Cult of Mac is claiming an exclusive, highly placed source has told them iPhone 4 is coming to T-Mobile US as soon as Q3:
Talks between Apple and T-Mobile are at an advanced stage, our source says, and it’s 80 percent likely that the iPhone will be coming to T-Mobile in Q3.
[...]
And cue the iPhone on T-Mobile US in Q3 rumors! is a story by TiPb. This feed is sponsored by The iPhone Blog Store.
Filed under: iPhone
While American iPhone users are limited to a single carrier, the UK offers plenty of choice to customers. Three has announced that they will carry iPhone 4, with pre-orders beginning on June 15th. O2, Orange, T-Mobile and Vodafone were all confirmed on the 7th.
Even poor math students will notice that UK iPhone customers now have five carriers to choose from. Of course, all of the UK’s carriers are GSM. We only have two of those here in the States (AT&T and T-Mobile).
Three is the first to announce a pre-order date (the same as in the US) and, as Engadget notes, typically undercut the competition when it comes to price. It all adds up to a bevy of choice — and a potential price war — for UK customers.
In another adjustment, O2 just announced a new pricing model, citing “clarity” and “sustainability” as key advantages. It’s caught the attention of our UK readers (thanks everyone!) as it removes the unlimited option for data usage, much as AT&T did last week. The top plan now maxes out at 1GB of data, with buy-up options for 500MB or 1 GB coming in the fall.
Of course, like AT&T, O2 is framing these changes as optimizations to the real data needs of its customers. As of now, the lowest O2 bundle (500MB) provides at least 2.5 times what the ‘average O2 smartphone customer’ uses. In fact, O2 claims 97% of their smartphone customers won’t need to buy additional data allowances under the new arrangement.
“With the wide range of Internet based services now available on mobile devices we’re providing customers with generous clear data bundles that give customers freedom,” said O2′s CEO Ronan Dunne in the company’s press release. We’re not sure what was so opaque and ungenerous about “unlimited data.”
In June, O2 will introduce three inclusive data bundles for new and upgrading smartphone customers. You’ll find their latest information here.
Have fun on release day, folks, and may the best provider (for you) win your business.
TUAWThree will carry iPhone 4 in the UK, O2 cuts off unlimited data originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Thu, 10 Jun 2010 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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IPhone – AT&T – Apple – Unofficial Apple Weblog – Smartphone
TUAW reader Conrad N. tipped us off to a nice 3G iPhone deal this morning. Buy.com is offering an 8GB 3G for just $430 with free shipping. While I wouldn’t classify this as a red hot deal (a 3GS would have qualified) it’s not bad for anyone who wants to pick up an inexpensive contract-free unit, for generous interpretations of the word “inexpensive”.
The 3G model works right out of the box with any AT&T SIM, although AT&T encourages you to sign up for an iPhone-specific plan. If you’re only interested in basic phone service without data, you can buy a $10 O2 SIM at Best Buy (it’s a re-branded AT&T SIM) good for 3 months of use, at 5 cents a text message and 17 cents per minute of airtime. That’s great for developers who want to add a telephony-ready unit into their testing arsenal without signing up for a full contract, who don’t want to use the phone except for testing and occasional use.
If you want to use data, however, your best economy bet probably lies in jailbreaking and unlocking (with a tool like blackra1n or pwnage) and using one of T-Mobile’s better-priced data plans. But be aware: because T-Mobile uses a different 3G frequency than AT&T, their data plans can only use EDGE service when accessed on the iPhone 3G. Want to use an existing AT&T data-plan enabled SIM? It should work out of the box but AT&T generally disapproves of that approach, and may (ahem) “encourage” you to upgrade to a (contract-enforced) official iPhone plan.
So is the 3G a good iPhone to buy for four-hundred-plus dollars? Recall that the 3G is just a 1st generation system (model 1,2 — i.e. 1st gen, 2nd iteration) with a few extra bells, whistles, and case design beyond the original model. The 3GS (model 2,1) is a far better system in terms of processor power and features, and we’re half a year out from what will likely be the next (model 3,1) iPhone, let alone any (possibly mythical) tablet. I’d call this a “warm deal” at best.
TUAWContract-free refurb 8GB 3G $430 with free shipping originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Mon, 04 Jan 2010 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Is AT&T to blame for the poor iPhone experience in cities like San Francisco and New York, where calls drop, data fails, and bars depict signal strength with no real connection behind them? And if so, what can they do about it — build more network infrastructure, create tiered pricing, or maybe just give up [...]
This is a story by the iPhone Blog. This feed is sponsored by The iPhone Blog Store.
Is AT&T to Blame for Poor iPhone Experience and Is Non-Exclusivity the Answer?
TechCrunch is reporting that sales of the iPhone app iFog [$0.99 - iTunes link] have shot up following a T-Mobile commercial for the myTouch (their rebranded Google Android Magic, which in no way is meant to glom any mind share from i(Pod) touch), where Saturday Night Live alum, Dana Carvey demonstrates a similar Android app.
Given [...]
This is a story by the iPhone Blog. This feed is sponsored by The iPhone Blog Store.
T-Mobile Android myTouch Commercial Helps Sell iPhone Apps
Filed under: Analysis / Opinion, Enterprise, Odds and ends, Internet, MobileMe
You may not have heard about the recent loss of data for T-Mobile Sidekick users; after all, this is an Apple-focused site and there probably aren’t as many Sidekick owners out there as there are iPhone users. I’ll explain the situation, and how it could happen to anyone depending on cloud-based data stores for their mobile devices.
