AT&T Streamlines iPhone Wi-Fi Authentication Clunky SMS validation replaced by smooth sailing... Thursday Jun 18 2009 16:02 EDT While some iPhone users complain about the reliability of the AT&T 3G network, their Wi-Fi footprint is one of the largest around, offering iPhone users free connectivity to more than 20,000 Wi-Fi hotspots. The latest iPhone 3.0 upgrade simplifies connecting to these hotspots via the iPhone, as AT&T explains in this video and a press release. Fortunately the old, tedious process of authenticating after an SMS exchange has been replaced by a new streamlined system that automatically logs you in to an AT&T hotspot the moment you're in range. AT&T's obviously happy to push this new functionality in order to reduce strain on their 3G network. About 42% of iPhone usage is over Wi-Fi networks. |
S_engineer Premium Member join:2007-05-16 Chicago, IL |
sadAT&T is trying everything to accomodate the precious IPhone users....How about some of the same attention to your other products! apple should run from the death star anyway | |
| | tiger72SexaT duorP Premium Member join:2001-03-28 Saint Louis, MO |
tiger72
Premium Member
2009-Jun-18 4:22 pm
Re: sadLet Apple stay in bed with ATT, and let them keep their iPhone preferential treatment.
All of the customers that ATT neglects should jump ship.
All you Nokia and Blackberry and Sammy users: Call up your local ATT store and demand to get subsidy pricing 10 months into your contract on a non-iphone plan. See what happens.
How come iPhone users get all these loopholes and preferential pricing when you pay just as much for your Nokia or Blackberry as they do?
...or just keep supporting the Death Star. | |
| | | Cthen Premium Member join:2004-08-01 Detroit, MI |
Cthen
Premium Member
2009-Jun-18 4:46 pm
Re: sadsaid by tiger72:Let Apple stay in bed with ATT, and let them keep their iPhone preferential treatment. All of the customers that ATT neglects should jump ship. All you Nokia and Blackberry and Sammy users: Call up your local ATT store and demand to get subsidy pricing 10 months into your contract on a non-iphone plan. See what happens. How come iPhone users get all these loopholes and preferential pricing when you pay just as much for your Nokia or Blackberry as they do? ...or just keep supporting the Death Star. My thoughts exactly. I just finished 1 year into my 2 year contract 3 months ago. Where is my upgrade offer for my next Sammy? Oh that's right, I didn't cry enough or even loud enough that I don't want to honor my contract. | |
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Re: sadsaid by Cthen:said by tiger72:Let Apple stay in bed with ATT, and let them keep their iPhone preferential treatment. All of the customers that ATT neglects should jump ship. All you Nokia and Blackberry and Sammy users: Call up your local ATT store and demand to get subsidy pricing 10 months into your contract on a non-iphone plan. See what happens. How come iPhone users get all these loopholes and preferential pricing when you pay just as much for your Nokia or Blackberry as they do? ...or just keep supporting the Death Star. My thoughts exactly. I just finished 1 year into my 2 year contract 3 months ago. Where is my upgrade offer for my next Sammy? Oh that's right, I didn't cry enough or even loud enough that I don't want to honor my contract. Bah, let the iPhone users cry, whine, and moan until they get their way. After all, to me the iPhone is just a toy compared to what a real phone OS should be like (multi-tasking, full user customizable, no hidden FS ect). I do not regard the iPhone as a enterprise/company phone by any stretch of the imagination. The iPhone is like something I would give my 14 year old if they wanted a phone. Then, when they turned 16 I would give them a Windows Mobile phone with TrackMe on it to watch where he/she goes . All I can say is on my Windows Mobile phone: - I can "tether" without needing an outrageous plan, and without having to hack my phone - I can send/receive SMS - I can install any programs I want without fear of someone running a "kill switch" - I can use my phone how I like without someone telling me how I should use it (kind of like a slave) - The battery in my phone is user replaceable - Different choice's of programming languages - Oh yeah, and if I had it, use Sling over 3G (ouch) What is really sad is that all these people who still want an iPhone after all the slap's in the face Apple has given its customers. Don't give me any "well AT&T voiced themselves and Apple did it". Apple could have had the balls to say "Look, we will tell the creator of the sling app to disable 3G use only if you knock the price of the internet plan down." But, instead Apple just said "sure AT&T no problem, our sheep followers won't care." You don't see Microsoft bending over backwards for any of the carriers now do you? What about the blackberry? But hey Apple fanboys will always argue that Apple is better - just ask yourselves this one simple question: How many generations and OS versions until Apple put in copy/paste? | |
| | | | | cbrigante2Wait til Next Year Premium Member join:2002-11-22 North Aurora, IL |
Re: sadNot trying to start a fanboy war here, but a couple of follow up questions that we should answer.
