Hasta La Gadget!

We really couldn’t make this stuff up — it would seem that T-Mobile has been sneaking some hi-tech contraband into the UK in the form of unlocked iPhone 3G handsets, which it is now peddling to its most valued clientele. And by that, of course, we mean the piggies that pay up the most every month. Limited to an extremely select 150 units a week, the Apple devices are being used as incentives for high-rolling customers to renew their eye-gouging contracts of £75 per month and above, though we suspect only a few chums in corner offices know exactly how much T-Mob is charging for the handset itself.

We’ve done some digging, and while O2 has exclusivity on the iPhone 3G until September, that does not prevent T-Mobile from essentially functioning as a reseller of unlocked SIM-free units. Further distancing itself from legal action, the carrier is only offering the handsets to upgrading customers (as opposed to newcomers), thus the phones technically come sans a SIM. So, the suits at Magenta Towers must be feeling pretty smug right about now, having danced through a loophole and secured a wildly popular (albeit older generation) phone, all in the name of keeping high-brow customers from jumping ship. While you won’t hear any PR from T-Mobile on the matter, we have a full statement from O2 on the subject of losing 3G exclusivity come September. You ready?

We have a multi-year agreement with Apple to sell iPhone in the UK. This relationship continues.

Man, those Britons keep it short and sweet, don’t they?

Filed under: Cellphones

T-Mobile UK sneakily offering iPhone 3G to moneyed customers originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 04 Aug 2009 04:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The last time we heard from Ivan Seidenberg, he was letting Sprint know precisely what he thought of it. This go ’round, in a new ‘Charlie Rose’ interview, the Verizon chief is being entirely more coy. In speaking to recent political happenings, he mentions that the communication coming from the citizens of Iran is “a great thing,” and he also notes that attempts to block internet use “can’t work long term” as the “power of the people will override that without any question.” Sort of comical given VZW’s prior persistence to cripple phones in spite of consumer backlash, but we digress. He also dodged (with great skill, might we add) questions on whether Verizon Wireless would carry the iPhone, noting that it was “Apple’s decision” on whether it would build one to support the company’s forthcoming LTE network. As for Android? He did confess that recent reports of a Motorola handset coming its way “might be true,” which is CEO speak for “oh, that’s absolutely happening.” Hop on past the break for a video of the whole shakedown.

Continue reading Verizon’s CEO sidesteps questions on iPhone, Android handset

Filed under: Cellphones

Verizon’s CEO sidesteps questions on iPhone, Android handset originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 24 Jun 2009 07:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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AT&T is contemplating offering cheaper data plans for its smartphones, including the iPhone.

The telecom company is thinking about offering a limited data package, which would cost less than its current unlimited data plans. For example, AT&T currently offers iPhone 3G users an unlimited data plan priced at $30 per month.

“Right now we continue to study what is the best thing that is available, not just from an iPhone point of view, but what you can do to stimulate additional demand,” Ralph de la Vega, the head of AT&T Mobility, told Reuters.

Clearly, AT&T is aiming to attract frugal consumers unwilling to pay the monthly rates of a smartphone. With a voice plan and unlimited data plan combined, the least an iPhone customer can pay is about $70 per month. Thus, a reduced, limited data plan is targeting those who feel that’s too much to pay for a phone.

While this may sound like good news, we’re skeptical a reduced, limited data plan would benefit consumers. By default, the iPhone automatically connects to the internet to check your e-mail, among other activities, even when it’s asleep. Thus, you’d have to frequently turn the internet connection on and off to avoid surpassing whatever limit AT&T imposes so as not to pay additional charges. And if you’re not careful, you could easily end up shelling out well over the $30 you’d normally pay for an unlimited data plan.

A better way to reduce monthly data costs? I like TechCrunch writer MG Siegler’s suggestion: Get rid of those text-messaging (SMS) fees. Text messages are indeed data, and yet we pay additional fees (e.g., at least $5 per month for 200 texts for the iPhone 3G) just to send them — so AT&T’s unlimited data plan isn’t truly an unlimited data plan. Lump unlimited text messaging into the unlimited data plan, and there you have it — a less expensive smartphone package.

Of course, we doubt AT&T would ever do that. Text messages cost nearly nothing for telecom companies, so might as well keep making consumers pay for nothing. Cruel world, isn’t it?

