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iPhone 5 sees faster data speeds on T-Mobile after hacked carrier update
Are you using an iPhone 5 on T-Mobile? Are you in an area with re-farmed 1900MHz HSPA+ spectrum? Well rejoice! Some enterprising folks over at TmoNews have hacked Apple's carrier update for T-Mobile to boost data speeds on the 1900MHz (PCS) HSPA+ band. Better yet, this tweak applies to both T-Mobile's iPhone 5 and the AT&T / unlocked versions -- no jailbreak required. While the official carrier update enabled LTE for the iPhone 5 on T-Mobile, it also decreased data speeds on re-farmed PCS HSPA+ spectrum for many users. The hacked file makes a number of adjustments: it enables Release 9 for dual-carrier HSPA+ and sets the band preference to "auto" from AWS. Follow the source link below for more details and step-by-step instructions.
iOS 6.1.4 update appears for iPhone 5
A somewhat unexpected iOS update showed up this afternoon for iPhone 5 owners. iOS 6.1.4 is a small update at 11.5 MB and the release note shows that it provides an updated audio profile for the speakerphone. The build number is 10B350 for those who keep track of such things. No developer beta of this update was released prior to today.
Ballistic's new Aspira case line for iPhone 5
This will be a rather quick review, not just because silicone iPhone 5 cases are quite commonplace, but because there are mainly just good things to say about these new cases from Ballistic Case. They're all members of the Ballistic Case Aspira series for the iPhone 5 (US$34.99), and three readers will have a chance to win one. Design The Aspira cases are lightweight, skinny, and colorful. Ballistic has come up with seven cases in the series that will attract the attention of just about everyone. There's a white case with imperial blue accents, a white case with a pink flower pattern, an eye-jarring mint green case with strawberry pink accents, a much more soothing raspberry case with gray accents, a black case with a charcoal gray hexagon pattern and accents, a black case with lime green accents and a black case with gray accents. All of the cases are made of a glossy material excecpt for those accents that cover the corners, ends, and front of the case -- those are made of regular silicone material for shock absorbency. The cases are really light, just a featherweight 0.9 ounce, and they add just a tiny bit of thickness to your sexy iPhone 5. The flower and hexagon pattern cases offer an extra measure of "grippiness" to an otherwise slick surface; something to think about if you want to keep a good grip on your investment. Functionality A good case should provide protection and add some style to your phone, and the Aspira series touches all the bases. Ballistic is well-known for putting a touch more thickness into the corners of their cases which really adds to the impact protection. The cases are all dual-layer, so the back of the case not only has that shiny surface for protection but an inner silicone layer of cushion as well. The non-patterned models use an anti-scratch coating to keep the glossy surface from getting beat up. I like the way that the Aspira cases fit on the iPhone 5. The cases are easy to install and take off, but the fit is snug enough to keep the cases from falling off. One of my pet peeves with some other silicone cases is that they can have a tendency to "sag" a little and look sloppy; that's definitely not the situation with these cases. Conclusion While I think the Aspira series cases might be a little more pricy than they should be, Ballistic has come up with a very functional and attractive line of cases. Pros Good protection for your iPhone 5, particularly on the corners where there is extra padding Fun and bright colors and patterns Textured cases provide a good gripping surface Shiny cases are treated with an anti-scratch coating Cons A bit on the expensive side for a silicone iPhone 5 case. Look here for generic silicone cases for less than $10. Who are they for? iPhone 5 owners who want a thin, lightweight, and attractive case that provides excellent protection. Giveaway Three TUAW readers are going to win an Aspira series iPhone 5 case from Ballistic. We have one white with the pink floral patter and accents, one black with the grey hexagon pattern and accents, and one black with green accents. Here are the rules for the giveaway: Open to legal US residents of the 50 United States, the District of Columbia and Canada (excluding Quebec) who are 18 and older. To enter, fill out the form below completely and click or tap the Submit button. The entry must be made before May 2, 2013, 11:59PM Eastern Daylight Time. You may enter only once. Three winners will be selected, each winning a Ballistic Aspira series iPhone 5 case valued at US$34.99. Click Here for complete Official Rules. Loading...
