One of my sources at an Apple Store told me that the shop’s supply of iPads is being guarded by armed security. Don’t even think about trying to lift one early from an Apple Store! You don’t want to incur the wrath of Darth Jobs. Or is he Emperor Jobs?!?
It looks like iPad users will have to pay for major OS updates, similar to how iPod Touch users have to pay for them. Daily Tech took a look at the documentation that accompanied the iPhone OS 3.2 SDK and came to the following conclusion:
With the iPad, Apple is following a rather unique approach. It will be giving users one freebie — a single major OS upgrade. After that users will be on their own and will be forced to pay to upgrade the OS. Upgrades will likely be priced similar to those on the iPod Touch, at about $10.
Some potential iPad owners are outraged by this development, wondering why they should pay for OS updates. Others look at the precedent set by the iPod Touch and don’t care.
How do you feel about the matter? Should “major” OS updates be free? Or is $10 a pop acceptable?
One of the biggest issues with Google’s Android mobile operating system is fragmentation. There are certain apps and features that can only be used by people running the latest version of Android (Eclair), which leaves early adopters in the dust. Engadget Mobile postulates that Google will be addressing the fragmentation issue in the next two Android builds — Froyo (frozen yogurt) and Gingerbread — by relying on the Android Marketplace.
We’ve been given reason to believe that the company will start by decoupling many of Android’s standard applications and components from the platform’s core and making them downloadable and updatable through the Market, much the same as they’ve already done with Maps. In all likelihood, this process will take place over two major Android versions, starting with Froyo and continuing through Gingerbread. Notice that we said apps and components, meaning that some core elements of Android — input methods, for instance — should get this treatment. This way, just because Google rolls out an awesome new browser doesn’t mean you need to wait for HTC, Samsung, or whomever made your phone to roll it into a firmware update, and for your carrier to approve it — almost all of the juicy user-facing stuff will happen through the Market.
It’s a great move that’s overdue. One advantage Apple and Palm have, with iPhone OS and WebOS respectively, is that both companies offer a unified experience. Android can look and feel drastically different depending on the phone, manufacturer, and carrier. Using a unified source like the Android Marketplace should help tidy things up…unless you go with a carrier like AT&T, which offers a crippled version of Android on the Motorola Backflip (*sigh*).
I know a few of you are interested in getting a new phone in the near future. Does this rumor give you more faith in what Google is trying to accomplish with Android?
The Apple iPad is set to launch in a little over a week. The device is supposedly the most important thing Steve Jobs has launched in his illustrious career, as well as better than a notebook for some things and better than a smartphone for other things. Some industry pundits and tech enthusiasts feel that it will be one of the most world-changing consumer-electronics devices ever released. Others feel that it will be another cool and overpriced gadget. What do you think?
Welcome to Coffee Talk! Let’s start off the day by discussing whatever is on your (nerd chic) mind. Every morning I’ll kick off a discussion and I’m counting on you to participate in it. If you’re not feelin’ my topic, feel free to start a chat with your fellow readers and see where it takes you. Whether you’re talking about videogames, what kind of punishment Gilbert Arenas will get today, why the hell Erik Morales is still boxing, or the sheer awesomeness of Scrabble, Coffee Talk is the place to do it.
The Apple iPad is set to launch in a little over a week. The device is supposedly the most important thing Steve Jobs has launched in his illustrious career, as well as better than a notebook for some things and better than a smartphone for other things. Some industry pundits and tech enthusiasts feel that it will be one of the most world-changing consumer-electronics devices ever released. Others feel that it will be another cool and overpriced gadget. What do you think?
As far as bridging the gap between laptops and smartphones, I can totally see the appeal. The iPad’s form factor is perfect for browsing the web on your couch or checking email (without straining your eyes) at a coffeehouse. I do a ton of web browsing on my iPhone and often wish I had something a little bit bigger — but still handheld — to surf the web on. While the iPad would be extremely convenient for people like me, I don’t know that the majority of consumers want the same things I want.
The iPad is also being heralded as the savior of magazines and newspapers. From what I’ve seen so far, the potential is tremendous. When Apple showed the demo of The New York Times at its iPad unveiling, I thought it was nice, but I wasn’t sure that it was something I’d pay for. When I saw Wired’s iPad mock-up, I was blown away! It looked like a ridiculously cool and fun way to absorb information. That said, it also looked expensive to produce and I’m not sure how many magazine publishers are willing to invest in a highly interactive and video-heavy version of a magazine. I also question whether advertisers will pay a premium for iPad magazine ads.
Today I want you to look at the iPad as a whole. Look at the apps. Look at the functionality that bridges laptops and smartphones. Look at potentially cool forms of media that will be available for it in the next year. When you add it up, do you see a device that will change the world similar to how the iPod and iPhone did? Or is it a cool and overpriced product that will only serve a niche audience?
