And Then There Were Three

One of the four major cell phone providers in the US has just been bought out by another. T-Mobile was bought by AT&T for a whopping 39 billion dollars. This will make AT&T the biggest cell phone provider in the US. If this mergers passes the FCC, it will give AT&T all of T-mobile's towers, expanding the ranger of their signal in very remote areas. It will also bring with it T-Mobile's 34 million customers. Add that to AT&T 80 million customers to a customer basis of 104 million. That trumps Verizon 94 million customer basis.
When I first heard about this, I didn't think it was actually going to happen. However, AT&T has a little loop whole they found which will allow them to proceed with the purchase.

Picture from Engadget

As you can see, by going through with this purchase AT&T is achieving the goal which Obama set during his State of the Union Adress. The goal is to bring internet and cell phones to 98% of Americans in the next five years. This merger would help accomplish that.
To me, I almost see this as Microsoft is absorbing a company. I get the feeling that, just like Microsoft, AT&T will absorb the company and not know how to handle the customer basis. They will do what they please without any regrets what so ever. T-Mobile has had great customer service, and some phenomenal plans for usage since they were a smaller company. AT&T will probably not follow through with some of these ethics. From what I have read, AT&T has terrible customer service, while T-Mobile's was much better.
I guess it remains to be seen the effects of this merger. This leaves Sprint as the only under dog now. It kind of gives Spring the "OK" to do what they please because they can now charge less then both Verizon and AT&T and still be justified. They would be justified because T-Mobile, their only competition, no longer exist. This also leaves AT&T and Verizon left to duke it out.

~Dave

iOS 4.3 is Out Leaving Verizon iPhone Behind

Yesterday iOS 4.3 was released from Apple ahead of schedule. The firmware update for the portable devices was suppose to come out March 11th. It includes the fixes for AirPlay and also the faster load times for Safari. This is all fine and dandy, except for the fact that the Verizon iPhone was left out. There is no statement from Apple regarding why this happened, but it would seem that it has. The Verizon iPhone has firmware 4.2.6 loaded on it, which came with the Personal Mobile Hotspot. This, in itself, is interesting because the Personal Mobile Hotspot was the big update which was included in iOS 4.3.

Since the Verizon iPhone started off with a slight head start, it may lead it to the phone running a different firmware. In other words, there might be two sets of firmware made. One would be made for the GSM iPhone and the other for the CDMA iPhone. Although this is annoying, it would make some sense. The phones are different because of their carriers, and the Verizon one was running a modified version of 4.2 when it was released. How long the Verizon iPhone customers will have to wait for the firmware update is unknown. In fact, there has not been any word of whether they will receive the update or not. I am guessing we will have to wait until June to find out unless Apple states otherwise. June, for those of you who don't know, is usually when the iPhone refresh happens.

~Dave

iPad 2 Announced

Yesterday Apple came out and pushed the industry forward once again. Although not all the enhancements in the iPad 2 are new to the industry, the way they are utilized is. Let's get the specs on this new product. We start of with a dual core A5 processor, the next generation CPU that apple has produced. It is two times faster then the A4. In addition, they have added a front and back facing camera. This allows for facetime between devices as well as with iPhones. In addition to these examples, there are a slew of small, but big, improvements.
Overall the iPad 2 keeps the same 10 hour battery life, which is quite amazing when you think about it. Plus, the device is 33% thinner and 15% lighter then the last iPad, making it even more impressive that it can go 10 hours.

Image taken from Engadget.com

In the above picture you can see the iPad 2 compared to an iPhone 4, that is how thin it is. It is crazy to think about.
Another addition to the iPad 2, and one of may favorites, is the "Smart Cover" technology. This technology is quite amazing. Apple has invented a cover which attaches to the iPad magnetically. The cover not only covers the screen, but also has a micro fiber cloth on the inside to keep dust off the screen. In addition, when you remove the cover, the iPad 2 will detect that you are removing the cover and turn the screen on. This saves you time, not that you need that, to get to your work quicker.

Flip up the screen to turn the screen on.

The screen also acts as a stand for when typing and for when you are watching movies. You just roll it up into a triangle and you are ready to go.
The iPad now incorporates face time into the mix of features. It can now make video calls to other iPads, and iPhones. Keep in mind that face time only works if you have a wifi connection.
Finally, the iPad 2 has the ability to connect to a TV screen using an HDMI cable. Not only that, but you can do it in full 1080P and the TV will mimic the rotation of your iPad. Although this might set you back a couple more dollars, it is worth it if you are a teacher or a businessman who gives presentations.
Well, that about raps it up. The iPad 2 comes in 16,32, or 64 GB versions. Each can be put on either the AT&T network or Verizon. There is also a wifi version. The pricing remains the same as the last iPad.

~Dave

Amazing First Impression

Above: Universal Top from Mophie

  My on going battle with my Mophie case has come to an end. After purchasing it a week ago, the issue of the case not fitting my new iPhone has been resolved. You may be wondering, how did I resolve this problem? Did I put a blow torch to the case and melt the plastic into place? Did I take a drill and shave away the plastic for extra space? Well, luckily I did none of the things listed, which is good because I have no idea how to do either of those things. Plus, I don't own a blow torch. Anyway, after I wrote the article "I Should Have Seen This Coming", a comment was posted on the article a day later. The comment, as you can see, was from a technical support agent at Mophie. As you can see from the comment, he sent me an email. I promptly checked my email to see what he had said. When I read the email, I was surprised beyond belief at what it said. The email stated that if I filled out a product support form on Mophies website, they could send me a replacement top to the case so it would fit with my new iPhone. It turns out, as I had guessed, Mophie is making a universal top for the case. This top will be compatible with both the iPhone on Verizon, and the one on AT&T. Well! I could not wait for this opportunity to pass! I did exactly what the email stated. I filled out the form, described my problem, and politely asked if they would be willing to ship me a new top. As of yesterday morning, I have received an email stating that I am now on the mailing list for a new top!
This just goes to show that Mophie has amazing product support. They went out of their way to assist me with the problem I was having. This has made an amazing first impression on me. There is no doubt in my mind that I will be recommending this case to everyone I know. In addition, I will tell them about the amazing product support that was given to me when I had my issue. Thank Mohpie!

