Hasta La Gadget!

Well, it’s not much, but AT&T Mobility CEO Ralph de la Vega doesn’t exactly have to go too far out on a limb to attract attention when he’s talking about something as big as an end to iPhone exclusivity. His latest, and seemingly most extensive ruminations on the matter came during a conference call with analysts this week, where he reportedly said that AT&T has a “legacy of having a great portfolio…that will continue after the iPhone is no longer exclusive to us,” and that he thinks AT&T’s ability to drive results “will continue after the iPhone.” He did seem to dial things back a bit later in the call, however, switching to language like “even if we lose exclusivity” instead of “after the iPhone,” and going on to extol the virtues of the iPhone, noting that “others will try to emulate them [Apple], but that device by far is the best in terms of ease of use.”

Filed under: Cellphones

AT&T Mobility CEO suggests iPhone exclusivity will end… sometime originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 23 Oct 2009 18:21:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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One of Apple’s many curious restrictions on iPhone apps has now been lifted. It used to be that, in order for developers to have microtransactions / in-app purchases, they had to charge something upfront for the software, essentially requiring consumers to pay at least twice, or not at all. Well, all that’s changed, as the company has sent word to its developer community that the restriction has been lifted, meaning those annoying “Lite” and “Full” versions cluttering the app store can now be one and the same, with folks downloading the demo and paying to upgrade from within the app itself, a model that’s worked to success in other software ecosystems like Xbox Live. Sure, there’s gonna be developers out there that abuse the newly-minted business model, but it’s not like anything was stopping them before when they charged $2 upfront only to get you again later. The mass email announcement is reprinted after the break. [Warning: read link requires iPhone developer account]

[Via Daring Fireball]

Continue reading Free iPhone apps can now include in-app purchases

Filed under: Cellphones

Free iPhone apps can now include in-app purchases originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 15 Oct 2009 18:11:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Not that we’re surprised, but Bell isn’t the only Canadian carrier stealing the iPhone exclusivity limelight from Rogers. Telus is proudly proclaiming on its home page that it, too, will have the iPhone 3GS in November. No word on prices, but we doubt the companies will stray too far from the current trends. Now that the playing field’s a bit more even, may the best carrier (or the one with the best advertising, at least) win!

Filed under: Cellphones

Telus joins the fun, gets itself an iPhone this November originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 06 Oct 2009 22:41:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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It’s official, Bell and Apple have agreed to sell the iPhone 3G and 3GS in Canada starting November. The move ends the Rogers exclusive in while christening Bell’s new 3G network with Apple’s darling. Hmm, first O2 lost it exclusivity then Rogers, we’re sensing a trend.

[Thanks, Sean]

Filed under: Cellphones

Bell nabs iPhone deal in Canada, ends Rogers’ reign of terror originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 06 Oct 2009 08:25:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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How utterly shitty is the iPhone on AT&T in the New York area? The average iPhone drops 30 percent of all calls. And that’s considered acceptable by Apple.

Giz reader Manoj took his iPhone to the Genius Bar to have it looked at because it was dropping calls left and right, and AT&T swore stuff was totally kosher on their end, so he thought something was wrong with his phone. After doing a stat dump, the Genius showed Manoj that his iPhone had actually dropped 22 percent of calls.

The jawdropper: The Genius told Manoj that’s actually excellent compared to most people in the New York area, where a 30 percent dropped call rate is the average. There was nothing Apple could do for Manoj. His phone was totally fine. Which means there’s nothing Apple can do for rest of us.

Ridiculous, and downright insulting. But, uh, if you pay $150 for this box it’ll be all better. Excuse me while I go and puke. I’ll call somebody and complain, but it probably wouldn’t get through. [Thanks, and sorry, Manoj!]