Looks like Apple could finally launch its iPad 3 in the huge market of China as their regulatory agency just approved a mysterious 3G device. Though the filing doesn't name it, it's clear from a model number that a network certificate has been issued for the new iPad...
While folks in the jailbreak community have been able to make FaceTime calls on cellular networks for quite some time now, others haven't been so lucky. Since it debuted in 2010, the video calling feature has remained Wi-Fi-only.
Today, however, evidence has surfaced that suggests Apple is testing a FaceTime over 3G option. The folks over at iDevice posted the above screenshot, which was taken from an error message pulled out of iOS 5.1.1...
Yesterday, we informed you of a bunch of Wi-Fi connection issues some owners of the new iPad continue to experience with their device, including intermittent connectivity, slow data speeds and inability to see Wi-Fi networks. Unfortunately, more network-related woes have been discovered.
Since last week, an unknown subset of international users have been reporting trouble connecting to 3G cellular networks with their 4G LTE iPad. Interesting enough, Apple appears to have deleted a thread at their Support Communities website that by this morning has already ballooned to well over a hundred posts.
Here's what folks are saying...
When Apple removed the "Enable 3G" switch in iOS 5, the decision was universally met with confusion, even anger by those of us that used it to save battery life in areas where 3G was flaky. By removing the option to disable it, Apple caused us all a headache we could do without.
Now, with iOS 5.1, Apple has reinstated the option quietly, once again giving us iPhone owners a little control over the speed at which our handsets connect to the internet. It may not seem like much, but this little switch is a big deal to many.
It's perhaps fitting that Apple has brought a power saving feature back in a release of iOS which is meant to increase battery life in the power-hungry iPhone 4S, too...
I woke up this morning finding out that the iPhone 3GS, iPhone 4, and 3G iPads had been banned from sales on Apple's online store in Germany, due to an injunction won by Motorola Mobility, following the company's first big legal victory against Apple in the country a couple months ago.
By the time I took a shower and got to my computer though, the ban had already been lifted. That was quick...
Need more proof that the iPhone 4S jailbreak is right round the corner? Then look no further than 3G Unrestrictor 5, the first tweak to our knowledge that outright claims support for the iPhone 4S and iPad 2 on its Cydia page.
3G Unrestrictor is a tweak that enables FaceTime calls and high quality YouTube streams over 3G. Its latest update brings iCloud Backups, and Photo Stream to the world of 3G as well.
It's on sale for a limited time for $0.99 (existing customers), so if you think you're going to need its services, especially on your newly jailbroken iPhone 4S, you might want to take a look inside.
Earlier this morning, Apple seeded iOS 5.1 beta 3 to developers. At a glance, the update looked like your typical bug fix and maintenance release. But folks have already uncovered a new feature.
It's not exactly new. iOS has long since had the ability to toggle 3G data on and off. However it has been absent in recent software releases, and now it looks like beta 3 has brought it back...
Interesting news from Ars Technica tells us that the iPad has a proximity sensor, just like the iPhone. The 36-equipped iPad's sensor is there to tell the tablet when to dial back its cellular radio. Why, you ask? According to the report, Apple doesn't want the radio running full tilt when it is close to a human.
This sensor is also triggered by some iPad cases, meaning that 3G iPads may spend most of their time with their 3G radios running for no good reason. That's where a new iPad case comes into play...
Motorola Mobility has just announced that it has scored a major victory in its ongoing patent war with Apple. Just as the iPhone-makers have done to Samsung, Motorola has just won an injunction that bans the import of 3G iPads and iPhones into Germany.
This will be the company's second German court victory in as many months, but the ramifications for Apple are a lot more serious this time around. Unless Apple wins an appeal, it will be forced to stop shipping some of its biggest products into the country...
As smartphones have become more and more popular over the last few years, so has wireless data. The more features that manufacturers add to their handsets, the more wireless data they consume.
This has caused several cell phone providers to preserve their bandwidth by discontinuing their unlimited data plans. Verizon seems to have come up with another way to deal with its data-intensive customers...
Since the iPhone 4S debuted in October, Sprint subscribers have been complaining about slow data speeds on the new handset. Several owners have been reporting dismal 3G download speeds of less than 1mbps on America's third largest wireless network.
Sprint commented on the situation earlier this month, stating that it was taking the issue seriously. And it seems to have made good on its word, as CNET is reporting that the carrier has started rolling out network enhancements to fix the problem...
With all three of the major US cell carriers now sporting the iPhone in their arsenal, consumers have never had it so good. Not only can you now choose which iPhone to buy, but you can also choose which carrier to run it on.
Choosing a carrier isn't always the easiest thing in the world, but a new study by Metrico Wireless sheds some light onto the decision, and depending on whether voice or data is the most important thing in your world, the best carrier for you may well vary.
According to Metrico's numbers, AT&T is currently the top dog if you need your data speeds to be as fast as possible, but if you're more of a talker than a surfer, Verizon may be the best choice for your hard-earned dollar...