Latest Gear Live Videos
T-Mobile 3G launches in Las Vegas
Posted by Andru Edwards Categories:
If you are a T-Mobile customer and happen to live in Vegas, you will be happy to know that T-Mo’s 3G network just launched in your region. So, if your phone is capable is hitting up 3G speeds, get ready for a nice, enhanced speed boost. For all the rest of you on T-Mobile, we know it sucks that only NYC and Vegas get 3G, but there is a light at the end of the tunnel, as the company expects to drop 3G on another 20 markets before the end of the year, along with a few new phones to take advantage of it all.
Click to continue reading T-Mobile 3G launches in Las Vegas
Read More 
| Phonescoop
Advertisement
iPhone 3G: The details
Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Apple, Cell Phones, Handhelds
We’ve been waiting for it for a year, and Apple has finally delivered - the iPhone 3G was announced this morning during the WWDC 2008 keynote, to a rage of applause. Time to run down the entire feature set.
For starters, it’s an iPhone with 3G capabilities built right in. It is almost three times faster than the original iPhone even dared to be (actually, closer to 2.4x as fast). Since it’s using 3G technology, that means that you can surf the Internet, download email, and even watch video while you are on a call. Try doing that with your iPhone OldSchool. According to Apple, the iPhone 3G actually loads pages 36% faster than the Nokia N95 and Treo 750, both of which are also 3G phones. If you’re keeping track of which wireless technologies the iPhone now takes advantage of, that would be UMTS, HSDPA, GSM, WiFi, EDGE, GPS, and Bluetooth 2.0 + EDR.
That’s right, we said GPS. On iPhone 3G, the Maps application takes advantage of the built-in GPS chip. So while you are driving around, or even walking around, the iPhone finds your exact location. You are representing by a pulsating blue dot right on top of the Google Maps interface. Of course, you can get turn-by-turn directions to a destination, get live traffic info, and more.
How about battery life? All this extra stuff should result in a compromise, right? Wrong. iPhone 3G features 300 hours of standby time, 8-10 hours of 2G talk time, 5 hours of 3G talk time (which is amazing), 24 hours of audio playback, and 7 hours of video playback.
As for pricing and availability, this should be the best news of all. iPhone 3G is launching at half the price of the currently available iPhone. You can pick up an 8GB iPhone 3G at launch for just $199 USD. If 16GB is more your thing, that will run you $299, down from $499, and that one is available in both black and white. The phone launches in 22 countries, including the US, on July 11. Of course, you can hit up the Apple Store online to
see more images of the phone. No pre-orders after all.
Gallery: iPhone 3G: The details
iPhone screenshot shows 3G setting switch
Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Apple, Cell Phones, Handhelds, Wireless / WiFi
All signs are pointing to a new 3G iPhone launching in the next six weeks or so. The latest is this screenshot that is, supposedly, taken from the iPhone 2.0 Beta 5 firmware. Check it out - within the Network settings pane, you now have an Enable 3G toggle switch. It’s a way to put a little bit of power back into your hands as the user, what do you care about more, speed, or battery life? I personally would love a setting that disabled 3G when the iPhone realized I was connected to a WiFi hotspot.
In all seriousness, Apple needs to launch this thing already. The employees over at the Rumor Mill are working way too many overtime hours.
Poll: When the iPhone goes 3G, will you buy one?
Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Apple, Cell Phones, Features, Rumors
Alright, so we know that the 3G iPhone will be in our hands in the next couple of months. What we need to know from you guys is if it is enough to push you over the edge to buy. Do you already own an iPhone? Are you happy with it to the point where you won’t be upgrading until it no longer works? Or are you the type to go sell it immediately so you can get the 3G version right away? We know there are even some of you out there who are disenchanted with this whole iPhone thing, and you guys stick with your Blackberrys, Windows Mobile phones, etc. In any case, let us know how all these recent iPhone rumors are affecting your psyche.
3G iPhone details, and there’s (at least) one in Seattle
Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Apple, Cell Phones, GPS, Handhelds, Rumors, Wireless / WiFi
We’ve been trying not to stir the iPhone rumor pot too much lately, but it seems like details are starting to come out that we believe may just be legitimate. Ryan over at Engadget heard a few things from a trusted source that match up with a couple of things we’ve heard, plus he got a few things we weren’t sure about.
For starters, we had heard that the 3G iPhone would likely be just a tad thicker than the current model, which seems to match up with what we read. Physically, Apple may be doing away with the two-toned back color of the iPhone, opting instead for a smooth black finish. The headphone jack will no longer be recessed into that hole of frustration, and lastly, the thing will have full-on GPS.
Engadget is saying that the next iPhone could ship as early as July. We are thinking it could be as early as June. We know for a fact that there is at least one person here in Seattle who has one, and that the person doesn’t work for Apple. Apple typically doesn’t seed these things outside of their organization until they are in the last phase of testing. That leads us to believe that these are just about ready to launch. What do you think? This is all a bit too exciting for us, as we die a little inside with each day that passes where we have to use EDGE on our iPhone.
