Sprint sold a total of 1.8 million iPhones during Q4 2011, with 40 percent of those going to new customers. Admittedly, 1.8 million is only about a quarter of the 7.6 million iPhones AT&T sold during the same period, and less than half the 4.2 million moved by Verizon, but considering Sprint’s 55 million customers ranks as the the third largest U.S. wireless carrier, and this is the first official quarter that Sprint had the iPhone to sell, it still indicates a fairly solid adoption by their subscribe base.

“Our strong fourth quarter performance illustrates the power of matching iconic devices like the iPhone with our simple, unlimited plans and industry-leading customer experience,” said Dan Hesse, Sprint CEO. “During the past year, Sprint added more than 5 million net new customers and grew wireless service revenue by more than 5 percent, including 17 percent for the Sprint platform. This momentum gives us confidence as we execute our Network Vision upgrade and 4G LTE roll-out.”

Although the company recorded a $1.3 billion net loss for the quarter, they’re focusing on added subscriber value and overall unit sales this time around. And with those added smartphone sales, new customers are subsequently coming in by the masses according to their earnings report — mostly thanks to the iPhone 4 and iPhone 4S, and their position as the last U.S. carrier to offer unlimited data contracts.

It looks like that $20 billion bet Sprint made with Apple is slowly starting to pay off.

Source: Sprint

Is 2GB really all it takes now to be considered a “top 5″ iPhone data user by AT&T and have your data throttled down?

AT&T now seems to be throttling iPhone users on grandfathered, unlimited data plans when they hit a paltry 2GB of data usage. We all know AT&T has been threatening to throttle iPhone users on unlimited data plans for quite some time now. AT&T announced data throttling last August and started implementing it last October. Since then we’ve heard from some of our readers that they were getting throttled down to 2G EDGE speeds. And it seems to be getting even more egregious.

As a rational person — and long time customer — I had a hard time believing it. I’ve been using anywhere from 4 to 8 gigabytes a month since October and never received any warning from AT&T. In fact, I told everyone in our AT&T forums that I had not yet received the infamous text message from AT&T, accusing me of being a “top 5%” data users.

Until yesterday.

Smartphone customers with unlimited data plans may experience reduced speeds once their usage in a billing cycle reaches the level that puts them among the top 5 percent of heaviest data users. These customers can still use unlimited data and their speeds will be restored with the start of the next billing cycle. We’re writing because you are in the top 5 percent of heaviest data users for this billing cycle.

It came in just as I approached 2GB. That’s what apparently qualifies as a “top 5%” here in Chicago. 2GB. Two days before the end of my billing cycle.

I immediately called AT&T and asked them — 3 of them over the course of several hours — two simple questions: Why, all of a sudden, after previous months of heavy use, did I receive this message and why, when I am paying for “unlimited” data am I being crippled just at two gigabytes?

They had no answers for me.

So I began to think about it some more and realized the previous few months I was using my unlocked Galaxy Nexus. Did that have anything to do with flying under the radar? Or did I simply switch back to my iPhone 4S around the time AT&T decided to take these new, overly aggressive tactics?

Or is there simply no consistency or rationality with how AT&T is going about their data throttling? Do some people, depending on the area and month, get away with 5 to 6 gigabytes with no issues while some are getting nailed at 2 gigabytes? Is 2 gigabytes the new magic number based on all of the complaints in our forums and responses that I received on Twitter?

Whatever the case may be, it sure seems like AT&T is putting the screws to unlimited iPhone data users, trying to push us into giving up our grandfathered plans and pressure us into taking one of their new, limited, tiered plans instead.

And that sucks, plain and simple.

AT&T offered a service, we signed up for it, we paid them for it, and now they’re reneging on the spirit if not the letter of that service. They’re breaking faith with their customers.

Maybe they don’t want our particular type of user any more, maybe they’d rather we go somewhere else, but if they’re willing to do this to one group of users, they’d do it to any group of users, at any time. And that’s a terrible way to run a business.

Unlimited data plans were sold to iPhone users from day one. AT&T needs to stand by them. If they want us to switch to tiered plans, make those plans better. Offer free tethering, or make 4G LTE exclusive to those plans and wait for the iPhone 5 to drive demand for it. Make them so attractive we can’t wait to switch. Don’t do it by making our existing plans worse.

But AT&T has unlimited data users right where they want us, and they seem to be pulling out all of the stops to get rid of us.

Have you gotten throttled for using 2 gigabytes yet? Did it get you to switch to the new, tiered plans? And how does it make you feel about being an AT&T customer?

Apple has finally caught up with the huge demand for the iPhone 4S. For the first time since its iPhone 4S launch way back< in October/a>, all models of the iPhone 4S are now shown as in stock.

No matter which model you go for, 16GB, 32GB or 64GB or which carrier you choose from AT&T, Verizon or Sprint, they are all in stock. Even the unlocked and contract free models too.

Source: Apple Store via Macrumors

AT&T has reported sales of 7.6 million iPhone units totaling 80 percent of their overall smartphone sales in Q4 2011.

The iPhone 4S no doubt helped boost iPhone numbers after Apple reported sales of 37.04 million iPhones for Q1 2012 — their biggest quarter ever. Out of the 9.4 million smartphone sales in total for the quarter, 80 percent of them were the iPhone.

• 9.4 million smartphone sales, best-ever quarter and 50 percent more than previous quarterly record and nearly double 3Q11 sales; 82 percent of postpaid sales were smartphones
• Best-ever quarter for Android and Apple smartphones, including 7.6 million iPhone activations
• 571,000 branded computing device (tablets, aircards, etc.) sales, best-ever quarter to reach 5.1 million total subscribers; up almost 70 percent from a year ago
• 12th consecutive quarter with a year-over-year increase in postpaid wireless subscriber ARPU (average monthly revenues per subscriber), up 1.4 percent to $63.76 — more than $6 higher than nearest competitor’s ARPU
• 10.0 percent growth in wireless revenues
• 19.4 percent growth in wireless data revenues, up $956 million versus the year-earlier quarter

In addition to stellar iPhone numbers, AT&T was able to add a large number of data subscribers, including those using the iPad 3G and other data-enabled tablet devices. Revenue for the quarter reached $32.5 billion, a full $1.1 billion more than last year.

We’re looking forward to seeing how Sprint made out for Q4 2011 and, as always, will bring you the numbers on February 8th during their quarterly earnings call!

Source: AT&T

Have a shattered or unresponsive screen on your GSM iPhone 4 and need to know how to DIY repair it? If you don’t want to put out the extra cash for a new phone and feel pretty confident in your repair skills, we can walk you through how to fix your iPhone 4 on your own.

Disclaimer: As with any repair, iMore nor PXLFIX can be held responsible for any damage you may do to your device. It’s also worth considering that opening up your device to perform any repair or modification can and will void your Apple warranty. If you don’t feel comfortable opening your device, don’t. Use extreme care and caution when performing a repair on any device.

What you need for a DIY GSM iPhone 4 screen replacement

PXLFIX recommends using only quality and genuine parts from a reputable supplier like eTech Parts. They have quality parts, tools, and much more for all your repair needs.

• GSM iPhone 4 (please note there ARE internal differences between the GSM and CDMA models)
• New GSM iPhone 4 LCD & digitizer assembly – GSM iPhone 4 LCD and digitizer assembly
• SIM removal tool (or a paper clip)
• #00 Phillips screwdriver
• Pry tool or spudger (you may need a handheld razor blade as well)
• Security screwdriver (only if your iPhone has 5-point security screws in the dock connector)

Power off your iPhone 4

Before performing any repair, always power off your device before removing any screws or parts.

Remove the back

1. First remove the bottom 2 dock connector screws in your iPhone 4. Use either your #00 screwdriver or the five point depending on whether or not your iPhone 4 has security screws in the dock connector. Almost all newer devices will have security screws.

2. To remove the back simply slide the back upwards and lift it off gently.
3. Set the back and 2 dock connector screws aside.

Remove your SIM card

Use a SIM removal tool or a paperclip to remove your SIM card and tray. Set them aside.

Remove the battery

1. To remove the battery you’ll need to remove the #00 screw holding the battery clip in place. Remove this screw located to the bottom left of the battery.

2. The metal clip on the battery is what clips the battery to the logic board. You’ll need to pop this clip up with your plastic pry tool. Simply stick the end of your pry tool underneath the clip and gently pull upwards until it unfastens from the logic board.

3. To remove the battery, I do not recommend using the plastic pull tab. There is quite a bit of adhesive underneath the battery and the tab will normally just rip off or you can bend the battery. Instead, run your pry tool along the right side of the battery and break the adhesive that way. Once the battery is free from the adhesive, you can pull the battery out of the phone. There are no other connectors holding it in.

4. You will notice a tiny grounding clip sitting underneath where you unscrewed the battery. Set this aside for replacement during reassembly. This is a grounding clip for your antenna. Make sure you put it back in place before reconnecting your battery.

Remove the dock connector shield and disconnect the cable

1. There is a shield held on with two screws covering the dock connector cable. Remove the two screws holding it in place and set the shield and screws aside, remembering where they came from.

2. Next, use your pry tool to pry up the actual dock connector cable. Be careful as there is adhesive holding the cable in place as well. Peel back the adhesive gently to free the cable.

Remove the top logic board shield

1. There are 5 screws holding the logic board shield in place. Remove the 5 screws holding it in place. Just be sure to remember which holes they came out of as the screws are different sizes. I always keep them in order of how they came out.

2. Next you’ll need to remove the shield. There is a tiny clip built into the shield holding it in place. (Refer to the photo above.) Pop it up with your pry tool and you should be able to slide the shield up fairly easily. Just take care not to bend it or break off a clip.

Disconnect the 6 cables from the top of the logic board

1. There is only one connector holding the camera to the logic board. Remove this cable in the picture above using your pry tool. Gently lift upwards and it will pop right off.

2. Next gently lift the camera out of the device. You’ll notice there is a tiny tab that is seated underneath the LCD and digitizer cables to the right.

3. Next pop up the LCD and digitizer cables to the right of where the camera cable was connected. You pop them up in the same direction.

4. The 3 cables further to the right will need to be disconnected as well. They pop up in the opposite direction.

Remove the logic board

1. Start with the 2 screws holding the logic board down in the middle and at the bottom left. Both use your #00 Phillips screwdriver. They are the same size. The one on the right of the logic board in the middle of the device has a water sensor over it you’ll need to remove.
2. The second screw is located where the logic board meets the speaker assembly towards the bottom left of the device.

3. The third and final screw holding the logic board in is located at the top of the logic board off to the right. It is the only cross-head screw in your device. Use a small flathead screwdriver to carefully remove it.

4. You should now be able to remove your logic board. Holding it at the bottom, gently pull it upwards. I use my other hand to lift up at the top where the rear facing camera used to be.
5. Take note that there is a small rubber piece that sits at the top of the logic board. You will need this for re-assembly so make sure it doesn’t fall off. If you lose this, you could see reception issues.

Remove the speaker assembly

1. To remove the speaker assembly you have one more #00 screw to remove. It sits to the right of the speaker assembly in the bottom right hand corner of your device. Remove it.
2. The second screw holding the speaker assembly into your iPhone you’ve already removed when you removed the logic board.
3. Gently lift the speaker assembly out of your device and set it aside.

Remove the vibrator assembly

1. Locate your vibrator assembly in the upper right hand corner of your iPhone 4 (assuming you’re looking at it from the back).

2. It is held in with two screws. Use your #00 Phillips screwdriver and remove them. The screw on the left will be significantly longer. Just remember which screw came from where.

3. Next, gently lift the vibrator assembly out of the device.

Remove the 4 screws in each corner

There are 10 total screws that attach your iPhone 4 LCD/Digitizer assembly to your frame. The 4 in the corners will need to be completely removed. They are all #00 screws.

Loosen the remaining 6 screws

These screws run along the sides of your iPhone and also have washers on them. I find it best to just loosen them opposed to removing them completely. The washers are not fun to put back in. Loosening them will allow you to remove the LCD/Digitizer assembly just as easily. About 2 1/2 to 3 turns for each screw should loosen them up enough to continue. If you feel the washer wobbling back and forth a bit, you’ve loosened it enough.

Remove the broken LCD & digitizer assembly from your iPhone

This is where it can get a bit tricky. Your screen is held in not only with the 10 screws mentioned above but also with strong adhesive. You will need to break this adhesive in order to remove the front panel.

1. Hold your iPhone in one hand with the screen facing you. Starting in the top left hand corner, run a pry tool or razor blade in between the frame and front panel. You’ll need to pry up quite a bit in order to break the adhesive. Be careful around the front facing camera and speaker area.

2. Next move your pry tool or razor blade to the bottom of your device and do the same thing, working your way around until the adhesive is broken and the front panel starts to come off. If your screen is cracked, additional glass may break off. That’s perfectly normal.

3. To completely remove the front panel – start at the top of your iPhone and gently pull the assembly away from the frame. Be careful to allow the LCD and digitizer cables to slip through the opening in the frame without getting caught up.

Remove any left over glass or debris from the frame

Before reassembling your iPhone, you’ll need to make sure there is no glass stuck to the remaining adhesive or inside the frame. If there is it could cause damage to the new screen or you’ll be able to see it through the new assembly, which can be annoying. Just make sure you do a thorough job of picking off all the glass on and around the frame before continuing to reassembly.

Reassemble your iPhone

Once you’re sure you’ve gotten all the glass and leftover debris out of your iPhone, you’re ready for reassembly. Watch our reassembly video above or repeat all the steps above in the reverse order.

And… done!

If you followed the above steps correctly you should know have a working and non-broken iPhone 4 again. Have you done this repair yourself? Let us know how it went! Want to know how to perform another type of iPhone repair or modification? Send me suggestions to ally.kazmucha@imore.com or leave a comment in our brand new Mod and DIY Repair Forum!

For questions or to inquire about mail-in repairs through PXLFIX, please follow us on Twitter, like us on Facebook or e-mail us directly! Of course, you can like us and follow us just because you think we’re cool too!

AT&T has just announced some upcoming changes to their data plans for iPhone and iPad — and smartphones and tablets in general — that will go into effect as of Sunday, Jan. 22.

The new smartphone plans include:

• AT&T Data Plus 300MB: $20 for 300MB
• AT&T Data Pro 3GB: $30 for 3GB
• AT&T Data Pro 5GB: $50 for 5GB, with mobile hotspot / tethering

iPhone customers needing additional data can pay $10 per additional gigabyte on the AT&T Data Pro 3GB and Data Pro 5GB plans; AT&T Data Plus users will receive an extra 300MB for $20.

The new tablet plans include:

• AT&T DataConnect 3GB: $30 for 3GB
• AT&T DataConnect 5GB: $50 for 5GB

Current customers won’t be required to change to their already existing data plans. In other words, they’re not enforcing anyone onto the new plans… yet. However; if you find any of the new plans better then what you have now, you can up customer care and make the switch as of Jan 22.

Source: AT&T

YouTube Link

Replacing the rear camera in your GSM or CDMA iPhone 4 isn’t a very difficult DIY repair, as long as you have the right tools and parts. We’ll walk you through step by step and show you how to get your camera back into working order in no time. While the GSM and CDMA variants are slightly different, the guide will work for both. So grab your tools and your sad iPhone 4 and follow along!

Disclaimer: As with any repair, iMore nor PXLFIX can be held responsible for any damage you may do to your device. It’s also worth considering that opening up your device to perform any repair or modification can and will void your Apple warranty. If you don’t feel comfortable opening your device, don’t. Use extreme care and caution when performing a repair on any device.

What you need for a DIY iPhone 4 rear camera repair

PXLFIX recommends using only quality and genuine parts from a reputable supplier like eTech Parts. They have quality parts, tools, and much more for all your repair needs.

• GSM or CDMA iPhone 4
• Rear camera replacement – iPhone 4 camera
• #00 Phillips screwdriver
• Pry tool or spudger
• Security screwdriver (only if your iPhone has 5-point security screws in the dock connector)

Power off your iPhone 4

Before performing any repair, always power off your device before removing any screws or parts.

Remove the back of your iPhone

1. First remove the bottom 2 dock connector screws in your iPhone 4. Use either your #00 screwdriver or the five point depending on whether or not your iPhone 4 has security screws in the dock connector. Almost all newer devices will have security screws.

2. To remove the back simply slide the back upwards and lift it off gently.
3. Set the back and 2 dock connector screws aside.

Before we move on to actually replacing the camera. You may want to make sure your back plate is not the culprit if your camera is producing bad images. Check and make sure neither the inside or outside of the lens cover is scratches or cloudy. If it is, try taking a picture with your back cover removed. If the pictures turn out fine, you’ll just need to replace your iPhone 4 back cover. If your images are still blurry or the camera does not function at all, you’ll need to continue on to replace the actual rear camera component.

Remove the battery

1. To remove the battery you’ll need to remove the #00 screw holding the battery clip in place. Remove this screw located to the bottom left of the battery.

2. The metal clip on the battery is what clips the battery to the logic board. You’ll need to pop this clip up with your plastic pry tool. Simply stick the end of your pry tool underneath the clip and gently pull upwards until it unfastens from the logic board.