At CTIA 2010, AT&T announced that its 3G Microcell signal booster will be available nationally starting mid-April 2010. The device was tested in select markets in 2009. 3G Microcell uses your broadband connection to handle calls and data instead of traditional wireless signal. Devices like it are a godsend for people that live in areas with poor coverage or want to be able to use their mobile phone in basements. AT&T customers in New York and San Francisco — two areas where the company’s coverage is poor — can have a stopgap solution with 3G Microcell.
The 3G Microcell costs $149.99, but there are a few rebates available to bring the cost down. A $100 rebate is available to customers that select a Microcell plan, while an additional $50 is available to customers that also get AT&T DSL or U-verse Internet service. A $19.99 plan add-on allows users to make unlimited Microcell calls.
One of the reasons I switched to T-Mobile was because of its similar (but way more flexible) UMA service. Being able to use WiFi to make and receive calls has been incredibly useful to me, especially when travelling internationally. While Microcell is more limited, it should help the millions of AT&T customers that love their iPhone but hate AT&T’s service.
Are any of you interested in this product? Would you use it at home or bring it to the office?
At its CTIA 2010 press conference, Sprint announced that it will be aggressively expanding its WiMax coverage this year and offering its customers the HTC Evo 4G. The company claims that it’s the world’s first 3G/4G phone. Here are some specs on the Evo 4G:
The HTC Evo 4G will be out this summer.
I left Sprint last summer because I thought it was the biggest loser out of the four major American carriers. Although its network and coverage are great (partially due to a roaming agreement with Verizon), I was disappointed in the company’s phone selection and (especially) customer service. Also, I wasn’t confident in Sprint’s future; it spent a ton of money on WiMax, while the rest of the world seems to be going with LTE for 4G technology.
All that aside, the phone looks pretty damn sweet. I’m not going to do it, but a small part of me is tempted to return to Sprint for two years and rock the HTC Evo 4G. By the time my contact is up, LTE should be mature (enough) and widely deployed. Nah, that’s a bad idea. It would take more than that for me to go back to Sprint. Besides, there will be numerous “awesome” phones announced before the Evo 4G comes out.
What do you ladies and gents think of the HTC Evo 4G?
Sprint has announced that it will be offering the Google Nexus One phone, featuring Android 2.1, some time in the future. The company said that it will announce the exact release date “soon” and that pricing has yet to be determined. In today’s press release, Sprint vice president of product development Fared Adib said:
While a pricing plan has not yet been determined for Nexus One, we are confident that it will be consistent with Sprint’s commitment to deliver more value than our competitors and keep pricing simple.
The Nexus One was originally available for T-Mobile, with a Verizon version of the phone promised at a future date. Yesterday I wrote about the phone being available for AT&T. With Sprint’s announcement, Google’s Android 2.1 champion product will be available for all four major carriers in the United States.
Any Sprint customers in the house tempted by the Nexus One?
The Google Nexus One is now available with 3G support for AT&T in America and Rogers in Canada. This opens up Google’s Android 2.1 champion to millions of customers in North America. With a CDMA version passed by the FCC and rumored to be heading to Verizon as early as next week, the Nexus One will finally be in a position to do some damage (real marketing would help too!).
I know that some of you are on AT&T and a few of you are anti-iPhone. Are you interested in the latest version of the Nexus One?
I didn’t watch the Academy Awards last night, but a bunch of friends sent me texts and Twitter messages when a new iPad commercial aired during the show. I’ve posted it as a conversation piece and would love to hear your thoughts on it. It definitely has the usual Apple slickness, but does it make any of you want the product more? The iPad is launching on April 3, so expect the media blitz to continue!
If you’re looking for a capable phone, but don’t want to shell out big ducks on a Google Nexus One or pay premium service for an Apple iPhone or Motorola Droid then you should consider Nokia 5230 Nuron for T-Mobile. I’m rarely interested in budget phones, but the Nuron offers consumers great value and great capabilities (in addition to a remarkably stupid name). The handset costs $69.99 with a two-year contract or $179.99 unsubsidized. Where it gets really interesting is that it will not require a premium data plan; the $10 a month Web2go option is all you’ll need.
In addition to the a low handset price and inexpensive service, the phone comes with free turn-by-turn GPS navigation and access to Nokia’s Ovi Store. The phone uses a Webkit-based browser, though it’s not as good as the ones found on the iPhone, Android phones, and Palm WebOS phones. The good news is that you can find a browser that’s more to your liking in the Ovi store, as well as a slew of other apps.
The downers include the lack of WiFi, a low-resolution camera, and the…not-quite-so-smooth experience of Symbian. Still, for the price you’re getting a ton of capabilities. Heck, I’m even thinking about going with this phone and spending the money I’d save on a monthly iPad service plan.
Let me know what you think of the Nokia Nuron for T-Mobile and if it interests you!