AAPL drops below $400 briefly; Cirrus Logic inventory numbers blamed
Apple Inc. (AAPL) stock fell to its lowest price since December 2011 today following a report from Cirrus Logic, a producer of chips used in the iPhone and iPad, that it was dealing with an inventory surplus. Cirrus Logic said one of its customers is moving to a newer component causing the slowdown, The Associated Press reports. It did not specify which customer made the switch, but Apple is reportedly its biggest customer. Investors took this as a sign that iPhone and iPad sales might have fallen short of expectations. Apple's prices fell about 6 percent, and the market closed with Apple stock at $402.80, down $23.44. At one point, the stock had slipped below $400. Apple stocks have fluctuated in the past few months, hitting an all-time record of above $700 in September due to pent-up demand for the iPhone 5. It is worth noting T-Mobile just began selling the iPhone 5 on April 12, to reportedly strong sales. Apple is scheduled to announce Q2 2013 earnings on Tuesday.
T-Mobile kicks off iPhone 5 sales today, celebrates with new ad
T-Mobile is now selling the iPhone 5 and some stores are seeing lines for the Apple smartphone, says a report in TechCrunch. Lines were forming in Washington, New York City and other locations. The iPhone is available on T-Mobile with a low US$99 up-front payment and a 24-month payment plan. The iPhone is compatible with T-Mobile's Simple Choice plans that do not include a contract. Customers can choose a plan and cancel it at any time without paying an early termination fee. To promote its new handset, T-Mobile released its first iPhone commercial that emphasizes the carriers 4G network and its no-contract service plans. According to iDownloadBlog, T-Mobile's parent company Deutsche Telecom has a big advertising campaign planned for the iPhone 5. [Via TechCrunch and iDownloadBlog]
PSA: Pick up your T-Mobile iPhone 5 today
It's really happening. Starting today, you'll be able to pick up an iPhone 5 with that Magenta hue. T-Mobile's offering the device both in retail and online, starting at $100 plus 24 monthly installments of 20 bucks. You can pick from either of the two monochrome extremes and if you're looking to spend a little less, you can also choose an iPhone 4S or 4 instead. Remember; you won't get the same subsidized pricing from Apple directly, so scroll through the options at the Uncarrier source and ensure that you're ready for that Coachella stream this weekend.
T-Mobile announce iPhone trade-in offer for iPhone 4 and 4S users
T-Mobile has announced a trade-in offer for iPhone 4 and 4S users ahead of this Friday's T-Mobile iPhone 5 launch. The offer begins today and lasts through Father's Day on June 16th. Anyone wishing to switch to an iPhone 5 on T-Mobile can bring in their iPhone 4 or iPhone 4S and receive a 16 GB iPhone 5 for US$0 down plus monthly payments. The 16 GB T-Mobile iPhone 5 is normally $99 plus monthly payments. In a press release issued this week, Chief Marketing Officer for T-Mobile Mike Sievert said, "Our message to iPhone 4S and iPhone 4 customers is simple: bring in your device and trade up to iPhone 5 on T-Mobile. We're making it incredibly attractive to buy an iPhone 5 by pairing an un-beatable upfront price and trade-in offer with Simple Choice, the most hassle-free and affordable rate plan in wireless." The Simple Choice plans offers unlimited talk and text with 500 MB of 4G data for $50. For an additional $10, users can get 2 GB of data, while an extra $20 gets them unlimited data. The iPhone 5 will be available at T-Mobile on Friday, April 12 beginning at 9 AM.