3. To remove the battery, I do not recommend using the plastic pull tab. There is quite a bit of adhesive underneath the battery and the tab will normally just rip off or you can bend the battery. Instead, run your pry tool along the right side of the battery and break the adhesive that way. Once the battery is free from the adhesive, you can pull the battery out of the phone. There are no other connectors holding it in.

4. GSM iPhone 4 users will notice a tiny grounding clip sitting underneath where you unscrewed the battery. Set this aside for replacement during reassembly. This is a grounding clip for your antenna. Make sure you put it back in place before reconnecting your battery. CDMA users will not see this as it is in a different location.

Remove the top logic board shield

1. There are 5 screws holding the logic board shield in place. Depending on whether you have a CDMA or GSM iPhone 4, your shield will look different. The process is the same though. Simply remove the 5 screws holding it in place. Just be sure to remember which holes they came out of as the screws are different sizes. I always keep them in order of how they came out.

2. Next you’ll need to remove the shield. Both models have a tiny clip built into the shield holding it in place. (Refer to the photo above.) Pop it up with your pry tool and you should be able to slide the shield up fairly easily. Just take care not to bend it or break off a clip. The Verizon variant seats into the logic board with two tiny notches underneath the camera connection. When reassembling, just line up the two notches on the shield and it will slide into place easily. For the AT&T model, just make sure the clip in the photo above is the first part you insert and it will line up nicely again.

Replace the rear camera

1. There is only one connector holding the camera to the logic board. Simply remove this cable in the picture above using your pry tool. Gently lift upwards and it will pop right off.

2. Next gently lift the camera out of the device. You’ll notice there is a tiny tab that is seated underneath the LCD and digitizer cables to the right.

3. To insert the new camera, start by sliding the tabbed part underneath the two cables and then push down gently to seat the camera. Try not to touch the lens at all.

4. Re-fasten the cable to the logic board.

And …done!

That’s it! All you’ll need to do now is reassemble your device in the reverse order and you’ll be taking pictures again in no time.

Have you done this repair yourself? Let us know how it went! Want to know how to perform another type of iPhone repair or modification? Send me suggestions to ally.kazmucha@tipb.com or leave a comment in our brand new Mod and DIY Repair Forum!

For repair questions or to inquire about mail-in repairs through PXLFIX, please follow us on Twitter or e-mail us directly!

Rene, Georgia, and Seth talk Santa Siri commercial, sexism charges, AT&T and T-Mobile deal, Nuance buying Vlingo, how to replace your iPhone 4 vibrator assembly, jailbreak, Facebook Timelines, Kindle updates, FPS games, and more. This is iPhone and iPad Live!

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• Nuance acquiring voice-recognition app maker Vlingo
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Jailbreak/Mod/DIY

• Weekly Mod: How to replace an iPhone 4 vibrator assembly (GSM only)
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If the vibrate function of AT&T/GSM iPhone 4 isn’t working or is very faint, you may need a new vibrator assembly. If you’re out of warranty but have just a little bit of ninja skill, it’s a very cheap and easy repair to perform yourself.

It’s worth noting that this guide is only valid for the AT&T or other GSM variant of the iPhone 4. The iPhone 4S and Verizon/CDMA iPhone 4 are very similar internally but very different from the GSM variant of the original iPhone 4. So if your iPhone 4 is not AT&T/GSM, proceed no further young Jedi!

Disclaimer: As with any repair, iMore nor PXLFIX can be held responsible for any damage you may do to your device. It’s also worth considering that opening up your device to perform any repair or modification can and will void your Apple warranty. If you don’t feel comfortable opening your device, don’t. Use extreme care and caution when performing a repair on any device.

What you need for a DIY vibrator assembly repair

PXLFIX recommends using only quality and genuine parts from a reputable supplier like eTech Parts. They have quality parts, tools, and much more for all your repair needs.

• A GSM iPhone 4
• Replacement vibrator assembly – GSM iPhone 4 vibrator assembly
• #00 Phillips screwdriver
• Security screwdriver (only if your iPhone has the security screws in the dock connector)

Power off your iPhone 4

You should always power off your device before performing any type of internal repair work. Simply hold down your top power button and Slide to power off.

Remove the back of your iPhone 4

1. First remove the bottom 2 dock connector screws in your iPhone 4. Use either your #00 screwdriver or the five point depending on whether or not your iPhone 4 has security screws in the dock connector. Almost all newer devices will have security screws.

2. To remove the back simply slide the back upwards and lift it off gently.
3. Set the back and 2 dock connector screws aside.

Replace the vibrator assembly

1. Locate your vibrator assembly in the upper right hand corner of your iPhone 4 (assuming you’re looking at it from the back).

2. It is held in with two screws. Use your #00 Phillips screwdriver and remove them. The screw on the left will be significantly longer. Just remember which screw came from where.

3. Next, gently lift the old vibrator assembly out of the device.

4. Place the new one in carefully and replace the two screws that hold it in place.

Reassemble your iPhone

All you need to do now is replace the back on your iPhone 4 and put the two dock connector screws back in.

And …done!

That’s all there is to it! Have you done this repair yourself? Let us know how it went! Want to know how to perform another type of iPhone repair or modification? Send me suggestions to ally.kazmucha@tipb.com or leave a comment in our brand new Mod and DIY Repair Forum!

For repair questions or to inquire about mail-in repairs through PXLFIX, follow us on Twitter or e-mail us directly!

AT&T has capitulated under Federal Communication Commission (FCC) and Department of Justice (DoJ) opposition and decided to abandon their efforts to merge with Deutsche Telekom’s T-Mobile USA.

The actions by the Federal Communications Commission and the Department of Justice to block this transaction do not change the realities of the U.S. wireless industry. It is one of the most fiercely competitive industries in the world, with a mounting need for more spectrum that has not diminished and must be addressed immediately. The AT&T and T-Mobile USA combination would have offered an interim solution to this spectrum shortage. In the absence of such steps, customers will be harmed and needed investment will be stifled.

AT&T will have to pay DT the $4 billion break-up fee, and press ahead with a roaming agreement.

So, how we feeling about this? Happy? Angry? Did the government just save us from an even smaller oligopoly of telco providers, or did they interfere with the natural course of capitalism. And what if anything does this mean for the chances of an official iPhone on T-Mobile?

Source: Street Insider

RadioShack is cutting the price of its iPhone 4 and iPhone 4S deals starting today with a limited time sale. The deal only applies to AT&T iPhone 4 and iPhone 4S sales and even includes some old inventory iPhone 4 models with 16GB and 32GB storage.

If you fancy picking up a deal, you will be looking at a $29.00 saving off every iPhone 4S model as long as you take out a new or upgrade two year plan. That equates to $169.99 for the 16GB model, $269.99 for the 32GB model and $369.99 for the 64GB model.

If you are interested in the iPhone 4, RadioShack will be offering the 8GB and 16GB at the same cost of $69.99 whilst the 32GB will cost just $169.99. Apparently multiple RadioShack locations have plenty of units in stock. If you are looking to save a few dollars and need a new iPhone, today could be a good day to do it.

Source: BGR

AT&T has been warning the top 5% of iPhone data users on their network for a while now that they’d start throttling their speeds. TiPb reader David, who previously got the infamous SMS nasty-gram, just received it again and since then can’t seem to get download speeds any faster than an EDGE-like 150Kbps.

His friends and co-workers are still getting full speed, ruling out a tower problem.

I called AT&T because I thought it was an issue with them and I did a trouble shooting session on the phone. After finishing they asked if I received any text from them and I replied “yes” and told them which one and that’s when AT&T told me “problem solved”. I asked how do I go from 14mbps to straight EDGE, bypassing 7.2mbps, and they couldn’t reply

Are you one of the top 5% who’ve previously received warnings from AT&T? Have you experienced any throttling this severe?

• AT&T data throttling thread in the TiPb AT&T Forum

Following a Federal Communications Commission proposal for hearings on the deal, AT&T has withdrawn its FCC application to buy T-Mobile USA from parent company Deutsche Telekom while simultaneously announcing they’re continuing to try and get DoJ approval. Still at stake — a ton of AT&T’s cash.

As a result of the FCC’s action, AT&T expects to recognize a pretax accounting charge of $4 billion ($3 billion cash and $1 billion book value of spectrum) in the 4th quarter of 2011 to reflect the potential break up fees due Deutsche Telekom in the event the transaction does not receive regulatory approval.

Once again the proposed AT&T – T-Mobile USA merger — AT&T-Mo if you’re nasty — proves itself to be the Schrodinger’s cat of the wireless industry. And that’s not good news for T-Mobile users still waiting… and waiting… and waiting… to get an official iPhone on their network.

Source: AT&T

AT&T still offers the fastest data speeds, with HSPA 14.4. Verizon claims the best network coverage. Sprint is the only major carrier still offering unlimited data to new iPhone owners. C-Spire is the only small carrier to pick up the iPhone 4S to date. T-Mobile… you have to work for it and it’s EDGE only, but that means you must really love them to stick with them!

But now that you have a choice, TiPb Nation, we’d like to know who you chose and why? Was it speed? Was it coverage? Was it data? Was it customer service? And did you switch from a different carrier to get iPhone 4S on your current carrier? As always, vote in the poll up top and give me the details in the comments below!

Looks like AT&T is still sending out passive aggressive — or aggressive aggressive — text messages to top iPhone data users again/still.

AT&T Free Msg: Your data usage this month is in the top 5% of users. Use Wi-Fi to help avoid reduced speeds in future bill cycles. Visit www.att.com/dataplans.

Nothing new, of course, they’ve been sniffing around for Jailbreak tetherers and trying to figure out other ways to lighten their network load for a while now. In this case, however, the reader who sent us the screen shot wasn’t even Jailboken, he was just streaming tons of video.

Anyone else wake up to this particular nastygram recently? If so, how much data did it take to make you a five-percenter?

• TiPb AT&T help and discussion forum

Thanks: David!

We have another device that I think is going to dramatically change those people that are on smartphones and quick messaging devices, the [iPhone] 3GS, which is free with a 2-year contract. We’ve seen a tremendous, tremendous demand for that device even though it’s a generation old. And actually, we’re getting more new subscribers coming on the 3GS on the average than other devices. So we also have an inventory sold out on that device.

Source: Seeking Alpha via MacRumors

iDB conducted a few speed tests on the new iPhone 4S comparing data performance across AT&T, Verizon and the newcomer, Sprint.

It looks like AT&T and Verizon are just about neck and neck despite the iPhone 4S supporting AT&T’s HSPA+ network, with Sprint falling pretty far behind. Keep in mind the comparisons aren’t exactly scientific, so your mileage may vary. It also appears that data coverage isn’t optimal in the area they shot the video given the speedtest.net results, but this gives you a pretty good idea of how the iPhone 4S performs under the different networks.

Check out the full video below and let us know what speeds your seeing on your new iPhone 4S!

Source: iDB

Sprint and Verizon will offer the iPhone 4S with an unlocked micro-SIM card slot according to information given to Macworld. The iPhone 4S is the first iPhone that can be classed as a world phone which means it has a GSM and CDMA radio. This is particularly useful if travelling overseas where CDMA networks are few and far between.

In simple terms, this means that users of Sprint or Verizon who buy an iPhone 4S and travel overseas will have the ability to install a local micro-SIM card in their phone; to use on GSM networks. AT&T will still offer the iPhone 4S with a locked micro-SIM card slot; which means users can roam on overseas GSM networks but do so via AT&T agreements with local carriers. This leads to a huge increase in call and data charges with this method.

If you use Sprint or Verizon and travel overseas, having an unlocked phone could save you a considerable amount of money. The downside however is that your number will be different when using a local micro-SIM card. Sprint’s iPhone 4S will be unlocked from day one but Verizon will do it on request after 60 days; as long as your account is in good standing.

Source: Macworld

We're up, ready and raring to go at CTIA Enterprise & Applications here in San Diego. First up is the Day 1 keynote, with the CEOs of Sprint, Verizon and AT&T. Just as when they got together for us in March, this should prove to be a barn burner.

Join us after the break for the liveblog. Things get going at 9:30 a.m. Pacific, 12:30 p.m. Eastern.

iPhone 4S is the first iPhone to have both Verizon and Sprint CDMA versions available alongside the AT&T GSM version. CDMA is famous for its rock solid reliability and call quality and now that iPhone 4S is a world phone, it can even roam on international GSM network. However, CDMA brings with it some downsides as well, including lack of simultaneous voice and data over 3G, subtle quirks to SMS, and greatly reduced conference call options.

None of these are unique to iPhone 4S on Verizon or Sprint, but they’re something to keep in mind if you’re thinking of switching to one of those networks now that they have iPhone 4S.

So here’s the deal.

There are some great advantages to CDMA. It tends to need less towers to cover greater areas so CDMA networks typically have better reception in more places. This also means they tend to sound better, more often for voice calls. If you use your iPhone as a phone — who knew? — and that’s the most important thing to you, or if Verizon or Sprint provide the only reliable coverage in your area, than case closed.

If cost is a factor, well we’ve already put together that breakdown for you.

• AT&T vs. Verizon vs. Sprint: Which iPhone 4S should you choose?

But if you want to know what you’re getting into when it comes to the data and conference calling tradeoffs, there are several things to consider.

Note: We’ll be using a lot of tech terms, so see our wireless networking guide for more on what all these acronyms mean.

Slower 3G data

iPhone 4S on AT&T and other GSM networks supports 14.4 Mbps HSPA+ download speeds. Depending on where you live, you may never get anywhere near that speed in the real world, but the potential is there.

By contrast, while CDMA-2000 give Verizon and Sprint great voice, their EV-DO rev A 3G data speeds are theoretically limited to about 3.1 Mbps.

No simultaneous voice and data

Verizon and Sprint’s EV-DO Rev. A network does not support simultaneous voice and data the way HSPA and HSPA+ does for AT&T (and other GSM carriers).

That means if a call comes in while you’re using 3G data — surfing the web, Skyping, sharing your connection via personal hotspot — you can either ignore the call and continue using 3G data, or answer the call and effectively put your 3G data connection on “pause”. If you’re on a call you won’t receive email or push notifications and if you try to surf the web or download an app you’ll be informed you’re not connected to the 3G network. Once the call ends, 3G data reconnects and you can start using the internet again.

If you’re on Wi-Fi as opposed to 3G data you can make calls and use data without a problem. It’s only 3G data that cuts out during calls.

Verizon and Sprint have chosen not to roll out EV-DO Rev. B, which does support simultaneous data in favor of more quickly deploying a 4G LTE network (currently a hybrid CDMA-voice with LTE-data network, in the future a Voice over LTE network) and WiMax with LTE to follow, respectively. There are some phones that support Voice over Rev A (VoRA) aka SVDO which will allow for simultaneous voice and data on CDMA/EV-DO phones, but not the Verizon or Sprint iPhone. (See The Cell Phone Junky for more on the technology.)

SMS/Text splitting

SMS/Text messages are limited to 160 characters. On many phones, if a message exceeds 160 characters, the OS will be able to put it back together and still show it as a single message to both the sender and receiver.

On CDMA networks this doesn’t always seem to work as well as on GSM and once an SMS hits 160 characters, any additional text is split off into a second message, after 320, a third message, etc. The same content is still delivered, it’s just not presented as nicely. (In some cases the message parts might even appear out of order which is even more annoying.)

Again, some users claim to seldom if ever experience this problem in the real world, others say it happens often enough to annoy them.

Limited conference calling

Verizon and Sprint’s CDMA networks only supports “3 way calling” so you can only enter into a conference call with up to 2 other people (3 including yourself) at the same time. It doesn’t matter if iPhone can handle more, CSMA networks and hence the Verizon and Sprint iPhone is limited to 3-way calling.

Likewise, handling conference calls is also more challenging on the CDMA iPhones since you can’t take one party “private” or hang up on one caller while keeping the other active. You can only hang up on all of them at once.

Apple provides the following diagram in their knowledge base:

The network

So yes, overall there are a lot of limitations to the way CDMA handles voice. However, if Verizon or Sprint has great coverage in your area, you’re on Wi-Fi when you want to talk and surf, split SMS/Text messages rarely happen or don’t bother you, and agile conference calling isn’t a must-have business feature for your iPhone, you may not care.

Otherwise it’s a compromise. Decide what’s most important to you and which carrier best provides it. If anything is a deal-breaker, then that makes your choice much simpler.

For more information and help check out our iPhone 4S Forum.

Reuters is reporting that AT&T pre-sold 200,000 iPhone 4S‘ in the first 12 hours of it being available on pre-order. They said it was in “extraordinary demand”.

In the next paragraph they report fans were “underwhelmed” by it. Obviously not enough to hurt sales.

No word yet on Verizon or Sprint, or Apple’s own numbers.

Source: Reuters

As TiPb feared, This Is My Next says AT&T may indeed have plans to seize some competitive advantage over Verizon and Sprint by using a little faux 4G, just as they’ve been doing with Android for a while now.

the carrier is apparently “working with Apple” to change the indicator in theiPhone 4S (which tops out at 14.4Mbps, up from the iPhone 4′s 7.2Mbps) to show “4G” in the status bar as well.

