NEWS: AT&T loosens its iPhone 3G S upgrade policy

Translation: Verizon announced that they're apparently going to be selling a genuine Apple iPhone shortly.

The intro price will probably be the same as the AT&T new customer prices, which presents a tempting prospect for existing AT&T customers to upgrade by switching cellular providers to Verizon. Since it costs far more to obtain a new customer than to keep an existing one, AT&T has generously decided that an ounce of customer retention is better than a pound of greed and has temporarily decided not to rip off their existing "loyal" customers that want to upgrade.

(Reminder: I was one of the victims of the graceless Dobson to Cingular transition, where customer retention was somehow forgotten).

On Wed, 17 Jun 2009 22:23:25 -0700, Jeff Liebermann wrote in :

That's pretty funny!

On Wed, 17 Jun 2009, Jeff Liebermann posted:

You didn't read it very carefully, did you?

It's an iPod Touch with a Verizon MiFi attached to it. You don't have to wait, you can buy a MiFi now.

-- Mark --

is two wolves and a sheep deciding what to eat for lunch. Liberty is a well-armed sheep contesting the vote.

As wide spread as WiFi, especially ATT WiFi is, 3G is just more ubiquitous, doncha know.

On Thu, 18 Jun 2009 09:37:21 -0500, Ron wrote in :

In my current location, I have 5 bars of 3G, but no Wi-Fi signals. (Likewise when I'm out on the water sailing.)

I could walk over to (say) Starbucks for free AT&T Wi-Fi, but it's much nicer (and quieter) to stay here and connect over 3G, in part because a free Wi-Fi connection is often worse than a 3G connection.

My SE TM506 can even make and receive calls while I'm tethered, and handle Bluetooth connections from my headset and computer at the same time.

Sorry, I couldn't resist. Like all my rants, hoaxes, denunciations, character assassinations, and conspiracy theories, there's some truth in there, somewhere, maybe...

Actually my Verizon "iPhone" is somewhat like the article. I'm still carrying my Verizon XV6700 PDA phone, but with the phone section disabled. I haven't had time to move the address book and calendar to its replacement. In its place, I have a cheap junk LG vx8100 phone and a iPod Touch 2G. The combination is a huge improvement over the XV6700 conglomeration in that I can see my schedule while yacking on the phone, or watch YouTube videos while waiting on hold. Unfortunately, they don't sandwitch together quite as nicely as the photos in the above article, but it's a start. Perhaps a different phone. So far, my only problems are crappy wi-fi range on the iPod Touch and an inability to replicate the address book between the phone and iPod Touch directly.

On Thu, 18 Jun 2009 09:48:06 -0700, Jeff Liebermann wrote in :

FWIW, I can do that with my SE TM506 while using my Bluetooth headset. My SE TM506 can even make and receive calls while I'm tethered, and handle Bluetooth connections from my headset and computer at the same time. I'm also pretty happy with T-Mobile 3G speed and coverage.

On Thu, 18 Jun 2009, Ron posted:

You still didn't read it very carefully, but I expect that of fanboys.

A MiFi is a WiFi access point that gets its IP connectivity from Verizon's EV-DO network. It is physically smaller than an iPhone. In the web page the guy has it attached to the back of an iPod Touch.

There is no need for AT&T's WiFi, or anyone else's WiFi. It is its own WiFi, and thus allows you to use an iToy, either iPhone or iPod Touch, on Verizon's network.

That, along with Skype, constitutes the so-called "Verizon iPhone".

-- Mark --

is two wolves and a sheep deciding what to eat for lunch. Liberty is a well-armed sheep contesting the vote.

Wi-Fi rules. I have wi-fi at home, at my office, at most of my customers, where I eat lunch, and at most places that I lurk. My guess is about 70% of the places where I might want connectivity. The main benefit of wi-fi is not having to pay Verizon $360/year plus taxes for a (mandatory) data plan. This provides a financial incentive for the inconvenience of Wi-Fi. That's the equivalent of a new iPhone or two iPod Touch devices every year. In other words, if I refuse to subscribe to the data plan from my cellular service, and use an iPod Touch (same as an iPhone but without the cellular and GPS) instead, it only takes 6 months to break even. Also, Wi-Fi is faster than 3G, doesn't have a download limit, and can be used peer-to-peer (bypassing the cellular provider).

