Hasta La Gadget!

AT&T’s service in New York City has long been decried as some of the worst in the nation — we’ve heard people claim 30 percent of iPhone calls drop on average — but hopefully things are about to get a lot better, as Ma Bell’s just finished its 850MHz 3G upgrade in the city. That means the carrier should have more capacity in all five boroughs, and we’re told voice quality has improved 47 percent since last quarter. Of course, the proof is in the pudding, so we’ll see how things go — hit us up in comments, won’t you?

Continue reading AT&T says New York 850MHz 3G upgrade is complete, voice quality improved 47 percent

AT&T says New York 850MHz 3G upgrade is complete, voice quality improved 47 percent originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 28 Jun 2010 12:34:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Hoo boy. This is a tough one, isn’t it? In our years at Engadget, we’ve rarely seen such deafening debate and adulation for a pair of devices. In one corner we have the iPhone 4, coming off a few relatively easy rounds atop the smartphone mind share heap. However, the Droid and its ilk have weakened Apple’s spot, and here comes the HTC EVO 4G in for the kill, sporting a larger screen, 4G data, and all manner of HTC sexy. If the devices themselves weren’t enough, the debate has turned into something larger and metaphorical, with Apple representing tight restrictions and a singular top down vision, while Google’s Android stands for something perhaps a bit more haphazard but democratizing. The gloves come off after the break.

Continue reading iPhone 4 or EVO 4G: which one should you get?

iPhone 4 or EVO 4G: which one should you get? originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 25 Jun 2010 16:11:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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And just like that, it’s confirmed. We’d heard through the grapevine that AT&T may be fixing to certify a third-party to sell an iPhone insurance program, and now it looks as if Asurion has been given the green light by Ma Bell, and not a moment too soon. According to the company, MobileProtect is the “only iPhone (and iPhone 4) insurance to protect against loss or theft (the reason for nearly 50% of phone claims), while also covering water or other liquid damage, accidental damage, and out-of-warranty failure.” Of course, you’ll have to shell out a borderline-ridiculous $11.99 per month for the coverage (and yeah, there’s still a deductible), which is made even more outrageous by the fact that the iPhone 4 and its Gorilla Glass is nigh indestructible. Er, wait…

*Claims of “everything” are subject to interpretation, as anyone who has ever dealt with an insurance company will attest.

P.S. – SquareTrade still works on the iPhone 4, and it’s probably worth considering. Take a look at the price breakdown after the jump.

Continue reading MobileProtect now officially ready to insure your iPhone 4 from everything*

MobileProtect now officially ready to insure your iPhone 4 from everything* originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 24 Jun 2010 09:58:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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AT&T announced today that folks who didn’t pre-order their iPhone 4 devices won’t be able to get phones in stores until June 29.

Even pre-orders are in question, in fact: according to AT&T’s announcement page, “AT&T retail representatives will begin calling customers this week to let them know their iPhone 4 is available for pick up in store.” Notice the words “this week” and “begin.”

The official launch date for the iPhone 4 is Thursday, June 24, but some people who pre-ordered phones for home delivery on June 15 are starting to see them arrive early. Phones pre-ordered now will ship by July 14th, Apple says on their Web site.

Apple, however, will still have phones in retail stores on Thursday. On the official pre-order page, Apple says, “Limited iPhone quantities are available in store starting June 24.”

AT&T and Apple were overwhelmed by the pre-orders for the new iPhone 4, saying that they had processed more than 600,000 orders on the very first day of pre-ordering, June 15.

A number of customers who pre-ordered Apple’s iPhone 4 have reported receiving the handset — two days before its official release date. Also, those who didn’t pre-order the device will be able to pick one up at an AT&T store on a first-come, first-serve basis as soon as next Tuesday.

An AT&T spokesman said iPhone 4 will begin arriving this week for customers who preordered. Those who preordered an iPhone 4 for home delivery will receive an e-mail when their order is shipped. The company will also begin phoning customers this week who placed reservations to notify them when their iPhone 4 is available for in-store pickups. Last, customers who did not preorder the device will be able to line up for an iPhone 4 at an AT&T store next Tuesday.

“iPhone 4 pre-order sales on June 15 were 10 times higher than the first day of pre-ordering for the iPhone 3GS last year,” AT&T said in a statement Tuesday. “Demand is simply unprecedented.  We’re thrilled to see the excitement around iPhone 4 and are committed to helping as many customers as quickly as we can. As we said last week, we’re committed to fulfilling preorders first – and are on track to do so.”

AT&T’s announcement followed individual reports from pre-order customers who claimed their iPhone 4 had already arrived in the mail.

The release of the iPhone 4 has been bumpy, to say the least. When Apple and AT&T opened preorders for the iPhone 4 last week, their servers were overwhelmed by the gigantic number of preorders, and in some instances AT&T’s website even sprung a security leak. Later, Apple and AT&T said the problems were due to an unprecedented number of preorders — 600,000 on day one.

UPDATED: The first version of this story incorrectly stated that AT&T would start delivering iPhones this week.

See Also:

• iPhone 4 + Glitchy Launch = Huge Demand Anyway
• iPhone 4 Has More RAM Than iPad
• Photo Gallery: Hands-On With the iPhone 4

Photo: Jon Snyder/Wired.com