Read More | Engadget
3G iPhone launching within 60 days
Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Apple, Cell Phones, Handhelds, Rumors, Videos, Wireless / WiFi
In the above video, the main throwback into gadget news, Walt Mossberg, mentions that the iPhone will be 3G sometime in the next 60 days. Now we know, we talk about analysts making such claims all the time, but in case you didn’t know, Walt Mossberg is pretty much the guy that gets to play with all these things first. Before anyone else in the industry we mean. So when he throws out a claim like this, we are of the opinion that the grain of salt that you need to take it with is a lot smaller than all the other guys. Oh, and this goes along with our story that Apple may have placed the order for 3G iPhones, and the fact that iPhones seem to be sold out at a bunch of Apple Stores. It just makes sense.
The question is, once a 3G version of the iPhone is made available from Apple, are you buying?
EDIT: Mossberg has since said his comment was just based on the speculation that we all are under, however, that said - it’s Walt. You know this guy is under NDA. Even if it was prediction-based, rather than a slip of the tongue, the evidence is all around us.
Read More | Beet.tv via 9to5 Mac
3G iPhone ordered by Apple?
Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Apple, Broadband, Cell Phones, Handhelds, Rumors
We’ve all been expecting Apple to release a 3G version of the iPhone at some point during this year. It turns out, it may be coming sooner rather than later. Ken Dulaney, analyst for Gartner, is saying that he has heard from sources over in Asia that Apple has placed an order for 10 million 3G iPhones. Even more interesting is that these would be 10 million on top of the current 10 million that Apple hopes to sell of the current iPhone version in 2008. If this is true, we’d expect to hear about it within the next few months. Maybe around the time that the iPhone 2.0 firmware upgrade is released, hmm?
Dulaney also mentioned that the 3G version of the iPhone may use an OLED screen, which would result in an improvement in battery life. Hey, if Apple went with EDGE for the current iPhone due to battery issues, it would make sense that in their leap to 3G, they’d try and conserve as much battery life as possible, right?
While we won’t know for sure when we will see a 3G model of the iPhone, I personally believe it is a safe bet that we will be seeing one within the next few months. The iPhone is nine months old, and while it is still a marvel, 9 months is a long time to go in the cell phone industry without seeing an upgrade. Apple also knows that 3G is a glaring omission from the current model. After all, there was a collective groan heard around the tech world when it was introduced back at MacWorld 2007 due to it’s lack of 3G. Even 14 months ago it was a huge letdown. Too much time has passed since then.
Bottom line, if you are in the market for an iPhone, but aren’t in the “need to have it now” mindset, you may want to wait a while.
Read More | iPod Observer via MacRumors
AT&T says: 3G iPhone in 2008
Posted by Sparky Categories: Apple, Cell Phones, Handhelds, Internet, Rumors, Wireless / WiFi
AT&T‘s CEO Randall Stephenso let slip that a 3G iPhone is indeed on it’s way sometime in early 2008. This is an obvious evolution for the platform and is no surprise, but hearing it ‘right from the horses mouth’ certainly is a nice reassurance. While the exact timing of the release is unknown, he did indicate it would likely be prior to May. Based on AT&T’s HSDPA technology the 3G iPhone would feature the same blazing download and upload speeds as other 3G devices currently on the market. Apple has yet to comment on Stephenso’s early-announcement.
Gear Live’s prediction: the announcement of the 3G iPhone will come hand in hand with a more proper unveiling of the SDK at Macworld, likely with a bump to 16GB of storage to match the current generation iPod Touch. Gear Live’s predicament: we can’t wait.
Read More | AT&T via iPhone Atlas
AT&T USBConnect 881 bringing 3G over USB to PCs and Macs everywhere
Posted by Sparky Categories: Apple, Broadband, Internet, PC / Laptop, Peripherals, Wireless / WiFi, USB
AT&T just announced their USBConnect 881 - an HSDPA/HSUPA modem for Macs and PCs that connects via USB. The minuscule 1.25oz modem claims to give an average download speed of 600kbps to 1.4Mbps, with uploads clocking in at 500kbps and 800kbps in HSUPA markets. While it may not be as slim and sexy as an Expresscard modem this looks like a great option for those with an older laptop, or a Macbook looking to quench their hankering for high speed laptop data on the go.
Available now for $50 with a 2 year contract, or for $299 without a commitment to AT&T.
Read More | AT&T
Sharing a 3G internet connection with the iPhone
Posted by Sparky Categories: Apple, Broadband, Cell Phones, Handhelds, Internet, Mods / Hacks, Portable Audio / Video, Wireless / WiFi
Pyrofers has posted a how-to on turning a Windows Mobile 5 or Windows Mobile 6 phone with 3G access into a high-speed modem for the iPhone. The whole process seems a little extreme given that you would have to pay for, carry, and keep active a 2nd device at all times, but might be useful if you have a spare Windows Mobile device hanging around and if you can convince your work to pay for an unlimited data account for it. Fair warning - the hack involves registry editing on your Windows Mobile device so proceed at your own risk. As for us, we will likely just wait it out for the iPhone 2.0 (iPhone Extreme?) to come out with 3G internet access built in.
Read More | Pyrofers Projects
Follow Gear Live!
Recent Galleries
Facebook Fans
Advertisement
© Gear Live Inc. – User-posted content, unless source is quoted, is licensed under a Creative Commons Public Domain License. Gear Live graphics, logos, designs, page headers, button icons, videos, articles, blogs, forums, scripts and other service names are the trademarks of Gear Live Inc.
