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AT&T may charge users of FaceTime over 3G, the updated version of Apple’s video calling system which, as of iOS 6, will allow for calls over 3G connections instead of solely WiFi. Screenshots of AT&T handsets running the iOS 6 beta shared in the MacRumors forums show an error message similar to that given when users without a compatible data plan try to activate tethering.

For tethering, AT&T – like many other carriers – requires that subscribers pay for an extra data plan. It’s suggested that, given FaceTime will likely increase the amount of 3G traffic users consume, the carrier will demand they cough up another fee to cover it.

Interestingly, 9to5Mac found that Verizon handsets do not give the same error message as AT&T devices running iOS 6, though it’s not conclusive proof that the carrier will not be demanding an extra tithe for FaceTime 3G calls.

Whether AT&T’s fee is in the form of a set allowance for FaceTime 3G traffic, a pay-per-call charge, or a flat fee covering “unlimited” use each month (though likely with a “fair use” policy) remains to be seen. “We’re working closely with Apple on the new developer build of iOS 6″ AT&T said in a statement, “and we’ll share more information with our customers as it becomes available.”

It’s exact form could have a significant impact on those AT&T subscribers still clinging onto their older, now-discontinued unlimited data plans. If AT&T demands an all-new data package that covers FaceTime 3G, rather than simply adding the service as an account add-on, such users may have to choose between their grandfathered plans or the ability to make video calls over cellular data connections.

[via MacRumors]

AT&T FaceTime 3G fees tipped for iOS 6 is written by Chris Davies & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.

The talk is weighing up: Apple’s iPad mini, the smaller “tweener” slate to slot in-between iPhone and new iPad, looks increasingly like a case of “when” and not “if”. Another high-profile and trusted source has jumped on the iPad mini bandwagon, taking the count of “insider confirmation” to three, alongside numerous other leaks and even some sneaky engineering sample photos.

The New York Times is the latest to speak up on the long-standing speculation, with its own clutch of sources saying that the tinier tablet is, indeed, in the pipeline. The paper joins the WSJ, which recently pointed to a September release date, echoing comments earlier again from Bloomberg that suggested a screen size “between 7- and 8-inches” and a pre-October launch.

Specifics are, in all cases, in short supply. The consensus so far has been on a 7.85-inch display, though none of the big three have settled on an absolute number. Chatter among the blogs and those blessed with insider-access has indicated a 1024 x 768 resolution might be enough to satisfy the “Retina” requirement, and there are mutterings of a new 19-pin dock connector too.

The big deal is price. Again, specifics are too much to hope for; the NYT instead says it will be “significantly less” than the existing $499 new iPad. That’s unsurprising, given it’s a smaller model altogether, and the real deciding factor will be exactly how much less it is. Google’s Nexus 7 is convincing reviewers – ourselves included – in no small part by virtue of its $199 price tag, and though Apple isn’t expected to dip quite that low, a $249 or $299 tag and the Cupertino cachet could be sufficient to encourage buyers to spend a little more than on Android alternatives.

As for focus, while Apple has been pushing the content creation talents of the new iPad in recent months, it’s Amazon’s success with the Kindle Fire in promoting content consumption that is believed to be Apple’s primary lure for joining the 7-inch segment. Amazon’s cheap 7-inch Fire hasn’t exactly helped Google, with its heavily-customized Android OS, but its helping the retailer push ebooks, movies, music and apps at a rate of alacrity.

With a couple of months to go before Apple is tipped to be making the iPad mini official, expect plenty more rumors and “anonymous sources” fleshing out the tablet. Is the prospect of a sub-$300 iOS slate enough to get you to open your wallet? Let us know in the comments.

[Image credit: Ciccaresedesign]

iPad mini: Cheaper, more focused and, oh yes, smaller is written by Chris Davies & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.

Amazon’s larger Kindle Fire is still in the pipeline, sources insist, scaling up from the existing 7-inch slate as Apple reportedly scales down to tweener tablet levels. A namedrop in the same NYT article that threw further weight against the iPad mini rumors, according to unnamed developers the retailer is pushing ahead with what’s tipped to be a roughly 10-inch variant of the Kindle Fire, bringing the challenge to Apple’s new iPad.

While Amazon spokespeople unsurprisingly declined to comment on the newspaper’s chatter, the idea of a new, larger Kindle Fire isn’t exactly new. Even before the original Kindle Fire was revealed, speculation had it that Amazon was working on not one but two devices: a cheap, small model (which went on to hit virtual shelves at $199) and a larger, more capable version.

That second model never arrived, however, with talk that Amazon encountered issues with components and performance, among other things. However, going by the insider whispers, that work might be culminating again in a larger device due later in 2012.

Exact hardware details are in short supply, but Android is undoubtedly running – albeit heavily reskinned for Amazon’s content-selling purposes – under the hood, and a screen sized more akin to the 9.7-inch current iPad is likely.

Any launch is most likely to take place alongside the second-generation 7-inch Kindle Fire, which as rumor would have it is due in Q3 with a 1280 x 800 display. Amazon is also tipped to be working on a Kindle smartphone.

10-inch Kindle Fire tipped as Amazon new iPad challenge imminent is written by Chris Davies & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.

Here’s an interesting bit of news for you: Sony may be planning to unleash a brand new PS3 model. Images of the redesigned console were first revealed in an apparent Sony filing with Brazilian telecommunications regulator Anatel and were quickly picked up by Technoblog. Now the images are spreading across the internet like wildfire, and we have to say that they have us pretty intrigued.

This new model looks relatively similar to the PS3 Slim we all know and love, but there are a few pretty major changes. First up, the new console appears to be smaller than the PS3 Slim and looks as if it’s ditching the disc slot in favor of a top-loading disc tray. This new PS3 also comes with a ridged texture, which admittedly looks a little out of place when compared to the sleek consoles of the current generation.

The database on Anatel’s website also shows that Sony Brasil is after approval for three different versions of this new PS3 model, each with a different size hard drive: 16GB, 250GB, and 500GB. Other than the difference in hard drive sizes, however, these consoles are the same. The idea that Sony is planning to offer a version with a measly 16GB hard drive suggests to us that the company is looking to market this new console to budget gamers and families, much like Microsoft has done with the 4GB Xbox 360 S.

Of course, these images could all be fake, which remains a very real possibility. Remember though that we saw the first images of the PS3 Slim through a leak similar to this, and back then a lot of people thought it was a hoax as well. The low-quality images do make a us bit suspicious, so we’ll have to wait until Sony makes a comment on these new pictures before we can make the call. Perhaps if this is all real, we’ll get an official reveal at Gamescom in Germany next month? Stay tuned.

[via Joystiq]

New PS3 model possibly on the way as images surface is written by Eric Abent & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.

Remember that tall, mostly aluminum 2012 iPhone shell that appeared to have leaked? It’s back. This time, KitGuru has unearthed what it claims is a “test sample” with the glass front panel roughly intact. We’ve seen the darker steel sides, aluminum back and new dock connector before, but the front gives us a much better sense of how the finished product (if real) will turn out. Sitting next to an iPhone 4S, it’s suggested that the new model would stuff in that bigger screen more through a better use of the available area — there’s much less blank space than on the iPhones we’ve known since 2007. While we still don’t know for sure if the design shown here is close to what will go hand-in-hand with iOS 6 in the fall, we’re starting to see enough smoke that there’s bound to be a fire nearby.

Filed under: Cellphones

New 2012 iPhone body reportedly leaks, gives the glass front its time to shine originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 12 Jul 2012 11:38:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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