What 4G networks?
And when there are some, no, it won't work.
3G is still included in the iPad though.
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Apple Offers iPad Refunds to Australian Customers Misled about 4G
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What 4G networks?
And when there are some, no, it won't work.
3G is still included in the iPad though.
Honestly? You expect a general consumer to know this peice of information?! Don't be ridiculous.
They understood in the early days of 2G that a 900MHz phone wouldn't work on 1800MHz, and that a dual band phone was better as it would work on both.
Maybe people are lazier or more stupid now.
If the networks were selling a device to work on their networks and it didn't, then I would agree. Fact is, that the new iPad will work on 3G networks anywhere, I doubt that those general consumers would notice the difference. It's the networks that need to make clear what will work on their networks, not for the manufacturer to advise which it will work on.
Apple already do advise that the iPad will work on AT&T for example, but I'm sure they don't claim that it will work on any Australian or European networks? So, if they offer a refund to those who bought it incorrectly, then I think that's very fair on Apple's part, they are not to blame.
And how many will really return it?
Very very few! Because people who bought the new iPad knew exactly what they are getting. When people spend that amount of money, they do a little research to know what they are getting. It's not like they are walking in a shopping centre and they see this iPad advert and they think.... hmmm.... looks nice! And have 4G too? Great. Take my $ 700 or so
However, i still don't agree that is the appropriate way Apple should advertise it outside US.
You clearly believe what you say, but the truth is, that there is no 4G network in Australia or indeed anywhere else in the world. The name 4G is used worldwide simply for marketing reasons. The actual 4G standard is not being implemented yet and it will be some time until it is.
4G stands by no means for LTE but for speed. It is supose to be fast. What tech is being used to get the speed is of no importance what so ever to the consumer. I for one prefer the HSPA+DC speeds that are faster then LTE, kind to the battery and cheaper in use.
Or maybe no phone company tried to sell a 2G phone with "dual band" in large, friendly letters on the box with a tiny footnote in the specs saying "second band facility only available on carriers x and y in the US".
In the UK, 4G is predominantly used to refer to LTE, HSPA+ is sold as 3G. 4G networks are widely known to be "coming soon" (e.g. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-17355399 - although that's now stalled). If something says 4G on the box it's quite reasonable to assume that it will offer future-proofing when 4G rolls out.
N.b. - also bear in mind that Apple have been tweaking the wording on their websites since thus fuss started - and they are somewhat clearer, although non-US consumer protection bodies still won't be very impressed by the prominent "With 4G" being contradicted in the small print.
Just read this topic...fanboys will buy turds if they've got an apple .co logo on it.
"At a preliminary hearing, Apple lawyer Paul Anastassiou said Apple had never claimed the device would work fully on the current 4G network operated by Telstra."
Apple says the new iPad works on what is globally accepted to be a 4G network.
So next apple.co will sell Right hand drive cars in in the UK and fanboys will die in their hundreds until they are told they have to drive on the Left by apple.co .
Love the Logic ...worked for Stalin tho'
You can blame the American military for needing tri-band phones. They occupied frequencies in the range agreed for GSM globally, hence needing to use 1900MHz.
The BBC has an interesting comment, although it is not a direct quote, so I'd love to know the source, but it reads:
BBC said:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-17532613
How can it be considered global if it only works in North America/Canada? Strikes me Apple would have been better to advertise the new iPad has being Wifi+LTE rather than 4G.
No, LTE is a technology, 4G is a widly accepted standard for marketing "fast" mobile networks.
The real 4G as proposed by the standard commision is not being used anywhere, they still working on that.
In the mean time, anything faster then about 20Mbit/s is marketed as 4G and Apple is serving that market. In most countries, LTE is slower then the 3G extension HDSPA+, actually it is better for the consumer to use these networks if available. I do not know what all the fuzz is about with this LTE. It eats Battery for breakfast, is slower, got tiny cells so there is no coverage and costs more.
God knows why people demand it.
LTE: Still a long way to go
Two thoughts on this:
1. In the footprint, they explain that 4G might not be available in your country or area. This is simply a bit misleading. Just be more specific: "4G is not supported outside the U.S. and Canada" or so. What they did recently - at least on the German site, they changed it to "4G LTE is only supported by AT&T and Verizon in the U.S. and [...] in Canada." For me: case closed.
