AT&T has unveiled plans to upgrade their 3G network to 7.2 HSPA in various markets across the US by the end of the year. What cities happen to have all of the luck on their side? Charlotte, Chicago, Dallas, Houston, Los Angeles and Miami.

If you don’t live in any of those cities don’t worry, I will let you all know how it works here in Chicago. Unfortunately for those who are not so lucky, the wait for HSPA 7.2 will will take a bit longer as AT&T is only planning on having 25 of the nation’s 30 largest markets upgraded by the end of 2010. John Stankey, president and CEO, AT&T Operations:

“Our deployment of HSPA 7.2 and supporting backhaul connectivity will enable our customers to continue to ride the leading edge of emerging devices and thousands of mobile applications, our network is based on the predominant technology platform used by operators worldwide and has been tested by today’s most popular devices. That experience gives us an important advantage in developing and deploying new technologies to meet customers’ future needs.”

Who knows, maybe as these network upgrades are taking place we will slowly start to see apps such as SlingPlayer Mobile get rid of their Wi-Fi-only chains? Only time will tell.

This is a story by the iPhone Blog. This feed is sponsored by The iPhone Blog Store.

AT&T Upgrading 6 Major Cities to HSPA 7.2

Jeremy and Chad both gave excellent, compelling reasons for why they ARE SO or ARE NOT upgrading to the iPhone 3G S. For certain, intelligent people will have different yet equally valid reasons for choosing to upgrade, or not to upgrade. For myself?

Apple had me at speed.

As anyone who ever managed to snag NetShare before it was yanked off the App Store, or anyone who has ever spun up PDANet, for anyone who has tethered under the iPhone 3.0 beta knows — 3G networks are a lot faster than the iPhone 3G lets on.

See, internet connection speed is only one factor. CPUs (and/or GPUs — where’s my OpenCL ES?) need to render HTML, CSS, and — the killer — JavaScript. Doing that takes a lot of crunch power, and that’s the bottleneck on the current iPhone 3G.

The new iPhone 3G S, however, has 150% of the CPU power and 200% of the RAM.

Remember a few years back when you bought a new laptop or desktop and it had a better CPU and twice as much RAM, remember how that new experience just flew. And remember going back and trying to use your old computer again, and how it just felt so slow?

Yeah, that feeling, that’s what I’m talking about.

Not only will web pages render faster at current 3G speeds, iPhone 3G S will use 3.5G/3.75G 7.2Mbps HSPA to really give them a turbo boost in areas where it’s available (hurry up, AT&T!)

And all of that is in addition to the faster task/app switching, load speeds, OpenGL ES 2.0, and other, tangible, perceptive speed boosts that Apple averages out to being TWICE as fast on the iPhone 3G.

Imagine if your new car suddenly went twice as fast.

For some people it won’t be worth it. For some the iPhone 3G wasn’t worth upgrading from the 2G either. It depends on what you value. On a tiny screen, seconds matter to me. Waiting for a page to render or apps to switch is dead time, and I’m trying to fill the interstitial moments, not just fracture them into smaller bits.

I know expectations were impossibly high for the third generation iPhone’s debut at WWDC 2009. Sites like TiPb and the rumors we all love so much didn’t help. But complaining about the iPhone 3G S not being improved enough — what did you want, a built-in espresso maker?

Apple puts new CPUs, GPUs, and RAM into their iMacs, MacBook Pros, Mac Pros, etc. all the time. Much more often than case changes (hello G5 = Mac Pro!). Fashion is nice when we get it, features perfect when they make sense (I expect that Mobile iChat one year!) but it’s power that will still drive mobile adaption. Performance size matters.

So I’ll be lining up on Friday for a new 32GB iPhone 3G S. (No pre-orders on my carrier). And when I start using it, when web pages just pop up, when apps launch in a heartbeat, when I hit HSPA 7.2, when I load up my first OpenGL ES 7.2 game…

Well, let’s just say I won’t be able to go back.

This is a story by the iPhone Blog. This feed is sponsored by The iPhone Blog Store.

The Need for iPhone 3G S Speed. Or, What Did You Want, a Built-In Espresso Maker?!