See Also:

• Text Messages Cost Carriers Nothing
• 3G iPhone Unlimited Data Plan Will Cost $30 Per Month, But You Can …
• Colombians Charged Up the Wazoo for iPhone 3G
• Analyst’s Speculation: AT&T Will Decrease iPhone Monthly Plan …

Photo: Jason-Morrison/Flickr

Apple’s popular iPhone invigorated the smartphone market, and recent rumors about the handset’s possible expansion to Verizon are renewing debate over which U.S. carrier offers the highest quality service.

It’s difficult to say whose network is best: Each carrier advertises itself as the speediest and most reliable. Consumer experiences with each network vary on a case-by-case basis; some AT&T customers swear their network is the worst, while a number of Verizon users are preaching that theirs is superb — and vice versa. Customers on the smaller U.S. networks, T-Mobile and Sprint, are just as inconsistent in terms of satisfaction.

As of 2008, over 20 million U.S. homes rely solely on mobile phones for telecom communication, according to research company Nielsen. Therefore, it’s clear that in recent years the value of a high-quality, efficient cellphone connection has grown tremendously for the everyday consumer. A missed or dropped call can potentially ruin a relationship, cost job seekers career opportunities or simply create a persistent annoyance.

A carrier’s network performance is a dealbreaking factor for consumers shopping for a smartphone, whether it’s the iPhone, the HTC G1, or a BlackBerry Storm. Just which cellphone network is the best? Or better yet, which carrier is best for you in your particular area? In August, Wired.com conducted a global study to investigate the iPhone 3G’s network issues, which concluded that connection problems were tied to AT&T rather than the handset itself. Following up on that survey, Wired.com is inviting every 3G smartphone user in the United States to participate in a study to determine which carrier is the best overall in the country.

The process involves running a data speed test on your browser-equipped smartphone, followed by plotting your results on an interactive map with your computer. Ultimately, consumers will be able to view the results on the map to see how well each carrier performs in different parts of the country.

Follow the instructions below to complete the test, which will take about five minutes.

1. Ensure Wi-Fi is turned off and 3G is enabled on your smartphone (not the slower EDGE connection).

2. Load your smartphone’s browser and visit http://inetworktest.com/wired.*

3. The test will run automatically as the page loads. When it’s done loading, tap your carrier (AT&T, Verizon, T-Mobile or Sprint), and your results will appear.

4. On your computer screen, scroll to the ZeeMap at the top of this article and click the Add button. Fill in the Location and Details fields (see screenshots below for examples). For “General Satisfaction” rate your satisfaction on a scale from 1 to 5 — low satisfaction to high satisfaction, respectively.

5. Click Submit to complete the survey. Your entry should look similar to the example in the screenshot below.

*JavaScript must be enabled to run the data test page. Some BlackBerry devices have JavaScript turned off by default. See these instructions to learn how to turn JavaScript on for BlackBerry devices.

And then you’re done. After a week of collecting data, Wired.com will compile the results and highlight noteworthy conclusions about each carrier.

We strongly encourage smartphone owners to complete the test: The more participants, the better the conclusions we can reach. E-mail your questions or concerns about the test to BChen [at] Wired [dot] com, or add them in the comments section below.

Wired.com would like to extend a special thanks to Ben Reubenstein of Xcellent Creations, who designed the 3G data test for this study. iPhone and iPod Touch owners interested in learning more about data performance on their devices can download the iNetwork app for $1 through the App Store.

See Also:

• Wired.com’s iPhone 3G Survey Reveals Network Weaknesses
• Survey: People Love iPhone Despite Its Imperfections
• Apple: We’re Sticking With AT&T for the iPhone
• 4 Reasons Apple Should Share the iPhone With Verizon
• Cell Phone Reception Bars Are Meaningless
• What’s Wrong With the 3G in iPhone 3G
• Suit Alleges AT&T, Apple ‘Oversold’ iPhone, Strained 3G Network …
• Video: iPhone 3G in Reality Versus Advertisement
• UK Bans Apple’s ‘Really Fast’ iPhone 3G Ad

There’s no easy answer to erasing a staggering trillion-plus dollar deficit in a federal budget, but you’ve got to start somewhere — and Obama’s looking at the nation’s wireless carriers as cash cows just waiting to be milked. The President’s proposed budget for 2010 calls for an increase in spectrum license user fees from $50 million to $200 million, with further increases to $550 million over the course of the next decade, all of which would be on top of the billions carriers have already shelled out in spectrum auctions. A good way to bring in some extra cash? Yeah, probably, but considering that carriers will be more than happy to pass the increases on to consumers, let’s just be straight: it’s a tax.

[Via El Reg]

Filed under: Cellphones, Wireless

Obama’s proposed 2010 budget juices carriers for more cash originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 28 Feb 2009 10:41:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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