Apple Starts Field Testing Next Generation iPhone (3,1)

[SpaceKitty]

Proof?



http://www.dslreports.com/shownews/Unlimited-ATT-Wireless-Data-Plans-About-To-Be-Capped-90892

'Unlimited' AT&T Wireless Data Plans About To Be Capped?'
Rumblings among insiders about implementing 5GB quiet cap, like Verizon...

An anonymous AT&T insider yesterday hinted to us that the company's wireless division would soon be implementing a 5GB monthly usage cap on some unlimited data plans. We contacted AT&T for official comment and were told that there's no changes in store that they're aware of, but they'd nudge us if anything official came along. Today we're seeing some discussion over at Howard's forums that would seemingly confirm there's some changes coming:

I just heard that the pda plans will no longer be unlimited but will be capped at 5 gigs. Users will not be billed overages but people with constant overages will be contacted to try to reassess the users needs. The new plans are nationwide so I'm not going to disclose my market but they are getting rid of the media bundles and M2M messaging. Text and data is now separate. PDA plans will be lowered to 30 bucks to match blackberry personal and media net unlimited is lowered to $15 bucks.
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I could show you more but just head over to the Howard Forums to see the constant threads about this.

None of this is actually proof since it is only what a few people have said.

You need more proof then that. AT&T reps aren't the most knowledgeable just as Apple reps aren't. I want something solid from AT&Ts site. oh wait, there is none because it's truly unlimited.

By the way, I'm also a member on Howard forums and I have not seeon anything proving it's capped.

 

[SpinThis!]

That dslreports thread linked above is almost 2 years old. Hardly a recent relevant rumor.

 

[str1f3]

None of this is actually proof since it is only what a few people have said.

You need more proof then that. AT&T reps aren't the most knowledgeable just as Apple reps aren't. I want something solid from AT&Ts site. oh wait, there is none because it's truly unlimited.

What you want is for AT&T to officially say that they have an unlimited data plan yet it is limited to 5GB. They're not going to do that. Just like Verizon will not. I do not know what else you really want other than an actual rep saying it. Even Muscle Nerd (part of iPhone JB team) has said on Twitter to watch out for how you use tethering because AT&T will start to monitor your usage.

That dslreports thread linked above is almost 2 years old. Hardly a recent relevant rumor.

This isn't something that is new. This is something that has been known and talked about for two years. You are just late to the party is all.

 

[SpaceKitty]

What you want is for AT&T to officially say that they have an unlimited data plan yet it is limited to 5GB. They're not going to do that. Just like Verizon will not. I do not know what else you really want other than an actual rep saying it. Even Muscle Nerd (part of iPhone JB team) has said on Twitter to watch out for how you use tethering because AT&T will start to monitor your usage.

Until we hear from people who have actually been charged for going over 5GB or when AT&T says there is a 5GB cap posted on their website, there is no 5GB cap and anything else is just a rumor.

 

[RBR2]

Until we hear from people who have actually been charged for going over 5GB or when AT&T says there is a 5GB cap posted on their website, there is no 5GB cap and anything else is just a rumor.

Are you on AT&T's payroll? You seem to have an unusual interest in disproving what everyone from the employees at the Apple Store to employees at AT&T Stores will warn you about.

If not, why don't you sign up for AT&T's service and just download the combo updaters for Tiger, Leopard and Snow Leopard a few times on your iPhone. That should provide you the opportunity to tell us your first hand experience.

 

[SpaceKitty]

Are you on AT&T's payroll? You seem to have an unusual interest in disproving what everyone from the employees at the Apple Store to employees at AT&T Stores will warn you about.

If not, why don't you sign up for AT&T's service and just download the combo updaters for Tiger, Leopard and Snow Leopard a few times on your iPhone. That should provide you the opportunity to tell us your first hand experience.

I use the XM radio app everyday and some days, I use just under a GB of bandwidth a day. Been doing that since summer when the app was released with no warnings from AT&T. That's doing what the iPhone is intended to do by running an app that streams radio data.

I'm just pointing out what I know.

 

[solipsism]

Are you on AT&T's payroll? You seem to have an unusual interest in disproving what everyone from the employees at the Apple Store to employees at AT&T Stores will warn you about.

If not, why don't you sign up for AT&T's service and just download the combo updaters for Tiger, Leopard and Snow Leopard a few times on your iPhone. That should provide you the opportunity to tell us your first hand experience.

He is being logical and rational. How that means he’s on someone’s payroll is beyond me.

I think the fine print in the contract states 5GB but they advertise unlimited/unlimited and have never stated otherwise and I have heard of anyone being threatened or kicked off their network from excessive data use, so it’s clear that there is no “limitation” in place.