Apple has a history of not allowing carriers to manipulate any aspects of the iPhone so hopefully AT&T won’t get too far with this. Apple themselves don’t even mentioned HSPA+ in their iPhone 4S specs, even though it technically qualifies as HSPA +. Likewise, Apple SVP of marketing, Phil Schiller mentioned during the Lets Talk iPhone keynote that Apple won’t get into the business of determining what’s true 4G and what isn’t.

Given that Verizon and Sprint are only getting the same EV-DO rev A radio speeds as iPhone 4, it’s easy to see why AT&T is pushing so hard. In fact, they’ve even put out a handy infographic to push the point:

Source: This Is My Next, AT&T PR

Once you’ve decided you should get an iPhone 4S, in the US the question becomes — AT&T, Verizon, or Sprint, which carrier should you choose? Back in January we compared the AT&T iPhone to the Verizon iPhone, and if you’re already tied to one carrier and don’t want to pay early termination fees, the decision may be easy; if not, the information can be daunting and overwhelming. TiPb is here to help!

To see a breakdown of prices and features, follow along after the break!

The best way to compare prices, is with a chart. So here you go:

Unlimited data on Sprint

One thing to point out is that Sprint’s prices include unlimited messaging and data and that AT&T and Verizon do not offer any unlimited data plan to new users (if you’ve previously had unlimited data, you may be grandfathered in and can ignore this). Unlimited data is a huge advantage that Sprint has over the other two carriers.

The coverage question

However, how much you get on paper for your money should not be the sole determining factor towards your decision. What good is unlimited data if you are frequently in places that don’t have good reception. TiPb always recommends that you do further research on the carriers specifically in your area. Ask your friends, family, and co-workers which carriers they have and how pleased they are with their service.

Pricing plans

Sprint is cheaper than AT&T and Verizon, but it’s only about 4.8% cheaper than AT&T and about 9.1% cheaper than Verizon. It adds up, sure, but quality of service has some value as well, and it’s up to you to determine how much that value is to you.

Please don’t think I’m bashing Sprint, because I’m not. There are plenty of areas where Sprint blows AT&T away when it comes to reliable service, and there are also many places where all three carriers are equally just as good (or bad). The point I’m making is that you have to take many things into consideration when choosing a carrier.

CDMA/EV-DO vs. GSM/HSPA+

Another concern is simultaneous voice and data, a feature that is not compatible with Verizon’s and Sprint’s CDMA networks. You will need to be connected to Wi-Fi in order to access both voice and data at the same time with Verizon and Sprint. CDMA also has worse conference calling and other limitations.

Lastly, the Verizon and Sprint iPhone 4S will be no faster than the Verizon and Sprint iPhone 4 — both use the same EV-DO data radio. However, the AT&T/GSM iPhone 4S will theoretically be up to twice as fast as the iPhone 4, supporting HSPA+ 14.4 mbps downloads. (Actually speeds in the real world can and will vary.)

For a complete rundown see:

• Verizon and Sprint iPhone 4S and the limitations of CDMA

Making the choice

We never claimed that choosing a carrier would be an easy decision, but we hope having the information in one place may help. If you have any questions, please ask us in the comments below or check out our Carrier Forums for help:

• AT&T Forum
• Verizon Forum
• Sprint and T-Mobile Forum

Phone Scoop was able to confirm that Sprint, as rumored, will be offering iPhone customers unlimited data plans starting at $69.99.

Sprint today confirmed to Phone Scoop via telephone that the Apple iPhone 4S will have access to all the same voice and data plans (at the same rates) that Sprint’s current smartphones do — including unlimited 3G data and the 5GB mobile hotspot cap.

Both AT&T and Verizon have switched to tiered pricing and no longer offer unlimited data plans for new customers (unless you’ve been grandfathered in, you’re out of luck). With Sprint taking on a $20 billion gamble with the iPhone, something like this to help differentiate themselves from the competition could really go a long way in securing new subscribers.

The iPhone 4S is scheduled to be released on Sprint, AT&T and Verizon on October 14th in the US, with pre-orders starting this Friday. Will this news have any impact on which carrier you’ll go with?

Source: Phone Scoop

As of right now, it appears as though AT&T will not be honoring upgrade prices for the iPhone 4S to early iPhone 4 adopters. In the past, early adopters have been able to purchase the new iPhone at the upgrade price even though their account wasn’t technically available for an upgrade yet.

I purchased the iPhone 4 on the day of release, but when checking my availability for the iPhone 4S from Apple’s website, I’m presented with the following prices:

Before November 25, 2011:

• iPhone 4S: 16GB – $449
• iPhone 4S: 32 GB – $549
• iPhone 4S: 64GB – $649
• iPhone 4: 8GB – $349
• iPhone 3GS: 8GB – $199

The prices listed for after November 25 are the same prices that Apple announced earlier today: $199, $299, $399, $99, and $0.

If history repeats itself, AT&T will come to their senses and move the upgrade dates to October 14. This is normal behavior for them: send customers into a panic, then change their minds at the last minute. However, there is still the possibility of them sticking to their guns and not budging with their prices.

If AT&T sticks with these prices, will you still be lining up to essentially pay a $250 fee to purchase the iPhone 4S 42 days sooner?

In a company blog post earlier today, Cole Brodman, Chief Marketing Officer for T-Mobile USA, told customers that they were interested in offering a “no-compromise iPhone experience” on their network, but offered little details on the negotiations between the carrier and Apple.

We’ve heard from many customers who love their T-Mobile service, but are disappointed that we don’t carry the iPhone. To these customers, first, thank you for your business. Please know that we think the iPhone is a great device and Apple knows that we’d like to add it to our line-up. Today, there are over a million T-Mobile customers using unlocked iPhones on our network. We are interested in offering all of our customers a no-compromise iPhone experience on our network.

One interesting takeaway is the current amount T-Mobile customers using an unlocked iPhone on the service. Although T-Mobile has never offered the iPhone to its customers, over a million users have been able to unlock the iPhone to run on the network.

Funny, though, that Brodman went into how T-Mobile offers a plethora of Android devices to cull would-be iPhone users until they’re officially under the Apple umbrella. Given recent surveys suggesting roughly 31 percent of current Android device owners are planning on jumping ship to the iPhone as their next purchase, this doesn’t bode well for T-Mobile who currently has the lowest number of US customers (around 32 million).

It will be interesting to see how the AT&T/T-Mobile merger plays out and if that will have any impact on T-Mobile finally offering the iPhone to its customers.

Source: T-Mobile via AndroidCentral

The Seidio Innocase Active case for the iPhone 4 is a nice choice if you want decent protection but don’t want something as bulky as an Otterbox Defender. The case is made up of two separate pieces – a harder outer shell and a rubberized case that goes on first to give the phone a little more protection and padding.

The Innocase Active provides good protection and easy access to all ports. Port accessibility is something I’ve noticed to be a downfall with cases that provide more protection. Sometimes the ports are harder to access or the buttons are hard to push through a thicker casing. Since the Innocase Active goes on in two pieces, the harder outer shell gives you more protection but only the rubber portion covers all your buttons, making them easy to press which is always an added bonus.

I also didn’t feel like the case added a ton of bulk which is a huge issue of mine with cases as heavy as the Otterbox. I love the iPhone 4′s smaller form factor and adding a heavy case to it always seemed to ruin that for me. My iPhone is never in my purse but always in my pocket. So a thicker case makes it more of a pain to slide easily into a jean or shirt pocket. I was happy with the thickness of the Innocase Active and thought it provided more than adequate protection without adding tons of bulk.

I also had no issues with any accessories (3rd party or original Apple). All my chargers fit in nicely including my Griffin car charger. I despised the original Apple bumpers because no 3rd party chargers typically fit. You’d have to remove them. You won’t need to worry about this with the Innocase Active. All my accessories worked just fine with the exception of the Apple dock. But that’s to be expected unless you have a case where the bottom comes off such as the Innocase II line for iPhone 4 which is a great line of cases made by Seidio as well.

Pros

• Provides extremely decent protection in a slimmer form factor
• A wide variety of colors to choose from
• Good price for the amount of protection it provides
• All buttons and the volume switch are easy to press/toggle
• All ports are easily accessed without removing the case

Cons

• The case is a bit tough to get on at first as aligning the inside rubber case inside the grooves in the outer shell is a bit annoying
• After taking it off and putting it back on several times I found that the inner rubber case started to fray around the edges a bit

The Seidio Innocase Active for AT&T iPhone 4 can currently be found in the TiPb accessory store for $27.95.

Giveaway

We’re also going to give one away. If this is a case you think you want, leave a comment letting us know why you want one or your favorite thing about the Seidio Innocase Active. We’ll pick one lucky reader and mail you one on us!

If the US Government and the Department of Justice weren’t enough, now the AT&T and T-Mobile US merger has to go up against… Sprint. Yes, adding some measure of insult to potential anti-trust injury, Medium Sized Yellow has sued to prevent Big Blue and Small Magenta from combining to form… slightly bigger Blue with just a blush of rose. (And yes, this is me taking the news far, far less seriously than Sprint intended.)

“Sprint opposes AT&T’s proposed takeover of T-Mobile,” said Susan Z. Haller, vice president-Litigation, Sprint. “With today’s legal action, we are continuing that advocacy on behalf of consumers and competition, and expect to contribute our expertise and resources in proving that the proposed transaction is illegal.”

Sprint’s lawsuit focuses on the competitive and consumer harms which would result from a takeover of T-Mobile by AT&T. The proposed takeover would:

• Harm retail consumers and corporate customers by causing higher prices and less innovation.
• Entrench the duopoly control of AT&T and Verizon, the two “Ma Bell” descendants, of the almost one-quarter of a trillion dollar wireless market. As a result of the transaction, AT&T and Verizon would control more than three-quarters of that market and 90 percent of the profits.
• Harm Sprint and the other independent wireless carriers. If the transaction were to be allowed, a combined AT&T and T-Mobile would have the ability to use its control over backhaul, roaming and spectrum, and its increased market position to exclude competitors, raise their costs, restrict their access to handsets, damage their businesses and ultimately to lessen competition.

While it does feel like slapping a parking ticket on a guy already facing Federal court, you gotta admire Sprint’s moxie. And if all 4 US carriers score iPhone 5‘s this fall, competition might never be fiercer.

[Sprint]

Great news if you are a big talker and have an iPhone on the AT&T network. AT&T has started sending out text messages offering you 1000 free rollover minutes. All you have to do is reply with the word “Yes” and the extra minutes will be added to your account.

Sounds too good to be true. To get your minutes added just make sure your reply to the text message before the closing date of September 7. Also if you don’t receive the text message, try sending a text saying “Yes” to 11113020, you may be lucky and get a response confirming your in!

Thanks Cody for the tip!

The United States Department of Justice has filed its opposition to the AT&T – T-Mobile US merger on anti-trust grounds.

AT&T’s elimination of T-Mobile as an independent low priced rival would remove a significant competitive force from the market

AT&T was pursuing the merger in an attempt to get T-Mobile’s AWS spectrum to use for a bigger, better LTE 4G roll out.

(Probably smart that T-Mobile wasn’t waiting on AT&T to get iPhone 5.)

This story is still developing and we’ll update with more information as it comes in.

[Bloomberg, thanks Jack!]

Let’s be blunt — if you’re not in the TiPb Forums you’re missing out on the best darn discussion in iPhone and iPad today, so head on over and register now!

• iOS 5 beta 6 bug report
• iOS 5 SMS design
• Sprint iPhone coming?
• AT&T LTE iPhone in the near future?
• Jailbreaking and unlocking forum

See you in the forums!

AT&T has confirmed to Engadget that, as of August 21, they’ll be removing all but the unlimited SMS/Text messaging plans:

“We regularly evaluate our offers and are making some adjustments to our messaging lineup.

Starting August 21, we’re streamlining our text messaging plans for new customers and will offer an unlimited plan for individuals for $20 per month and an unlimited plan for families of up to five lines for $30 per month. The vast majority of our messaging customers prefer unlimited plans and with text messaging growth stronger than ever, that number continues to climb among new customers. Existing customers don’t have to change any messaging plan they have today, even when changing handsets.”

With iOS 5 and iMessage likely set for an early October launch, AT&T was facing a world where Apple provided an easy, integrated way to seamlessly exchange free instant messages inside the same Messages app that hosts costly, carrier-based SMS/text messages. Arguably, a subscriber who’s friends and family were also mostly on iPhones could have downgraded to a lower plan to save some money.

Now that can’t happen. It’s unlimited or nothing. And as MG Siegler points out on Paris Lemon, it’s quite a coincidence.

SMS is huge money for carriers considering the data used is next to nothing and the price is stratospheric, and iMessage was a threat to that traditional, exorbitant revenue stream.

Now we’re just left to wonder which other carriers will follow suit.

[Engadget, ParisLemon]

A while back TiPb heard something that sounded so outlandish, so beyond the realm of possibility, that we decided not to publish it — that AT&T’s 4G LTE launch hero device could, in fact, be the iPhone. It still sounds outlandish, even though there hasn’t been word one about which phone AT&T will launch with, but given the availability of the logical Qualcomm LTE chipset, it still seems beyond the realm of possibility.

But BGR recently caught glimpse of LTE references in a carrier-test build of iOS firmware, and now Engadget has heard that LTE equipment in the 700MHz and AWS frequencies is being installed in major Apple Stores in the US… by AT&T.

I’m not getting my hopes up, nor should you. AT&T could still launch an Android device and Apple could still wait for 2012 for an LTE powered iPhone 6. But as Hans Gruber said in Die Hard, Christmas is the time for miracles.

UPDATE: 9to5Mac says Verizon is also installing LTE equipment at Apple Stores. [9to5Mac]

[Engadget

Is August 11 the date when AT&T finally starts forcibly switching Jailbreak users who tether unofficially to limited, tiered plans? We knew AT&T was warning users tethering unofficially with apps like MyWi, and that they were threatening to take away their unlimited plans, but when they would start the process has always been a question.

The August 11 date comes from a 9to5Mac reader.

I was just informed that as of Thursday August 11th 2011, if you use MyWi or any tethering on the phone or using the phone as a modem, AT&T will automatically change ur unlimited plan to a 2Gb tethering plan for 45 dollars without the customers consent. This is for those who received emails or texts about the use of tethering without an AT&T tethering plan.

AT&T has confirmed that they will be forcibly switching users to the tiered plans, but not the date.  Has anyone else been given a date by AT&T?

[9to5 Mac]

Ever wanted to know the speed of your data connections download and upload link? This tip may come in very handy especially now that AT&T has officially said it will begin throttling data speeds for the top 5% of data users. Read on and we will show you how to do it.

How to test your WiFi network data connection:

• Download Speedtest.net Mobile Speed Test from the App Store, it is free. [iTunes - link]
• Make sure you are connected to your WiFi network.
• Start Speedtest.net application and it will locate your nearest server. The server provides the communication to your device which will determine your data speeds. You must have  location services turned on for this app for it to fnction correctly.
• Press Begin Test and you will see the app burst into life. It will download a test file and upload a test file to ascertain your data connection speeds.
• When complete, it will tell you your WiFi data connection download and upload speed.

How to test your cell network data connection

• Download Speedtest.net Mobile Speed Test from the App Store, it is free. [iTunes - link]
• Make sure you are not connected to your WiFi network, go to Settings, Wi-Fi and toggle Wi-Fi off. This will ensure you are using your cell data connection.
• Start Speedtest.net application and it will locate your nearest server. The server provides the communication to your device which will determine your data speeds. You must have  location services turned on for this app for it to fnction correctly.
• Press Begin Test and you will see the app burst into life. It will download a test file and upload a test file to ascertain your data connection speeds.
• When complete, it will tell you your cell data connection download and upload speed. (Don’t laugh, I know it’s pathetic)

That is all you need to do. You should notice that your WiFi data connection is reasonably stable but your cell connection can vary dramatically; this is totally normal.

Tips of the day will range from beginner-level 101 to advanced-level ninjary. If you already know this tip, keep the link handy as a quick way to help a friend. If you have a tip of your own you’d like to suggest, add them to the comments or send them in to news@tipb.com. (If it’s especially awesome and previously unknown to us, we’ll even give ya a reward…)

From the Forums is a great way to see what all of the current hot topics are on the TiPb forums. In order to create any new threads of your own or reply to any of the existing threads, you must be a registered member. Becoming a member is a simple process that will only take a few minutes out of your day, so if you have not already already done so, head on over and register now!

• How do you feel about this AT&T data throttling? Will it or will it not effect you?

• Here is a discussion of what the next iPhone will be called.

• Any bugs or issues you have run into on iOS beta 4 can be discussed in this thread.

• It looks like we will see another iPad released before the years end, what will it take to persuade you to make the purchase if you already own the second generation?

See you in the forums!

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Rene and Seth talk about trying to buy a Galaxy Tab 10.1, more iPad 3 in October rumours, iPad vs. Nintendo, AT&T data throttling, and Facebook for iPad… sorta. This is iPad Live!

• Show notes

Hosts

• Rene @reneritchie)
• Seth @sethclifford)

Credits

Thanks to the TiPb iPad Accessory Store for sponsoring the podcast, and to everyone who showed up for the live chat!

