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Ask Engadget: what's the best dual-SIM phone on the market?
We know you've got questions, and if you're brave enough to ask the world for answers, here's the outlet to do so. This week's Ask Engadget inquiry is coming to us from Damian, who just ain't satisfied with only one SIM in his handset. If you're looking to send in an inquiry of your own, drop us a line at ask [at] engadget [dawt] com. "I've looked and given up, so I'm chiming to the oracle. What is the best dual-SIM phone?" We're going to need some serious input from our international readers on this one. Dual-SIM handsets just aren't "a thing" in America, and even finding one is a bit of a chore. But for those elsewhere, what's your preferred device for toting around SIMs from two nations?
Sprint explains iPhone 4S unlocking policy: phones will be unlocked, then locked, then unlocked again
Yeah, that makes just as much sense to us as it does to you. Following yesterday's PR debacle, the final word from Sprint appears to be as follows: "Sprint's policy is to have the iPhone 4S SIM locked to our network domestically and internationally. At launch, the International SIM will be unlocked. We do expect a SIM lock to be pushed to the devices shortly after launch. We will then allow existing customers in good standing to unlock the SIM for international use if needed in the future." So, if we're reading that correctly, the iPhone you purchase and activate will be unlocked. Then, a SIM lock will be "pushed" to your device. But, if you've been a good, policy-abiding customer, your iPhone can then be unlocked manually by Sprint. Who knows what'll happen if you buy your phone and flee to a non-extradition country before Sprint comes knocking at the door, shackles in hand. Will you be left to live in peace with your newly-acquired international Micro SIM? Will you need to plead your case before a tribunal of mobile carrier overlords? Only time will tell, we suppose, or perhaps further clarification from Sprint. Jump past the break for the complete announcement.
Sprint won't offer GSM iPhone 4S unlocked (Updated)
A report from yesterday claimed Sprint was going to sell the iPhone 4S with an unlocked SIM card, but a Sprint spokesperson has confirmed that report is false. Speaking to Ars Technica, the representative said Sprint will support international roaming, but only with a Sprint international rate plan. You can't pop in any micro-SIM from the least expensive carrier. Verizon was also supposedly going to unlock the handset for customers after 60 days, but this report has not been corroborated. Verizon customers have the best shot at unlocking their iPhone 4S handsets as the carrier does unlock other global handsets like the Droid 2 Global. You have to be a customer in good standing with 60 days of service and you're allowed only one SIM unlock per line every 10 months. We've reached out to Verizon for an official statement and will update when we receive a response. Update: Macworld received an official statement from Sprint that clarifies this situation. Their initial report was correct. Sprint will sell the iPhone 4S as an unlocked handset. Shortly after launch, an update will be pushed to the handset that will lock the phone. Customers who are in good standing and need international service can then request an unlock at a later date. The full statement can be read at Macworld.
Sprint and Verizon confirm iPhone 4S Micro SIM unlock for international travel (update: Sprint remains locked?)
If you own an iPhone 4 on AT&T, using the device while traveling internationally means paying sky-high roaming fees, jailbreaking or limiting data use to when you're on a WiFi network, either with a public hotspot or through a service like Xcom Global. Verizon iPhone 4 owners, however, don't have the option of GSM roaming at all, and can only make calls and use cellular data in countries that support CDMA. All that changes with the iPhone 4S, however -- Macworld has confirmed that Sprint will sell its version of the device with the Micro SIM slot unlocked, with Verizon offering free unlocking to customers after the first 60 days of service. iPhone 4S owners will then be able to purchase a Micro SIM overseas, allowing them to access data and make calls at local rates, for a fraction of what it would cost to roam. AT&T iPhone 4S owners won't have this option, however, so if you make frequent trips overseas, this benefit alone may be enough to justify purchasing the phone through Sprint or Verizon, saving some users hundreds or thousands of dollars in international roaming fees. Update: A Sprint spokesperson has said that our source article was incorrect, telling us that its SIM will not be unlocked and adding that the card will not even be removable: "Our SIM does not come out of the device - I believe the same is true of Verizon's iPhone but you would need to confirm that with them. Customers can sign up for one of our international rate plans and use this phone all over the world. When traveling internationally, there is a setting that must be turned on within the device to connect to GSM. The phone will work with a SIM that is provided within the device out of the box. International voice and data charges are on a pay-as-you-go basis and vary based on the country where the customer is using their phone; a list of rates is available at www.sprint.com/international." Update 2: We heard from Sprint a second time, which redacted part of its previous statement. The carrier further explained "the SIM is removable and is not affixed to the device," which as you may notice directly contradicts the statement made earlier today. We've reached out to Apple twice and are awaiting further clarification. Update 3: A Verizon spokesperson has confirmed that the original version of the article is in fact correct: "The iPhone 4S works like all of our global phones. The phone comes in box with a SIM locked to our network and the network of our roaming partners including Vodafone, one of our parent companies. Customers sign up for a Verizon Wireless voice plan (beginning at $39.99 for 450 min.) and a data plan beginning at 2GB for $30. When they choose to go out of the country, they should call Verizon Wireless and sign up for a global plan. The customer can also request to have the SIM unlocked if they want to use a local service while out of the country. The request needs to be made prior to leaving the country, their bill must be current and the phone must be active on the account for 60 days before we will unlock the SIM." [Thanks, Julio]
iPhone 4S vs. the smartphone elite: Galaxy S II, Bionic and Titan
Now that we know how the iPhone 4S stacks up against the iPhone 4, let's take a look at how Apple's latest smartphone compares to its mightiest competitors on the other major platforms -- Android and Windows Phone. In Google's camp we chose the superlative Samsung Galaxy S II models (focusing on the announced US variants) along with the Motorola Droid Bionic for its qHD and LTE chops. We then picked the upcoming HTC Titan to bat for Microsoft's team. RIM's not included here since it's still stuck in the junior leagues. We left out the intriguing Nokia N9 because it's a niche player. Check out the fancy table after the break -- the results are pretty clear cut!
