Posted by alect on January 29th, 2010 in
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Now that the iPhone SDK seems to allow for 3G VoIP, it looks like the floodgates are beginning to open. Joining the ranks of iCall in this somewhat uncharted territory is Fring. Same deal as the previous one, the ability is already inherent in the current build, and now that the restriction has been lifted, users can simply place calls as they usually do through the service — yes, that includes Skype calls — only now not tethered to the nearest 802.11 cloud. As for the native Skype app, last we checked it was still not working. But it’s only a matter of time.
Fring for iPhone now lets you call with Skype over 3G originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 28 Jan 2010 21:24:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Posted by alect on January 28th, 2010 in
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While the news of Apple’s iPad having 3G wasn’t exactly a surprise, the move to a new format for the SIM certainly was. The SIM — that tiny card that holds your contact info and account information that you find in your GSM handset — is a 15 x 25mm plastic card whereas the new Micro SIM (also known as a 3FF SIM) is a diminutive 12 x 15mm, about 52% smaller. Needless to say, it’s not physically compatible with your current phone. This card was developed by the ETSI (European Telecommunications Standards Institute) to offer things like more storage space on-chip for provider applications, increased control and security functions — over what, we don’t know — and the new smaller form factor allows it to fit in tiny devices. Frankly, we wouldn’t call the iPad “tiny” and we have absolutely no clue what justification Apple had to switch to it other than a desire to be different — this is the company that pioneered Mini DisplayPort, after all — but the long and the short of it is that you’re going to have a hard time finding a carrier offering Micro SIMs in the short term since the GSMA doesn’t appear to be actively spearheading a mass conversion. In fact, from AT&T’s perspective, this is better than a software lock in some ways — you’re not going to be able to download a hack that gets you on another network, so you’re totally at the mercy of your carrier at choice for providing a compatible card. Intentionally evil? Perhaps not — all standards have to start somewhere — but it’s an awful pain in the ass.
Update: T-Mobile (in a partnership with Lok8u GPS devices) announced they were bringing the 3FF SIM to US shores back on January 6th of this year. See the source link for more info.
[Thanks, Brian]
Apple iPad’s ‘Micro SIM’ explained originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 27 Jan 2010 20:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Posted by alect on January 28th, 2010 in
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No CommentsIf you were following this morning’s Apple announcement, it may have been quite overwhelming and your head could be spinning in confusion. We’re here to clear things up and give you additional details over what we posted this morning. What…
Posted by alect on January 28th, 2010 in
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In a direct blow to everyone else with a netbook and an unlimited data plan, AT&T has scored a deal to offer unlimited 3G data on 3G-capable versions of the iPad for $29.99 a month (then again, this is the same as an iPhone plan, and you’re getting iPhone-level capability here). A 250MB plan, meanwhile, will be available for half that at $14.99 a month. Activation can happen right on the device — no store visits or calls are necessary — and there’s no contract involved. The device is fully unlocked, so if you absolutely want to, you’re welcome to take it to any other GSM carrier of your choice (assuming you can find a SIM that works — Apple’s talking up a new “micro SIM” for it). International users, stay tuned: Apple expects to have deals in place for you by June of this year.
Apple iPad 3G service plans on AT&T, $30 for unlimited data originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 27 Jan 2010 14:14:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Posted by alect on January 28th, 2010 in
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1 Comment digg_url = ‘http://digg.com/apple/iPad_3G_service_on_AT_T_Contract_free_unlimited_30′; In a direct blow to everyone else with a netbook and an unlimited data plan, AT&T has scored a deal to offer unlimited 3G data on 3G-capable versions of the iPad for $29.99 a month (then again, this is the same as an iPhone plan, and you’re getting iPhone-level capability here). A 250MB plan, meanwhile, will be available for half that at $14.99 a month. Activation can happen right on the device — no store visits or calls are necessary — and there’s no contract involved. The device is fully unlocked, so if you absolutely want to, you’re welcome to take it to any other GSM carrier of your choice (assuming you can find a SIM that works — Apple’s talking up a new “micro SIM” for it). International users, stay tuned: Apple expects to have deals in place for you by June of this year.
