AT&T: iPhone MMS & Tethering Soon
This morning AT&T, in conjunction with Apple, announced that the iPhone 3G S would become available in retail outlets and online stores beginning June 19. The company also reported that the older iPhone 3G would now be on sale for "new and qualifying" subscribers starting at $99. On the Apple front, the company revealed that the upcoming 3.0 OS would be available on June 17, offering a batch of improvements and new features such as the landscape keyboard, Bluetooth support, cut-and-paste, and more.
For months, fans have anxiously awaited for both the new phone and the new software, and now that both releases are just days away, more details are beginning to emerge in regards to AT&T, the only carrier in North America to offer mobile service for Apple's mobile phone. According to the company, AT&T will offer consumer plans starting at $69.99 per month for voice and unlimited data. AT&T FamilyTalk plans will start as low as $129.99 a month for two iPhone lines with bundled voice and unlimited data. For $39.99 each, consumers can add three additional iPhone lines.
"iPhone 3G S will be compatible with High Speed Packet Access (HSPA) 7.2 technology, which offers theoretical peak download speeds of up to 7.2 Mbps, though actual speeds will vary as these capabilities become available," the company said. "AT&T plans to begin deploying HSPA 7.2 later this year, with completion expected in 2011."
Apple, on the other hand, said that the new MMS feature offered in OS 3.0 and the iPhone 3G S won't be available until "late summer"; AT&T conveniently doesn't mention MMS in its press release. As for tethering--the ability to connect the iPhone to a PC or Mac (via a USB cable or Bluetooth) and enable it to serve as a wireless modem--is now available in OS 3.0 and the new iPhone, however AT&T has made no announcement in regards to availability or pricing through an official press release. As a reference, Verizon offers a similar function with BlackBerry phones, and charges $30 per month for a 5 GB access.
However, later in the afternoon Mark Siegel, media relations executive director of AT&T Mobility and Consumer Markets announced that both features--MMS and tethering--would be available soon, confirming support for both. “It’s not a matter of if, it’s a matter of when,” he told the New York Times. However, he added that AT&T was not ready to officially announce a time frame nor monthly fees that may be associated with the tethering feature. Earlier today, many consumers went on alert when AT&T wasn't included on Apple's tethering list during the company's Worldwide Developers Conference.
While consumers may be disappointed that MMS and tethering services won't be available at the time of launch (and we can name a "disgruntled" few *cough* Tuan and James *cough*), all fingers point towards an eventual release. In the meantime, iPhone and iPod Touch owners should check out the new release of The Sims 3, and watch how it magically consumes large amounts of battery juice. Impressive!
- iPhone OS 3.0 Coming June 17 for Free
- Apple Launches New iPhone, Sells Old 3G for $99
- China Requiring Filters on PCs
- Google Advisor Found Dead in Pool
- Electric Superbike Has iPhone for its Dashboard
- Hacker Joins Homeland Security Advisory Council
- Pre Launches, Woman Drives Car Into Sprint Store
- Sony Responds to PSP Gamers With UMD Games
- Microsoft Receives Russian Antitrust Probe
- Rumor: PS3 Price Cut in August
- Left 4 Dead Fans Boycott Sequel
- EA: Xbox 360 is "Maxed Out" but Still Impressive
- AT&T Closes its Remaining Usenet Access
- "Brain Age" Exercise Comes to iPhone, iPod Touch
- iPhone OS 3.0 Available as Torrent
- Hackers Steal Data From T-Mobile, Trying to Sell
- Murder, She Wrote and House Games Announced
- Valve Explains Why it Doesn't Make PS3 Games
- Microsoft Puts Nail in Xbox RROD "Coffin" Program
What is the problem in that? I can just insert one of my extra batteries! Oh wait, I can't !!!
I wonder why only really expensive and top of line cell phones support MMS and tethering ... Oh , wait once again, even some 50 Dollars phones support it ...
Bahhh ... I-Phone just sucks!
Not with ATT...
That cracks me up every time, Apple is so innovative.