Oscar winners crowd-sourcing the ocean with The Blu
Love the ocean, but hate holding your for breath for extended periods? Good news: a team of software engineers, composers, Oscar-winning animators and more have come together to recreate Davy Jones' locker in the cloud. Wemo Media is looking for a few thousand good artists for the project, to help create a massive simulation of life under the seas built on its Maker Platform. The project has been around for a bit, but is still in closed beta, making it a private development beach of sorts. You can watch an introductory video and request an invite at the source link below.
Patent filing suggests iPhone owners could "comparison shop" providers
An Apple patent filing spotted this week by AppleInsider details how Apple could allow iPhone users to comparison shop for the carrier of their choice and switch between carriers at will all from the iPhone without changing SIMs. In "Method and Apparatus for Using a Wireless Communication Device with Multiple Service Providers," Apple says that, currently, mobile phone manufacturers must ship customized phones for each service provider. A more efficient means of handset distribution would be to ship one blank slate "world" iPhone with an embedded SIM that works on all carriers. Upon purchasing the phone, the user could then select which mobile carrier and plan he or she wants to use right from the device itself. Such an implementation would eliminate the need for users to choose beforehand what carrier they want the iPhone to work on. Additionally, Apple envisions a "customized user experience" that allows the user to change carriers at will, or switch to a new, local carrier while traveling internationally. Finally, the patent mentions the ability to display and sort various plans from mobile providers based on the user's needs. For example, a user who texts a lot would be shown plans that have a high text message limit and a user who surfs the web a lot would be shown plans that feature high or unlimited data allowances. This patent is just another example of Apple looking out for the consumer first. I've got no doubt that, if ever implemented, such a service would be a huge hit. However, I highly doubt such technology will ever see the light of day -- at least anytime soon. Apple apparently approached European carriers about a similar technology last year and they all threatened to end iPhone subsidies if Apple carried through with their plans. Now that iMessages and FaceBook's Messenger app threaten the ridiculously overpriced text message plans offered by carriers, one can only assume that the carriers will hold onto whatever leverage they have to maintain sales.
Apple's carrier ranking patent application hints at global iPhone
Apple may be hard at work creating the one phone to rule them all (around the world), if this latest patent application is any indication. The filing, first submitted in April of last year, describes a software-based method of determining carrier rankings, allowing owners to browse through a database of network-specific features, such as voice and data, to determine their best fit and sign-up for service. Ideally, this future iPhone set-up would come courtesy of a truly global phone, packing all the necessary radios and software to surf along the globe's wireless frequencies sans extra SIM cards. Rumors of an open handset have been circling Cupertino for a bit, much to the dismay of operators who fear the move would diminish their function as the industry's gatekeeper, shifting power to consumers. Certainly, Jobs and co. have a high hurdle to overcome if this purported world phone is to ever become a reality. In the meantime, why not just snag an unlocked device? [Thanks, Neil]
Dear Aunt TUAW: What is this cheap iPhone data plan you speak of?
