Eight second ping times? If you don't know what that means, just think "real slow." A normal ping time over the 3G network should be around 200 milliseconds (that's 40 times faster than eight seconds).
Why do some connections initiate right away while others take eight seconds or longer? Telecom blogger Brough Turner has researched the problem and explained that AT&T's network configuration could be to blame.
In a move to preserve the exclusive relationship with Apple and increase iPhone sales, AT&T may be considering changes to iPhone data plan pricing with the introduction of the next generation device. A typical two-year contract would see a price decrease of $10 per month, bringing the cost back to what original iPhone users signed up for in 2007.
Market research has shown that the high monthly cost associated with iPhone contracts may steer some users away from purchasing the device. The minimum cost over the required two-year contract amounts to over $1700 not including text messaging, taxes and fees.
With the initial excitement of Apple's iPhone 3.0 preview already passed, users of the iPhone OS 3.0 Beta have been finding several new features that appear to be in the works for a next generation device. One such feature is video recording, which reports have indicated would come along with an upgraded camera and possibly a multi-core GPU (graphics processing unit).
Backing up the claim are screenshots from the MobileMe upload screen in iPhone OS 3.0 that say "Publish Video" at the top of the app. Of course, a better camera would mean higher-resolution still photos, too. Other features that look interesting have also appeared in leaked screenshots of iPhone OS 3.0 Beta.
Would you pay your full cable bill if there was static on the screen all month? Buy a dozen eggs if three of them were broken? How about paying $30 a month for the same service that others get for $20 a month?
This is exactly what I pay for a service I can't use. I love the iPhone 3G, but I can only use the EDGE network. I leave the phone set to EDGE because it works. The moment I switch over to 3G, data latency times shoot through the roof, voice quality decreases noticably, and calls drop every five minutes.
Apple and AT&T both deserve kudos for pioneering such an outstanding new product. I am willing to be patient with their growing pains. The network is going to be a perpetual work in progress. But it's not right to force me to pay for something that doesn't work. See, if I had an original iPhone, my data plan would be $20 a month and limited to EDGE. As it is, I have an iPhone 3G with a $30 data plan limited to EDGE.
I continue to try and use 3G at least twice a week to check up on the network but there has been no improvement. Various customer service representatives at AT&T have listened to my story. Of course I've updated to 2.0.2. Yes, I've rebooted my phone. A million times. No, not just using the sleep button. Yes, I've held down the home button and sleep button to reset. Nothing works. Nothing works except for EDGE.
In the brief hours that Nullriver's NetShare iPhone app was available on the iTunes store it generated quite a buzz. Apple quickly had the application pulled, even though Nullriver claims it never violated Apple's developer guidelines. Some have cited AT&T's terms of service as the likely reason for Apple's action. According to new rumors, a tethering solution may be on the horizon for iPhone users with no interest in jailbreaking their phones.
An online forum user allegedly received a brief email from Steve Jobs himself, stating that Apple was currently discussing iPhone tethering with AT&T. The carrier already offers tethered data plans for Blackberry devices on their network at an additional cost of $30 per month.
Many iPhone users have used the passcode lock feature to protect personal data. So everyone's information is safe and secure, right? Turns out it can easily be viewed without the password if the phone has been updated to firmware version 2.0.2. Even if the phone is locked, in emergency call mode a double-click of the home button brings up favorite contacts.
This alone might not be a problem, except that from this screen dialing provides access to the full contacts list, voicemail, and dial keypad. From the contacts list, sending a text opens the SMS application and text history. One click on an email address opens the mail application and all of your mailboxes. Similarly, any links in emails or contacts will open Safari, including history and bookmarks.
Chances are if you're returning your iPhone or considering selling it in order to upgrade, admist recent reports of refurbished iPhones still containing personal data, you are going to want to do everything you can to insure your iPhone is as clean and clear as can be.
Thanks to a recent article on iPhoneAtlas, you can now take extra steps to protect your personal information. These steps require a jailbroken iPhone, and are outlined as follows:
No doubt you've heard horror stories about multi-thousand dollar bills iPhone owners have received from their service providers when going overseas and using the iPhone's data features on a foreign network. Many service providers are charging exorbitant fees to their customers for data roaming.
Luckily, with the introduction of iPhone firmware 1.1.1 there's a way to turn off data roaming so you can be sure you won't get shocked with a big bill.
Head to Settings -> General -> Network and turn data roaming to OFF.