~Dave

Help! I Require Assistance!

A couple days ago I mentioned that I would be buying the Mophie Juic Pack Air. When buying it, I didn't think everything through. To me, the most important part of the case was how much battery life it would provide for my phone. However, the more I thought about the case, the more I came to small realization. The volume buttons on the side of the phone are different on the Verizon version of the phone. They are moved down slightly because of a notch made in the antenna. As far as I currently know, my package has not shipped, so I can still contact customer support about the issue. I plan on calling later today in hopes that they will do one of two things. First, I hope they tell me that the case will fit the phone, and that I have nothing to worry about. Or, second, they tell me the case won't be fitting the phone , in which case I would ask that they cancel my order. In addition to canceling the order, I would follow up asking if they would be making a case which would fit the Verizon iPhone. If they say yes, then I may return to them later on and purchase one. As of now though I can only hope that it will fit


~Dave

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Verizon iPhone Pre-Orders

Today the Verizon iPhone goes on sale for pre-order. This, however, is only for existing Verizon customers. If you are new to the Verizon Network, you will have to wait until February 9th. Many sites released reviews last night for the phone, saying it was a great improvement over AT&T when it came to dropped calls. Many said the issues were few and far apart. However, Verizon does have a slower network then AT&T, but that is not a big problem if you have been with the Verizon network for a while. If you are an existing customer, it won't bother you. Overall many said it would be worth buying, I am still trying to figure out pricing. I plan on getting one if the pricing works out. Speaking of pricing the phone will start with a $40 plan for voice, 450 minutes that is. With text that is an extra $20. If you want unlimited voice, you will have to shell out $70. Then there is unlimited data, which will cost $30. Finally, there is the mobile hotspot which will set you back another $20. Each of these prices are a per monthly cost. This means you can expect to pay around $100 a month. My issue is finding out whether I will be charged extra as my phone is an added line. You can pre-order your iPhone now on Verizon's website. Well, I am off to the Verizon store to try and figure out my pricing issue. If all goes well I may have an iPhone by next week!

~Dave

The Real Deal

With the Verizon press release yesterday, it is not official that the iPhone will be coming to Verizon. So what are the small changes/differences between that iPhone and the one on AT&T? Well, they are minor, but they have quite an impact when in use.

• CDMA Version: It is on the CDMA network, not GSM. The main difference between the two is that CDMA does not allow data transfer (i.e surfing the web) while you are on a phone call. This limits the amount of tasks you can do while on the phone. This is different from GSM which allows data when on a call. However, the reason CDMA does what it does is because it prevents call drops. 

• Antenna Re-Cut: The antenna to the new phone has been cut differently. This may be to fix the "Antennagate" issue. However, Apple stated that it was "not the phones fault, but the networks fault'. I find something contradicting between that statement and the new phone. HHMMMMM. 

•  Mobile Hotspot: As of right now, the Verizon iPhone has the ability to become a mobile wifi hotspot, which can connect up to 5 computers. The hotspot, however, disables the rest of the phone when activated.

These differences are what separate the two phones. Out of these three, I really don't like the fact that CDMA does not do data while on the call. But, with all the perks the phone has, I would be fine with that issue. The starting price for the phone is $199.99 with a two year contract. It will go on sale on February 10th, but existing Verizon customers can reserve theirs online come February 3rd. I am still debating whether or not to upgrade because it is possible that there will be an iPhone refresh in June.

~Dave

iPhone Verizon

Today is the big day. Verizon is calling a conference at 11 EST to make an announcement. Many are speculating that this announcement will be regarding the iPhone switching, or being extended, to the Verizon Carrier. WSJ (The Wall Street Journal) has had multiple articles recently stating the iPhone would come to Verizon, and that Verizon would be making the announcement. They have been given the right, supposedly, to make the announcement because it is not a new phone. The phone is just changing carriers. The new CDMA version of the iPhone is speculated to go on sale around February 2nd-3rd because Verizon has blocked off all vacation days at that time. That is also around the time that Apple makes their press releases at WWDC. Some may tell you to wait for the iPhone because it is nothing new. In addition, they may also tell you that the iPhone will be re-invented in June. Well both of these things are most likely true. This is where you will have to make your decision: Get it now, or wait. Personally, I am not quite sure. I would really like it now, but I would hate to not get something new that is very useful. Anyway, it is also rumored that the antena issue may be fixed with the phones carrier switch, which would make many happy. It is also been said that Verizon will offer unlimited data plans to start, but later on they will switched to tiered data plans. Other rumors include the possibility of Steve Jobs showing up at the Verizon announcement today, and that Verizon may be given exclusive access to the White iPhone. That would give them an edge over AT&T, who does not have the white one. Color doesn't matter to me, but to some it does. remember, these are all rumors, although the WSJ has "confirmed" it will happen. Nothing is for sure until the announcement. If this announcement does happen, today will be an amazing day.

~Dave