[TiPb vs. TiPb time! In the blue corner we have Jeremy who tells us why he IS SO upgrading to the iPhone 3G S. In the red corner, Chad who tells us why he IS NOT upgrading to the iPhone 3G S. Two writers, one issue. Check them both out and tell us who's side you're on!]

There have been a lot of people out there who are very disappointed with the third generation iPhone — iPhone 3G S. They’re saying that it is pretty much the same phone as the current iPhone 3G, or that the upgrades are not enough to warrant purchasing the new iPhone 3G S. I’m here to say, they’re right – the upgrades are not significant enough!

More after the break!

With all of the enthusiasm surrounding the WWDC 2009 Keynote, it is hard not to be let down; and some of us were. It can be a challenge not to get carried away with rumor and speculation around this silly season. However, beyond the hype and rumor lies the truth: Apple and AT&T are not delivering. How so? Let us look at the iPhone first.

Beyond aesthetics, the iPhone simply does not do much beyond it’s little brother the iPhone 3G (after the 3.0 software update). What are we getting other then a little extra speed?

A digital compass: Sure this helps with Google Map orientation, but is it amazing?

Voice Control: Granted, this will be nice while driving, but beyond that, it isn’t much more than a gimmick.

Video Recording: Now this is a nice feature, however, it is only VGA (640×480) and some of us already have a portable video recorder (like a Flip Mino, etc.)

There you have it, the three “new” features for the iPhone 3G S. Oh yes, there is the speed and battery life. True, things could be faster, but software 3.0 is already enhancing the speed of the current generation of iPhones and I am satisfied with the battery life of my iPhone as is. Why is this such a big deal? Why am I belittling these changes so? Two reasons: 1) We know Apple is capable of more/better and 2) AT&T is getting a little over-confident with strong-arming Apple to bend to their whim at the expense of customers. Let us look at number one first.

We know Apple is capable of more/better

Apple has filed several patents over the years that specifically references an iPhone interface (you can view some here and here). When are these coming to the light of day? I would really like to have some sort of “today” screen where, without turning on my device, I can see things at a glance; unread email, texts, etc. Oh, and what about iChat? Apple apps can multi-task now, why not an iChat app? Come to think of it, a front facing camera for video chats would be nice, but wait, AT&T doesn’t have the bandwidth for such things… which leads me into point two…

AT&T is getting a little over-confident

I get the contract and subsidy thing, except that AT&T is charging an awful lot for having a slower network by comparison to Sprint and Verizon (sorry T-Mobile). The Palm Pre’s data connection on Sprint’s EVDO Rev A network is close to Wi-Fi in my tests and AT&T is a long, long way from that. AT&T announced that they will be adding the much needed bandwidth later this year, but combine this with the late launching of tethering and MMS, “customer loyalty” discounts for users not quite at the 18month milestone for iPhone 3G S pricing of $399/16 and $499/32, I am not feeling the warm and fuzzies I used to feel.

Who is really to blame here? It is a double whammy. If Apple delivered on a new, “fresh breath device”, I could take the heat from AT&T. If Apple didn’t deliver and AT&T was reasonable on their pricing, that would have worked too. As it stands now, there is failure on both sides. Sure users will be happy if they are eligible, but AT&T just sold a boat-load of iPhone 3G’s within the last year, and now they are all let down, me included.

I am sticking with my iPhone 3G and enjoying the new life it will get with software 3.0. Until the next, great iPhone comes at WWDC 2010. Hey, at least my 2 year contract will be up…

This is a story by the iPhone Blog. This feed is sponsored by The iPhone Blog Store.

TiPb vs. TiPb: Why I AM NOT Upgrading to iPhone 3G S

[TiPb vs. TiPb time! In the blue corner we have Jeremy who tells us why he IS SO upgrading to the iPhone 3G S. In the red corner, Chad who tells us why he IS NOT upgrading to the iPhone 3G S. Two writers, one issue. Check them both out and tell us who's side you're on!]

There have been a lot of people out there who are very disappointed with the third generation iPhone — iPhone 3G S. They’re saying that it is pretty much the same phone as the current iPhone 3G, or that the upgrades are not enough to warrant purchasing the new iPhone 3G S. I’m here to say, think again – the upgrades are very significant indeed.

More after the break!

