster too, right jwins?

For fucks sake, I don't live in Nelsonville!

 

[jwinslow]

Smaller area? You know we have TVs and motorcars and 3G cellular towers in Lancaster too, right jwins?

but do you have TVs in your motorcars?

I guess I was wondering whether it was fairly consistent coverage, or if you drove 10 miles in one direction if it would drop out.

Same question for the voice coverage as you get out into rural Ohio.

 

[jwinslow]

Gizmodo - Rumor: Apple Orders 3.2-Megapixel Camera Sensors For Next iPhone - iPhone camera

Rumor: Apple Orders 3.2-Megapixel Camera Sensors For Next iPhone

Anonymously-sourced rumors from Asian trade publications should be taken with, like, four grains of salt, and this is no exception: Digitimes reports that OmniVision has received orders for 3.2-megapixel CMOS sensors, for a new iPhone.

OmniVision, a known quantity in the industry, beat out Apple's current CMOS supplier, Aptina, for the contract. But the reporting one this is extremely brief and spares us virtually any details. One gets the feeling that this particular rumor was held to a lower evidentiary standard than, say, a rumor about an Apple tablet, because it's just so plausible—most of us would be surprised if the next iPhone doesn't boost its camera resolution to 3.2 megapixels or beyond.


Oh, and there's the throwaway secondary rumor attached to this whole thing too: Apple has apparently also ordered a 5-megapixel CMOS sensor for "another product" set to be launched this year. Despite being able to fully ascertain that the 3.2MP sensor is meant for the "next-gen iPhone", Digitimes' source evidently couldn't tell them what the other sensor is for. Hence the salt.

 

[jwinslow]

Gizmodo - AT&T's Lame New Terms of Service Hate Mobile Video From Sling and P2P - Sling

That AT&T's new terms of service for wireless frowns on snagging video over P2P isn't surprising, but the fact that it effectively prohibits Slinging video to phones is mildly shocking and definitely lame.

Here's the dirty clause, uncovered by Public Knowledge:

This means, by way of example only, that checking email, surfing the Internet, downloading legally acquired songs, and/or visiting corporate intranets is permitted, but downloading movies using P2P file sharing services, customer initiated redirection of television or other video or audio signals via any technology from a fixed location to a mobile device, web broadcasting, and/or for the operation of servers, telemetry devices and/or Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition devices is prohibited.

That pretty much describes Sling in a nutshell—throwing video from your house to your phone. It remains to be seen how strict they'll be on that, but it is lame cakes in writing, at least.

Net neutrailty just doesn't apply to invisible internets, you know, since you don't want them to run out.

 

[jwinslow]

Gizmodo - Video Editing Tools Spotted In iPhone 3.0 Firmware Beta - unconfirmed

Video Editing Tools Spotted In iPhone 3.0 Firmware Beta
By Jack Loftus, 3:00 PM on Sun Apr 5 2009, 17,389 views

Famous pairings include Apple pie and ice cream; Apple's Steve and Steve; Jason Chen and pantsing new electronics; and, of course, the iPhone and video editing.

It's just a rumor for now, bits of newly discovered beta code, really, but that last pairing could be true, and soon.

Now, video editing and the iPhone isn't total out of the blue. Just last month, in the aftermath of the big firmware 3.0 beta reveal, intrepid cyber sleuths uncovered an "upload my video" option in the MobileMe section.

USB tethering, Publish Video and Find my iPhone found in OS 3.0

But this tip from Gizmodo reader Ben is something a bit new. Buried in the beta are some graphics that future iPhone directors might use for video editing. There are also some art resources that allegedly show scrubbing and clip features.

And naturally, if these features pan out, they would make massively more sense paired up with a device that has a faster processor, more storage, etc. You picking up what I'm laying down?

http://i.gizmodo.com/5199267/unconfirmed-next+gen-iphone-includes-support-for-80211n-networks

AppleInsider is reporting that the wireless radio specs in the iPhone 3.0 firmware beta reveal support for a new chip and 802.11n. Current gen iPhones and the iPod touch support 802.11b/g networks. [Update]

So you know what that means. Yes, yet another morsel of rumor and speculation to add to the "new iPhone something or other is due out from Apple this summer" roundup.

But here's some more meat anyway: In addition to support for speedier 802.11n networks, the 3.0 firmware also includes hints that a "new device" would enjoy more efficient power management. A special "integrated PMU (power management unit)" and a shared Bluetooth/wifi receive signal path would "[eliminate] the need for an external power splitter while maintaining excellent sensitivity for both Bluetooth and WLAN."

Sounds fascinating. But what will it look like, and what other new features will it have?

Update: Corrected iPhone 3G network support to 802.11g.

 

[jwinslow]

Gizmodo - AT&T Rapidly Expanding Network to Accommodate New iPhone - Network

AT&T Rapidly Expanding Network to Accommodate New iPhone
By Dan Nosowitz, 9:00 PM on Sat Apr 4 2009, 31,668 views

AT&T is expecting traffic to increase tenfold with the presumed release of the next iteration of the iPhone this summer, and is expanding and improving their wireless network to handle the added stress with ease.