Music Hear me Roar by iPad Live theme song contest winner, DieselJesus!

All Things D has heard from reliable sources that the iPhone 5 will not be launching until October. It was previously thought that the iPhone 5 would launch by September at the very latest.

Sources with knowledge of the situation say reports claiming AT&T has blacked out employee vacations during the last two weeks of September in preparation for the retail debut of the next iPhone are misinformed. Instead, it’s going to be an October surprise — the month in which Apple will be launching its next generation iPhone.

It will be interesting to see if Apple has its usual early September iPod event; surely iPhone 5 would have to be announced either before that or at the same time!

[All Things D]

If you still have an “unlimited” data plan with AT&T and you’re among the top 5% of data users, prepare to be throttled.

Starting October 1, smartphone customers with unlimited data plans may experience reduced speeds once their usage in a billing cycle reaches the level that puts them among the top 5 percent of heaviest data users. These customers can still use unlimited data and their speeds will be restored with the start of the next billing cycle. Before you are affected, we will provide multiple notices, including a grace period.

This change will never impact the vast majority of our customers, and is designed to create a better service experience for all.

AT&T stresses they’re not the only one doing this, and that most users will never see the throttling, just those heaviest, most video streaming, sneakily tethering, packet clogging, network reputation ruining five-percenters.

[AT&T]

Asymco has put up some interesting metrics showing how the most recent 20 million iPhone sales quarter can be broken up between AT&T, Verizon, and “other” — aka international carriers. Not surprisingly, especially in light of Apple’s Q3 earnings, international is huge.

Verizon did contribute (4.5 million Verizon iPhone users is nothing to sneeze at) but the contribution was to a degree that was nowhere near a big bang.

That was because the real big bang was from the rest of the world.

These numbers are particularly impressive considering fewer international markets have access to music, movies, TV shows, books, and apps/games, though the latter of those is changing rapidly. Imagine when they catch up?

[Asymco]

AT&T announced their Q2 2011 financial results today and they include 3.6 million iPhone activations, with 24% of subscribers being new to AT&T.

AT&T continues to deliver robust smartphone sales. (Smartphones are voice and data devices with an advanced operating system to better manage data and Internet access.) In the second quarter, 5.6 million smartphones were sold, a second-quarter record and the third-highest quarter ever. Smartphone sales also increased more than 43 percent year over year. Sales of non-iPhone smartphones more than doubled year over year. Nearly 70 percent of postpaid device sales were smartphones. During the quarter, 3.6 million iPhones were activated.

Android likely accounts for a huge majority of those “other smartphones”.

Apple yesterday announced 20 million iPhones sold in Q3 2011 (Apple and AT&T have different financial year-ends, so Q3 for Apple is Q2 for AT&T). It will be interesting to see how many iPhones Verizon moved when they release their results.

[ATT]

Traveling to another country and wondering how to change your iPhone’s data settings so you can use a local SIM and avoid ridiculous roaming charges? Now that Apple is selling unlocked iPhones in the United States, something that has been available in Europe and Canada for some time, almost everyone has that option. However, while Apple does have a built in database of supported carrier settings, if the local carrier you decide to use is not on the supported list, your data settings will not work… unless you enter the settings manually. We’ll show you how after the break!

In this how to, I use a network in the UK called Giff Gaff; it is an MVNO of O2 UK. When you first put the Giff Gaff SIM in the iPhone 4, it defaults to O2 cellular data settings. This won’t work with Giff Gaff so it has to be changed to the correct settings.

To do this, follow these simple steps:-

• Go into Settings, General, Network, Cellular Data Network
• You will now see three headings, Cellular Data, Visual Voicemail and MMS
• To get data working we will need to change the APN settings, make sure you know what these are for the network you are going to use. A simple Google search should help.

• Click on APN and enter the new APN details, in my case it is: giffgaff.com
• Click on username and enter the new username details, in my case it is: giffgaff
• Click on password and enter the new password details, in my case it is: password

That should be it; you should now be able to access the cellular data network for the new carrier. If you also have the Visual Voicemail and MMS settings for the network you are using, you can enter them in exactly the same way!

Tips of the day will range from beginner-level 101 to advanced-level ninjary. If you already know this tip, keep the link handy as a quick way to help a friend. If you have a tip of your own you’d like to suggest, add them to the comments or send them in to news@tipb.com. (If it’s especially awesome and previously unknown to us, we’ll even give ya a reward…)

AT&T has announced new international data roaming packages, and while they aren’t great, they are better than what’s been available before. Here’s the spin:

“Mobile data is a huge part of our customers’ wireless experience—whether they are in the United States or traveling around the globe,” said Bill Hague, executive vice president of International, AT&T Mobility and Consumer Markets. “We’ve long offered more phones that can be used internationally than our competitors, and now we’re delivering industry-leading value with redesigned international data packages.”

And here are the rates:

• 50MB package for $24.99/month compared to the current 20MB package for $24.99/month
• 125MB package for $49.99/month compared to the current 50MB package for $59.99/month
• 275MB package for $99.99/month compared to the current 100MB package for $119.99/month
• 800MB package for $199.99/month compared to the current 200MB package for $199.99/month

Of course, if you use the 800MB plan more than 3 times, you’ve spent as much as an unlocked iPhone direct from Apple…

[AT&T via WPCentral]

Shing Yin, a Citadel Securities analyst, thinks a Sprint iPhone deal may not be that far off, perhaps as soon as this year, which would likely mean a CDMA iPhone 5. After Verizon finally shipped the iPhone 4, we found out T-Mobile might be getting one, either on their own or as part of the ongoing T-Mobile and AT&T merger. That leaves Sprint sitting alone in the corner.

Interestingly enough, after Verizon ends unlimited data on July 7, 2011, Sprint will be the only carrier to still offer unlimited data. Yin things that may appeal to Apple.

With lower prices on plans, a Sprint iPhone could offer an attractive proposition for more price-conscious users (a demographic that we think is increasingly important to Apple following the rise of Android)…

I think it’s only a matter of time before Sprint picks up the iPhone. I’m not convinced they’ll receive the next hardware iteration at the same time as Verizon and AT&T but I could see a launch later in the year or early next year, the same way Verizon got the iPhone 4 roughly 8 months after AT&T.

Like with AT&T, eventually everyone on Verizon who wants an iPhone, even an iPhone 5, will have one, and selling into Sprint’s user base is the next logical step for expansion in the US.

Barron’s

AT&T seems to be conducting an online survey, asking customers if they’d like an iPhone with a hardware keyboard.

Which one smartphone, if any, would you most likely consider buying if they were all using the iOS (Apple) operating system.

Along with the traditional full touchscreen slab (think all iPhone models to date, four other options are presented:

1. Front-facing QWERTY (think BlackBerry Bold)
2. Vertical slider (think HP Pre)
3. Horizontal slider (think Droid)
4. Extended front-facing QWERTY (think Droid Pro)

Apple hasn’t ever offered any type of hardware keyboard on any iOS device, and I doubt that’s going to change any time soon. iPhone 5 almost certainly won’t have a hardware keyboard, and even if Apple decides to pull the trigger on a lower-priced iPhone for emerging markets, it’s hard to imagine them putting a hardware keyboard on that either. So why exactly AT&T is testing these waters is unknown. (Unless Samsung is doing some stealth product research…)

[Thanks to Phil from Android Central passing this on.]

AT&T has updated its insurance terms and from July 17 it will also cover the iPhone. The insurance program covers your phone against loss, theft, accidental damage including liquid spillage and mechanical / electrical failure. The insurance package costs $4.99 a month plus there is an excess of between $50 and $125; depending on which model phone you have.

AT&T Mobile Insurance Update: Effective July 17, 2011, the Apple iPhone (all models) will be eligible for coverage with the AT&T Mobile Insurance program (formerly Wireless Phone Insurance). Enrollment restrictions apply. Customers can only enroll within 30 days of a new activation or upgrade, prior activations or upgrades outside of 30 days are not eligible.

[AT&T via MacRumors]

As Rene previously mentioned, we have been making massive changes in our forums the past few weeks in effort to provide you with one of the best Apple related communities on the web. And the changes do not stop here, in the next few weeks we will continue improving our community to the best of our abilities.

Listed below are some of the hottest forums currently within the community. We are proud of the improvements that have been made so if you have not already done so, please take a moment visit our forums and register today!

• Discuss rumors and speculation surrounding the upcoming iOS 5.

• Discuss and get help with Apple’s upcoming iCloud service (and MobileMe… while it lasts!).

• Discuss rumors and speculation surrounding iPhone 5!

• Discuss and get help with Jailbreaking the iPhone, iPad, iPod touch, or Apple TV, and talk about Jailbeak apps and hacks.

• Discuss and get help with the AT&T/GSM iPhone 4.

• Discuss and get help with the CDMA/Verizon iPhone 4.

Expect more great changes to come in the weeks ahead! See you in the forums!

AT&T transitioned to data caps and tiered plans just over a year ago and come this summer, Verizon will follow suit. Are you concerned? International iPhone users have had to deal with data caps and tiered plans for years, but in the US “unlimited data” was pretty much expected. It framed users’ habits. Streaming internet radio, watching internet video, tethering on the down-low… You could do all of that without the slightest thought.

Many users are already and will remain “grandfathered” into “unlimited data”, but if you want official tethering, you’ll have to switch, or like we’re seen with AT&T, be forcibly switched, to the new, capped and tiered plans. And then you have to start planning for limited data.

Netflix, in response to broadband caps, has started offering smaller sized streams to users worried about their data consumption.

Starting today, watching movies & TV shows in Canada will use 2/3 less data on average with minimal impact to video quality. For example, watching 30 hours of Netflix movies & TV shows will only use 9 GB of data, well below most Canadian ISP data caps. Previously, 30 hours from Netflix typically used 31 GB.

Skyfire has long made a web browser that proxies and compresses data.

A recently released Nielson poll showed that the average smartphone user watched 3.25 hours of mobile video each month in 2010. In a video data consumption test, Skyfire allowed the average user to watch 4.5 hours of video per month, while staying below the baseline 200 MB data cap. For this reason, the one-time purchase of a Skyfire mobile browser ($2.99) can save an average iOS or Android user from $120 to $240 annually in data charges. (This comparison is based on current AT&T and T-Mobile data plan pricing. Specific pricing for other carriers around the world will vary.)

Various audio apps will also let you download over Wi-Fi and store or cache podcasts, songs, audio books, etc. so you don’t use data on the road.

How dependent have you become on “unlimited” data? Have you routinely hit 5GB, 10GB, or even more a month? What do you think about the new caps and tiers? Will they cause you to rethink or reduce your usage, or just shake your fists and keep streaming in data defiance?

Or have you never gotten near a data tier, only use a few hundred MBs a month, and don’t see what all the fuss is about?

LulzSec dumped one last load of AT&T documents on the internet, which though outdated and never meant for public consumption, does give some insight into some of the things they were at least considering — like speed and session-based pricing for their upcoming LTE network.

But one interesting tidbit is AT&T’s apparent plan to market LTE data with various speed tiers, which it’s calling “Speed Based Pricing.” Verizon’s about to switch to tiered pricing for its data plans (3G and 4G), but that’s based on total consumption, not speed. The basic idea would be pay more, and you get faster LTE speeds. Not exactly a new premise — cable companies have been doing this for Internet access for a while now, but it’d be an interesting change in the mobile space.

You could also pay for a session, or temporary speed boost if you needed it. Again, this is something broadband providers have been doing for a while.

Of course, we probably won’t get our hands on LTE until iPhone 6 in 2012, but it’s still interesting to see where the industry might be by then. Any of you have an interest in speed or session based pricing, or are data caps complicated enough already?

[LulzSec via Android Central]

With the release of the iPhone on the Verizon network just a few months ago, analyst reports are saying it might just have slowed the previously runaway Android market growth. TechCrunch is even conjecturing the upcoming iPhone 5 could stop or even reverse it completely.

For much of last year iPhone was tied to one US carrier, AT&T. Now it’s on AT&T and Verizon, but it’s still essentially one device (though AT&T still has the bargain-priced iPhone 3GS), made by one manufacturer. Usually that one device is on a once-a-year cycle, but this year it might be closer to 15 months. Android on the other hand is on every network, and has hundreds of devices with new releases every few weeks. Given the greater carrier footprint and greater choice in models, all Android devices together should absolutely be outselling the 1 or 2 iPhones on 2 carriers in the US.

However, reports from NPD from April say that the iPhone market grew while Android’s declined. About a month later, Nielsen said Android was indeed leveling off. Just a few days ago Needham was reporting from the use of IDC data that Android’s share of the market hit its peak in March and is now declining, where Apple’s share is once again on the rise. This is the first quarterly decrease that Android has ever seen. Yesterday, BTIG released a report saying iPhone is outselling Android in the majority of US AT&T and Verizon stores. And Verizon reported it had sold 2.2 million iPhones on its network in just two months.

That’s probably not a coincidence. The Verizon iPhone could just be the reason the Android market is leveling off and, in some reports, declining. With iPhone 5 on the way, and the usually media and hype cycles that surround it, it’s not unreasonable to think Apple can keep that momentum going. Add rumors of T-Mobile, perhaps even Sprint support in the future, and it gets very interesting very fast.

What do you think, will Android kick it back into gear and keep growing, or does Apple have a real chance to take the lead here?

[ NDP data, Nielsen data, TechCrunch]

250 Verizon and AT&T stores surveyed on what was their best selling smartphone, and according to BTIG Research, the number one answer on their board was… iPhone 4! It sat at the top of the charts at 89% of Verizon stores (tied with Droid Charge or Thunderbolt at 38% of those), and 65% of AT&T stores.

And while it only launched in February on Verizon, iPhone 4 has been out on AT&T for over a year, and the base hardware is a year old. That’s it’s not only still competitive, but still winning at the carrier outlets is interesting. (Not surprisingly, it’s the top selling — and only selling — smartphone at Apple Stores as well, which just goes to show how large their dominant retail position really is.)

Anyone surprised by this?

[BTIG Research via All Things D]

Needham analyst Charlie Wolf thinks most Verizon Android users have been holding out for the iPhone 5, and once it’s released, a mass exodus from the Android platform will ensue.

Verizon’s Android users are waiting for the iPhone 5. And when it arrives this fall, they’ll make the switch en masse.

Wolf suspects some Verizon subscribers chose not to pick up the Verizon iPhone after it debuted last February, some 8 months later than the iPhone 4 on AT&T.

“It’s reasonable to assume that a material percentage of Verizon subscribers who plan to switch were content to wait until the iPhone 5 arrived later this year,” says Wolf. “One reason Apple delayed the launch of iPhone 5 until September is that it reportedly plans to coordinate the launch of the GSM and CDMA versions of the phone. To do so in June would likely have upset Verizon subscribers who purchased iPhone 4 in the preceding months. It’s our expectation, then, that the anticipated surge in iPhone sales on the Verizon network is likely to occur this fall after Apple launches iPhone 5.”

TiPb has heard that the Verizon deal was a factor in Apple not launching iPhone 5 in June. However, it’s just as likely that Verizon users are on contracts with a wide range of end dates, and would be penalized for switching outside their renewal window. If they want a full subsidy, especially for a device that’s been on the market since June 2010, they’d wait for it. That means, rather than a sudden rush last February or this fall, we could see a slow, steady transition over time as contracts come up for renewal, and those Verizon users who want an iPhone make the switch.

Of course, not everyone is going to want an iPhone either. By fall there will no doubt be new Verizon Android devices out as well, including those with LTE data speeds — something iPhone isn’t suspected to match until 2012. That could make the decision more difficult and more complicated.

What do you think? Will Verizon Android users be switching en masse come iPhone 5 this fall?

[AllThingsD]

AT&T has stated they’ll be deploying LTE across 5 cities this summer, paving the way for a 4G LTE iPhone which is expected to come in 2012.

AT&T Inc. said it plans to launch its super-fast wireless network in five cities this summer as it looks to catch up to Sprint Nextel Corp. and Verizon Wireless. The company earlier this year said it would speed up its deployment of the network, underscoring the importance of keeping pace in the wireless speed game.

AT&T LTE rollout will initially kick off in Atlanta, Chicago, Dallas, Houston and San Antonio — a modest deployment compared to Verizon, but at least it’s a start. We already know Apple won’t be hopping onto the LTE bandwagon until everything is ready, but this is a good sign that the wheels are now in motion.

AT&T recently tested their 4G network seeing speeds of around 28Mbps down and 10Mbps up, which should be a force to be reckoned with once coverage is adequate across the US.

So when it comes time for a 4G iPhone 6, who will you go with, AT&T or Verizon?

[WSJ]

GigaOM was able to play around with the trial LTE network that AT&T has setup at their Foundry space in Plano, TX, which just might be used by iPhone 6 in 2012. They were able to reach blazingly fast speeds, beating out Verizon’s LTE performance without a hitch.

the highlight of the lab was that the Foundry is home to a trial Long Term Evolution network. I asked for a demo and got one. The speeds provided on the download side were about 28.87 Mbps, and were about 10.4 Mbps on the upload side.