2. The problem is simply that the tel companies in the U.S. - as many times before like with measurements, TV formats, GSM etc. - are going a different direction in the standardization process of LTE frequencies. It's just annoying that the new iPad and other devices do not support the 1800 band which is widely used outside the U.S. Meanwhile, the fact stays the same: 700, 1700 and 2100 bands are only pushed by North American tel companies. All other countries are going a different direction with 800/900, 1800 and 2600 bands.
See this map about the chaos of LTE availabilty around the globe - it is still a long way to go ...
Hopefully there will be some kind of quad- or quint-band LTE modules available soon which can cover most of the different frequencies used. I don't know whether this is technically even possible but they should find a solutions to this. Otherwise we'll do the same bitchin about the upcoming iPhone 5 with LTE ...
Two thoughts on this:
1. In the footprint, they explain that 4G might not be available in your country or area. This is simply a bit misleading. Just be more specific: "4G is not supported outside the U.S. and Canada" or so. What they did recently - at least on the German site, they changed it to "4G LTE is only supported by AT&T and Verizon in the U.S. and [...] in Canada." For me: case closed.
2. The problem is simply that the tel companies in the U.S. - as many times before like with measurements, TV formats, GSM etc. - are going a different direction in the standardization process of LTE frequencies. It's just annoying that the new iPad and other devices do not support the 1800 band which is widely used outside the U.S. Meanwhile, the fact stays the same: 700, 1700 and 2100 bands are only pushed by North American tel companies. All other countries are going a different direction with 800/900, 1800 and 2600 bands.
See this map about the chaos of LTE availabilty around the globe - it is still a long way to go ...
Hopefully there will be some kind of quad- or quint-band LTE modules available soon which can cover most of the different frequencies used. I don't know whether this is technically even possible but they should find a solutions to this. Otherwise we'll do the same bitchin about the upcoming iPhone 5 with LTE ...
Based on what you say, Apple must be doing something good to have hundreds of million fanboys. Something other companies would only dream of.
Just read this topic...fanboys will buy turds if they've got an apple .co logo on it.
"At a preliminary hearing, Apple lawyer Paul Anastassiou said Apple had never claimed the device would work fully on the current 4G network operated by Telstra."
Apple says the new iPad works on what is globally accepted to be a 4G network.
So next apple.co will sell Right hand drive cars in in the UK and fanboys will die in their hundreds until they are told they have to drive on the Left by apple.co .
Love the Logic ...worked for Stalin tho'
millions of people buy Apple??? The travesty! This must be stopped hehe. Why do people get so worked up about the fact that Apple had loyal customers?
Actually, the "4G might not be available in your country or area" is technically more correct than the outside the U.S. and Canada line because that would open them up to legal advertising issues with areas in the U.S. and Canada for which 4G isn't supported.
If you think this is the carriers fault then you need to read up on it. The reason the carriers can't agree on common frequencies is not because they don't want to, it's because different frequencies are available in different countries.
The point here is that Apple is making misleading marketing claims.
People are not going to return their iPads due to them not having 4G, that is not the point, Aussies love their products like anyone else.
Apple just needs to stop BSing when they release something, stating how awesome it is etc and then in the find print saying FU to a large group of thier loyal customers!
Some of the fanboys sticking up for Apple on this topic, lay off the koolaid! Apple is misleading the public about the awesome 4G ipad, having fine print is not good enough, when its a global product.
People are not going to return their iPads due to them not having 4G, that is not the point, Aussies love their products like anyone else.
Apple just needs to stop BSing when they release something, stating how awesome it is etc and then in the find print saying FU to a large group of thier loyal customers!
Some of the fanboys sticking up for Apple on this topic, lay off the koolaid! Apple is misleading the public about the awesome 4G ipad, having fine print is not good enough, when its a global product.
I'm not debating the different frequencies available to different countries rather what Australian telcos are offering (or in this case not). I'd would agree with you if 4G on different frequencies specs were offered by different carriers, alas this is not the case within Australia.
The major non-Telstra competition as with Optus, Vodafone, etc are only offering consumers 3G, there's no real other option besides Telstra's very newly rolled out 4G. This is my point, you bring out a 4G compatible device with a country like Australia then you are going to have issues due to poor support via the telcos on new technology not via the actual device.
The actually iPad isn't promising something it can't do rather the environment regarding 4G in Australia is near on non-existent, this is my issue with the ACCC taking Apple to court the issue is not the iPad rather the wireless ecosystem within Australia.