I love the iphone haters, yea, it doesn't have some features (which is will get eventually) but it has a million more things going for it. The iphone is the best phone ever.
How good is a million dollar sports car without a gas pedal?
It's not that the iphone isn't a competitive product on the marketplace which bothers people, but that it still lacks fundamental features people have been using for the better part of a decade or longer.
The fact that they want to charge extra for tethering makes me just a little sick. I'll stick to my 8525 for now.
Whats with the Iphone haters? try one... get a loaner phone for a week or something and see if you still don't like it.
It is the best phone because it is also a toy...
Yah.. i needed MMS maybe 3 times?
yah... i needed cut paste prolly 10 times.
Always missed the video.
But thats it, big woop... the 23478324978236 APPS make up for this.
Seriously, how many of you look at your cell phone every day and say "Thank GOD I can cut and paste."
The I-Phone lovers are right ... those "defects" are only minor issues ... no big deal ...
Actualy, I think that everyone should stop buying I-Phones and only buy I-Pod touch from now on ...
Oh, It doesn't make phone calls?!?!?! I am pretty sure it is also a minor issue ... the other 389238187319 APPS make up for this!
As an iPhone user I really like the phone but I also scoff at Apple when they call new features innovation.
But then that is why I have no doubt that all marketing people are going straight to HELL! Yes straight!
Hi and welcome to this weeks edition of Apple News.
Today, Steve Jobs announced that the iPhone will get an update next month. The update will allow the user to make phone calls. "We are an innovative company, and therefore, we bring the latest technology to our users to make their lives simpler. Now you can call your friends from Starbucks, wherever you are.", Steve said at the press conference.
What a bunch of dildos... AT&T that is. See that? It's the ball you dropped.
New hardware rolls out, to which you have exclusive distribution rights, and
your infrastructure doesn't even support it.
*shakes head*
What is the problem in that? I can just insert one of my extra batteries! Oh wait, I can't !!!
Oh wait, you can! http://www.tomsguide.com/us/pictur [...] -dock.html
Make the big even bigger ... For only 6 extra hours!
I had a phone for over a year running windows mobile and the iphone OS is a million times better, I even tried out mobile 6, its just very clumsy and runs poorly.
It's great all these haters coming out from under their rocks. Never had a iPhone or how to use one. I could care less about mms or copy paste features are so yesterday. My Internet and email handles everything I need and everyone I run into is envious of my iPhone. I have movies on it that are in theatres now in DVD Qaulity and all my music on the best screen available in a phone. Now it's going to be even faster, win win for me. Crawl back under your rocks with your garbage flip phones and service.
whats copy and paste? is that a new feature? wow apple surprises me every time with these.....wierd terms, like landscape keyboard?!??! bluetooth?? i thought that was when a child eats blue paint, now its on the iPhone?!?!?!?!
Whats with the Iphone haters? try one... get a loaner phone for a week or something and see if you still don't like it.It is the best phone because it is also a toy... Yah.. i needed MMS maybe 3 times? yah... i needed cut paste prolly 10 times. Always missed the video. But thats it, big woop... the 23478324978236 APPS make up for this.
I've been using the beta since it was launched and I've sent over 500 MMS in that period. I use copy and paste every single day, very very often. Still no video.
The problem is that Apple thinks we don't need or want these features. I had a cell phone 6 years ago that was one of the first phones to have a screen on the front... and it was a black and white screen! Guess what that phone did??? Sent MMS, recorded video, voice dialed, and more. People wouldn't be so pissed if Apple stopped being such douches about delivering widely available technology to their customers. Palm Pre comes with FREE GPS but Apple announces at the WWDC that TomTom is creating a GPS application that I get to shell out probably $5 a month for which just further increases the cost/month parity between the iPhone and the competition. Downright shameful.
The iPhone could very easily be the best phone but the people who designed the phone and write the software are making sure that it can't be classified that way.
And by the way there are only 50,000 apps and about 90% of them are absolute crap apps.