The technology behind their test LTE network consists of both 700 MHz spectrum as well as the AWS band they already own (and want to get more of by purchasing T-Mobile USA).

Keep in mind that AT&T’s LTE network isn’t going to see the light of day for some time, but it’s also important to note the speeds they saw were reflective of ‘real-world’ performance. By comparison, Verizon users see on average ~10Mbps down and ~5Mbps up, so that’s a pretty significant difference in speed.

Are you excited as we are to see the iPhone taking advantage of these 4G speeds on AT&T’s network down the road? And will the new network finally bring with it reliability to match?

[GigaOM]

Apple doesn’t currently make or market an iPhone 4G but given recent North American marketing shenanigans by the carriers, they might just get one sooner than anticipated. There was a time when 4G applied to really fast, really next generation mobile connectivity, like fully implemented voice/data LTE approaching 100 Mbps. Then Sprint launched Wi-Max as 4G. Then T-Mobile rebranded HSPA+ as 4G. Then Verizon deployed early stage LTE as 4G. Then AT&T rebranded their slower HSPA+ as 4G. 100 Mbps got shoved aside, and 21 Mbps, even 14.4 Mbps became “4G”. Canadian carriers, which had previously called their 14.4 Mbps and even 21 Mbps HSPA+ networks “3G” have recently rebranded them to “4G” as well so as not to seem old and outdated. (For more on what all these terms mean, check out our networking glossary.)

No doubt it’s easier to change a name than change a network, and easier to slap the letters 4G onto a phone than actually getting a real, power efficient, lightning fast 4G radio into one. But that’s no excuse.

Verizon is arguably the closest with their early stage LTE deployment and phone like the Thunderbolt that don’t get great battery life but do get amazing speeds.

My counterpart over at Android Central, Phil Nickinson has done a review of the Verizon LTE HTC Thunderbolt (and also told the carriers to kindly cut out the 4G smoke in our eyes), while PreCentral.net’s Derek Kessler has just reviewed the AT&T HSPA+ HP Veer 4G.

The iPhone isn’t expected to go LTE until 2012 but iPhone 5 might just go HSPA+ this fall. (14.4 or 21 Mbps, who knows?) And guess what, AT&T will probably call it “4G”…

…Especially since the CDMA version on Verizon will still be “3G” EVDO Rev A for another generation.

That’s a huge competitive advantage, but hugely confusing for users.

Market research company, IDC has just released its smartphone market share numbers for the first quarter of 2011 and it clearly shows Apple is only second to Nokia in worldwide shipments.

Apple’s shipments have grown from 8.7 million in 2010 to 18.7 million in 2011 which is an amazing growth of over 114%. In the same period Nokia only managed a 12.6% increase.

Only 6 million units now separate Apple from Nokia. Apple has posted market beating year-on-year growth which has been bolstered this year with the release of the CDMA iPhone for Verizon as well as strong China, South Korea and Saudi markets. Apple’s market share has increased from 15.7% to 18.7% in the last 12 months.

[The Loop]

PdaNet, the popular (and free) tethering app in Cydia, has been updated to mask unauthorized data tethering. This comes after carriers like AT&T have started cracking down on iPhone owners who use MyWi to tether without losing their unlimited data plan.

AT&T has been flagging any packets that appeared to come from a secondary device before sending out a notice to users. PdaNet prevents this by using a method of masking packets sent through the network so your carrier can’t tell if the data is coming from a device other than your iPhone.

The app also includes features like USB tethering and basic Wi-Fi security in addition to controlling the broadcast channel and WiFi signal strength, just like MyWi. You can either use the free version, or upgrade to the full version for $15.95 (limited time deal, normally $29) to access secured websites.

Any readers out there using PdaNet? What do you think of it?

Let’s be frank — we can’t believe we’re posting this but it just keeps getting sent to us. Firstly, carrier CSRs are typically the last to learn about anything Apple. We’ve actually gone to carriers the day of launch and they’ve known less about it than we have — they’re simply not informed. So please take the below account with a blue and white striped Death Star sized grain of salt. Now, an AT&T customer care representative has supposedly told a customer that Apple had confirmed this to them:

Apple has informed us that they do not plan to release the iPhone in the June to July timeframe, though there will be a newer version in the future. Unfortunately, we have not been given a release time for the new phone. We will release this information on our website when it is available to us.

The answer allegedly came in response to the customers query over why an early upgrade eligibility had been pushed back by over five months.

Again, we would file this one under very sketchy rumor. However, TiPb and other sites keep hearing that there won’t be an iPhone 5 until fall, so while this rumor may or may not be true, the timeline seems to be.

What do you believe?

[MacRumors]

It looks like AT&T is continuing the crackdown on unofficial tethering as readers have reported another round of text messages from AT&T this morning:

AT&T Free Msg: We’ve noticed you’re continuing to enjoy the tethering feature with your smartphone service. Remember, you need a tethering plan ($45/mo, incl. 4GB) to use this feature, so we’re planning to update your line with the required plan soon. Visit att.com/dataplans or call 888-860-6789.

Last month AT&T sent out text and email notifications to iPhone users who used MyWi to tether their unlimited data plan. AT&T threatened to switch their plan over to the Data Pro 4GB tethering plan unless they called in, and some users reported success in keeping their unlimited plan when claiming they used large amounts of data from apps like Netflix and Pandora and weren’t using the tethering feature.

It appears AT&T is pretty serious about putting a stop to unofficial tethering at this point and won’t be letting up anytime soon. In addition, it was previously speculated that one of the tracking methods they used was simply targeting high data users (10GB seemed to be the threshold), but some users receiving the message have used tethering extremely sparingly, keeping their monthly data usage well below 10GB since the original message was sent last month.

Have you seen any new messages from AT&T regarding unofficial tethering? And more interestingly, do you think it’s fair for AT&T to strip users of their grandfathered unlimited data plans for using the data they’ve already paid for in an “unofficial” way? Let us know in the comments!

If you’re still trying to get your hands on an iPad 2, FindOne is now an app for that! It runs on your iPhone, iPad and iPod touch and can pinpoint stores with iPad 2’s sitting on shelves waiting to be snapped up.

FineOne queries various superstore databases to find iPad 2 product availability within the radius of a specified zip code. If products are found, the store phone and address are displayed, along with a list of all the iPad 2 product types currently available in that store.

The FindOne app is available free in the App Store. If any of our readers use this app and manage to grab an iPad 2, be sure to let us know in the comments!

[Free - iTunes link]

[AppAdvice]

New to iPhone and wondering what exactly that tiny SIM card in the side of your AT&T/GSM iPhone or iPad 3G is, and what it does? The short answer is, it’s a Subscriber Identity Module, and it is a small circuit board which is placed in your iPhone (or any GSM phone) in order to identify it to your carrier. It’s why you can swap SIMs in GSM phones and your phone number, voice, and data plans are swapped right along with it. Unfortunately, it’s also why you can’t just take a SIM-locked AT&T iPhone and run in on another carrier. For the long answer, stay with us after the break!

A SIM card is internationally identified by its Integrated circuit card identifier (ICC-ID) which is engraved on the body of the card. They are also identified by the carrier from its International mobile subscriber identity (IMSI). Beyond identification, SIM cards (mini SIM in iPhone 2G, iPhone 3G, and iPhone 3GS and micro SIM in iPhone 4 and iPads), have several other functions.

Look

SIM cards have evolved a lot over the years. All three are 0.76 mm in thickness and run at a speed of 5MHz. The old, original SIM cards were credit card sized. The next and still most common size is the mini SIM, which is 25 mm in length with a width of 15 mm with a cut on the corner so that it is easy to place in the slot properly. Apple began using micro SIM with iPads and iPhone 4. This is the newest standardized SIM size, and is 15 mm × 12 mm. Many carriers provide a mini SIM with the smaller micro SIM punched out inside so that it can be broken off and placed into the phone if needed.

There are also 3rd party, after market SIM cutters to turn a mini SIM into a micro SIM and jackets so a micro SIM can be used in a mini SIM slot.

Use

The SIM card is provided with your iPhone (or 3G iPad) by your carrier and it is used to store data about your account. It holds information such as your phone number, security data, billing information and things which help the carrier to know who is the user of the phone. (On older devices, especially feature phones, it also stored things like text messages and contacts). The SIM card allows you to change cellular phones and keep the same user data.

The SIM card is what lets your carrier know that you’re the account holder of the iPhone using it. So if you take your SIM card our of your iPhone and then put it into your friend’s iPhone and receive calls as though it were your own (assuming the SIM card is compatible).

Bonus Tip: So yes, if your iPhone runs out of power and you desperately need to use your voice or data plan, you can just swap the SIM into another iPhone or phone and use it with your minutes and data bucket. Or, if they’re running low on minutes or data, they can borrow your SIM card and use it with the apps on their iPhone until you need it back.

Benefits

The main benefit of a SIM is that you can easily swap phones on your own. If you buy a new phone you can simply insert your existing SIM and keep on using your existing service (carrier restrictions may or may not apply, but the technology works that way.) Likewise if you travel internationally you can just buy a SIM on a local carrier and use that as a way to avoid expensive roaming fees (again, carrier restrictions and lockouts may apply).

Drawbacks

Theoretically there are few drawbacks to SIMs. Practically, however, many carriers lock their iPhones so they only work with that carrier’s SIMs. That means, if you put in a SIM from another network you’ll get an error instead of the service you’d expect. Typically the SIM-lock is in exchange for a subsidized phone (so you can’t buy a cheap phone on one carrier then switch over an use another before you’ve paid back the subsidy over the life of your contract).

However, with iPhone many carriers like AT&T won’t unlock it even if you pay full price, even when your contract expires, or even if you work internationally and need it unlocked for travel.

The only way around the restriction is to Jailbreak and then unlock your iPhone. (See our Jailbreak Starters Guide for more.)

Apple does sell officially SIM-unlocked iPhones in many countries, however they cost full price (over $600 for 16GB and over $700 for 32GB). Some carriers will also officially unlock phones after certain periods or at a certain cost. They communicate your iPhone ID to Apple which then registers it as an officially unlocked iPhone and will activate with any SIM on iTunes.

(Note: The Verizon iPhone and Verizon iPad 3G run on the Verizon CDMA network and don’t use a SIM card, though current and future LTE phones on Verizon will.)

Let us know if you found this post helpful and what else did I miss on the subject?

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iPhone 5 not coming until Fall, iOS 5 not being previewed until June, would an iOS 4.4 take away some of the sting? Who’s first, AT&T vs. Verizon on call drops, 12 petabytes of iTunes.com?, Jailbreaking iOS 4.3.1, and the week in apps. This is iPhone Live!

Show notes and all the week’s iPhone news after the break!

Announcement

• Like TeleNav and TiPb on Facebook for a chance to win 30 free one-year AT&T Navigator subscriptions!

iPhone 5

• Apple to announce iPhone 5 at a separate event in June? [Crazy rumors]
• Sony 8mp image sensors for iPhone 5 delayed?
• Momentum

iOS

• TiPb Asks: Will there be an iOS 4.4?

News

• AT&T iPhone users see more than twice the dropped calls of Verizon iPhone
• Apple buying 12 petabytes of storage for iTunes online

Jailbreak

• How to jailbreak iOS 4.3.1 via redsn0w 0.9.6rc9 (untethered)
• Toyota releases official Jailbreak Theme
• Apple asks Toyota to pull Scion theme from Cydia

Apps

• Apple releases iAd Gallery app for iPhone
• Atari Greatest Hits brings over 100 Atari games to iPhone, iPod touch and iPad
• Twitter for iPhone removes #dickbar

Hosts

• @reneritchie
• @GeorgiaTiPb

Credits

Thanks to the TiPb iPhone accessory store for sponsoring the podcast, and to everyone who showed up for the live chat!

Our music comes from the following sources:

• I Called You — iPhone Remix by Pete Leidy
via Sneakmove iPhone Ringtone Challenge

Giving away 3 one-year subscriptions to the TeleNav powered AT&T Navigator isn’t cool. You know what’s cool? Giving away 30 one-year subscriptions. To celebrate the launch of AT&T Navigator 1.8i (for the AT&T iPhone – iTunes link) — the first app to takes advantage of TeleNav’s hybrid navigation service! — that’s exactly what they’re doing.

And here’s all you have to do to enter:

1. Like TeleNav on Facebook and TiPb on Facebook (be sure to like both!)
2. Leave a comment below telling us where you’re going to use TeleNav to take you

That’s it! We’ll pick 30 of you at random from the comments and if you’ve liked both TeleNav and TiPb on Facebook, you’ll get one of the thirty (30!) one year subscriptions!

What are you waiting for, do it now!

[Not sure if your device is supported? Check out TeleNav's AT&T support page!]

A recent ChangeWave report surveyed 4,068 wireless subscribers and revealed that AT&T iPhone users see more than double the amount of dropped calls compared to their Verizon iPhone peers. AT&T iPhone users reported that 4.8% of calls were unexpectedly dropped on the network, a far cry from Verizon at just 1.8% of calls. This lines up with a survey of overall cell phone customers that found 4.6% of AT&T subscribers and 1.4% of Verizon customers have reported dropped calls.

In addition, 46% of prospective iPhone 4 buyers say they will be going with Verizon, with 27% favoring AT&T and the remaining 27% still undecided. If you look back at the last survey from ChangeWave, it looks like the deciding factor for consumers on which carrier to choose is network quality and dropped calls. Based on these new results, it looks like AT&T (and their new T-Mobile spectrum, if the deal goes through) has a lot of work to do in terms of improving their network and lowering dropped calls if they want to stay competitive now that Verizon has the iPhone 4.

It’s not all bad news, however. Consumer satisfaction was about even, with Verizon showing 82% of iPhone users being very satisfied with their device compared to AT&T iPhone users at 80%. The iPhone has historically held much higher consumer satisfaction ratings than smartphone competitors like RIM and Motorola, so this didn’t come as much of a surprise to us.

Are you planning on buying an iPhone 4 soon? Which carrier will you be going with, and why? Sound off in the comments below!

[ChangeWave]

Our sister site, Android Central has received a document showing that from April 3, AT&T will be increasing the early pricing for iPhone. There is no mention specifically of AT&T in the document however Android Central know their stuff and identified it via the abbreviations and wording used.

Looking at the screenshot, the price to get an early upgrade to any of the current iPhones will increase by $50. That means you’re looking at $299 for the 8GB iPhone 3GS, $449 for the 16GB iPhone 4 and $549 for the 32GB iPhone 4.

Any price increase is hard to swallow but if you take into account other smartphone’s such as Android and Windows Phone will be hit by $150 increases, it makes it a little easier!

Does this change anyone’s upgrade plans?

[Android Central]

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Rene, Georgia, and Mickey Papillon, the Cell Phone Junkie, discuss more iPhone 5 rumors, iOS 4.3.1 bug fixes, the AT&T T-Mobile buyout and what it means for iPhone, when will we get LTE, AT&T’s war on Jailbreak tethering, lawsuits, Google, #dickbar, and more! This is iPhone Live!

Show notes and all the week’s iPhone news after the break!

Announcements

• White Diamonds artistic crystal cases for iPhone and iPad [Give away]

iPhone 5

• iPhone 5 NFC: Yes, no, maybe so?!
• More iPhone 5 metal back, 4-inch screen, NFC rumors

iOS 4.3.1

• iOS 4.3.1 coming within 2 weeks?

Carriers

• UPDATED: AT&T acquiring T-Mobile US, what does it mean for iPhone?
• AT&T to use T-Mobile spectrum for LTE
• UPDATED: AT&T cracking down on jailbroken MyWi users?
• More on AT&T’s war on Jailbreak tethering
• Second AT&T iPhone 4 commercial again shows off simultaneous voice and data

News

• Apple release three new “if you don’t have an iPhone…” ads
• Apple’s new iPhone ads should be called App Store, iTunes Store, iBooks Store
• Head of Mac OS X software, Bertrand Serlet is leaving Apple
• Apple to extend AirPlay video streaming licence to third parties?
• Microsoft announces remote device management… for iPhone and iPad?
• Apple sues Amazon over App Store trademark, Microsoft sues B&N over Android
• Sony Xperia Play videos get NSFW on iPhone!

Apps

• Google updates Latitude and Places apps, check-ins now included
• Controversy over the Apple approved ‘Anti-Gay app’
• Angry Birds Rio for iPhone, iPad released!
• TiPb Asks: What Twitter app are you using for your iPhone?

Hosts

• @reneritchie
• @GeorgiaTiPb
• @TCPJ_Mickey

Credits

Thanks to the TiPb iPhone accessory store for sponsoring the podcast, and to everyone who showed up for the live chat!

Our music comes from the following sources:

• I Called You — iPhone Remix by Pete Leidy
via Sneakmove iPhone Ringtone Challenge

The TiPb forums are naturally a great place to talk, commiserate, celebrate, get help, and offer advice to your fellow iPhone users. In order to create a new thread of your own or reply to any of the existing threads, you must be a registered member. Becoming a member is easy and free so if you haven’t already, head on over and register now!

• This is your last chance to win your very own Steve Jobs action figure! Visit this thread for all of the details on how you can win!

