AT&T announced its quarterly earnings this morning and some are calling the numbers Verizon-proof, at least with regard to the carrier’s strong iPhone activation numbers during the first quarter of 2011. Despite the arrival of the iPhone 4 on the Verizon network in the US and months of heated rumors leading up to that eventuality, AT&T activated 3.6 million iPhones during Q1, a full 33% increase from Q1 2010.
“We delivered another robust mobile broadband growth quarter for a very solid start to the year,” boasted Randall Stephenson, the carrier’s chairman and chief executive officer. “We posted double-digit wireless revenue growth, and we set new first-quarter records in total net adds, connected device net adds and smartphone sales. Growth in tablets and other branded computing subscribers also continues to be strong.”
But, if truth be told, Stephenson’s reference to “growth in tablets” is worth another look, as tablet activations actually grew at a much smaller pace than before, with just 322,000 tablet activations. Still, AT&T says it lured in a total of 62,000 new wireless contract users in the quarter. AT&T’s total subscriber base now sits at 97.5 million, a full 12% increase over the last twelve months.
Despite the increased competition in the smartphone and tablet marketplaces and the threat of Verizon eviscerating AT&T’s iPhone user base in the US, AT&T proved stronger than many anticipated today with its Q1 earnings – a positive sign for shareholders in the quarter ahead.
Source: Bloomberg
According to the research, findings, and a healthy dose of speculation from analyst Ming-Chi Kuo with Concord Securities, Apple’s long-awaited iPhone 5 may ultimately delver only a few, less than groundbreaking improvements over the 4th generation Apple smartphone.
Based on what Apple’s overseas supply partners tell him, the iPhone 5 will not bestow an all-new design or anything – at least from an aesthetic standpoint – that is radically different from the previous four generations of the device. Kuo says the new phone will deliver only “slight modifications” from the last generation. In other words, expect the same body and retina display you already have.
It should also be noted that almost everyone – Kuo included – has stopped alluding to Near Field Communication (NFC) technology as a possible new attribute of the iPhone 5. NFC would make mobile payments (transactions via smartphone at the point of sale) possible at participating retailers across the US. As it now appears, Apple is once again putting off mobile payments for a future generation product or device.
All told, the guaranteed iPhone 5 modifications alluded to are those we’ve already been anticipating – an 8 megapixel rear camera and a Qualcomm baseband (GSM and CDMA). Kuo alleges that the radical overhaul of design and functionality will likely come with the 6th generation iPhone (can you believe we’re talking about the 6th before the 5th has even turned up?). Still, the most interesting aspect of Kuo’s report is that all signs now point to a September iPhone 5 release.
Source: NBC
USA Today for the iPad has been updated to version 2.0. This is a major upgrade from the previous version and promises to be a much more stable app than its predecessor. There are several new sections to choose from, including new tech and travel sections. USA Today is still a free app and it doesnt look like they will be charging for it any time soon. Many publishers want Apple to offer paid subscriptions to their publications on the iPad, but so far no agreements have been finalized.
The tech section has several sub-sections to choose from including App Insider, which features current app reviews. Another section called TechWatch includes a video player which features Talking Tech reviews with Ed Baig and Jefferson Graham and other gadget, gaming and industry news. A Week in Space photo gallery rounds out the tech section of online paper.
USA Todays travel coverage includes the latest travel related news and photo galleries. There is also a section that details the latest airport delays nationwide organized either by map or list. Specific delay information is given for each airport as well. This can be quite handy if you find yourself stuck at an airport without access to current information.
This version of USA Today is compatible with iOS 3.2, but to get the most out of it, youll want to use iOS 4.2. Multitasking is also supported, but only if youre using the latest operating system. The latest bug fixes are also present and the crash at startup that plagued many users has apparently been fixed as well.
With so many newspapers and magazines beginning to embrace the iPad, its refreshing to know that there are still some news apps that remain free. With rumors of Rupert Murdoch launching a paid subscription service for access to publications under his control at $.99 an issue, it seems likely that more publications will try to follow suit. News apps that remain free, however, will surely have better sales than even the best paid news apps. USA today for the iPad is a fine example of a great looking news app. Hopefully, well see more apps like this in the near future.
Source: TUAW
Apples latest iPhone commercial features both an AT&T and a Verizon iPhone 4 being used at the same time. The tagline Two is better that one says it all. Apple obviously wants people to know that there is no discernable difference between both cellular providers. But is this entirely true? The iPhone 4 isnt due to hit Verizons network until February 10, so until we can test both units side by side, well just have to go by what information Apple and Verizon have released so far.
The biggest difference between the two versions of the iPhone 4 is that the Verizon iPhone uses a CDMA chip, whereas the AT&T iPhone uses a GSM chip. For the average user, however, the difference is quite minimal. One advantage of the GSM iPhone 4 on AT&Ts network over the Verizon model is the fact that you can be on a call and check the internet or email at the same time. Also, AT&Ts network is slightly faster than Verizons, but AT&T has poorer coverage area. The Verizon iPhone may not access the fastest network, but with Verizons excellent coverage area, most users wont have the same difficulties getting a decent signal that AT&T customers have had to endure.
When the iPhone 4 becomes available to Verizon customers next month, they will have the ability to use their phones as Wi-Fi hotspots right out of the box. AT&T charges $20 a month for the privilege of tethering. Hopefully, AT&T will stop charging extra for this feature, if only to stay competitive with Verizon.
Its also been reported that the price of the Verizon iPhone 4 without a two-year contract is $50 more that the AT&T version. Its unclear at this time why that is, but it may have something to do with the price of the CDMA chip inside the phone.
So as you can see, Apple may want you to think that both versions of the iPhone 4 are exactly the same, but there are a few key differences. I also wonder if Apple has fixed the antenna problem that plagued the iPhone 4 when it was first released. Apple doesnt want another Antennagate on their hands. When Apple launches the iPhone 5 later this year, I imagine they will only produce one universal version of the phone, if only to keep costs down. For now though, its nice to finally have a choice of wireless providers.
Source: 9to5 Mac