T-Mobile trade-in offer drops iPhone 5 upfront price to $0 for 4, 4S owners
As T-Mobile prepares to officially offer the iPhone for the first time, it's trying to pump up the lure with a trade-in offer for owners of the 4 and 4S models. Available through mid-June, the promotion lets iPhone 4 and 4S owners trade in their current device for an AWS HSPA+ friendly iPhone 5 for no money upfront (with monthly payments) under its new no-contract Simple Choice Plans. Additionally, depending on the condition of the hardware being traded in, customers can get a credit of up to $120 to be used against those payments (knocking it down to $15 from $20, for example) their usual bill or accessories. If last month's colorful presentation wasn't enough to pull you to T-Mobile from another carrier, does this new offer sweeten the deal enough? A full breakdown follows below in the press release, sales start Friday.
T-Mobile carrier update for unlocked iPhones now available, bringing Visual Voicemail and LTE support
We had a pretty clear indication that a carrier update would soon be available to help bring unlocked GSM iPhones onto T-Mobile's network, and those leaks were indeed spot on. The carrier announced today that just such an update is now available, enabling Visual Voicemail and other features (included a promised battery life improvement) on all unlocked GSM iPhones running iOS 6.1, while unlocked GSM iPhone 5s will also get HD Voice and T-Mobile LTE support. Complete details on the update -- which can be installed manually or over-the-air -- can be found at the source link below. Update: It looks like quite a few folks still aren't seeing the update just yet. Let us know in the comments if you are able to snag it. Update 4/8: After a rather quiet weekend, it looks like most are now finally receiving the update today.
T-Mobile preorders for iPhone 5 kick off today
Ready to think pink? Scrappy fourth-place US cell carrier T-Mobile is eager to serve; the company's pre-order run for the iPhone 5 has launched today. Phones will ship to customers on April 12. Last week, Engadget confirmed that the T-Mobile model of the iPhone 5 -- which will be available unlocked from Apple -- carries the same A1428 model number as the current AT&T / GSM domestic model. There is a critical tweak, however, for the new carrier: the iPhone 5 now will support the 1700 MHz HSPA+/AWS uplink band, which will enable higher performance on T-Mobile's UMTS Band IV network. Older GSM iPhone 5 units cannot get this fix via software; it's a chip change. While this means that iPhone 5 and 4S handsets unlocked and moved from AT&T to T-Mobile can never get the highest performance on the UMTS bands, there's hope; the iPhone 5 LTE support for AWS will work just fine on T-Mobile. Now there's just the little question of building out that LTE network (see below). In contrast to the other three US cellphone carriers, T-Mobile has moved to overhaul the most-despised feature of a phone plan: the contract. New subscribers have the option of buying the iPhone outright (starting at US$579 for a 16 GB model) or a $99 / $199 / $299 immediate charge, just like the other carriers, followed by a payment plan of $20 a month for 24 months. At the end of that payback window, however, that $20 comes right off the top of your bill -- the phone is yours, so you don't have to keep paying for it. (Try asking for that deal with Verizon.) Of course, if you do decide to leave T-Mobile with the iPhone before the two-year window is up, you still owe the remaining balance of the purchase cost -- but you don't pay a separate early termination fee (ETF). Regarding 4G and LTE, T-Mobile's US network uses UMTS / HSPA+ "3.5 G" to achieve download speeds ranging up towards the 10 Mbit/sec threshold -- real-world performance may vary. That doesn't really compete with the observed or best-possible LTE performance on Verizon, AT&T or Sprint (yes, there are spots in NYC where you can get 40+ Mbit/sec download speeds). If you're in the mood for crazy-fast LTE wireless on T-Mobile, you have to wait. T-Mobile's LTE buildout is covering only seven cities so far, with more coming this summer and fall. Interestingly, the specs page for the iPhone 5 on T-Mobile's site only mentions GSM and UMTS (in the I and IV bands), with no discussion of LTE. That isn't a reflection of the actual hardware capabilities, but more likely a marketing consideration -- poor form to push LTE capability as a feature only available to a few customers. If you're considering a T-Mobile phone, check your coverage before you buy and let us know about your shopping experience! Theoretically, you can buy a T-Mobile iPhone 5 and use it with LTE on almost any carrier in the world, which should make globetrotters very happy. Updated to clarify that the phone purchase plans do carry an initial charge. [hat tip TechCrunch & Engadget]
PSA: T-Mobile's iPhone 5 pre-orders start rolling today
If T-Mobile's recent event cussed you into wanting one of its tweaked A1428 iPhone 5s with LTE, AWS HSPA+ and no contract strings attached, you can now order one up. Apple's flagship can be had through the carrier for $99 down and 24 payments of $20 for a total of $579 -- a snappy $70 savings over buying one directly from Cupertino. Meanwhile, T-Mo's Simple Choice plan starts at $50 per month for unlimited talk, text and 500MB of data, with an additional 2GB for $10 and unlimited 4G data for $20. Just remember that should you opt into an iPhone 5 through T-Mobile then decide to opt out of your contract, the device will stay carrier locked until you pay it off or trade it back -- unless you're willing to skirt the law, of course. Hit the source to make your reservation.