• Other companies such as Samsung are introducing smaller sized tablets and with that being said, do you want a smaller version of the iPad?

• Not happy with your Verizon iPhone 4 purchase? Voice your opinion in this thread.

• Let’s settle this debate once and for all – AT&T vs Verizon. You pick the winner!

See you in the forums!

AT&T has aired their second iPhone 4 commercial since losing exclusivity and it once again pushes the concept of simultaneous voice and data. While the first one focused on a hapless husband who forgot his anniversary, this time AT&T features a man arguing with a friend over the phone and trying to use Safari to settle the argument during the call — something that’s not possible on the Verizon iPhone without Wi-Fi. (Which is admittedly a little easier to believe in this commercial’s restaurant setting as opposed to the first commercial’s office setting.)

Verizon for their part has been hammering at AT&T over coverage and reliability, while Apple is just happy to have them both.

Is AT&T sticking with a winner strategy here or will simultaneous voice and data only take them so far? If so, what’s next? A business woman frustrated by the limited conference calling available of CDMA? And if so will Verizon retaliate with the “Pepsi challenge” of reception tests in New York and San Francisco?

[We'll replace with the official video once it's online]

AT&T has confirmed they’ll be using their newly announced T-Mobile US acquisition — more specifically T-Mo’s 1700MHz AWS spectrum (currently providing 3G and “4G” HSPA+) — for a bigger, better LTE rollout (“4GS?”). See the slide above for details.

Apple hasn’t announced any plans for an LTE iPhone or iPad yet but as the technology matures and coverage improves they almost certainly will. Meanwhile we can hope for better HSPA+ support in iPhone 5, as current iPhone and iPad radios max out at 7.2Mbps.

(See TiPb’s guide to wireless networking terms for what all that alphanumeric soup means.)

We spent quite a bit of time talking about this, and other elements of the deal, on iPad Live! last night so if you missed it, be sure to check it out when it hits iTunes and RSS tonight.

If you’re a current AT&T iPhone user, do you think the new, combined network might finally resolve the long-standing coverage and connection problems? Does it give you any greater faith in a solid LTE rollout?

[AT&T via Android Central]

AT&T will be buying T-Mobile USA from parent company Deutsch Telekom for $39 billion in stock and cash.

“This transaction represents a major commitment to strengthen and expand critical infrastructure for our nation’s future,” said Randall Stephenson, AT&T Chairman and CEO. “It will improve network quality, and it will bring advanced LTE capabilities to more than 294 million people. Mobile broadband networks drive economic opportunity everywhere, and they enable the expanding high-tech ecosystem that includes device makers, cloud and content providers, app developers, customers, and more. During the past few years, America’s high-tech industry has delivered innovation at unprecedented speed, and this combination will accelerate its continued growth.”

Stephenson continued, “This transaction delivers significant customer, shareowner and public benefits that are available at this level only from the combination of these two companies with complementary network technologies, spectrum positions and operations. We are confident in our ability to execute a seamless integration, and with additional spectrum and network capabilities, we can better meet our customers’ current demands, build for the future and help achieve the President’s goals for a high-speed, wirelessly connected America.”

Deutsche Telekom Chairman and CEO René Obermann said, “After evaluating strategic options for T-Mobile USA, I am confident that AT&T is the best partner for our customers, shareholders and the mobile broadband ecosystem. Our common network technology makes this a logical combination and provides an efficient path to gaining the spectrum and network assets needed to provide T-Mobile customers with 4G LTE and the best devices. Also, the transaction returns significant value to Deutsche Telekom shareholders and allows us to retain exposure to the U.S. market.”

The deal could take a year to finalize and still faces regulatory approval, but it would make AT&T the largest carrier in the US by a healthy margin with almost 140 million subscribers.

AT&T was the exclusive US carrier for iPhone from 2007 through 2010 and remains the only GSM/HSPA carrier in the US to offer iPhone. While also a GSM/HSPA carrier, T-Mobile 3G operates at a different frequency than AT&T and is currently not supported by the iPhone.

How and if that will change, and whether or not Apple will support T-Mobile’s 3G band in future software or hardware update remains unknown. By the time the deal closes in 2012, however, iPhone 5 will already be on the market.

In terms of consumer choice and pricing pressure, there’s still only one iPhone model so selection won’t be the issue. Voice prices. Data prices. Tethering prices. T-Mobile was competing with better plans at better prices. The new, combined AT&T-Mo won’t do that. Likewise, Apple sells unlocked iPhones directly in Canada and many other countries. Would they do the same in the US once there’s no more GSM/HSPA competition? That will depend on their contracts, no doubt.

Again, it will take a year or so for the deal to come together, and there’s a lot that could still happen in the meantime. What are your thoughts? Eager to get more spectrum and better potential support for 4G, or upset at the decrease in competition and the unification of GSM/HSPA service in the US?

UPDATE: T-Mobile has put up a new release and it includes the following bullet point about iPhone. (And that iPhone gets its own bullet point shouldn’t go without notice.)

Is T-Mobile USA getting the iPhone?

T-Mobile USA remains an independent company. The acquisition is expected to be completed in approximately 12 months. We do not offer the iPhone. We offer cutting edge devices like the Samsung Galaxy S 4G and coming soon our new Sidekick 4G.

[Business Wire, T-Mobile]

Last night word broke that AT&T was sending SMS messages and email to customers who didn’t have tethering plans but AT&T suspected were tethering via Jailbreak apps like MyWi. In their messages, AT&T offers 3 choices:

1. Stop tethering
2. Voluntarily change to a paid tethering plan (and lose unlimited data if you were grandfathers in)
3. Be forcibly changed to a paid tethering plan by AT&T (and lose unlimited data)

It’s still uncertain if and how AT&T knows if a customer is tethering via Jailbreak. Theories include everything from deep packet inspection to use of WAP vs. ISP pipes to counting TTL numbers, to “they’re bluffing” and simply targeting high bandwidth users.

Regardless, AT&T seems fairly serious about it this time. We heard from one reader who called in and tried to explain away high data usage on Netflix and other streaming media services, only to be told the AT&T tethering team would look into.

Tethering team?

While AT&T is able to charge what they want for any services they offer, it hits incredible unfairness buttons in consumers when they feel they’re being charged double to use the same bits. With unlimited plans it’s somewhat understandable — AT&T’s network would likely collapse in a puddle if everyone tethered all the data they could. With a 2GB plan, however, bits should be bits. How about this?

1. Offer tethering for free on the 2GB plan
2. Offer an extra 2GB for $15.
3. Offer reasonable overage charges beyond that.

It lets bits be bits, it offers a fair way for power users to get more data, and it provides fair protection from the heaviest 1% of users who would put a huge hurt on the network.

(Disclosure: I’m on Rogers, they’ve so far offered tethering for free on any account with 1GB – 6GB of data a month since iOS 3, and personal hotspot is now free as well since iOS 4.3.)

Have you spoken with AT&T and their tethering team yet? What’s your situation right now?

Some AT&T iPhone users, Jailbroken and tethering via MyWi, are getting text messages and e-mails from AT&T that imply they know they are tethering even though they aren’t on an official tethering plan. One of our own writers, Andrew was one of those who received the message.

I use MyWi to tether as well but have not received anything yet. (I actually was just tethering today.) I’m not sure how they are detecting MyWi users but I can make some educated guesses.

1. Since AT&T offers Personal Hotspot under iOS 4.3, they may have access to data they didn’t before, and they’re choosing to use it in a pretty crappy way. So if you’re on iOS 4.2.1 still (almost all jailbreakers are) and they see you’re generating traffic that looks like Personal Hotspot, they know you’re doing so without a plan.
2. Like Chris says below, browsers use the wap APN. Tethering uses the ISP APN. As such, larger data is expected through ISP not through WAP. So if AT&T sees a lot of WAP data it may raise a flag.
3. As several people say in the comments and Twitter, if AT&T sees a TTL reduction that suggests a device like a laptop or iPad in between the connection, it may raise a flag.
4. They’re just going after heavy data users again and trying to bluff them into switching to a tethering plan and losing their unlimited data. Andrew tethers a heck of a lot more than me. I only consume a fraction of what he does. So that’s a viable answer too.

Originally Jailbreakers used MyWi because AT&T took a year longer to offer iPhone tethering than international carriers. Since then they’ve used it to get around AT&T’s ridiculous fees for tethering. (Tethering is free on some international carriers as well.)

Hit the jump to read the e-mail AT&T has been sending out as well as to let us know what you think! Anyone else been getting messages from AT&T? Anyone on iOS 4.3 using official Personal Hotspot? Any PDANet users?

UPDATED: AT&T spokesman Seth Bloom told Phone Scoop:

We’ve just begun sending letters, emails, and text messages to a small number of smartphone customers who use their devices for tethering but aren’t on our required tethering plan. Our goal here is fairness for all of our customers.

[ModMyi Forums and Phone Scoop]

Dear [Customer],

We’ve noticed your service plan may need updating.

Many AT&T customers use their smartphones as a broadband connection for other devices, like laptops, netbooks or other smartphones– a practice commonly known as tethering. Tethering can be an efficient way for our customers to enjoy the benefits of AT&T’s mobile broadband network and use more than one device to stay in touch with important people and information. To take advantage of this feature, we require that in addition to a data plan, you also have a tethering plan.

Our records show that you use this capability, but are not subscribed to our tethering plan.

If you would like to continue tethering, please log into your account online at Cell Phones and Cell Phone Plans – Wireless from AT&T, or call us at 1-888-860-6789 Monday – Friday, 7 a.m. – 9 p.m. CST or Saturday, 8 a.m. – 7 p.m. CST, by March 27, 2011 to sign up for DataPro 4GB for Smartphone Tethering.
Here are details on the plan:

DataPro 4GB for Smartphone Tethering
• $45 per month (this gives you 4GB in total, combining both your smartphone data plan for $25 and the tethering feature, $20)
• $10 per each additional GB thereafter, added automatically as needed
• Mobile Hotspot capabilities are included for compatible Smartphones

If we don’t hear from you, we’ll plan to automatically enroll you into DataPro 4GB afterMarch 27, 2011. The new plan – whether you sign up on your own or we automatically enroll you – will replace your current smartphone data plan, including if you are on an unlimited data plan.

If you discontinue tethering, no changes to your current plan will be required.

It’s easy to track your usage throughout the month so there are no bill surprises. For example, we send you free text messages when you reach 65, 90, and 100 percent of your plan’s threshold. If you would like to monitor your account more closely, go towww.att.com/dataplans to learn about other ways to track your data usage.

As a reminder, our smartphone data plans also include unlimited usage of Wi-Fi at no additional charge. AT&T smartphone customers can use Wi-Fi at home or on-the-go at any one of our more than 23,000 U.S. hotspots already included in your data plan.

Thank you for bringing your account up to date. We appreciate the opportunity to continue to serve your mobile broadband needs.

Sincerely,

AT&T

iLounge was able to run a few tests on the microphone housed in the new iPad 2 and found there’s a noticeable difference in quality between the Wi-Fi-only iPad 2 and the Wi-Fi + 3G models.

When using Skype and Garageband on the iPad, iPad 2 with Wi-Fi, and iPad 2 with Wi-Fi + 3G, we found that audio from the 3G iPad 2’s mic sounded somewhat more muffled and echo-prone than with the original iPad’s or the Wi-Fi-only iPad 2’s mics

This is due to the microphone being moved from next to the headphone jack on the original iPad to a top-center position on the iPad 2. The Wi-Fi-only model is fully encased in aluminium whereas the 3G models have a plastic strip along the top which has an impact on recording quality.

Have you noticed a big enough difference in microphone quality between models for it to actually mean anything to you? let us know your thoughts in the comments!

[iLounge]

The TiPb forums are naturally a great place to talk, commiserate, celebrate, get help, and offer advice to your fellow iPhone users. In order to create a new thread of your own or reply to any of the existing threads, you must be a registered member. Becoming a member is easy and free so if you haven’t already, head on over and register now!

• Are you picking up a iPad 2? Why or why not?

• For current iPad owners, has the device replaced your laptop?

• If you are picking up a 3G iPad 2 which carrier will you be choosing? AT&T or Verizon?

• This is your last chance to win your very own iPad 2 from TiPb! The winner will be announced live tonight on iPhone Live! Good luck!

See you in the forums!

So you’ve decided on a 3G iPad 2 over its Wi-Fi counterpart, but now you must choose which carrier to go with – AT&T or Verizon?

For a breakdown of each carrier’s pricing scheme, follow along after the break!

AT&T

On the original iPad, AT&T offered two prepaid plans. Now, they are offering those same two prepaid plans in addition to two postpaid plans. Both the prepaid and postpaid plans have a 250MB option for $14.99 and a 2GB option for $25 – the difference lies in the overage charges of the 2 GB plans. In the prepaid plan, if you exceed 2GB, you must pay an additional $25 for 2 more GB of data. In the postpaid plan, it’s $10 for each additional GB.

Prepaid

• 250 MB – $14.99, $14.99/250MB overage charges
• 2 GB -$25, $25/2GB overage charges

Postpaid

• 250 MB – $14.99, $14.99/250MB overage charges
• 2 GB – $25, $10/1GB overage charges

The other difference, of course, is when you pay for the plans. In the prepaid options, you pay ahead time for the data and if you use it up before the month is over, you have an option to buy more. In the postpaid options, you will be billed for the data you used at the end of the month. So if you want to ensure that you never exceed your alloted data cap, stick with the prepaid options. On the other hand, if you want data regardless of overage charges, go with postpaid option; you’ll likely save money in the end.

Lastly, if you are currently on an unlimited $30 plan with the original iPad, you will be grandfathered into this plan automatically.

Verizon

Verizon is offering a broader range of plans, so if you expect to use a lot of data, Verizon may be the better choice for you.

• 1 GB – $20, $20/GB overage charges
• 3 GB – $35, $10/GB overage charges
• 5 GB – $50, $10/GB overage charges
• 10 GB – $80, $10/GB overage charges

With both carriers, the plans are month-to-month and can be cancelled at any time. To summarize, here’s a chart that breaks down the pricing for a quick comparison.

Other Considerations

As with choosing a carrier for the iPhone 4, TiPb always recommends you choose the one with better coverage where you are most of the time. If they are comparable, start looking at data speeds and prices. AT&T boasts of having the fastest 3G network, while Verizon claims to be the most reliable.

Also, since AT&T is GSM/HSPA and uses SIM cards, if you’re an international traveler and want to be able to get local SIM cards to use in other countries like Canada, the UK, etc. Verizon won’t be an option.

Lastly, keep in mind that once you make your decision, it’s final. The AT&T and Verizon iPads are equipped with different hardware, so once you choose, there’s no turning back.

Do you know which carrier you’re going with? If so, let us know who you chose and why in the comments below!

[All Things D]

Worried about your unlimited AT&T iPad data if you upgrade to iPad 2, or maybe you just want to save $100 on an original iPad? Well, good news on both fronts!

First up, AT&T has confirmed to Engadget that, if you have an original iPad with a grandfathered unlimited 3G data plan, you’ll be able to keep it if you upgrade to iPad 2. (We’re guessing most people would have just swapped microSIMs and hoped for the best but it’s good to hear it won’t be a problem.) New users, of course, will only be able to get the 250MB or 2GB capped plans.

Second, if you don’t have an iPad yet and price is the reason why, AT&T is also matching Apple’s recent discount, shaving $100 off the cost of an original iPad 3G. That means starting price is $529 and they’ll toss in a free month of data. (If you want a Wi-Fi model for $399, check Apple.)

[Engadget, BGR]

AT&T confirmed yesterday that they will be supporting the Personal Hotspot feature that already is available to Verizon iPhone 4 customers with the release of the iOS 4.3 software on March 11th. To enable this feature you will need to subscribe to the DataPro Hotspot/Tethering plan which carries a $45 per month fee. For that you will get 4GB of data to share between your normal data usage, tethering, and the Hotspot feature.

At least AT&T did not make you wait for this feature as they did with tethering feature that made it’s debut around the word with iOS 3.0. So how many of you will are will to fork over some extra hard earned cash for this feature? And for those of you with grandfathered into unlimited iPhone data, are you willing to give that up?

[Electronista, Rogers Red Board, Thanks A!]

Consumer Reports appears to still be ranting about the reception issues on the iPhone 4, this time they’re targeting the Verizon iPhone 4 and excluding it from their list of recommended smartphones.

For that reason, we are not including the Verizon iPhone 4 in our list of recommended smart phones, despite its high ranking in our Ratings. Although Apple no longer offers a free case to buyers of the iPhone 4, as it did for a time after the problem was first discovered on the AT&T version, the company has said in the past that it will consider requests for a free case from customers who buy the phone and subsequently experience reception problems.

Consumer Reports helped set off Antennagate when the AT&T iPhone 4 was originally released. After their initial review of the iPhone 4, Consumer Reports claimed they couldn’t recommend the iPhone 4 due to the antenna issues.

I don’t know about any of you but the reception problems didn’t ever affect me personally. Maybe because I always use cases or bumpers. (Who doesn’t put a case on a phone as expensive as the iPhone?) I guess I’m not quite sure why Consumer Reports is still ranting about the issues. Millions of iPhones later, people still want them. All phones have signal attenuation issues when held, not just the iPhone. Is it just me or is Consumer Reports making mountains out of mole hills? Let us know your thoughts in the comments!