1. Microsoft doesn't "bend over backwards" because...yes...they don't actually make a cell phone, only an OS. How are you touting a piece of hardware that doesn't exist?
2. Apple disabled MMS? Apple said no to Sling on 3G? No, those were network carrier choices, and iPhones on other networks can take advantage of those features.
3. A lot of complaining on this site about iPhone users "whining". What is the install number for iPhone users vs. every other user on AT&T wireless at this point? I believe they are the single largest installed base on the network, so shouldn't they have a bit louder voice with AT&T?
Again, not looking to start a flame war but this iPhone hate (because it's "hip" to hate on the iPhone now) is getting old. It was old when it was hip to hate on WinMo6 back when I had it as well.
Would it really be awful if iPhone users actually got AT&T to make some concessions that were pro consumer? | |
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garylapointe
Anon
2009-Jun-18 6:53 pm
Re: sad2) Other carriers are letting slingbox work over the air? I hadn't heard that. 3) If their whining gets them listened to, why shouldn't they? (But they are a bunch of whiners). And if you don't have one, why do you care? When I get my iPhone I'm not going to care about Treos (old phone) any more than I care about blackberrys... Gary » GarySaid.com/ | |
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to cbrigante2
said by cbrigante2:Not trying to start a fanboy war here, but a couple of follow up questions that we should answer. 1. Microsoft doesn't "bend over backwards" because...yes...they don't actually make a cell phone, only an OS. How are you touting a piece of hardware that doesn't exist? My cell phone does indeed exist. Sure, Microsoft didn't make the hardware, they do indeed make the OS. The carrier has every ability to goto Microsoft or any third party developer and say "Hey, can you keep the bandwidth down, please?". But, doesn't mean that they have to listen. said by cbrigante2:2. Apple disabled MMS? Apple said no to Sling on 3G? No, those were network carrier choices, and iPhones on other networks can take advantage of those features. They were still coordinated with Apple. Sure, MMS is disabled on AT&T's side, but Apple still could have said "Look, AT&T, give our customers MMS now or cut the monthly price or we will develop our own MMS solution". No, instead Apple is just giving the customers the short end of the stick. And about no Sling on 3G, like I said Apple had EVERY RIGHT to sit there and tell AT&T to eff off. Even if it does say some stipulation about "high bandwidth" apps, it's not disabled on ANY OTHER DEVICE so why should it be disabled on the iPhone? said by cbrigante2:3. A lot of complaining on this site about iPhone users "whining". What is the install number for iPhone users vs. every other user on AT&T wireless at this point? I believe they are the single largest installed base on the network, so shouldn't they have a bit louder voice with AT&T? I am pretty sure that the # of iPhone users < # of other users. In fact to prove you wrong - » www.att.com/gen/press-ro ··· id=21833This was 2 years before the iPhone even came into existence and when they were Cingular (you can try to find a more recent report, but I am sure that it will show that AT&T had more subscribers than iPhones): 51.442 million Number of iPhone units out there: (Src wikipedia) 21.17 million (Also a % are on other carriers so you have to take that into account also) Next time please research some numbers and sources before you start typing. said by cbrigante2:Again, not looking to start a flame war but this iPhone hate (because it's "hip" to hate on the iPhone now) is getting old. It was old when it was hip to hate on WinMo6 back when I had it as well. I don't "hate" the iPhone, I think it's a wonder piece of technology...but Apple had their chance to make it "innovative" and failed. I don't get why people are praising Apple when they didn't get it right. Apple is supposed to be this "technological" and "innovative" company paving the way for the future? Well, why didn't they start the iPhone off right then? From version 1 it should have had ALL these features that they are just putting in now. Sure, WM may not have been perfect to start with, but Microsoft isn't smug about their products. And if they are, they have good reason to be. XP is, was, and will always be in my opinion the best operating system out there want to prove me wrong with Mac OS? Anything you can do on the Mac you can do on Windows and visa versa I really don't get why people feel the need to worship a Unix based operating system. Sure, Unix is great and all - but why don't you just use Linux? I have never walked into an Apple store, nor do I plan too, but I can only guess the atmosphere that everything has to be Apple...even though they are using PC parts in their computers! Hell, they even promote running Windows on a Mac...why wont they promote running Mac under Windows? It's that kind of childish behavior that really just pushes my buttons. said by cbrigante2:Would it really be awful if iPhone users actually got AT&T to make some concessions that were pro consumer? I never said it was. They can whine all they want I don't care...the only type of person who I know that would whine about something like that would be a child who doesn't know what a contract is. They signed a contract, they bought a phone cheaper than retail due to signing a contract. If they want to whine and complain that they signed a contract, then go for it. So, they get the next gen iPhone for a price cut, let the children have their toys. I would never whine about something like that because I understand the terms of my contract. If AT&T would let me buy the Touch Pro 2 for a price cut, that would be cool but I wouldn't ever complain like a little child about it. | |
| | | | | | | cbrigante2Wait til Next Year Premium Member join:2002-11-22 North Aurora, IL |
Re: sadThanks for doing the research for me.