AT&T to roll out support for HD Voice later this year
When Apple introduced the iPhone 5, Apple's Senior VP of Marketing Phil Schiller explained that Apple updated the iPhone 5's entire audio system. In addition to the inclusion of three microphones and an improved speaker design, Schiller also boasted that the iPhone 5 featured a technology dubbed wideband audio, otherwise known as HD Voice technology. Phil Schiller said the technology was capable of delivering amazing sound performance and described it thusly: In a typical cellphone call, this is what it looks like. The frequency of the data in your voice is compressed around the midrange to help make that call sound more intelligible, but it doesn't sound entirely natural all the time. So with wideband audio we can fill up more of the frequency spectrum and make your voice sound even more natural. Note that the chart above was taken from Schiller's keynote presentation. In order to take advantage of the much improved call quality, however, the technology must be supported by the carrier and both devices on a particular call. When Apple first introduced the iPhone 5, Schiller said that 20 cellphone carriers worldwide would be ready to support the iPhone 5's wideband audio technology at launch. Notably, no US carriers were part of that original grouping of 20. But that's all poised to change. AllThingsD relayed statements made by AT&T senior VP Kris Rinne today at the VentureBeat Mobile Summit indicating that Ma Bell is planning to roll out support for wideband audio later this year. "HD Voice is part of our voice over LTE strategy," Rinne explained. Of course, this is welcome news for AT&T subscribers who have long complained of subpar call quality measured against other US carriers like Sprint and Verizon. Rinne also added that AT&T is taking other measures to improve call quality on its network. Rinne, who oversees network technologies for the carrier, said that the carrier will also begin work on so-called advanced LTE which does things to reduce interference and bond together traffic from various frequencies. Sprint is reportedly interested in supporting HD Voice as well, though a timetable for such support wasn't specified. So is HD Voice all it's being cracked up to be? Well, when T-Mobile announced its plan to start carrying the iPhone 5 beginning on April 12, it also mentioned that it will support Phone 5's HD Voice feature. Gizmodo was able to give the feature a test run and came away impressed. Calling from one T-Mobile iPhone to another, my caller's voice came through loud and clear. You know how sometimes cell-to-cell voice calls can sound a little fragmented? Like little bits of sounds are being dropped? This didn't have that. It was a much more natural-sounded call. It was a bit richer, and definitely fuller. I wouldn't say it was like night and day, but it's definitely a noticeable improvement. I then used the same iPhone to call an HTC One on AT&T and it sounded, y'know, like a typical cell call. It was very slightly broken up, and definitely didn't have as much dynamic range. So iPhone 5 users experiencing particularly shoddy call quality on AT&T have reason to rejoice. Verizon users, on the other hand, will have to wait until 2014 for HD Voice support.