Consumer Reports

Developer Marco Arment, whose Instapaper app he believes is a good bellwether of iOS adoption, didn’t see a spike with the Verizon iPhone launch — leading him to believe many early Verizon iPhone buyers had previous iOS devices. Now we have heard Verizon iPhone sales were less than expected. Unlike cyclical AT&T iPhone releases, however, many potential customers are likely still on existing contracts and will wait until their next upgrade to switch over to the Verizon iPhone. That’s a slow, steady pace as opposed to the previous mad June rushes.

Here on TiPb we’ve seen a pretty large influx of BlackBerry users and a fair amount of Android converts, but even if they didn’t own an iPhone before they could have had an iPod touch or iPad to get their hands into the iOS platform.

So let’s ask! Is Verizon iPhone your first iOS device? Vote in the poll up top and tell us which iOS device(s) you previously owned in the comments below. If you did have an iOS device before, did you just load it up with your existing app or did you go on another app shopping spree?

[Marco.org]

Good news — the new Verizon iPhone friendly Apple bumpers now fit 3rd party dock accessories better! One of my biggest gripes with Apple’s bumpers is that the charge port only fit Apple chargers. If you use any third party sync cables, chargers, or battery packs they would never fit. I have a Griffin Power Jolt battery pack, a Griffin car charger, and several retractable chargers lurking around the house. It always made me angry when I’d have to take off the bumper to use any of these.

When I picked up my Verizon iPhone for review, I picked up one of the new universal Apple bumpers. To my pleasant surprise, the charge port has also been tweaked a bit. All my third party accessories work! This isn’t something Apple has advertised but from the picture above, you can definitely tell the port is wider, allowing other accessories to now fit all the way into the iPhone’s charge port. The old Apple bumper is the blue one pictured above and the pink one is one of the newer bumpers.

Thanks Apple for giving us a choice! It’s not very often you do that.

A rather interesting bug has been discovered: emoji sent over SMS between Verizon iPhone and AT&T iPhones is not recognized both ways – Verizon can receive from AT&T, but not vice versa.

When a Verizon iPhone texts emoji to an AT&T iPhone, all that is received is a bunch of random characters. However, a Verizon iPhone will recognize emoji sent from an AT&T iPhone with no problem. This inability to interpret emoji is only an issue with the messages app, however. An AT&T iPhone can recognize emoji elsewhere, like email and twitter, just fine – even if the emoji was sent from a Verizon iPhone.

Anyone else run into this problem?

Want to know the ins and outs of how to sell your old iPhone? Were you one of the iPhone users who switched to Verizon now that it’s finally available? Not sure what to do with your old AT&T iPhone? There are a number of things you can do with your old iPhone — from using it as an iPod Touch to handing it down to family or friends — but if you’re looking to get some quick cash then there are a few things to know before getting started. Today we’re going to show you how to throw out the old and bring in the new using a number of great services, just hit the jump to find out how!

When Apple and Verizon finally announced the iPhone would be available under the nation’s largest network, Verizon subscribers across the country rejoiced. The same can be said for a hefty number of AT&T subscribers too, as a recent ChangeWave survey suggested a significant number of AT&T iPhone users would jump ship to Verizon once they had the iPhone.

So if you were one of the many AT&T subscribers who decided to go the Verizon route then here are a few quick tips to think about before putting your AT&T iPhone up for sale:

1. Jailbreak/Unlock: The iPhone usually sells for more money when it’s jailbroken or unlocked, meaning you have the additional options of running restricted apps through Cydia or getting service on another carrier (like TMobile). If you are new to jailbreaking we suggest checking out the jailbreak forums, and we’ve also written up a few posts on how to jailbreak your iPhone on 4.1 firmware using Greenpois0n, Limera1n and PwnageTool.
2. Condition: It kind of goes without saying that you’ll get more money if your device is in better condition, but this counts even more when it comes to the iPhone. If your device is in excellent shape, you’re going to be able to ask for a higher amount. For example, an iPhone 3GS in ‘fair’ condition with wear and tear can get you around $230 while a 3GS in ‘perfect’ cosmetic condition can get you as much as $300. I’ve seen a wide range of pricing on the iPhone 4 and 3GS based on condition, so make sure you research prices and price competitively.
3. Wipe your data: Before you end up selling your old iPhone, we highly suggest you run a full data wipe on your device to make sure none of your data is available to the lucky new owner. We’ve done a quick How-To post to help you with the process.

Now that we’re passed the basics and you’re ready to put your iPhone up for sale, it’s important to take a look at all the options you have before making a decision on which service to use.

There are a ton of great online services out there to help you sell your old iPhone and we won’t be able to go through them all, so we’ve filtered down the list of services for you. We’ll start with the most familiar of them all…

eBay

Selling your iPhone on eBay is a pretty simple process. If you’ve ever used eBay for selling things in the past then you know the selling process isn’t all that tricky, however there are still some things to keep in mind when using eBay to sell your iPhone. For instance, eBay charges fees for each auction based on the item you’re selling and how much it sells for, among other things, so here are five quick tips to help you get the most out of your auction:

1. Only ship to the buyer’s confirmed Paypal address if using Paypal.
2. Price competitively if using Buy It Now as an option.
3. Make sure the pictures you use follow your description and are good quality — post pictures of any physical blemishes on the iPhone and be up-front in your description.
4. Use a fast shipping service and make sure you include that in your item description.
5. Use keywords in your title and in your item description to attract more potential buyers.

You may also want to consider insuring your item in case anything goes wrong during shipping. Watch out for low-feedback buyers and also keep in mind that Paypal charges processing fees as well.

Craigslist

Selling on craigslist is locally based, so you’ll be making a face-to-face exchange with someone in your area. I’ve used Craigslist to sell a number of things around the house, and always follow a few basic rules:

• Don’t ever put your personal or home address in an ad. Ever!
• I’m usually fine with putting my personal phone number in an ad, but that’s up to you. Some find it easier to text rather than email.
• Meet in a public place, preferably in the daytime.
• Watch out for email scams, something Craigslist is notorious for.

It’s always a good idea to use caution when dealing with Craigslist. I’ve heard some pretty crazy stories of people getting robbed or worse when meeting with people for a transaction, so bring a friend and meet in an open, public area to avoid those types of situations.

Gazelle

Gazelle offers a service that lets you easily turn most electronic devices into cash. Simply send in your iPhone and Gazelle will send you money after confirming the item condition. The first thing you’ll need to do is tell Gazelle what you’re selling and what condition the item is in. You can choose from poor, fair, good or excellent condition, and it’s important to be honest when rating the condition so there’s no hiccups or snags along the way. It also helps if you have the box and original documentation and cables with your item, and the service will check for any water damages before giving you a quote.

An average-conditioned 16gb iPhone 4 will currently grab you about $280 where a perfect-conditioned iPhone 4 will get you as much as $360. The process takes about a week, and although you’re not getting as much money in the end it’s a great service if you don’t want to deal with a lot of hassle. You can have your payment delivered through Paypal among other methods, and you can also submit multiple items if you’re looking to get rid of a few more things while you’re at it.

SellYourMac.com

SellYourMac.com offers a similar service to Gazelle by letting you send in your old iPhone for payment with little to no hassle involved. In a nutshell, they’ll buy your old Mac or iOS device. You’re required to provide pictures along with a serial number next to your item description and condition. Once SellYourMac.com receives your iPhone they clean it, inspect it and verify that it’s in working condition before they turn around and sell it on eBay. Users can receive payment via Paypal and SellYourMac.com even says they give higher quotes than competing services like Gazelle, so you’ll definitely want to compare before making any final decisions.

Verizon Trade-in

Verizon is also offering an iPhone trade-in program for current AT&T corporate customers who want to switch over. Verizon is offering the following quotes for older iPhone hardward:

• iPhone 2G – 16GB: $60
• iPhone 3G – 16GB: $105
• iPhone 3Gs 32GB: $160
• iPhone 4- 16GB: $280
• iPhone 4 – 32GB: $360

To the best of our knowledge Verizon hasn’t clarified if they’ll be making this service available to all AT&T subscribers or just to corporate customers, so make sure you give your Verizon rep a call to get more details on the incentive.

Bonus Tip: If you’re going with Craigslist or eBay, another tip worth mentioning is to include all packaging, cables and adapters if possible. If you have any extra cases or accessories you want to throw in the deal it can usually net you a higher selling price as a bundle instead of trying to sell them individually.

Now that the iPhone is finally on Verizon, the time to start planning on how to dump your old iPhone is now. So whether it’s eBay, Criagslist or any other method for selling your old AT&T iPhone we hope this article will help you along the way. As always, let us know if you have any questions or additional suggestions in the comments below!

Tips of the day will range from beginner-level 101 to advanced-level ninjary. If you already know this tip, keep the link handy as a quick way to help a friend. If you have a tip of your own you’d like to suggest, add them to the comments or send them in to news@tipb.com. (If it’s especially awesome and previously unknown to us, we’ll even give ya a reward…)

Now that AT&T isn’t the exclusive US iPhone carrier anymore, CEO Randall Stephenson saw fit to express some frustration with the way Apple runs the iPhone App Store. Stephenson believes customers should be able to buy an app once and run it on any device they so choose, including iPhone, Android phones, Windows phones, etc.

“You purchase an app for one operating system, and if you want it on another device or platform, you have to buy it again,” Stephenson said in a keynote speech at the world’s largest mobile-phone trade show in Barcelona, Spain. “That’s not how our customers expect to experience this environment.”

And the way to do this of course is by building them as HTML5 apps and selling them through the AT&T, Verizon, Sprint, and T-Mobile run Wholesale Applications Community (WAC). Now I don’t know about you but I always get suspicious when a big company talks about what’s better for customers (yes even Apple). Right now Apple and developers make all the money on apps but if carriers ran the store they would get a cut of the revenue, right?

I do think it would be nice to be able to take my apps with me if I ever change platforms but even the sweetest HTML5 apps are still very limited compared to native iPhone apps. There’s no Infinity Blade in HTML5 yet and even if there were trying to make one app work on multiple platforms often leads to a lowest common denominator approach. Is saving a few dollars with a truly universal app worth losing features that are unique to each platform or device?

What would you prefer, a carrier-run HTML5 app store or Apple’s current App Store?

[USA Today]

AT&T is airing a new — that’s right, new! — commercial for the 2010 iPhone 3GS 8GB highlighting it’s recently lowered price of $49. AT&T also has a new logo treatment at the end, which has also been attached to their previous iPhone 4 “anniversary” commercial.

Is it odd for AT&T to be advertising a phone that’s been on the market, in one form or another, for for roughly 19 months now? Is the $49 price point so attractive compared to the $199 starting point for iPhone 4 that AT&T feels it’s worth the marketing dollars — even over newer Android and Windows Phone devices?

Or is AT&T simply touting something else Verizon can’t match — a bargain iPhone?

(We’ll replace the above video with the official AT&T version as soon as it’s posted).

AT&T boasts of being “America’s fastest 3G network”, so I’ve been putting that claim to the test by comparing the speeds with Verizon and AT&T iPhones side-by-side. The results were incredibly surprising. To find out what they were, watch the video above then follow along after the break!

First of all, I must preface this by saying that these tests took place in Denver, CO. Testing elsewhere could yield significantly different results.

When it comes to numbers, AT&T typically (not always) has faster speeds as you can see in the screenshots above. However, when it came to real world tests with Safari and Facebook, Verizon was neck and neck with AT&T and often times faster.

When out and about, I was consistently getting these results, but not at home. In my house, I have very spotty AT&T coverage and typically connect to a microcell to ensure I can make a phone call. In order to test AT&T against Verizon, I unplugged the microcell and got surprisingly mixed results. Even though I often only have 1 or 2 bars with AT&T, browsing with the AT&T iPhone is usually significantly faster than with Verizon. I say usually, because there are times when AT&T slows down to match Verizon. It’s very inconsistent to say the least.

I cannot emphasize enough how my results were obtained from Denver and cannot be generalized to all of America. In fact, Ally has been executing the same tests in the Chicago area and been getting significantly different results than me. Not only do the following screenshots show AT&T with must faster speeds, but Ally reports that the difference is undeniable in practice.

Now, Chicago is one of the best places to have AT&T because it is very stable and running HSPA 7.2. It just goes to show that location is very important when choosing a network. If possible, run tests yourself while within your return period before committing to a network. Here in Denver, I may be considering a switch to Verizon if the iPhone 5 is available on Verizon the same day as AT&T.

Your data speeds?

To help increase our sampling, please add your carrier, location, and current data speeds in comments. Lets see what iPhone 4 can do on Verizon and AT&T in different parts of the country!

If you’re a loyal AT&T iPhone customer who stuck with them during the great Verizon temptation of ’11 then they’re set to reward you with 1000 bonus rollover minutes. Some of you may get a text advising you of the offer but if you don’t, just text the word “yes” to 11113020 and you’ll get a reply verifying the bonus.

Very nice, AT&T! If you try it out let us know if it works for you!

[9to5Mac, thanks Andrew!]

Verizon boasts of being “America’s largest and most reliable network” and I’ve been putting that claim to the test. I’ve been comparing reception, voice quality, how quickly voice calls are placed, and messaging speeds with AT&T’s iPhone. To see my results, follow along after the break!

First off, it’s important to note that my testing took place in Denver, CO. Networks vary depending on location, so someone in a different parts of the country may obtain different results.

Reception

I must be going to all the wrong places, because I have yet to find a place where Verizon and AT&T both have 5 bars at the same time. One of networks seems to always have 1 or 2 bars more than the other and it’s an even split between who has more bars more often. So, in my experience, AT&T does not have “more bars in more places”, but only in some places.

With that said, I have not had a single dropped call on the Verizon iPhone 4 – not even a skip.

The dreaded 1xRTT

However, Verizon is not immune to that dreaded little circle that, on AT&T’s GSM network, indicates GPRS. In fact, minutes after purchasing the Verizon iPhone 4 from the Apple Store, Ally called my AT&T iPhone 4 as I was leaving the parking garage. As you likely guessed, the call dropped. I instinctively grabbed the Verizon iPhone to check the reception, and there it was – the circle! But what exactly does this mean on Verizon’s CDMA network?

When that ugly little circle appears on a Verizon iPhone, it is indicating a connection to 1xRTT which is basically CDMA’s version of GPRS. According to Wikipedia, it supports packet data speeds of up to 153 kbps with real world data transmission averaging 60–100 kbps. It’s probably not even worth trying to surf the web when connected to 1xRTT because of how painfully slow it is.

Voice Quality

I’ve heard many people praise Verizon for their superior voice quality, but I honestly didn’t notice a difference. Ally had the same experience; neither one of use could differentiate the voice quality between Verizon and AT&T iPhone 4′s.

Making a voice call

You know how there is always a pause between the moment you place a phone call and when you hear the ringing tone? Well, this pause is consistently shorter on Verizon’s iPhone. When placing the same phone call (regardless of network) on both iPhones at the exact same time, the AT&T iPhone was always sent strait to voicemail while Verizon’s iPhone went through with the call. To see the comparison in action, check out the video above.

Sending messages

The last thing I tested was sending SMS and MMS messages. In every instance, the Verizon iPhone sent out SMS messages faster than AT&T’s iPhone. We only talking a matter of seconds, however; so in the grand scheme, it’s not that big of difference. With MMS, Verizon usually sent the message quicker than AT&T, but as you can see in the above video, AT&T did win that race once.

Conclusion

Overall, I do agree that Verizon provides the iPhone 4 with a more reliable network in Denver, CO; however, AT&T isn’t far behind. AT&T’s network is very solid here and I generally only get dropped calls when in situations like in a parking garage. The best advice I can give is that before deciding which network to purchase your iPhone 4 with, ask around. Find out the reputations of the the networks in your area.

The Verizon iPhone 4 and the AT&T iPhone look almost identical at first glance. There are, however, subtle differences between the two model’s hardware and software. The antenna band on the Verizon variant has been redesigned for CDMA and iOS 4.2.6 adds hotspot connectivity for Verizon users. Click through for a quick comparison and photo gallery.

What’s in the box?

The Verizon iPhone 4 is pretty much the same deal as the AT&T iPhone 4. You’ll get the standard Apple headphones, the wall adapter, a sync cable, and your manuals. The only difference is really the phone and the back of the box.

The back of the box simply specifies whether or not the phone is Verizon or AT&T. Other than that, everything should be the same. Oh let’s not forget that you won’t get a handy dandy micro-SIM removal tool, since CDMA phones don’t use them.

Hardware differences

The Verizon iPhone has different breaks in the antenna band than its AT&T sibling. Even though the antenna band was redesigned for CDMA, I don’t see any improvement when it comes to the “death grip” issue. If anything, I experience it more than I do on my AT&T iPhone 4. I’m not sure if attenuation on the Verizon version is worse because of a difference between CDMA and GSM or if it’s something else. I experience the issue on my AT&T iPhone but it seems that the signal doesn’t drop as quick and when it does, it goes up quicker when I’m not touching the break in the band. The Verizon version seems to lose bars a lot quicker and it takes a bit longer for them to come back.