I should know, I have a tethered iPhone with AT&T (jailbroken, of course) and use an average of 20GB a month. I’ve been doing this since the v3.0 Beta came out and it was an unlocked feature which allowed me to cancel my Sierra Wireless USB 3G card from AT&T which was costing me $60/month. If they were going to hammer down on anyone I’d think I’d likely be the first to know.

 

[hancock]

No offense but where do some of you come from?

Verizon? No thank you.
Smaller screen? What? Bigger, or the same. This thing already suffers from too small a screen for what it does. How do you expect anyone over 40 to use one? Not that I expect 14 year olds to think about that, but still.
Removable battery? No thank you. Unnecessary headache. Charge your phone.

How about some improvements, instead of ideas that would ruin the iPhone:
PA Semi/Apple designed chip clocking over 1GHz.
1 GB RAM
802.11N
32/64 gb standard storage at $199/299.
5 MP camera w/ better lens (if they can't do it, then no biggie)
640x480 resolution on a 3.5 x 2.5" screen.

HD video output via mini display port.** This one is a wish, and I label it as such, so that people understand that its completely unreasonable (as long as this thing called TV exists)

That is exactly what I want, maybe a better way to silence the phone too it is always changing in my pocket

 

[cmaier]

That is exactly what I want, maybe a better way to silence the phone too it is always changing in my pocket

Rather than an arbitrary GHz requirement, I just want enough CPU to allow some actual multitasking. I'd rather have 2 500MHz cores than 1 1GHz core. (Not that GHz means anything - a 500MHz chip with a high IPC can easily outperform a 1GHz chip with a low IPC). Quadrupling the RAM would certainly help.

 

[solipsism]

Rather than an arbitrary GHz requirement, I just want enough CPU to allow some actual multitasking. I'd rather have 2 500MHz cores than 1 1GHz core. (Not that GHz means anything - a 500MHz chip with a high IPC can easily outperform a 1GHz chip with a low IPC). Quadrupling the RAM would certainly help.

First of all, the problem with multitasking on the first two iPhones was the amount of RAM, not the CPU. The system barely had enough for the huge mobile version of OS X. Small for OS X, big for a mobile OS. There wasn’t much left for apps. Trying running Safari with multiple pages, while fetching Mail and listening to music on the iPod app.

The 3GS has 256MB which means that it has plenty to run most background apps or two. I expect this to be an option in v4.0 for the 3GS and newer iPhones, not the original and 3G for the aforementioned reason.

Putting a 1GB of RAM into the iPhone is beyond foolish. It simply doesn’t need it and the more RAM you have the more power you have being used even in idle mode which ads up quick.

 

[cmaier]

First of all, the problem with multitasking on the first two iPhones was the amount of RAM, not the CPU. The system barely had enough for the huge mobile version of OS X. Small for OS X, big for a mobile OS. There wasn’t much left for apps. Trying running Safari with multiple pages, while fetching Mail and listening to music on the iPod app.

The 3GS has 256MB which means that it has plenty to run most background apps or two. I expect this to be an option in v4.0 for the 3GS and newer iPhones, not the original and 3G for the aforementioned reason.

Putting a 1GB of RAM into the iPhone is beyond foolish. It simply doesn’t need it and the more RAM you have the more power you have being used even in idle mode which ads up quick.

1) What's your evidence that the problem doesn't include CPU performance? (Note that I suggested more RAM also helps multitasking).

2) Is the iPhone using SRAM or DRAM? SRAM uses no additional power for increased capacity, and even DRAM doesn't use much (remember that feature size is decreasing, as is voltage, so the refresh takes less power). Assuming SDRAM (which is the most likely bet), you're probably talking about a couple hundred microamps to refresh. There's probably a 10-15% difference in refresh power consumption between this generation's 1GB and last generation's 256MB - the effect of ambient temperature is probably higher.

 

[calderone]

None of this is actually proof since it is only what a few people have said.

You need more proof then that. AT&T reps aren't the most knowledgeable just as Apple reps aren't. I want something solid from AT&Ts site. oh wait, there is none because it's truly unlimited.

By the way, I'm also a member on Howard forums and I have not seeon anything proving it's capped.

Something from AT&T you say?

http://mobile.engadget.com/photos/atandt-retooling-data-plans-hint-buh-bye-unlimited/#573835

http://mobile.engadget.com/2008/01/...+weblogsinc%2Fengadgetmobile+(Engadget+Mobile)

On topic though.

I am going to sit out the 3GS and wait for this next gen iPhone. That is assuming I don't like the HTC Hero I am going to be picking up instead of taking my upgrade. I am looking forward to Android and its openness.