iPhone 5 carrier update may bring T-Mobile LTE to unlocked GSM models
Word on the street is that an update will be hitting the iPhone 5 on April 5th that will turn on access to T-Mobile's LTE network on unlocked GSM models. While you'll have to wait until April 12th to pick up the iOS handset direct from the magenta-hued carrier, those who have been running rogue with unlocked devices from AT&T or purchased direct from Apple should soon be able to run at full, blistering 4G speeds. (Where the fledgling network has been fired up, at least.) The internal notice obtained by TmoNews (which you can see after the break) reads: "The T-Mobile Carrier Update is a minor iOS software update that enables official iPhone support by T-Mobile. When installed, the software update enables a handful of capabilities like Visual Voicemail, MMS Settings and Network/Device optimizations that customers do not have access to today. On April 5, the software update will begin being pushed via OTA to all iPhone devices on the T-Mobile network with iOS 6.1.x or higher." So it's not just LTE, but also some of the basic features that make the iPhone such a compelling product, which will suddenly turn on for T-Mo customers. We'll know soon enough if there's truth to these rumblings, but we'd imagine the iOS update would need to be pushed out ahead of the official T-Mobile iPhone launch.
T-Mobile LTE speed test on iPhone 5
Engadget covered T-Mobile's Un-Carrier event yesterday and was able to get some hands-on time with an iPhone 5 connected to the carrier's new LTE network. The team from Engadget did what most good techies would do -- they fired up Ookla's SpeedTest app to see how T-Mobile's flavor of LTE performed. Engadget tested the LTE network with two different iPhone 5 handsets and recorded download speeds between 18 and 26 Mbps. Upload speeds clocked in at a respectable 10 Mbps and ping times were under 50ms. These early numbers are promising, but it remains to be seen what happens to these speeds when thousands of subscribers start to surf and stream at the same time. Nonetheless, it's nice to see another carrier enter the LTE market with affordable wireless plans and low upfront payment options for phones.
The Daily Roundup for 03.26.2013
You might say the day is never really done in consumer technology news. Your workday, however, hopefully draws to a close at some point. This is the Daily Roundup on Engadget, a quick peek back at the top headlines for the past 24 hours -- all handpicked by the editors here at the site. Click on through the break, and enjoy.
Apple's updated iPhone 5 for T-Mobile goes through FCC testing
An iPhone native to T-Mobile USA has been the stuff of legend for so long that we still have a hard time believing it's real, even after the carrier confirmed it in no uncertain terms. We're a little more credulous now that Apple has run the iPhone 5 through some class permission changes at the FCC. True to the words of Apple and T-Mobile, the updated A1428 is now clear to use 42Mbps HSPA+ data on the AWS frequencies that the UnCarrier uses (along with smaller Canadian providers, we'd add). The refreshed iPhone doesn't have any surprises lurking underneath -- the LTE was already in place -- although that in itself isn't surprising. It's a mid-cycle tweak meant chiefly to expand Apple's market reach, and we wouldn't expect much more iPhone-related FCC action for awhile. Brad Molen contributed to this report.
T-Mobile's UnCarrier event roundup
The news (and the choice language) was hurled out at a rapid pace during today's T-Mobile UnCarrier event. In case you missed any of the proceedings, we've got you covered with a full rundown just past the break. From the initial LTE markets to handset launches and details surrounding Big Magenta's phone plans, all of the particulars on what the carrier looks to "unleash" are here for your perusal.