Currently, AT&T's network only goes up to 7.2 Mbps, though the iPhone 3G itself (responsible for about half the network's data usage) is only capable of 3.6 Mbps. But according to a vendor source, AT&T is planning, in select markets (as nationwide coverage has never been the network's strongest suit), to double the speeds to 14.4 Mbps and even hit 20 Mbps in some areas by this coming June.

Of course, this improved network will require a new, faster iPhone to take advantage of the new speeds, and one source says they expect ten times (!) the amount of transferred data with the release of the next iPhone. The expansion is being compared to the network's actions between the release of the first iPhone and the iPhone 3G as well as their expansion of their EDGE network in preparation of the launch of the original iPhone.

In addition to the upped speeds, AT&T is also reported to be migrating its existing 1900 MHz towers to the superior 850 MHz. The main advantage of such a change is in strength of coverage, especially through obstacles like foliage and buildings. By the end of this calendar year, the company plans to have the transition finished in San Francisco and New York City, followed by the rest of the country.

We'll keep you updated with the latest information on AT&T's network because we all know what a more reliable, faster network leads to: Better toys for us.

 

[OSUsushichic]

Good. Maybe I'll finally get reception at my mother's house.

 

[jwinslow]

Gizmodo - AT&T Trying to Keep iPhone Exclusive Until 2011 - iPhone

When is a five-year deal not a five-year deal? | Phones | iPhone Central | Macworld

 

[Mac]

If iphone comes to Verizon I will be buying that thing the second it comes out

 

[jwinslow]

MacRumors' iPhone Blog: iPhone Apps, News, Rumors, and More...

The Wall Street Journal reports on comments made by Verizon CEO Ivan Seidenberg on a broad number of topics surrounding the company.

Of interest to readers, however, is the fact that Seidenberg addressed the possibility of Apple's iPhone coming to the Verizon network.
Mr. Seidenberg also addressed the notion of Apple Inc.'s iPhone ever coming to the Verizon Wireless network, saying it is more likely that Apple would be willing to work with the carrier under the fourth-generation, or 4G, network, which follows the same technology standard as AT&T Inc.'s 4G plans. He said Apple never seriously considered making a CDMA version of the iPhone because it didn't have as wide a distribution opportunity.

CDMA is the technology behind Verizon's current cellular network and prevents the current Apple iPhone from running on their network. In order to accommodate Verizon, Apple would have to release a modified (CDMA) iPhone which Seidenberg seems to think was never likely.

Verizon plans to launch their 4G network in 2010, conveniently near the time AT&T's exclusivity expires.

 

[jwinslow]

Gizmodo - BusinessWeek: Apple Rumored to Bring Tablet and iPhone Lite to Verizon Soon - Apple

BusinessWeek cites two sources reporting that there might be an iPhone "lite" and a connected touchscreen tablet as early as this summer.

We've heard talk like this for a long time, but BusinessWeek isn't going to stick its neck out for rumors that aren't at least well sourced, and on top of that, the reporters, Arik Hesseldahl and Spencer Ante, say that Verizon boss Lowell McAdam said himself that he'd spoken with Steve Jobs in the past six months about a deal.

There aren't many details, except that the phone and the tablet would be different from the iPhone that AT&T sells, so that it wouldn't interfere with the exclusivity deal in place. Much of the piece deals with the hedges, that is, why this whole thing may not go down in the end. Here's the bulk of it:
It's possible both sides may disagree over financial terms, such as how big a subsidy Verizon Wireless might pay for each device or whether to share monthly service revenue with Apple. Another deal breaker could be disagreements over distribution of wireless software applications. Apple is the exclusive provider and distributor of apps for the AT&T iPhone. If Apple requests a similar deal on newer devices, Verizon Wireless may balk.
For what it's worth, I think the buzz is getting too loud to ignore totally. This clearly smells like Apple's next move, and for Verizon's sake, I hope it's true, and not just a ploy by Apple to get a nicer exclusivity contract with AT&T.

So much for switching to AT&T.

An Apple media pad sounds like I already want one, and I'm not even a fanboy. I'm Amish for crying out loud (Mennonite, actually).

 

[jwinslow]

Digital Compass (Magnetometer) Confirmed in Next iPhone? - Mac Rumors

BoyGeniusReport posts a screenshot from debugging menus in the 3.0 beta firmware which seems to confirm that Apple has built-in magnetometer (digital compass) support into the operating system.

Evidence of a magnetometer was first reported in April and MacRumors has heard that the magnetometer will indeed be present in the next generation iPhone expected this summer. We previously explored what additional functionality would come with a digital compass. The possibilities were particularly intriguing:

Examples of how this could be used include pointing your iPhone's camera at a building and the phone telling you what building it is by combining GPS, accelerometer and compass information. The iPhone could even overlay graphics and text on top of the image to provide additional information. Another application described is the ability to show information about stars and constellations simply by pointing your iPhone towards the sky.

 

[Dryden]

Almost there ...

Colbert Report History of AT&T - Vox

 

[Folanator]

J Wins, Any word on the roll out for the new iphone? I am in a holding pattern waiting to switch from Verizon.