How do you know Apple "could have said give it to us" in reference to MMS? Do you have some research to prove that out or did you just type it up?
Just looking at those numbers is a little misleading. You are looking at total subscribers vs. data plan users on smart phones. Of the smart phone user base with AT&T, even if I only took half of the 21.17 million units out there, I would like to see how that compares with all the other AT&T smart phones combined.
Not going to get into an OS debate about OSX vs. XP since it never goes anywhere. I like both of them for what they do. Not walking into an Apple store because of how they advertise? I'll leave that one to you. It's your choice. It just seems that some of your opinions were already stacked against Apple based on what you describe, but I could be reading too much into it.
I've had both WinMo and iPhone and prefer iPhone greatly. I'm not really whining about much, but it would seem the tech sites seem to be doing most of the whining anyways. Most end users (of any phone) don't know 1/2 the stuff you can do with them to begin with. | |
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Re: sadsaid by cbrigante2:How do you know Apple "could have said give it to us" in reference to MMS? Do you have some research to prove that out or did you just type it up? They made an OS for a phone did they not? If you can make an OS, I would be pretty sure you could create a simple feature like copy and paste. Unless, of course, I think of copy and paste as too simple? said by cbrigante2:Not going to get into an OS debate about OSX vs. XP since it never goes anywhere. I like both of them for what they do. Not walking into an Apple store because of how they advertise? I'll leave that one to you. It's your choice. It just seems that some of your opinions were already stacked against Apple based on what you describe, but I could be reading too much into it. They blatantly LIE and mislead in their advertisements. They basically make Windows look like this useless OS that crashes, has lots of viruses and just general problems. Where I work, the number of Macs is greater than the number of PCs, but I just find more problems with Mac OS than any other OS...and the frustrating part is that they aren't as easy to troubleshoot as in Linux or Windows because everything seems to be encoded or Apple proprietary. With Windows there is the registry, as fragile as it is - I almost never seen a registry corruption in my day even after removing malware. With Linux everything is a script file in plain text. I'm sorry, I can't get behind a company that has to take pot shots just to get a piece of the market share. said by cbrigante2:I've had both WinMo and iPhone and prefer iPhone greatly. I'm not really whining about much, but it would seem the tech sites seem to be doing most of the whining anyways. Most end users (of any phone) don't know 1/2 the stuff you can do with them to begin with. Then why did you buy the device in the first place? In my opinion if you buy a device and not willing to learn how to use it, you shouldn't be allowed to use it. Like a firewall, if you don't learn to configure it doesn't do you any good. At my last job a guy actually came down to our office and was like "I bought this Mac for my daughter and I have no idea how to use it". My supervisor showed him some basic stuff, but still I think that is just irresponsibility on the part of the consumer of not learning how to use the computer or device. | |
| | | | | | | | | cbrigante2Wait til Next Year Premium Member join:2002-11-22 North Aurora, IL |
Re: sadWell again, not looking to get into a OS flame war but you will see advertising "lies" from both camps if you're looking for them. Apple isn't alone in this practice.
I don't have any Apple OS where I work (aside from iPhone) but I will agree that Windows is better than it used to be.