Let me first address one of the biggest — and for some only — gripe: “it looks the same as the iPhone 3G”. True, the iPhone 3G S has the exact same size as the iPhone 3G but is slightly heavier. Is that really a bad thing?

Sadly we live in a world that has major hang ups on looks and status. Sure Apple could have changed the glossy back to a matte finish. Or perhaps they could have done away with the chrome bezel and raised the phones headset speaker up a bit, etc… Those small changes may have been just big enough to require different accessories like cases and battery packs, rendering previous items useless and causing you to have to go out and spend even more money.

The next thing I’ve been hearing an awful lot is “there are not enough updates to warrant me upgrading” or “I expected a lot more from Apple”. I think that too many people expect Apple to revolutionize the cell phone market every year with an entirely new iPhone. Wake up call — it’s not going to happen! They did it once with the first generation iPhone that revolutionized the market and each year since then they’ve improved upon it. And the improvements are not irrelevant like some of you may think:

• 3 megapixel camera with capability to record VGA resolution video at 30 FPS
• 7.2 HSDPA (up to twice as fast as 3G)
• Improved battery performance
• Faster processors
• Double the amount of RAM
• Up to double the storage capacity (32GB)

According to Apple, the performance difference between the 3G and the 3G S alone is on average 2x. That is not to be overlooked. It’s no different than someone who says a normal DVD is fine for them and see no need for a Blu-Ray player — that is until they actually watch a Blu-Ray movie and are blown away. That’s how I feel current 3G owners who are not going to upgrade will feel once they get their hands on a 3G S. Blown away.

Now don’t get me wrong, for a lot of people the iPhone 3G is perfectly fine. And why not, it is a great phone. This is geared more towards the people out there who feel Apple has just put this phone together simply to get a phone out there without making great improvements. You my friends, could not be further from the truth. Looks don’t mean everything.

Ok, so that list right there is why I am upgrading and by no means is it a small upgrade in my book. If you’re upgrading, tell us why in the comments. And if you’re not, tell us why not as well.

This is a story by the iPhone Blog. This feed is sponsored by The iPhone Blog Store.

TiPb vs. TiPb: Why I AM SO Upgrading to iPhone 3GS

When Apple first announced it was going DRM-free at Macworld 2009, they set up a system where users who previously bought the old, lower quality, copy-protected music could upgrade to the new, higher-quality, non-protected music for $0.30 per single track.

Problem: it was all or nothing. If you had 100 tracks, you had to upgrade every single one of them, all at once, which would set you back $30 (or $300 for 1000 tracks). Now, Macworld (via TUAW) says Apple has seen the light, bowed to pressure, or otherwise fixed the lame, and is allowing users to pick and choose, and upgrade only the music they want on a per track basis.

So, head on over to iTunes to see which of your music tracks [iTunes link] are eligible for upgrade, but make sure you have 1-Click enabled (for now, to avoid some sort of glitch in the system).

Seems like a great step in the right direction for us. Anyone more likely to upgrade now that we don’t have all-or-nothing dangling over us?

This is a story by the iPhone Blog. This feed is sponsored by The iPhone Blog Store.

iTunes Plus Upgrades: Now Serving Singles

Click the “Upgrade My Library Link” from the QUICK LINKS section of iTunes

This link brings you to a screen that displays the Audio and Video tracks you have that are eligable for iTunes+ upgrades. Once you decide you want to upgrade, click the BUY link

 

Next you will get a confirmation dialog box asking if you want to purchase the upgrade (assuming you have not disabled this feature)

Apple then tells you that the files in your iTunes library will be replaced. The cool thing is Apple gives you two options: delete them, or move them to a folder on the desktop. I strongly recommend option #2!

Once they conversion is done, your files are replaced and iTunes tells you that you have nothing left eligible to be upgraded.

Afterwards, as songs become available for upgrade, they will automatically show in the QUICK LINKS section

I found the entire process of upgrading my library very easy. I am looking forward to the rest of my purchases to be eligible in the near future. Unlike some stories I have heard, it did not take long at up to upgrade, probably 5 minutes. iTunes simply exports the DRM content to your desktop and downloads DRM free content to replace it; simple!

This is a story by the iPhone Blog. This feed is sponsored by The iPhone Blog Store.