The Sidekick is made and supported by Danger, which since April of 2008 has been owned by Microsoft. As such, all of the personal information on the Sidekicks was stored on servers owned and operated by Microsoft. During the last week, Danger / Microsoft had hired Hitachi to do an upgrade to their Storage Area Network (SAN). That’s usually not a problem, as the owner of the data (Microsoft in this case) performs a backup of all the data in case of an issue.
Well, something went wrong, and it appears that Danger / Microsoft did not have a backup in place. The result is a catastrophe for Sidekick users. T-Mobile sent out a statement last week explaining the situation, and placing the blame directly on Microsoft and Danger: “Regrettably, based on Microsoft/Danger’s latest recovery assessment of their systems, we must now inform you that personal information stored on your device — such as contacts, calendar entries, to-do lists or photos — that is no longer on your Sidekick almost certainly has been lost as a result of a server failure at Microsoft/Danger.”
Continue reading The T-Mobile Sidekick data failure, and what it means to iPhone users
TUAWThe T-Mobile Sidekick data failure, and what it means to iPhone users originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Mon, 12 Oct 2009 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Sponsored Topics:
Microsoft – IPhone – Danger – T-Mobile Sidekick – Apple
Filed under: iPhone, Jailbreak/pwnage
Over the past week, some T-Mobile iPhone customers noticed that their data service suddenly stopped working. Users with unlocked iPhones had been paying $1 a day for unlimited data and text messaging using the Sidekick data plan. It was a great value.
Customers who contacted T-Mobile support received mixed answers. Representatives stated that service was down in their area or that they needed to upgrade to their normal data plan.
Yesterday, T-Mobile sent a tweet on their official Twitter account that they would no longer service iPhone customers using the prepaid Sidekick plan. So just like AT&T cutting off prepaid GoPhone service to iPhone customers, T-Mobile has now eliminated an affordable data option for unlocked iPhones. At this time, it appears that Android-specific data plans remain unaffected.
TUAW has contacted T-Mobile for an official statement on the matter but we have not heard anything back yet.
Thanks Gabe for the tip!
TUAWT-Mobile stops offering prepaid Sidekick data service to unlocked iPhone users originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Tue, 11 Aug 2009 23:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Sponsored Topics:
IPhone – Apple – TUAW – Unofficial Apple Weblog – T-Mobile
Filed under: iPhone, Jailbreak/pwnage
I
like to joke that “Iowa is a great place to live, but I wouldn’t want to visit.” Residents often complain that there’s nothing to do (other than milk cows and shuck corn). One can only stand so much antiquing.
But we do have a few things going for us: clean air, relatively light traffic, lots of space, and perhaps the best cell phone plan for the iPhone.
Recently, reader PC Drew, a US Marine living in Japan, sent us a note to let us know about the challenge he had in finding an iPhone plan while visiting his wife’s family. A contract plan was out of the question, of course, because of his length of stay and the fact that he’s still under a two-year Softbank agreement in Japan. And due to AT&T’s, shall we say, “perplexing” lack of a prepaid plan for the iPhone, the official carrier in the States wouldn’t help him.
He could have stopped by a Best Buy and picked up an O2 Universal SIM Card for less than $10. That would have provided the ironically-named PC with $0.17 per minute calls but that’s it — no data, no included text messages, and no tethering ability.
After searching a bit for a prepaid solution, he stumbled across the MEGAtalk Nationwide plan from regional GSM carrier, i wireless. This no-contract, no-credit-check offering gives the customer 30 days of unlimited calling, with roaming and long distance, for $49 plus taxes.
But wait, there’s more! Not only did PC get unlimited voice minutes, but he also had unlimited SMS texting and, here’s the kicker, unlimited data usage. And, with the proper hack, i wireless customers can tether their iPhones for free. Yes, you read that right… free tethering on an unlimited data plan!
Of course, getting a service plan from an unofficial carrier (read: non-AT&T, at least in the United States) requires your iPhone to be SIM-unlocked. This has become much easier over the past two years and most cell phone shops can perform the procedure if you’re too nervous. PC had already performed the necessary steps, as he often finds himself in areas that aren’t exactly covered by his Softbank contract.
Okay, now for the downer. Because it’s a T-Mobile affiliate, i wireless doesn’t offer iPhone-compatible 3G service. In fact, they only offer EDGE speeds in their Iowa-based footprint, unless you’re traveling to an area with T-Mobile 3G. As a result, that unlimited data is a bit crippled speed-wise, but it’s still a heck of a deal.
So, if you’re planning on traveling to Iowa — say, to Fort Madison for the 62nd Annual Tri-State Rodeo in September — or if you’re “lucky” enough to be stuck living here, you might want to take advantage of what’s probably the most economical cell phone service plan available for the iPhone anywhere in the USA.
UPDATE: Quite a few readers asked if this plan is available outside of Iowa, so I contacted i wireless directly to find out more about its policy. Yes, you can sign up for this plan, even if you don’t live in the i wireless footprint area, however, the representative I spoke with pointed out that this plan may expire at any time, which would seriously affect the customer’s ability to use his or her phone effectively. If you are interested in further details, please contact i wireless directly.
DISCLAIMER: I own a computer and cell phone store that sells this particular prepaid plan. But the above story is absolutely true; PC Drew did contact TUAW to brag about his bargain find, without knowing me or my connection to the product.
TUAWBest iPhone cellular plan… ever? originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Sun, 09 Aug 2009 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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The Register, (via Engadget Mobile) is reporting that T-Mobile UK is slipping unlocked iPhones to high-value customers in an attempt to keep them from switching to the exclusive UK iPhone carrier, O2.
It seems if you do indeed appear to be a big spender on T-Mobile, you just need to find a willing customer service rep, [...]