As most people have already figured out, putting a bumper or a case on your phone will solve the death grip problem.

Other than the breaks in the antenna bands, the mute switch and volume buttons are moved down about 2mm on the Verizon iPhone 4. This is because of the break in the antenna at the top left of the phone.

The only other difference I have found is that the back of the Verizon iPhone 4 doesn’t have exactly the same certifications and FCC clearance marks the AT&T version does.

Software differences

The AT&T iPhone 4 is currently running iOS 4.2.1. The Verizon iPhone 4 launched with iOS 4.2.6. The only major feature 4.2.6 adds is personal hotspot capabilities (called mobile hotspot on other devices). AT&T has announced that they will offer mobile hotspot as well but no dates have been given yet, and it will require an iOS 4.3 update. Currently AT&T offers internet tethering for iPhone users but you are limited to Bluetooth and USB tethering.

The Verizon version supports wifi tethering for up to 5 devices. This is extremely nice if you’re somewhere without wifi and need to access the internet from a wifi only device (like a wifi iPad). You can simply enable the mobile hotspot feature and it’ll show up as a wireless network on your other device. You can also choose to add a password if you’d like.

Signal strength differences

I have noticed signal differences in both models. While the AT&T phone seems to keep a steadier signal when it comes to physical bars, the Verizon iPhone seems more finicky when it comes to maintaining and keeping a steady signal. I thought maybe this was just an issue at my home but after testing it out in several different environments, this does seem to be the case. It didn’t ever affect call quality so I don’t see it as a big issue. The picture above I took while writing this article, tethered to Verizon. The iPhone shows 3G with no bars yet I’m tethered on my MacBook, a friend is tethered browsing the web on her PC laptop, and my AT&T iPhone is connected. The internet is still functioning. I do not think the Verizon bars are extremely accurate.

The AT&T version, even with full bars, took quite a bit longer to connect a call than the Verizon version. The fact that CDMA has better voice quality is not a secret. This held true whenever testing call quality on both devices.


There were times when I had 2-3 bars on the Verizon iPhone and full bars on the AT&T iPhone and the Verizon version still seemed to have better call clarity.

This is one of those issues you’re going to have to look at closely before deciding which carrier to go with. While Verizon seemed to have better overall voice quality, AT&T did much better than Verizon when it came to data speeds. I’m still a bit freaked out by being able to tether with no bars. Extremely odd.

While testing personal hotspot, the Verizon iPhone faired extremely well. The connection was steady and barely ever cut out. When tethering on AT&T (using MyWi), the connection was faster but I didn’t think it was such a huge difference that Verizon users would be hindered by the slower data speeds. Unless you plan on downloading substantially large files or streaming media, the Verizon hotspot will work perfectly fine for browsing and basic internet use.

If you’re a frequent talker, Verizon may suit you better. If you rely heavily on e-mail, text, media, and web – AT&T is probably going to serve you better if you live in an area with 3G coverage. Again, this is really going to come down to what you want to use the phone for.

Syncing data

If your’e coming from an AT&T iPhone, you’ll feel right at home. Actually, if you’ve ever used an iPod of any kind or an iPad, you’ll already know what to do. The Verizon iPhone is no different than its AT&T brother. Plug into iTunes, sync your content, and you’re good to go. Verizon also offers a contact transfer app for current customers that’ll easily bring down all your contacts wirelessly for you (given you use Verizon’s contact backup service).

There’s really nothing new here, both iPhones will sync and store data in the same manner.

Conclusion

The Verizon iPhone is definitely a contender. AT&T should be concerned. Verizon is offering unlimited data and personal hotspot tethering. Their data speeds may not match those of AT&T 3G or HSPA+, but they’re going to be good enough for a majority of users. Likewise the Verizon CDMA iPhone can’t roam in anywhere near as many countries as the AT&T GSM iPhone can but many users are more concerned about a good network at home than abroad. Data hungry users could be swayed by Verizon’s unlimited data offering as well. I think it’s only a matter of time before we see AT&T bring back their unlimited feature. Unless Verizon switches to tiered data soon, AT&T will have to if they want to compete.

In the end, the Verizon iPhone is only going to benefit consumers in the United States. Up until now, if you wanted an iPhone, you had no choice but to be tied to AT&T. Now that we have a choice, things are only going to get better for the customer as two reputable carriers are going to have to compete for our business. So no matter how you look at it, the Verizon iPhone 4 is a winner.

AT&T mobile to mobile calling will be free to any mobile number starting Thursday, February 10th. What’s the catch you may ask? You must have some type of unlimited messaging plan on your account. For individuals, the cost is $20 for unlimited messaging and for family plans, it’s $30. You’ll also need to be on a “qualifying” Nation or FamilyTalk plan.

Any of you plan on adding messaging just to get this feature? Or more importantly, is it swaying any potential Verizon switchers into staying with AT&T? I have a sneaky feeling this is the first of many deals both carriers will roll out to attract potential iPhone customers. Ah, gotta love competition!

[AT&T Press Release]

Switching from an AT&T iPhone to a Verizon iPhone, or switching from any old iPhone to a new one, and curious how to transfer all your information, apps, and data over? Luckily Apple makes this process almost painless thanks to iTunes iTunes. Click through for a couple easy steps that will ensure all your AT&T iPhone data and settings get transferred over to your new iPhone smoothly.

If you’ve ever had to swap an iPhone out at an Apple store, you’re probably already familiar with this process. If not, follow these easy steps to copy data to your new phone. This process will save all your contacts, camera roll photos, apps, and settings into an iTunes backup for you.

1. Plug your current iPhone into your computer and open iTunes.

2. If it doesn’t start to sync automatically, click the Sync button. (You can alternately right click your device name in the navigation bar and click back up as well. Either way will work just fine.)

3. Unplug your current iPhone and plug in your new iPhone.
4. You’ll be asked to register your iPhone if you haven’t already.
5. iTunes should prompt you to do one of two things, set up as a new iPhone or restore from a backup. Choose to restore from a backup and select the backup you just made.

6. Once the restore is done your iPhone will reboot. When iTunes detects it again it will start to sync back any apps and games your old iPhone had installed.
7. Let iTunes do its thing. When you come back, your new phone should have all the same settings and data as your old one!

If you guys are switching, let us know how transferring your data worked out! Any issues with things transferring or did everything go smoothly?

Tips of the day will range from beginner-level 101 to advanced-level ninjary. If you already know this tip, keep the link handy as a quick way to help a friend. If you have a tip of your own you’d like to suggest, add them to the comments or send them in to news@tipb.com. (If it’s especially awesome and previously unknown to us, we’ll even give ya a reward…)

If you thought no-commit — or full — price for a Verizon iPhone 4 would be $50 more than AT&T, think again as it looks like AT&T is bumping up their no-commit pricing to match.

The new no-commit price for a 16GB iPhone 4 is $649 and a 32GB is $749. If you’re after an iPhone 3GS, however, the price has dropped $25 to $474. Go figure.

So if you’re paying full price on either carrier in the near future at least you can take some small comfort in knowing it’s the same price on both networks.

Anyone forking over that much cash for a new, non-exclusive iPhone 4 on either network?

[Thanks anonymous!]

The new Verizon iPhone commercial tore into AT&T’s network but AT&T loaded their own cannons with some simultaneous voice and data and just shot back with a commercial of their own.

Called Answer the commercial highlights a man who gets a call from his wife double-checking on their anniversary plans — which he of course forgot to make. He promptly puts the call into the background and jumps onto the internet, something that couldn’t be done on Verizon (unless the man’s office had, you know, Wi-Fi…)

Video after the break, let us know how compelling the counter commercial is in comments!

[Thanks Kaled]

Verizon Wireless is to start throttling data speeds and optimizing content for smartphones like the Verizon iPhone from today according to a PDF memo on its website. The throttling will only come into affect for new customers who subscribe to a data plan or feature from February 3, 2011, however the optimization will affect all data users new and old.

Verizon Wireless strives to provide customers the best experience when using our network, a shared resource among tens of millions of customers. To help achieve this, if you use an extraordinary amount of data and fall within the top 5% of Verizon Wireless data users we may reduce your data throughput speeds periodically for the remainder of your then current and immediately following billing cycle to ensure high quality network performance for other users at locations and times of peak demand.

Verizon claims to be taking these steps to ensure that the remaining 95% of its data customers are not affected by the 5% that use a large amount of data each month. The optimization part of the process, will include caching less data by compressing images and video which reduces the overall quality of the experience.

We are implementing optimization and transcoding technologies in our network to transmit data files in a more efficient manner to allow available network capacity to benefit the greatest number of users. These techniques include caching less data, using less capacity, and sizing the video more appropriately for the device. The optimization process is agnostic to the content itself and to the website that provides it. While we invest much effort to avoid changing text, image, and video files in the compression process and while any change to the file is likely to be indiscernible, the optimization process may minimally impact the appearance of the file as displayed on your device.

It has not taken Verizon very long to start worrying about the impact the iPhone may have on its network. What do you think about Verizon’s throttling and optimization methods? Let us know in the comments!

[Verizon PDF via BGR]

AT&T announced today that beginning on February 13, their tethering plan will include an additional 2GB of data for no extra cost; in addition, the carrier will be launching AT&T Mobile Hotspot next to the HTC Inspire 4G (we’re hoping that means iOS 4.3 personal hotspot will be a go as well).

We want to extend the benefits of an additional 2GB to smartphone customers on our tethering plan. This delivers more value today for the price they’re already paying – and that’s what our customers want.

This brings the grand total to 4GB for the tethering plan. If you are already signed up for a tethering plan, you don’t have to do anything go receive the extra data – your service will be automagically updated and you’ll receive a text message informing you of the change.

Here’s what was in the press release:

Select smartphone customers will soon be able to connect multiple devices from their smartphone – via Wi-Fi – thanks to the new AT&T Mobile Hotspot application. The feature will first be available February 13, beginning with the in-store launch of the HTC Inspire™ 4G. Bundled with the AT&T Data Pro plan, customers will benefit from a total of 4GB for $45 per month.

So what do you think? Available only for the HTC Inspire at first? Or will it be available for the iPhone 4 soon.

Here is the pricing details on AT&T Mobile Hotspot:

• Connectivity for multiple wireless devices to AT&T’s mobile broadband network
• 2 GB of data usage for $20 a month, bundled with AT&T’s Data Pro plan ($25 / 2GB)
• The combined AT&T Data Pro plus AT&T Mobile Hotspot will provide 4GB for $45 per month
• 4GB applies to collective use among all devices
• Overage fee of $10 per gigabyte

Are you signed up for AT&T’s tethering plan and looking forward to this extra data? Was anyone switching to Verizon strictly for the mobile hotspot feature and now thinking of staying with AT&T? Sound off below!

[Engadget]

AT&T faces a new class action lawsuit claiming that AT&T is overstating and over-billing iPhone and iPad data charges. The class compares AT&T’s billing system to a rigged gas pump that charges for a full gallon when, in fact, it only pumps nine-tenths of a gallon into your car’s tank.

In the new complaint, named plaintiff Patrick Hendricks claims that AT&T’s overbilling “was discovered by an independent consulting firm retained by plaintiff’s counsel, which conducted a two-month study of AT&T’s billion practices for data usage, and found that AT&T systematically overstate web server traffic by 7 percent to 14 percent, and in some instances by over 300 percent. So, for example, if an iPhone user downloads a 50 KB website, AT&T’s bill would typically overstated the traffic as 53.5 KB (a 7 percent overcharge) to as high as 150 KB (a 300 percent overcharge).”

Additionally, the consulting firm discovered that AT&T also bills for phantom data traffic. They set up a test account, disabled push notifications and location services, had no email accounts configured, closed all apps, and didn’t touch the iPhone for 10 days. During that time, AT&T billed the account for 2,292 KB of data usage.

This is like the rigged gas pump charging you when you never even pulled your car into the station.

If the over-billing is true, then this could have a significant impact on AT&T’s bottom line. Granted, there are a lot of people this would never affect; however, those who barely exceed their allotted data cap must pay twice as much for data that month.

Have any of you used more data than what your plan includes and been billed extra? Do you suspect that AT&T overstated your usage and overcharged you?

[Courthouse News Service]

The TiPb forums are naturally a great place to talk, commiserate, celebrate, get help, and offer advice to your fellow iPhone users. In order to create a new thread of your own or reply to any of the existing threads, you must be a registered member. Becoming a member is easy and free so if you haven’t already, head on over and register now!

• Interesting thread with a poll going on that the results may surprise some of you – Average age of a iPhone user?

• For those of you picking up a Verizon iPhone 4 in a few short weeks, which will you choose, 16GB or 32GB?

• Have any questions regarding jailbreaking your iOS device? For all of your jailbreaking needs please stop by the following forum – Jailbreak and Unlock Forum.

• AT&T users should check their upgrade dates as it seems like the carrier may have made some changes for certain iPhone owners. Perhaps to keep them from jumping ship to Verizon?

See you in the forums!

AT&T has just reported their Q4 2010 financial results and it included another 4.1 million iPhone activations.

More than 7.4 million postpaid integrated devices were sold in the fourth quarter, including the second-largest quarterly number of upgrades in the company’s history. Integrated device sales included 4.1 million iPhone activations. More than 80 percent of postpaid sales were integrated devices. (Integrated devices are handsets with QWERTY or virtual keyboards in addition to voice functionality and are a key driver of wireless data usage.)

At the end of the quarter, 61.0 percent of AT&T’s 68.0 million postpaid subscribers had integrated devices, up from 46.8 percent a year earlier. The average ARPU for integrated devices on AT&T’s network is 1.7 times that of the company’s non-integrated device base. More than 80 percent of integrated device subscribers are on FamilyTalk and/or business discount plans. Churn levels for these subscribers are significantly lower than for other postpaid subscribers.

AT&T didn’t break out iPad 3G numbers specifically but taken together with Android-based tablets, they added 442,000 devices to their network.

Since Apple sold 16.24 million iPhones during the same period, AT&T’s 4.1 million show the international growth Apple mentioned during their own quarterly results. Apple sold 7.33 million iPads last quarter, though no doubt many of those were Wi-Fi only models.

What if anything changes when the Verizon iPhone launches on February 10 won’t be reflected until AT&T’s Q1 (partial exclusivity) or Q2 numbers are in.

[AT&T]

According to an email MacRumors received from Verizon, existing customers will get their long awaited chance to pre-order the iPhone 4 on February 3rd at 3am EST. This is a full week before people who are waiting to switch to Verizon will be able to get their hands on an iPhone 4. Verizon also listed some simple steps for current customers to take to ensure they will be able to place their pre-order on time. Make sure you get your orders in as soon as you can because once their stock has depleted you will have to wait until February 10th just like everyone else.

• Make sure you have your My Verizon self-serve account set-up online. Orders can only be placed through your my Verizon account. You can register/setup your account at…myaccount.verizonwireless.com

• On February 3rd at 3am EST, Verizon Wireless will allow our current customers to order upgrades or new lines to their accounts through your My Verizon online account (make sure you have registered before the 3rd).

Verizon is further enticing AT&T customers by offering a trade-in program for current iPhone owners. It is unclear if the trade-in policy will be made available to all customers or only corporate customers but it couldn’t hurt to give your Verizon representative a call to find out. The trade in prices for AT&T iPhones are:

• iPhone 2G – 16GB: $60
• iPhone 3G – 16GB: $105
• iPhone 3Gs 32GB: $160
• iPhone 4- 16GB: $280
• iPhone 4 – 32GB: $360

So pre-existing Verizon customers get ready for what could be a chaotic night as lots of people will almost certainly be sitting by their computers at 3am on February 3rd. AT&T customers who are planning on making the switch, will you be trading in your iPhone or will you sell it on your own for probably more money than Verizon is offering? We want to know what your plans are come February 3rd!

[ MacRumors ]

Associated Press is reporting that AT&T is allowing some customers who previously had unlimited data plans for iPhone to switch back to unlimited in order to prevent their switching to the Verizon iPhone.

Jose Argumedo, of Brentwood, N.Y., says he and a friend were switched to an unlimited plan recently after they called AT&T’s customer service. Both have iPhone 4s, and previously had iPhones.

Verizon is offering unlimited data as a lure to get AT&T customers to switch over. AT&T wouldn’t confirm any plan-matching was going on so if you call up and give it a try, let us know what happens!

[AP]

UK operators Three and Orange are now listing the white iPhone 4 on their websites. AT&T’s online system is also now showing the white iPhone 4 in their OLAM (Online Account Management) system. This news comes hot on the heels of Best Buy and Vodafone Germany showing the white iPhone 4’s in their internal systems.

The evidence is stacking up, Apple are definitely going to release the iPhone 4 in white soon, despite it now being over seven months since the original launch. This should come as no surprise; there will still be a big demand for the white iPhone 4. Not everyone wants to wait five months for the iPhone 5. There are also many potential customers that are totally unaware of Apple’s product refresh cycles or just simply want a new phone now.

Do any of our readers still want a white iPhone 4? Let us know in the comments!

[Three and Orange, thanks Jared and George. BGR]