How To: Upgrade your iTunes Library to iTunes+

With the Apple’s early morning release of the iPhone 2.2 firmware update, that’s the exact question many people will be asking. Hey, we at TiPb asked it ourselves — and then blindly pushed and shoved our way to the iTunes tethers!

So what’s new in iPhone 2.2, is it awesome enough for you to update, and who should stay clear at all costs?

Answers after the jump!

What’s in the 2.2 Update

According to Apple, iPhone version 2.2 includes the following:

This update contains many bug fixes and improvements, including the following:

• Enhancements to Maps
  • Google Street View
  • public transit and walking directions
  • display address of dropped pins
  • share location via email
• Enhancements to Mail
  • resolved isolated issues with schedule fetching of email
  • improved formatting of wide HTML email
• Improved stability and performance of Safari
• Podcasts are now available for download in iTunes application (over Wi-Fi and cellular network)
• Decrease in call set-up failures and call drops
• Improved sound quality of visual voicemail messages
• Pressing the Home button from any Home screen takes you to the first Home screen
• Preference to turn on/off auto-correction in Keyboard Settings

Products compatible with this software update:

• iPhone
• iPhone 3G

In addition, there have been some minor UI tweaks, which you can check out in our new iPhone 2.2 Screenshot gallery.

Who Should Update?

While some may feel, especially given recent history, that best practices are to wait a few days for the guinea pigs… er… early adopters to kick the tires and discover any deal-breaking bugs, if you’re already suffering from any of the problems listed above, especially Email fetch woes, crashing Safari browsers, or want the latest security fixes, then bite the bullet and update asap. Likewise, the new Google Maps goodness and direct Podcast downloads had me at beta.

There’s always a risk something might go wrong, but you’re likely suffering immense frustration already, or really want the new features,the benefits clearly outweigh theoretical drawbacks.

Who Shouldn’t Update?

First and foremost: those of you who have jailbroken your iPhone 3G or 2G, or unlocked your 2G need to STEP AWAY FROM THE ITUNES. Read Jeremy’s post for the details, but if you upgrade now, you’re in for a world of hurt and disappointment later. Bottom line: If you’re rolling with a jailbroken or unlocked iPhone, stay clear until you’re given the all-clear. We’ll always let you know right quick when/if there are any developments in that area.

UPDATE: We forgot to mention, whenever new iPhone firmware comes out, some App Store apps will experience conflicts and stop working. If you’re at all worried, or have mission critical apps, wait for others to report problems and make sure all your favs are bullet proof before risking it. (Thanks to everyone who sent this in — please report any problem apps you find in the comments!)

Likewise, if you’re living large on iPhone OS 2.1, and won’t absolutely die if you don’t get Podcast Downloads now, now, now then you have nothing to lose by hanging back and waiting a few days to make sure 2.2 doesn’t crash and burn. Keep reading TiPb, and in a week or so, when confidence levels are high, you can take the plunge — if you feel like it.

Conclusion

So what’s the deal’yo? If you’re happy with your 2.x (or even 1.x!) iPhone right now, save yourself the potential pain frustration and wait to update until there’s a compelling reason to update.

If, on the other hand, 2.1 is giving you nothing but headaches, or the 2.12features are must-haves, go ahead and update now. Things can’t get any worse, can they? Can? They?

Whatever you do, let us know. And if you do run into problems, be sure to head on over to our forums where Bad Ash has the crew in full force!

This is a story by the iPhone Blog. This feed is sponsored by The iPhone Blog Store.

Should I Upgrade to iPhone OS 2.2?

With the Apple’s release today of the iPhone 2.1 firmware update, that’s the exact question many people will be asking. Hey, we at TiPb asked it ourselves — for all of about 0.1 seconds before diving headlong into iTunes, for the good of our readers, of course.

So what’s new in iPhone 2.1, is it compelling enough for you to update, and who should avoid it at all costs?

Answers after the jump!

What’s in the 2.1 Update

According to Apple, iPhone version 2.1 contains many bug fixes and improvements, including the following: 

• decrease in call set-up failures and call drops 
• significantly improved battery life for most users 
• dramatically reduced time to backup to iTunes 
• improved email reliability, notably fetching email from POP and Exchange accounts 
• faster installation of 3rd party applications 
• fixed bugs causing hangs and crashes if you have lots of 3rd party applications 
• improved performance in text messaging 
• faster loading and searching of contacts 
• improved accuracy of the 3G signal strength display 
• repeat alert up to two additional times for incoming text messages 
• option to wipe data after ten failed passcode attempts 
• Genius playlist creation 

Who Should Update?