I guess you don't value truly mobile (i.e. on the Interstate) apps?

On Thu, 18 Jun 2009 13:20:48 -0700, Jeff Liebermann wrote in :

3G rules in my world, where Wi-Fi is only available about 30% of the time. For $240 per year I get convenient unlimited high-speed Internet pretty much everywhere, speeds as good or even better than most public Wi-Fi, and support for a wealth of data-intensive apps on my phone, including Gmail, Google Maps, Opera Mini, Internet and YouTube video, Internet radio, and Skype. "Different strokes for different folks."

Jeff Liebermann wrote in news: snipped-for-privacy@4ax.com:

The downside of Wi-fi is that you can't be truly mobile with it. It forces you to become static in order to remain productive and connected. And unlike the 70% of your regular life that is covered by Wi-fi, I find that about 95% of mine is covered by my carrier's network and allows for a seamless and constant connection to their network. I work when and where I need to, instead of wasting time trying to find a connection. It is easily worth the money spent.

One other observation about wi-fi. Anybody in this day and age that still has an unprotected hotspot is an idiot. That being said, the number of open connections grows smaller by the day.

I visit a lot of places that have secure WiFi, and they offer it to their customers, or people with WiFi in their homes that they will share the credentials with me. I have a bunch of auto-connect profiles in my AT&T Blackberry Bold, and it uses either WiFi or 3G to open a browser. I didn't have to do anything for it to connect to WiFi in the various places that offer AT&T hotspots, like Starbucks and McDonalds.

You are correct that WiFi doesn't work while moobile, but in a lot of the places where I come to a stop, there is someone with WiFi, and a key that never changes.

I did _almost_ fall for the early upgrade fees, though. Someone bought the Bold for me for Christmas, although my phone wasn't eligible for upgrade. The out the door price was horrendous. I checked the company discount, and somehow I knew that I should ask how much my present cost... It was over

2.5 times as much. I talked to some folks, and wound up taking the phone back, waiting about three weeks, and ordering it as an upgrade to one of the other lines on my plan.

(Then, after confirming my shipping address, they sent the Bold FedEx to a former work address, where I guess I had initially qualified for the corporate discount. The company isn't there anymore. Someone signed for it. It was probably sitting in the reception area. AT&T wanted to run a trace on the package, and let me know the outcome in two weeks. I told them that I didn't really care what they did to correct their mistake in two weeks, I wanted a new phone shipped now. Which they did.)

True. I can easily survive without yet another highway distraction. Also, the minutes that I might consider using wireless data while rolling down the highway, versus time spent using wireless data while in my home, office, customers, stores, restaurants, ball parks, and such, are rather small. The large incremental increase in monthly costs (about $30/month) is not worth this small improvement in connectivity. Besides, I have other distractions to keep me busy while driving (ham radio, music, unsafe load, etc.)

I don't really need to be productive while moving. I don't use much public transport and therefore don't have long boring hours in which to wait around trying to be productive. While driving I do is mostly local, which certainly doesn't require that I stay connected to the internet while driving. I also don't consider being connected to the internet much of a productivity enhancement. I do quite well not being bugged by IM chatter, clumsy email on my iPod Touch, endless button pushing, and coverage holes. I'm productive when I'm with a paying customer, not while I'm on the road. I'm also not a Luddite and very much into technology. I'm just not interested in raising my connectivity from about 70% with Wi-Fi, to perhaps 95% with 3G wireless data. It's not worth the time or the expense to me. Perhaps your situation is different.

Out of curiosity, what part of your activities (home, office, work) are covered by Wi-Fi and do you consider the added cost of 3G to be sufficiently beneficial to justify the added cost?

This week, I fix computers. I don't fix them while driving. I also can't effectively do a massive Windoze or Linux update via 3G. I can do it via Wi-Fi, but I'm sure the local coffee shops will not appreciate the traffic. So, must of my productive work is done with a wired connection (DSL or cable).

True. The ones I use are either mine, my customers, open, or charge a fee.

On Thu, 18 Jun 2009 23:59:11 -0700, Jeff Liebermann wrote in :

It is.

70%

I can. Try a different carrier.

Fair enough. To each his own distraction. Mine is the mobile office.

Yes, but what about the critical issue of no wifi while sailing?

"Forced to be static" How about being a slave to your phone? Seems to a bigger problem.