Steve Jobs tells Swedish DJ that the iPad won't tether to the iPhone

Seth Weintraub
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March 05, 2010
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Not content with answering tech questions from Americans, Steve Jobs this week answered a question from all the way over in Sweden.  

The question was a good one, and one we've had on our minds as well: 

I'll keep it short.

I'm Jezper from Sweden, a long time Apple fan, currently about to replace the very last computer at home with a brand spanking new iMac i7. I'm also awaiting the release of the iPad. However, I have one question:

Will the wifi-only version somehow support tethering thru my iPhone?

Two devices, based on the same OS, with already built-in technology to share one data plan suggests a secondary contract could possibly be redundant.

From the look of your keynote, where the iPad sits well between my MacBook Pro and my iPhone, I was hoping the three of them could interact as seamless as possible.

All the best,
Jezper Söderlund[a famous DJ in his own right]

Jobs' answer?

No.

Sent from my iPhone

We got the header information below to help prove that this one was legit. Oh, and yes, Jobs is still rocking that 3.1.2 iPhone.

Reply:

Ämne:  Re: Dear mr. Jobs
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Till:  Jezper Söderlund <>
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Comments (78)

mime454 | March 05, 2010 - 6:03pm

Jobs' answers are always so short.

9to5Mac Noob (not verified) | March 06, 2010 - 8:35am

I think everyone in the US is likely saying "Wel,l duh".  In the US, there is no way that any provider will sell an unlimited data plan for any device that isn't somehow restricted.

For a laptop, Verizon is charging an outrageous $60/month... and that's with a 5 GB cap!  They don't even offer a plan to the general public that is unlimited in every way.  It seems hard to imagine AT&T cutting Verizon's charges in half, and also completely opening the device up for high-bandwidth consumption.

We all have to wait for 4G for a big uptick in bandwidth and a major decrease in prices.  It has been well-reported that Verizon will have substantial 4G capabilities this year.  For at least those of us already on Verizon, it only makes sense to wait versus investing in 3G technology devices.

9to5Mac Noob (not verified) | March 07, 2010 - 12:55pm

Operative words there being, "in the US".

9to5Mac Noob (not verified) | March 06, 2010 - 3:08pm

how can the iPad be tethered to the iPhone when they both use 30-pin connectors, there is no usb on the i-Pad or cable with 30-pin attachments on both ends?

Topher (not verified) | March 06, 2010 - 6:04pm

You could use a hacked iphone to make your 3G connect into a Wifi connection. So you basically turn your iPhone into a wireless router and connect via the iPad. I'm guessing hackers will figure out a way to do this. I love Apple, but hackers will make the software do what it wants =P

Vladimir (not verified) | March 27, 2010 - 4:45am

Bluetooth tethering is a common way.

I've been doing that with my mobile phones(Nokia, Sony Ericsson, Samsung) and my laptop(HP, Dell) and my PDA(Dell handheld with old Windows mobile 2003) for years...

Technology exists for a very long time, but apple doesn't like it...

Apple has a habit of crippling functionality of their products to force you to spend more money on accessories and/or more expensive models.

In the beginning iPhone could not be tethered with a desktop/laptop, then it was hacked and that was possible. Later on, tethering was available, but is still disabled on some iPhones that are sold by carriers who don't want you to use the "unlimited"(yeah, right...) data plan they forced you in with your PC/Mac.

My advice, never buy anything from a mobile operator that will bind you in a long contract.

Personally, I prefer to use Linux, and I love the android concept, but Symbian and WiMo currently put the least amount of restrictions on the device. I'm amazed how nobody mentions the artificiality imposed restrictions.

aLx64 (not verified) | March 06, 2010 - 5:20pm

Probably because Steve Jobs is a pompous prick.

DonFromCanada (not verified) | March 12, 2010 - 9:46am

Just curious why not? I mean if Can do the really really long way of tethering my laptop to my iphone, then using the wifi antenna on my MacBookPro to share the internet connection, but that just sucks. The whole point is to not haul out my laptop. I'm in Canada on the Fido (Rogers) network, and they do allow tethering. I have an unlimited data plan, so no worries there and I'm constantly tethering my MacBooPro to my iphone on the train and on the bus. Sigh. With (still) no Flash support, the drool factor for the ipad keeps lowering in my books. It doesn't give me anything more than my iphone/MBP setup now - other than my MBP has a hinge and weighs more and has less battery. But is that enough to warrant me buying another wireless plan? Heck NO. IF the issue around tethering is a US-only issue as AT&T do not allow it, then I've got no issue with if the Canadian version does allow it - I'll just start carrying my iPad instead of my MBP. However, I can't see Apple allowing that, as it would ust open up a huge market in over-the-border iPad sales into the US.  

shekar55 | July 28, 2010 - 8:50pm

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9to5Mac Noob (not verified) | March 05, 2010 - 6:16pm

ass..