While some may feel, especially given recent history, that best practices are to wait a few days for the guinea pigs… er… early adopters to kick the tires and discover any deal-breaking bugs, if you’re already suffering from any of the problems listed above, especially 3G connection issues, dropped called, frequent crashes, or severely long backups, or if the latest security fixes are a must, then bite the bullet and update asap. There’s always a risk something might go wrong, but you’re likely suffering immense frustration already, and the benefits in that case clearly outweigh theoretical drawbacks.

Who Shouldn’t Update?

First and foremost: those of you who have jailbroken your iPhone 3G or 2G, or unlocked your 2G. While the 133t hax0rs over at iPhone DevTeam are Scotty-class miracle workers, they will always lag behind Apple and it might take them a few days, or even weeks, to crack whatever Apple’s cooked into the latest/greatest firmware. (Like the iTunes 8 patch they’ve already let loose). If you’re rolling with a jailbroken or unlocked iPhone, stay clear until you’re given the all-clear. We’ll always let you know right quick when/if there are any developments in that area.

Likewise, if you’re one of the 98% Apple claims already has a rock-solid 2.0.x iPhone, and won’t absolutely die if you don’t get Genius Playlist functionality, like, immediately, then you have nothing to lose by hanging back and waiting a few days to make sure 2.1 doesn’t blow up in anyone’s faces. Keep reading TiPb, and in a week or so, when confidence levels are high, you can take the plunge — if you feel like it.

Also, Vista users who haven’t yet fixed their iTunes 8 problems are encouraged to do that first, before chancing even greater BSOD wrath with 2.1.

Conclusion

Bottom line, if you’re happy with your 2.x (or even 1.x!) iPhone right now, save yourself the potential pain frustration and wait to update until there’s a compelling reason to update.

If, on the other hand, 2.x is giving you nothing but headaches, or the 2.1 features are must-haves, go ahead and update now. Things can’t get any worse, can they? And ZOMG! you can has Genius Playlists in ur iPhone like nowz!

Whatever you do, let us know. And if you do run into problems, be sure to head on over to our forums and harness a little crowd-sourced help!

This is a story by the iPhone Blog. This feed is sponsored by The iPhone Blog Store.

Should I Upgrade to iPhone 2.1?

Out of the closest iPhone lover Paul Thurrott of the Supersite for Windows got his beige-boxy hands on pre-release version of the iPhone 2.0 software update and the pre-requisite iTunes 7.7 software, and ran the upgrade process through its paces.

His verdict?

[Installing the 2.0 upgrade] is a multi-step and time-consuming process but is largely hands-off. [...] There’s a new App Store icon on the home screen, for example, and the Mail application includes prominent links to Microsoft Exchange and MobileMe account types. [...] The old iPod Games entry in the Source list [of iTunes 7.7] has changed to App Store, for example, though selecting it now, before the July 11 launch, displays only whatever iPod Games you’ve purchased. [...] I’ll have a lot more to say about this impressive upgrade in the weeks ahead. So far, so good.

Check out his upgrade gallery, and massive iPhone 2.0 screenshot galleries.

This is a story by the iPhone Blog. This feed is sponsored by The iPhone Blog Store.

Upgrading Your iPhone to 2.0: Windows Preview Gallery

AT&T customer? iPhone user? Eligible for an upgrade to the brand-spanking new iPhone 3G?

Yeah, we have no idea either, but in an unexpected and appreciated step towards being slightly less confusing than usual, AT&T has gone and created some website goodness to help everyone find out in three easy steps:

(We’ll leave out Step 4, hold your breath and pray the stars are aligned just so… for now).

If this works for you, please let us know!

(If not, let us know how you’re doing saving up for the rumored $600 unsubsidized, non-upgrade price…)

Read

This is a story by the iPhone Blog. This feed is sponsored by The iPhone Blog Store.

iPhone 3G in the USA: AT&T Upgrade Eligibility Clarified-ish