BGR: iPhone 3.0 to have MMS and Tethering via Bluetooth and USB
Yes, this isn't a lot of exciting news (most smartphones have had these features forever) but we know there have been a few of you clamoring for these two features for years.
Will the iPhone 3.0 have MMS and Tethering (USB and Bluetooth)?
Maybe.
Will AT&T reach into your pocket and take some more of your cash?
Of course they will... sucker.
We'll take some cut and paste too while you are at it...
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Comments (36)
remind me...when does the exclusive deal with AT&T end?
I thinks it's some time in 2010.
No one outside of Apple & ATT know for sure, actually. Some think it's three years (2010) and others think it's five (2012).
I bet.
bummer
I would be angry if ATT charged more for my unlimited messaging plan. Other phones with MMS have the same unlimited txting plan for the same price. They shouldn't add on more just because the phone can now accept MMS.
cuz tethering and MMS are really first on every iPhone users list. Oh, you had copy-paste on your list? No, that must be for a different iPhone...
MMS is ridiculous. But tethering is first on my list. Copy & paste would be fine, but I could really care less.
Supported tethering would be a win.
It' doesn't matter when the contract ends. Currently the only other mobile provider in the US that can work with the iPhone is Tmobile, and that is only on edge.
Also, I'll take a wait and see approach on the BGR rumors since we all know how well they nailed that $99 walmart iPhone :)
I honestly don't think Apple will go back to MMS when the email works perfectly fine. I think there is a better chance for background apps coming to the iPhone than MMS. It would explain why push was pulled from the beta and never heard from again.
T-Mobile began it's 3G rollout in May 2008 and currently supports most major metropolitan areas.
I didn't say Tmobile didn't have 3G service, just saying that the iPhone 3G can not function on Tmobile's 3G network. It is compatible with only one of the frequencies Tmobile uses, but it needs 2 for 3G to work.
I guess it's possible in the future if the ATT lockdown ends, a future iPhone could support more radio frequencies which will allow it to work on Tmobile and ATT.
You don't think that maybe they have the brainpower in Cupertino to put out a T-Mobile or CDMA compatible iPhone? After all they were running OS X on Intel since like '99. Honestly the sooner Apple rolls out the iPhone on Verizon the sooner they can make a killing on the other 50% or so of the cell phone market.
LOL iPhone (or any phone) doesn't need two frequencies to function in 3G network.
The iPhone can work fine, technically, on T-Mobile's network. It can work with ALL of T-Mobile's frequencies in the US, without exception.
Look at the specs of the iPhone, and look at the frequency/protocol mapping of T-Mobile in the USA. You'll quickly see that the iPhone supports ALL of T-Mobile's tech specs. Including 1900 and 2100.
"don't think Apple will go back to MMS when the email works perfectly fine"
So all your friends use iphones or blackberrys or palms?
Some people still use regular phones too - and don't do email on them.
Same argument like the missing floppy drive on the old Macs - they don't have email, so what? Does everything need to be back compatible for 50 years like Microsoft's OS? Time to evolve, or do you still record tapes for your friends without CD player? I don't miss MMS a bit, and the day the iPhone pushes IM messages, I won't give my provider any more money for the overpriced SMS.
wow, i just wanna write all random right now...my palm treo has MMS...so i guess it makes it a stupid phone too (yes i believe that's true)...
Here in the UK we figured it out from the start: MMS is useless overpriced crap.
Just thought I'd throw out a few points:
1. No one knows how long Apple and AT&T's exclusive deal is.
2. The only phrase publicly shared by either party is that the exclusive partnership is a "multi-year" deal.
Just to remind our math whiz kids out there - multi means "more than one" so with that in mind, the "multi-year exclusive" between Apple and AT&T could be as short as 2-years (as now we all understand that meets the criteria for the term multi)...
Let us all hope that Apple's EDVO & CDMA efforts are all about their ability to partner with Verizon, Sprint - or both - come June!
If the exclusive with AT&T were set to end in June of this year, we'd surely see AT&T flipping out by this point.
Exclusivity needs to be outlawed. It keeps these cell service bastards from competing on services and pricing. They're no better than the RIAA and MPAA. Buncha' crooks.
Suck it up or go elsewhere. No need to bitch about it.
As has been mentioned, there is no other iPhone compatible 3G network in the USA. In Australia, we have three; Telstra, Optus, and Vodaphone.
Guess what? When they launched the iPhone here, they launched with Telstra, Optus, and Vodaphone.
I'm sure once iPhone hardware supports more networks at full speed, or the networks support the iPhone, the exclusivity won't last too much longer.
Except Tmobile, of course - the other US GSM provider that the iPhone supports, technology-wise, 100%.
And there isn't any reason why Apple couldn't build a phone that is technology-compatible with Verizon and Sprint and AT&T all at the same time - hell, BlackBerry does. It comes down to price and power consumption.
GSM vs CDMA
Which is better and why? Can you explain it to a total noob in 20 words or less?
From experience, CDMA networks are more reliable.
GSM is more popular, and you'd have better luck getting on a network when traveling.
There's obviously other reasons, but that's just my 2c.
With CDMA you phone is literally the phone. If you want to change it you will have to program your old number to the new device.
With GSM your phone is actually the little removable sim card. If your phone falls into the toilet or the sink you just buy a new phone and you're ready to go.(the contacts may be lost though if you saved them to the phone and don't have a backup). This is a very big advantage if you travel abroad and don't want to pay roaming fees, since you can by a local sim card to make much cheaper calls.
As far as quality, it's basically the same thing. Theoretically CDMA can reach slightly higher data transfer rates, but you won't see the difference anyway.
Please don't kill me if I got something wrong! =)
Neither is better. They're just have different attributes. In other words, it depends on what you care about.
There really isn't anything to GSM anymore. CDMA's protocols are used in what's still referred to as GSM (which is pretty restrictive). It's a pretty lame system nowadays, yet both are still incompatible even though both use Qualcomm's technology.
Apple doesn't have to partner with Verizon. All Apple has to do is meet Verizon's specs for Any Device, Any Application program. I wonder why this has been over looked. Verizon purchased a large chunk of the analog spectrum that TV leaving. Although Verizon calls Any Device, Any Application program theirs. I think it was in the conditions of the purchase those open freq.'s blocks. to make things interesting. we look at the suggested rollout dates of the new iphone and the new turn off date of Analog and what do we have?