9to5Mac Noob (not verified) | March 05, 2010 - 6:16pm

Well that sucked! iphone->ipad tethering should be a sure thing. I hate these Apple political blocks (for sure not a technical block) of there own stuff!.

Never the less, great question :) I'm bummed out that Mr. Jobs didn't end his answer with a smily (maybe a :/ smily)

9to5Mac Noob (not verified) | March 05, 2010 - 8:15pm

Do you really think this is Apple's call? No! It's out of respect for their mobile carriers.

9to5Mac Noob (not verified) | March 06, 2010 - 7:33am

 mobile carriers who? I can tether to my mac from my iphone - with or without the blessing of carriers, so while that is possible why not the to the ipad (the ipad 3g version is not at all interesting when you already have the technology in your pocket). By the by when I state a apple political block should cover carriers influence on apple.   

BlackJesus (not verified) | March 05, 2010 - 6:20pm

Ha that's why jailbreaking exists. I'll just use Cydia to install an app that turns iphone's 3g network into a wi-fi hotspot whenever I'm outside and feel like using my iPad

9to5Mac Noob (not verified) | March 05, 2010 - 7:13pm

would it be possible to do it the other way around?

mime454 | March 05, 2010 - 7:35pm

Yes. Mywi

9to5Mac Noob (not verified) | March 07, 2010 - 11:39pm

t.w.s.s.!

9to5Mac Noob (not verified) | March 05, 2010 - 9:44pm

how can the iPad be tethered to the iPhone when they both use 30-pin connectors, there is no usb on the i-Pad or cable with 30-pin attachments on both ends?

9to5Mac Noob (not verified) | March 05, 2010 - 10:02pm

Bluetooth

9to5Mac Noob (not verified) | March 06, 2010 - 8:38am

Bluetooth is crappy bandwidth... great for headsets and keyboards but not much else. Wifi is the way to tether - roughly 10x the bandwidth (or more).  

9to5Mac Noob (not verified) | March 08, 2010 - 9:14am

wrong. the bandwidth bottleneck is because of 3G not bluetooth.

9to5Mac Noob (not verified) | March 05, 2010 - 6:22pm

Jobs' answers are most accurate.

Can you tether an iPod Touch to an iPhone... It's the same software and they can't tether together.

9to5Mac Noob (not verified) | March 05, 2010 - 6:26pm

What??! That is not according to what I see deep in the SDK!

Looking at the strings file this is what I found:
TETHERING_TEXT_ON_SETUP_ALERT_MESSAGE_NO_URL_CONNECT_OVER_USB_LABELR
ON_TETHERING_SWITCH_MAIN_SPEC_UNPROVISIONED_BLUETOOTH_POWER_ALERT_TITLE_BLUETOOTH_POWER_ALERT
STEP_1_CONNECT_OVER_BLUETOOTH_
STEP_3SOFF_TETHERING_TITLE_SETUP_ALERT_TITLE_SETUP_ALERT_MESSAGE_NO_NUMBER_#BLUETOOTH_POWER_ALERT_CANCEL_BUTTON_BLUETOOTH_POWER_ALERT_OK_BUTTON_TETHERING_TEXT_OFF_MAIN_SPEC_PROVISIONED_
CONNECT_OVER_USB_
STEP_1VCANCEL_SETUP_ALERT_MESSAGE_NO_INFO_CONNECT_OVER_USB_
STEP_2_CONNECT_OVER_BLUETOOTH_

Its plastered over the place.

admin | March 05, 2010 - 6:28pm

yeah we saw that too. Those are iPhone tethering strings.

9to5Mac Noob (not verified) | March 06, 2010 - 6:11am

If anything that refers to the same type of tethering that the iPhone does: device -> PC. You might be able to tether a 3G iPad to a computer when using it with a carrier that allows it.

9to5Mac Noob (not verified) | March 06, 2010 - 7:35am

Cool :) that's great treasure!

Oflife (not verified) | March 05, 2010 - 6:37pm

So how come one can tether ones MacBook Pro to an iPhone here in the UK?

(This lack of openness may well bring down Apple in the long term. If some as yet unannounced hardware vendor comes up with a slew of brilliantly designed Android (or even Windows Mobile 7) devices, and refuses to play nice with the networks, things may change. It has happened before.)

9to5Mac Noob (not verified) | March 06, 2010 - 3:01am

There are many parallels between the original 1984 Macintosh and the iPad. One of the main criticism of the original mac was the lack of openness and lack of this and that. But it survived. So let's see what will happen next....

beeny (not verified) | March 06, 2010 - 7:21am

iPad is not iPhone.  note the spelling diiference

9to5Mac Noob (not verified) | March 05, 2010 - 6:38pm

Frack... Now I have to wait for the 3G version...