I bought the device because it works better than WinMo for my needs. Sorry I wasn't clear in my original post. Learning how to use it is much easier on the iPhone side IMO. I have WinMo users who don't know 1/2 the features of the phone as well, but I'm not willing to chalk that up to MS just as much as I wouldn't chalk it up to Apple on the iPhone side. | |
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Re: sadsaid by cbrigante2:Well again, not looking to get into a OS flame war but you will see advertising "lies" from both camps if you're looking for them. Apple isn't alone in this practice. I don't have any Apple OS where I work (aside from iPhone) but I will agree that Windows is better than it used to be. I bought the device because it works better than WinMo for my needs. Sorry I wasn't clear in my original post. Learning how to use it is much easier on the iPhone side IMO. I have WinMo users who don't know 1/2 the features of the phone as well, but I'm not willing to chalk that up to MS just as much as I wouldn't chalk it up to Apple on the iPhone side. I think that's great that you use it for a better productive day (not being sarcastic there, I think you should use whatever you want/need to get the job done at the end of the day) and not just because "it looks cool". "Looking cool" doesn't pay the bills . Sorry if I am a little hostile but, I just can't stand people who are like "ohhh look at me I have a Mac I am so much better" especially when I hear the Windows boot up sound in the background - just doesn't make sense to me. I have meet plenty of people like that, in fact my supervisor will even try to upsell Mac's to everyone he can - even though he is switching back to a PC himself. I am not saying you are like that kind of person at all. Just saying some people are...it's just a Unix OS people! | |
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| | | | | | Matt3All noise, no signal. Premium Member join:2003-07-20 Jamestown, NC |
to k1ll3rdr4g0n
I've used WinMo 5, 6, and 6.1. You can keep it. I'm very happy with my extremely enterprise capable iPhone. Syncing my email, contacts, calendar, and tasks over-the-air with my Exchange server works just as well as it did on my WinMo phones. Probably because Apple licensed the exact same ActiveSync technology as your WinMo phone for the iPhone. | |
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to k1ll3rdr4g0n
Microcrap (i mean microsoft) OS....what a joke.
microsoft = junk | |
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| | chd176 join:2003-01-10 Winfield, AL ·CenturyLink
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to tiger72
I would leave ATT but sadly they have the best coverage in my general area. I no longer own a landline so I use my cell phone as my primary line, If another carrier had better coverage here I'd jump ship in a heartbeat. Neglecting users with anything other than an iphone, ever increasing data/voice rates and not to mention anytime you have to go into an ATT store they try to cram an iphone down your throat. | |
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| NOCManMadMacHatter Premium Member join:2004-09-30 Colorado Springs, CO |
to S_engineer
That's no moon. | |
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to S_engineer
This crybaby routine over iPhone users getting preferential treatment is like a five year old whining because his brother got a bigger piece of cake. The act is beyond old, folks.
AT&T is like any other business: They go where the money is. And guess what brings in the big bucks? Yup, the iPhone.
If you have any brains at all, you'd do the same thing if you were in charge. No shop ever stayed open by giving breaks to the customers who spend the least.
Those with other phones are still getting the deal they signed up for. No one is taking anything from you and giving it to someone with an iPhone.
Now shut up and be happy with the cake you have and stop fussing over what your brother got.
mocycler | |
| | | TCub Premium Member join:2008-09-03 Olmsted Falls, OH
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TCub
Premium Member
2009-Jun-18 8:08 pm
Re: sadI agree. And it's totally contridicting to say "iPhone users should stop whining!" and at the same time say "Why do iPhone users get all the special treatment?!" I'm not singling anyone out in particular but I've been seeing this go on and it's pretty annoying.
I'm an iPhone 3G user and I'm not bitching about not getting the 3Gs for subsidized price. I'm more concerned with why is AT&T dicking me over with MMS and tethering. Legit complaints, not whining. | |
| | | chd176 join:2003-01-10 Winfield, AL ·CenturyLink
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to mocycler
Oh FYI, I have an iphone 3G as well as a Nokia E71x as well as quite a few other smartphones and "dumb" phones as well. If you sign a contract you should be held to that contract end of story. Everyone knows how fast technology becomes obsolete even the less tech savvy so I'm tired of hearing the "I just bought this what do you mean I have to pay full price to upgrade" and "just bought" is way beyond the return period it's more like 6 months or so. | |
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| HomunculusPipsquack Premium Member join:2000-12-14 Uranus
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to S_engineer
I think non-iPhone users should stop whining about iPhone users. | |
| | | cbrigante2Wait til Next Year Premium Member join:2002-11-22 North Aurora, IL |
Re: sadsaid by Homunculus:I think non-iPhone users should stop whining about iPhone users. Amen to that! | |
| | | | S_engineer Premium Member join:2007-05-16 Chicago, IL |
Re: sadYour missing the point. It's about the obligation of a contract. Did you bark about the people who took mortgages that they couldn't afford throwing our economy into a near depression. Well, you've taken one of their traits! | |
| | | | | cbrigante2Wait til Next Year Premium Member join:2002-11-22 North Aurora, IL |
Re: sadsaid by S_engineer:Your missing the point. It's about the obligation of a contract. Did you bark about the people who took mortgages that they couldn't afford throwing our economy into a near depression. Well, you've taken one of their traits! How so? Have I complained about anything about the contracts? I'm just tired of the iPhone hate on this site. | |
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Metatron2008You're it Premium Member join:2008-09-02 united state 1 edit |
At $30 a month for each iphone (data plan)...Why would anyone with another smartphone bitch?