Apple iPad 3G service plans on AT&T, $30 for unlimited data originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 27 Jan 2010 14:14:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Posted by alect on January 27th, 2010 in
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No CommentsNothing upsets geeks more than grabbing a gadget the moment it becomes available only to find issues with it. Google feels your pain when it comes to your 3G connectivity woes on the Nexus One. Currently, Google is in the…
Posted by alect on January 26th, 2010 in
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No CommentsToday’s Nexus One may be the hottest keyboard-free Android smartphone on the market today, but it doesn’t exactly have the hottest network support. That looks like it’ll be changing soon thanks to Walmart of all places, which has put up a “Coming Soon!” page for the Nexus One, listing an impressive suite of wireless bands including 1xEvDO for 3G on Sprint and Verizon and UMTS/HSDPA 850/1900 for 3G on AT&T. Could this finally be the network-agnostic smartphone (or smartphones, as the case may be) that Google has wanted, or is it just a case of some optimistic web admin letting his fingers do the walking when writing up this teaser? We’re leaning toward the latter, and there’s also a rumor of a $99 price when purchased at Walmart. We’re having a hard time swallowing that one, too — if only because the Droid went for $188 there at launch.
Update: Seems Walmart slipped up! Spokesman Ravi Jariwala states:
“Due to a technical error, this item erroneously was displayed on our site. We’re working with our partner Let’s Talk to have it removed as quickly as possible. We have no plans to carry Nexus One in Walmart stores or online at Walmart.com at this time.”
Walmart greeters will soon welcome you to a Nexus One with Sprint, Verizon, and AT&T 3G? (update: nope!) originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 26 Jan 2010 06:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Posted by alect on January 26th, 2010 in
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No CommentsToday’s Nexus One may be the hottest keyboard-free Android smartphone on the market today, but it doesn’t exactly have the hottest network support. That looks like it’ll be changing soon thanks to Walmart of all places, which has put up a “Coming Soon!” page for the Nexus One, listing an impressive suite of wireless bands including 1xEvDO for 3G on Sprint and Verizon and UMTS/HSDPA 850/1900 for 3G on AT&T. Could this finally be the network-agnostic smartphone (or smartphones, as the case may be) that Google has wanted, or is it just a case of some optimistic web admin letting his fingers do the walking when writing up this teaser? We’re leaning toward the former, but there’s also a rumor of a $99 price when purchased at Walmart, and we’re having a hard time swallowing that one — if only because the Droid went for $188 there at launch.
Walmart greeters will soon welcome you to a Nexus One with Sprint, Verizon, and AT&T 3G? originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 26 Jan 2010 06:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Posted by alect on January 26th, 2010 in
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Looks like Google’s investigation into the crappy 3G claims on the Nexus One are winding down, and it’s a one-two combo of good news and bad news. First, the bad: preliminary findings suggest that poor 3G coverage factors into it, at least in part — a believable story considering that T-Mobile has the smallest 3G footprint of the four US nationals. Now, the good: there’s a software component to the problem, too, and the company says that it’s already testing a fix. So far, testing is looking good — so good, in fact, that an over-the-air update could be available “in the next week or so.” It sucks that this partly boils down to crappy coverage, but we’ll have to see where things stand after the patch gets rolled out — and hopefully this’ll serve as a high-profile reminder to T-Mobile that it needs to step on the gas (and to Google that it might want to expand its horizons).
[Thanks, Wesley]
Google: Nexus One 3G issues result of poor coverage, bugs; patch possibly within a week originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 25 Jan 2010 18:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Posted by alect on January 20th, 2010 in
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No CommentsJkOnTheRun has stumbled upon a simple fix that may help fix poor 3G connectivity in the Nexus One. The fix is drop dead easy — all you need to do is go into the options for Mobile Networks under the…
