Kevin was excited to buy a new iPhone 5 last week, but the iPhone was much less excited to go home with him. He left for a business trip and discovered that the phone wouldn’t come out of airplane mode. What was wrong? Had he only spent a few hours with the phone before it decided to rebel against Kevin and against the very AT&T network that was supposed to give it life? He sought help, but the carrier and the phone manufacturer each refuse to take responsibility for the problem. [More]
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Oh, What We Do For Love: Apple Repairs Have Cost American Consumers $6 Billion Since 2007
By 9.19.12
I see people loving their iPhones, coddling them and stroking them and covering them with cutesy covers. But I also see my friends’ shattered screens threatening to lodge shards of screen glass in their ears or complaining that they’ve dropped their iPhone in the toilet (again) and railing about the cost to fix or replace it. And they’re not alone: A new study says American consumers have spent almost $6 billion to repair their iPhones since the phone’s 2007 birth. [More]
Must Have An iPhone 5 Right Now? Maybe Your Carrier Will Effectively Pay You To Leave
By 9.18.12
Good news, Apple fans: if you absolutely must have the iPhone 5 right now, take the time to do some math and talk to your current carrier. It might be cheaper to just break up with your carrier, pay the early termination fees, sell your existing phone (or phones, on a family plan) and get a subsidized phone from a new carrier. One customer discovered that this was the case: that AT&T would effectively be paying him to leave, since the price of upgrading was so high. [More]
YouTube Launches New iOS App Just In Time For That New Phone Everyone's Been Waiting For
By 9.11.12
Ever since Apple told Google it wouldn’t include a pre-loaded YouTube app on new iPhones anymore because the license to do so had expired, the two companies have totally not been best friends anymore. Upping the fight ante this time around is YouTube’s owner Google, which launched a new YouTube app for iOS just in time for the expected iPhone 5 announcement tomorrow. [More]
Wireless Carriers Banking On New iPhone To Turn Everyone Into Data Hogs
By 9.11.12
For years, wireless providers have been moaning about their highest volume data users and shaking their fists at the sky for ever having tried unlimited data plans in the first place. But now, with the impending release of a reportedly 4G LTE-compatible iPhone on the horizon, these same carriers are popping champagne corks, hoping that the faster data speeds will nudge consumers into the next level of data hogging. [More]
App Publisher Claims Leaked iPhone IDs Came From Its Database, Not FBI
By 9.10.12
As you probably recall, hackers recently claimed to have swiped unique tracking information for iPhone and iPads via a laptop belonging to an FBI agent, leading many to wonder why the lawmen would have this information in the first place. The FBI quickly denied any ties to the information, and now a publishing company in Florida is saying that the hacked list actually belongs to it and not the feds. [More]
Apple Officially Starts The iPhone Salivation Countdown With Event Scheduled For Sept. 12
By 9.4.12
It’s been more than five years since the first iPhone was unveiled, and here we all are, still caught up in “When is the next iPhone going to come out oh please tell me tell me” speculation. After months of guesswork, the announcement appears to be nigh, as Apple has issued an invitation to media for a special event on Sept. 12. [More]
Hackers Claim FBI Has Tracking Information For 12 Million iPhones And iPads
By 9.4.12
Yesterday, while many of us were grilling various meats and dreading the inevitable return to work, hackers posted what they claim are 1 million unique identifiers for iPads and iPhones. According to the hackers, the source of this information is a significantly larger database held by the FBI. [More]
Apple Is Having Trouble Getting Enough Screens For The iPhone 5
By 8.31.12
If you’re planning on getting and iPhone 5 when it launches in a few weeks, you might want to be proactive about pre-ordering, because Apple is allegedly having trouble getting enough screens. [More]
AT&T FaceTime Policy Could Open Door To Carriers Restricting Which Customers Can Use Certain Apps
By 8.23.12
Late last week, AT&T confirmed that while iPhone users will be able to use the FaceTime video chat app over its 3G and 4G networks, customers would have to subscribe to one of the company’s new Mobile Share plans. This has obviously not been sitting well with critics who say its a violation of FCC Open Internet rules, and AT&T has attempted to explain its position on the matter. But the Death Star’s explanation only gives us more cause for concern. [More]
Sprint Fires Customer For Excessive Roaming, Won't Unlock His iPhone
By 8.13.12
Sprint fired Christian. Oh, he didn’t work for them: they fired him as a customer. He doesn’t live near any of their towers, and so he ended up doing a lot of data roaming. Displeased, Sprint sent him a letter to tell him that he was being let go. Christian called up Sprint and was told that he would be allowed to unlock his shiny new iPhone 4S and use it on AT&T. He ported his number out to AT&T, then learned that the representative he had talked to is the only person in the Sprint organization who will tell customers that they can use their iPhones on another US carrier. [More]
Report: Apple Store Employees Now Allowed To Price-Match iPhones
By 8.10.12
The worst kept secret in telephony is that there is a new Apple iPhone coming in the fall. Thus, some of the big box retailers that offer the current version of the device are starting to offer discounts to clear inventory. Apple stores are not advertising any such price drops, but a new report claims that employees have been given authorization to offer price matches. [More]
Apple Hates Your Kitten Videos, No Longer Pre-Installing YouTube On iOS Devices
By 8.7.12
When the next versions of Apple’s iPhone and iPad devices hit customers’ hands this fall, they will come without the YouTube app that was one of the initial big marketing points of original iPhone back in 2007. [More]
Smaller iPhone 5 Dock Could Be Big Hassle For Accessories Owners
By 7.23.12
For five years, while there have been several iterations of the iPhone and Apple’s other iOS devices, they have continued to use the same 30-pin connector. This means that customers have been able to buy iPhone and iPad accessories without worrying about those items becoming antiques as soon as the next device hits the market. But if reports about the next iPhone are correct, Apple will be using a smaller dock on the phone, which could mean a big headache for some consumers. [More]
AT&T Won’t Deny It Plans To Charge Extra For FaceTime Calls
By 7.17.12
Some folks who are currently monkeying around with a beta version of the next iOS operating system for iPhones say they are getting a message from AT&T that seems to imply that the Death Star will be charging more — or at least separately — for subscribers who want to use the iPhone’s FaceTime chat over a cellular connection. [More]
Sprint Isn’t Sure Whether They Can Unlock My iPhone Or Not
By 7.16.12
In a few months, Jessica and her fiancé will move to his native London. This wasn’t in her long-term plans when she bought an iPhone 4S and signed a contract with Sprint. Life happens. At least she will be able to keep her newish iPhone after unlocking it and swapping in a UK SIM card…right? Well, no. Maybe. No. Yes, but for $300. Nobody, including Sprint employees, seems to know what Sprint’s actual policy is. [More]
T-Mobile Signal Finally Fails On My Unlocked iPhone
By 7.9.12
Once upon a time, T-Mobile and the iPhone were friends. Even though AT&T had exclusive rights to the iPhone, T-Mobile was a significantly cheaper, friendlier, and less busy carrier that also used GSM. T-Mobile welcomed the owners of unlocked iPhones with open antennae. But that golden era is over, reader Brielle tells us. She’s been using iPhones on TMo for four years now, and is beginning to experience problems with her signal. It just so happens that her area has recently been upgraded for 4G service…right around the time her iPhone’s signal crapped out. They’re happy to sell her a new 4G Android phone, though. [More]
Best Of Comments: iPhone Upgrades And Clinging To Control
In today’s Best of Comments, someone claiming to be an AT&T employee explains why their iPhone upgrade pricing is really supposed to be pro-consumer, and another commenter tries some armchair psychology on the management of large corporations. [More]