 

[SpaceKitty]

Something from AT&T you say?

http://mobile.engadget.com/photos/atandt-retooling-data-plans-hint-buh-bye-unlimited/#573835

http://mobile.engadget.com/2008/01/...+weblogsinc%2Fengadgetmobile+(Engadget+Mobile)

None of those include the iPhone. Have you actually read them? You really should read before you post links

Those mention media net and plans that include tethering, not iPhone plans.

I was reading up on the AT&T official forums and there are threads there stating the iPhone data is unlimited as well. By the way, I do 8-10 GB a month since the XM app was released last June and have never gotten a warning nor extra charges. This unlimited discussion is old and tired so I'm out of this now.

 

[calderone]

None of those include the iPhone. Have you actually read them? I was reading up on the AT&T official forums and there are threads there stating the iPhone data is unlimited as well. By the way, I do 8-10 GB a month since the XM app was released last June and have never gotten a warning nor extra charges. This unlimited discussion is old and tired so I'm out of this now.

No I just linked to them and didn't read it.... I wish you would have read my post properly and without blinders instead of jumping to conclusions about what my post aimed to prove. Notice how what I quoted from you didn't mention "iPhone," nor did my reply as it wasn't necessary.

The point wasn't to show that the iPhone is capped. The point was to show that AT&T is/was planning to change their data plans. Which is where many of these rumors were born.

Furthermore, the reality of it is this. AT&T is not going to say "Hey, we are saying you have an unlimited plan, but it is really capped at 5GB." That said, I have no doubt AT&T will flag accounts that are using "excessive" amounts of data. Whether their claims are legit is another matter.


Since you are bowing out, I suppose this does not matter. But do I buy that AT&T has a "hidden" cap? Yes. Namely because of my distrust of corporations. Is AT&T likely to act on it in cases were maybe 8 or 10GB is used? Probably not. Are they likely to flag abnormal activity where there are strange data usage patterns and data usage in excess of 25GB? I would say so.

My point, even unlimited has limits. Whether you want to believe that is your prerogative.

 

[iMaggot]

Let's hope it's a REAL revision of the iPhone and not just a rehash like the 3GS was. I want something NEW.

Yep, i pass on the 3Gs hoping that next year iPhone is the real Upgrade.

 

[torbjoern]

With a proper scheduling-algorithm of the CPU, dual-core won't be necessary even for multitasking. But can you imagine how much more power an extra CPU core would need? It's the short battery life of the iPhone that makes me have to stick to the Nokia (any Nokia), and unless Apple doubles the battery capacity, I'll be d***ed if I purchase a mobile communication device with only half the practical battery life of its already battery-draining predecessor.

 

[gianly1985]

It's the short battery life of the iPhone that makes me have to stick to the Nokia (any Nokia),

Not any Nokia....N900 has a equal/worse battery life than iphone.....and other models too....

Also, you should compare the battery life in equal usage conditions....on iPhone people tend to make battery draining activities a lot more....

 

[offwidafairies]

man, 8 months is way too long to wait!! im ready for an iphone upgrade by feb.

 

[ZipZap]

I'd prefer that they get the current iphone working properly before focusing on new versions.

 

[djrobsd]

HUH? What planet are you from? Cell phones have ALWAYS had a redial button, including the iphone, it's called press the talk button twice to redial the last used number. Easy, go to Phone - Keypad, and press the call button twice to redial the last number.

* Better battery life/energy consumption
* Redial button (I mean... come on. I can't believe that's missing.)

 

[kdarling]

HUH? What planet are you from? Cell phones have ALWAYS had a redial button, including the iphone, it's called press the talk button twice to redial the last used number. Easy, go to Phone - Keypad, and press the call button twice to redial the last number.

If Apple wants a truly easy, intuitive UI, then REDIAL should be an onscreen button, easy to find.

Heck, even the iPhone manual doesn't mention this secret feature.

 

[lilo777]

If Apple wants a truly easy, intuitive UI, then REDIAL should be an onscreen button, easy to find.

Heck, even the iPhone manual doesn't mention this secret feature.

What do you want from Steve? You know he hates buttons. All of them, even the virtual ones

 

[mrjayd]

There is a redial button. You just hit the CALL button again. Been there since day one...

* Better battery life/energy consumption
* Redial button (I mean... come on. I can't believe that's missing.)
* Limited third-party multi-tasking. (I understand and agree with the benefits of limiting MT to built-in functionality, but there's no reason not to have some kind of "white list" preference setting where you can list apps that are allowed to run in the background.)
* Allow javascript bookmarks in Safari (you can hack them in but I don't see why Safari blocks that.)

 

[agirton]

The one I want!

I found this one days before the last release on Giz. It is by far the sexiest looking mockup I have seen and would love this to be the new design. Front facing camera and all.