I'd say iphone users deserve the discount. | |
| | RolteCThe Need for Speed join:2001-05-20 New York, NY |
RolteC
Member
2009-Jun-18 10:40 pm
Re: At $30 a month for each iphone (data plan)...I cant order the phone online as an upgrade because of a technical issue. Not even a rep could help me. Maybe someone here could?
While on the website, it shows what I can get, I chose the iphone 3gs, and then it says to chose a data plan, so I get that plan, but then the features part is empty, and I can not get a text messaging plan. And if I click on change data plan, instead of showing me the only two iphone data plans, it only shows me about 15 different PDA plans. None of which are suppose to be for the iPhone that I know of.
Thanks. | |
| | | benjaminAll propositions are of equal value Premium Member join:2000-12-20 New York, NY |
benjamin
Premium Member
2009-Jun-19 8:12 am
Re: At $30 a month for each iphone (data plan)...Why don't you try ordering without SMS and then add it on later? Alternatively, you could order through Apple's web site. Maybe it is working correctly. | |
| | | | RolteCThe Need for Speed join:2001-05-20 New York, NY |
RolteC
Member
2009-Jun-19 10:37 am
Re: At $30 a month for each iphone (data plan)...Its ok, picked mine up today at 9:30am, nice girls let me in early at the store iPhone speed test off wifi, on DSRL, gets me 9999Kbps speeds so far at the best(with ok signal). Which I think is sick. 3g speeds show: 224ms and 512kbps. Its alright, its always up and down in this area anyway. Awesome phone, and it really is a lot faster then previous iphones. | |
| | | | | benjaminAll propositions are of equal value Premium Member join:2000-12-20 New York, NY |
benjamin
Premium Member
2009-Jun-19 11:09 am
Re: At $30 a month for each iphone (data plan)...said by RolteC:Its ok, picked mine up today at 9:30am, nice girls let me in early at the store I was almost going to suggest that this would make more sense. Congrats. Those speed test results are amazing. Wonder if it's limited to the 3GS. Will have to try with my 3G. | |
| | | | | | RolteCThe Need for Speed join:2001-05-20 New York, NY |
RolteC
Member
2009-Jun-19 1:36 pm
Re: At $30 a month for each iphone (data plan)...Just an update.
Using my girlfriends' iphone 3g, and my 3gs, we loaded multiple webpages at the same time, to make it fair, off my wifi.
My phone opened the pages within 1-3seconds, while the 3g took 3-6seconds. | |
| | | | | | | benjaminAll propositions are of equal value Premium Member join:2000-12-20 New York, NY |
benjamin
Premium Member
2009-Jun-19 4:24 pm
Re: At $30 a month for each iphone (data plan)...Okay, then. I won't bother testing on my end. Nice to know there is actually a speed difference when surfing. Apple seemed to indicate as much but I wasn't sure if it was just that Safari was speedier or whether downloads would actually be faster. | |
| | | | | | | RolteCThe Need for Speed join:2001-05-20 New York, NY |
RolteC
Member
2009-Jun-21 2:20 am
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sam64 join:2006-07-31 Newtown, PA |
sam64
Member
2009-Jun-19 4:45 pm
WhinersI cannot believe the number of people whining on BBR. This site has become a iPhone fanboy vs iPhone basher site. There is no longer any meaningful dialog.
I have to say - get over it. If you "love" it go out and buy it! If you "hate" it then buy something else. Me and many others are sick of the lovefest and bashing that goes on. For god sakes it is only a "phone"!!!! | |
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At apple stores......People who didn't get in line yesterday are flocking to stores today, 15 stores that i've called say they have a huge line equating to a ~2 hour wait just to get into the store. It looks like apple remains king of teh mobile.
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