Category: iPhone

Ah, AT&T…you always manage to find new ways to suck. According to several MacRumors forum users, AT&T is capping upload speeds  at 100kbps. According to the posters:

Cities/Regions affected so far: NYC, Central Jersey, Boston, Orlando, Seattle, South Jersey/Philly, Columbus, Cleveland, West Houston, Phoenix, Northern Colorado, St. Paul/Minesota, Suffolk County/Long Island, Quad Cities, South Jersey, Denver, Detroit Metro, Cincinnati, Baltimore, Salt Lake City, Las Vegas, Kansas City, Fairfax, Minneapolis, Washington D.C., Des Moines!

I imagine there are thousands of iPhone 4 customers with expensive new hardware and contracts that are really pissed off with their upload speeds. If you happen to live in one of the regions mentioned above, kindly run a speed test and let me know if you’re being capped by AT&T.

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I know that Apple is all about manipulating the reality distortion field, but I don’t understand this press release that insists that the iPhone 4 reception issues are software related. Here’s part of the official explanation:

Upon investigation, we were stunned to find that the formula we use to calculate how many bars of signal strength to display is totally wrong. Our formula, in many instances, mistakenly displays 2 more bars than it should for a given signal strength. For example, we sometimes display 4 bars when we should be displaying as few as 2 bars. Users observing a drop of several bars when they grip their iPhone in a certain way are most likely in an area with very weak signal strength, but they don’t know it because we are erroneously displaying 4 or 5 bars. Their big drop in bars is because their high bars were never real in the first place.

To fix this, we are adopting AT&T’s recently recommended formula for calculating how many bars to display for a given signal strength. The real signal strength remains the same, but the iPhone’s bars will report it far more accurately, providing users a much better indication of the reception they will get in a given area. We are also making bars 1, 2 and 3 a bit taller so they will be easier to see.

I’ve seen too many tests that show that bandwidth drops with the so-called iPhone 4 death grip. It seems pretty clear that it’s a design problem that decreases reception for some, but certainly not all, users.

Am I missing something? I don’t understand what Apple is trying to do here. Am I interpreting the issue incorrectly? What’s the frequency Kenneth?

Here’s an interesting piece of speculation by The Loop. Jim Dalrymple believes that Apple has a CDMA iPhone 4 ready to go, but Verizon has yet to sign on the dotted line. His speculation follows the Bloomberg report that Verizon will start selling the iPhone 4 in January 2011.

Apple already has a Verizon compatible iPhone. It’s not that they have to rush around Apple HQ and start building the thing for a January launch with Verizon — it’s already there and being perfected all the time.

Here’s where my thoughts differ a little bit from Bloomberg. I don’t believe a deal has been finalized with Verizon. It’s reasonable to assume that the two companies are in negotiations and the Bloomberg article is just another negotiating tactic, but I don’t think a deal has been signed.

On one hand, you’re probably thinking that Verizon would be nuts not to make a deal for the most popular consumer smartphone on the market. On the other hand, Verizon is used to dictating terms and Apple is in an extremely powerful negotiating position. In case you have three hands, consider that Sprint — also a CDMA carrier — is desperate for new customers and Apple could dictate more favorable terms with it than Verizon.

I would love for Sprint to get the iPhone 4 over Verizon. On a personal level, it would be more affordable. From a verbal entertainer’s standpoint, it would make the market far more interesting. Despite the iPhone’s immense popularity, Verizon still has more customers than AT&T. Sprint is a distant third, but could conceivably close the gap in a very short time with the iPhone 4. It would just be fascinating to watch.

While I’m at it, here’s a poll for you:

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Source via BoyGeniusReport

One aspect of Google Android that I greatly prefer over Apple iOS is its heavy use of cloud computing. All of that will change if this rumor from BoyGeniusReport pans out. According to the site, Apple is readying a version of iTunes that leverages the cloud. The purported features include:

1. Streaming music and movies from Apple’s servers to your computers, devices, etc.
2. Streaming music and movies from your home computers to your other computers, remote devices, etc.
3. Wireless iTunes syncing with devices.

These features would be fantastic, though a little overdue. In addition to Android, Palm WebOS and the upcoming Windows Phone 7 have heavy cloud features. Perhaps this is a case of Apple’s self professed habit of not necessarily doing things first, but doing things right.

The BGR story also hints at new iPod devices with cameras, something RPadholic bsukenyan has mentioned being interested in.

Anyone else psyched for a cloud-ified iTunes? Or is it just me?

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I love it when giant companies take jabs at each other. The latest case of corporate amusement comes from Motorola, which deftly hit AT&T and Apple with a single blow. With one bit of text a clever copywriter took a shot at AT&T’s shoddy network and Apple’s iPhone 4 reception issues. A recent advertisement for the Droid X phone (Verizon) said:

Most importantly, it comes with a double antenna design. The kind that allows you to hold the phone any way you like and use it just about anywhere to make crystal clear calls.

Aren’t these guys just adorable when they fight? Ha!

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In the latest string of iPhone-headed-to-Verizon rumors, Bloomberg has cited two sources that claim Apple’s wildly popular super phone is headed for America’s largest mobile network. Here’s the quote:

Verizon Wireless, the largest U.S. mobile-phone company, will start selling Apple Inc.’s iPhone next year, ending AT&T Inc.’s exclusive hold on the smartphone in the U.S., two people familiar with the plans said.

I don’t know about you, but I’ve become immune to these rumors. While I’d love to have a fully functional iPhone 4 on any major mobile network that’s not AT&T, these rumors are becoming a bit much.

How do you ladies and gents feel about the latest iPhone/Verizon rumor? You think this one is legit? Are you still dreaming about an iPhone on a superior network? Or are you tired of being teased?

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Here are a pair of Xtra Normal videos that poke fun at iPhone 4 and Evo 4G fanboys (and fangirls). They’re pretty hilarious and I recommend checking them out. Some of the language is NSFW, so be careful.

As expected, Apple’s iPhone 4 has conquered the world. The company issued a press release that revealed that 1.7-million iPhone 4 units were sold between its launch on June 24 and Saturday June 26. Apple CEO  His Royal Worshipfulness High Commander Steve Jobs said:

This is the most successful product launch in Apple’s history. Even so, we apologize to those customers who were turned away because we did not have enough supply.

1.21 gigawatts 1.7-million units is just a hugely impressive number that’s a testament to Apple’s brand marketing. Despite being saddled with a network that simply blows chunks in New York City and San Francisco, as well as the reported problems with the phone’s display and reception, I completely expect Apple to dominate the consumer smartphone market. Sure, there will several strong competitors that do well and I’m certain Google Android’s installed base will continue to rise, but as far as a single smartphone model goes, I sincerely doubt anything will come close to the iPhone 4.

It’s almost like a pick-your-poison situation. While the iPhone 4 is a beautifully designed piece of consumer electronics and is capable of excellent things, its novel antenna design has proven to be problematic for some users. I mentioned in a few comments that the issue hits lefties (or people that use their phones with their left hands) more than their right-handed counterparts. The Los Angeles Times explained why this is the case:

Apple redesigned the phone so the steel frame around the handset doubles as its antenna. The left side of the frame is used to broadcast a cellular signal; the right side is for other bands, such as Wi-Fi and Bluetooth.

As a result, people who tend to hold their phone in the left hand may be plagued by the signal problems more than those who hold the phone in their right hand.

As a lefty, I’m kind of bummed about the whole thing. I can take solace in the fact that righties making Skype calls through WiFi should have issues too. Ha ha!!!

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