Daily Update for March 26, 2013
It's the TUAW Daily Update, your source for Apple news in a convenient audio format. You'll get all the top Apple stories of the day in three to five minutes for a quick review of what's happening in the Apple world. You can listen to today's Apple stories by clicking the inline player (requires Flash) or the non-Flash link below. To subscribe to the podcast for daily listening through iTunes, click here. No Flash? Click here to listen. Subscribe via RSS
Existing iPhone 5 handsets cannot have AWS HSPA+ support enabled, but Apple is shipping the new A1428 carrier-unlocked on April 12th
Starting April 12th, Apple retail shops as well as Apple's online store will begin selling the new and gently tweaked A1428 model of the iPhone 5. For those paying attention, that's the same model number as AT&T sells today, but Apple's enabling support of the AWS bands from the factory on the new guy -- and sadly, Apple affirmed to us that it's not something that can be enabled via a simple software update for A1428 iPhone units already in circulation. To say that another way, existing iPhone 5 owners on AT&T cannot simply apply a software patch to have AWS HSPA+ 42 support added. You'll need to buy a new phone next month. (Note: AWS LTE does and will indeed work, whether you have the current, AT&T iPhone 5 or this new, updated model. It's only HSPA+ 42 that is lacking on the current model.) That said, the A1428 edition of the iPhone 5 that Apple will start hawking on April 12th (in lockstep with T-Mobile's launch date) will arrive unlocked out of the box. By default, Apple will sell these at full MSRP in a "SIM-in unlocked fashion," as confirmed to us by an Apple representative here at T-Mobile's event in New York City. Of course, those wishing to pay T-Mob's advertised $99.99 up front price will also be able to do so right at an Apple store, but eager jetsetters that are simply looking for a frictionless way to purchase an unlocked iPhone 5 that works on both AT&T and T-Mobile's LTE bands have but a few weeks to wait. Oh, and yes, we confirmed with Apple that the new A1428 will indeed support AT&T's LTE network. In other words, your T-Mobile iPhone 5 will run uninhibited on AT&T's LTE network if it's unlocked. To boot, Apple is quickly phasing out the existing A1428 hardware, and will soon replace all of them with the new, AWS-enabled model. In theory, that would mean that iPhones purchased through AT&T (after April 12th) would also ship with the appropriate firmware to let AWS support run free, but of course, then you're up against AT&T's far less friendly unlocking policy. For US users anxious to snag a truly unlocked iPhone 5 that'll hum along on pretty much every LTE band in the developed world, Apple informed us that its 24-hour locations will begin selling these promptly at 12:01AM on 4/12. For those who order from Apple's online site, you'll need to phone up T-Mobile to have the unlock applied. Update: We've updated this post to clarify that the lack of AWS is only for HSPA+ 42. The older model phone phone does not lack AWS on LTE and so will have no problems connecting to LTE.
T-Mobile's iPhone will not ship with WiFi Calling enabled, but it'll probably come in time
For jetsetters hoping to utilize T-Mobile's iPhone for all of their international jaunts, we've a bit of bad news for you: WiFi Calling isn't going to hit the carrier's iPhone initially. Here at today's T-Mobile UnCarrier event in New York City, the company's chief marketing officer Michael Sievert told me that "it's not coming" at launch, but when pressed, he confessed that T-Mob "loves its WiFi Calling feature, and I'll have to leave it at that." I then asked if it's on the roadmap, and if the company would like to have it included in an ideal world, which garnered a smile that I can safely assume means something positive for the future. Of course, WiFi Calling -- which enables travelers to make and receive calls from their US phone number while latched onto a WiFi hotspot anywhere in the known universe -- works today on Android, but iOS fanatics aren't being given a clear date as to when they'll be brought up to speed. That said, at least T-Mob will sell you an iPhone unlocked, assuming you pay the full MSRP up front. Sievert affirmed to me that if a customer rolls into a T-Mobile store and pays the full price for iPhone, the reps onsite will be empowered to unlock it "on the spot." Oh, and as for that MSRP? It'll be the one(s) set by Apple, so you won't be facing any carrier-induced premiums either. In fact, you could actually come out a bit cheaper if you're willing to wait a month. Sievert explained to me that if you picked up a baseline iPhone 5 for $99 with a new T-Mobile agreement, and then paid the first $20 towards its total cost after your first month of service, you could then pay the thing off in full at the amortized rate... meaning that a $649 phone would cost you just $579. And it'd be unlocked for use on any carrier in the world after just a month with T-Mob. Not bad!