Dear Aunt TUAW, What is this "cheap" AT&T SIM with data for the iPhone that you often speak of? You've written about it numerous times. Please dish. Fondest regards always, Mister Humann Dear Humann, Auntie is talking about AT&T's standard PAYG plans. She usually buys the US$100 cards which offer a full year of air time -- that is, the balance will not expire for a year, regardless of how much of the balance is used. Plus, dear Auntie can use that airtime balance to buy data. That's sweeter than a bowl full of Werther's Original. You may want to start out with a $25 airtime investment (won't expire for 3 months) to make sure that the set-up does, in fact, work on your iPhone. Auntie is currently using this approach with her 3GS. The model is important because pre-iPhone 3G units won't accept a SIM as-is. They must be jailbroken and activated first. Auntie's 3GS, however, is not currently jailbroken and it's working fine with her AT&T SIM. Here's what she did. Setting up a PAYG iPhone Account You can purchase air time for any SIM by visiting an AT&T retail or calling AT&T at 1-800-331-0500. Unlike the Best Buy $10 no-data SIMs ($5 of air time, expires after 90 days) that you can buy, activate with a phone call and pop into your iPhone, PAYG SIMs cannot be set up anonymously. You need that PAYG account to load affordable data onto your iPhone and, much like Auntie on Pinochle night, AT&T is a little more buttoned-up. To get started, you'll need a home address, a credit card, and a non-iPhone AT&T phone with a valid IMEI identifier and, of course, the SIM number. These allow you to register an account with AT&T. You will not have to leave that credit card on file, however. This will be a one-time payment of $25 or $100 (or however much you want to use to get started). Now you're pre-paid, baby! When your money and time run out, your account dies and you're never charged again unless or until you choose to add more money and time. If you're planning to use the account primarily for data, make sure to choose the per-minute plan ($0.10/minute, $0.20/text), not the per-day plan. (Your other option is a $2/day unlimited plan, which allows you to pay only on those days you talk on the phone.) Once your account is charged and you're given a new phone number, head on home (if you didn't do this all by phone, like Auntie does) and put the SIM into your iPhone. It should be recognized immediately and you'll be able to place and receive phone calls. Adding data Next you'll want to add data. Auntie recommends starting with a $15 100 MB data package. As you'll see, her recommendations change once you get all the kinks worked out, but starting with 100 MB for 30 days at $15 lets you buy in and test the system for under $25. Plus, that leaves you $10 with which you can call Mom and tell her you love her every day, approximately 3 times per day over that 30 day period. If Auntie has her math right. And she usually does. To add your data package, call the irritating robot at 611 from your iPhone. This is a free call, which is small recompense for having to interact with the unpleasant, robotic beastie. Make sure to turn on the speaker and flip to the number pad. When you're allowed to speak, say "Buy features" and then "Data Packages." Work your way through the robotic menu to select the 100MB plan for $15. The 'bot will helpfully tell you when your data package expires and how it rolls over. That roll over bit is the good part. Take note of that. Also take note of how you check your data balance (Call 611 and say "Check my feature packages"). Configuring Your iPhone for 3G Data Next, you need to update your iPhone to work with prepaid data. Auntie's favorite how-to write up can be found over at amirnaor.com. Here are the steps you need to take. Download Apple's iPhone Configuration Utility and run the installer. The application is placed into your /Applications/Utilities folder. Launch the application with your iPhone connected. Create a new configuration profile (File > New, Command-N). Edit the name to AT&T PAYG (arbitrary) and add an identifier, e.g. com.sadun.payg (also arbitrary). In the Advanced settings (scroll down), click configure and set the following fields: APN: wap.cingular User Name: wap@cingulargprs.com Password: CINGULAR1 Proxy wireless.cingular.com port: 80 Locate your device on the left source list column. Click it. Click Install next to the profile you just created. On your iPhone, the Settings app launches. Tap Install on the profile. Disconnect the iPhone, disable WiFi, and test the data connection in Safari. Annual Data Planning Leaving aside the $25 airtime proof-of-concept, here's how you can think about budgeting airtime purchases for inexpensive data over a year. AT&T's feature plan buckets currently go for $25 for 500 MB / $15 for 100 / $5 for 10. Best of all those feature package balance rolls over if renewed before expiration date. That means if you refill the feature plan before the end of the month (i.e. 28 or 29 days -- you can set your iPhone to alarm you), the data rolls over, so you can keep adding $5 for another 10 MB so about a total of $25 + 5 * 11 = $80 for a years data, with $20 left over for the occasional phone call and a budget of 610 MB for the year. 610 MB. Total cost $100. You can always add more during the year for $25 for another 500 MB, taking away the $5 you would have spent for 10 MB. So let us say that you use 100/month and need at least 1.2 GB of data for the year. You could buy, say, all that data at the start of the year, or (more likely) start with a $25 buy-in of 500 MB and then go for 3 months at $5 for 10 MB each. That means each four month period (approximately, since the "months" are going to be 4 weeks...say 28 days), you will pay $40 for 4 months, for a budget of 530 MB. That fits comfortably into the 100/month data budget. If you find you have lots of data left over, you can even skip one of the three $25 payments for a $10 one. Auntie uses the savings for new doilies, but that's up to you. 1.59 GB. Total cost $120 Assume you go with the $25/5/5/5 plan. You'll need to re-fund your account about 8 months in, assuming you haven't made lots of phone calls and need to refund sooner. At that point, let's say you add about $50. Month 1 $40 Month 5 $40 Month 9 Add $50, spend $40 (Month 13, new year -- Add in at least $100 so you're guaranteed a full year) You will have spent $150 for the year total, including about $30 of airtime available. If you want, you can use $25 of that for another 500 MB data bump if you really don't talk much; less if you talk & text. Auntie's Downside: You must remember to refill on time. Using a 4-week schedule, and a calendar reminder program, helps. It means you always refill on the same day of the week -- and keep in mind you will have to refill 13 times for the year, not 12, which throws off the math a tiny bit. Auntie is, honestly, really bad at this. Scheduled calendar reminders help. Auntie's Upside: Compare and contrast that cost with *normal* iPhone talk and data plans. Outside of the fact that you have a contract with a $375 cancellation penalty, it will cost you $55-ish or more per month for standard service. This provides data and voice for about $10/month. Discussion: This kind of data is *not* explicitly approved by AT&T (big surprise, but also no big deal) and, no, this isn't the old style Pick Your Plan that AT&T cracked down on, forcing people to move to standard contracts (Auntie was on a PYP on her original iPhone and it was a really good deal with rollover credits for unused airtime), but you're using it with an out-of-contract unit, so why should it matter if you're doing so on an iPhone versus, say, a cheap Nokia? Who is this for? Anyone who wants to be able to Google on the go, check e-mail and do very light web surfing. The 100 MB/month calculation is similar to iPad plans. But even if you end up using, say, double the data, for approximately $200/year (that's because the 3 times at $25 doubles to $50, but not the $5 maintenance costs), it's still very affordable. Here are a few purchase scenarios you might consider. 3 $25 buckets, 9 $5 buckets: $120 + $30 airtime: 1.6 GB costing $150 6 $25 buckets, 6 $5 buckets: $180 + $20 airtime: 3 GB costing $200 9 $25 buckets, 3 $5 buckets: $240 + $10 airtime: 4.5 GB costing $250 12 $25 buckets: $300 + $25 airtime: 6 GB costing $325 For comparison, the expected per-year cost for really basic iPhone service at $55 per month: $660 (Auntie thinks that's the lowest available, you might want to check). So that's how you get cheap iPhone data plans. Best of all, you can keep adjusting your bucket purchases over the year to match your usage. Hugs, Auntie T.
Xcom Global's Euro SIM solves your European data conundrum: $13 per day, works in 40 countries
Say it with us: Hallelujah! It's a problem that BMW European Delivery owners (not to mention gap-year backpackers and generic business travelers) have had for eons, and while the EU seems to have the whole "one currency" thing under control, the lack of a "one data plan" has continued to break the backs of connected travelers. No more. Xcom Global -- the company that revolutionized the art of staying connected abroad -- has just done the same thing for those planning their next Eurotrip. The newly-launched Euro SIM enables US-based jetsetters to rent a single device that'll provide unlimited data access in a staggering 40 nations across the pond. Everywhere from Iceland to San Marino is covered, including 20 extra countries that weren't covered even last week. Folks can pick up a MiFi for $14.95 per day (and yeah, that covers all 40 countries!) or a USB WWAN model for $12.95 a day, and if you happen to scoot over to a locale in Europe that isn't covered, you'll still be able to get online at a cost of one cent per KB. Hit the source link to find out more, and ping your best friend's travel agent to set those long-backburnered plans in motion.
T-Mobile now offering micro-SIMs to iPhone owners
T-Mobile is making it easier for iPhone owners to subscribe to a T-Mobile voice and data plan. The wireless carrier is now making micro-SIMs available to its customers for free with a two-year custom agreement. The product page on T-Mobile's website makes it clear the carrier is targeting iPhone owners. T-Mobile recently let slip it had over one million iPhone owners on its network even though the carrier does not sell the iPhone and the handset does not support T-Mobile's unique flavor of 3G. To make this possible, T-Mobile customers had to get their hands on an unlocked iPhone 4 and cut down their SIM to fit inside the handset. Those days are long gone and T-Mobile customers can now follow an official path to using their iPhone on the wireless carrier.
T-Mobile hawks Micro SIMs for 'free', hopes your iPhone likes EDGE data
Been wanting to stick it to Ma Bell, but have found yourself shackled by those pesky micro SIMs and your inexplicable fear of all things pointy? If you're wielding an unlocked device with a diminutive slot, T-Mobile's giving away the pint-sized cards gratis -- provided you're also willing to sign your precious life away on contract. It's a shameless play for Cupertino's sweetheart, sure, and this isn't the first time we've seen the carrier try to ship us some teensy SIMs. Making the plunge? Enjoy your rebellious ways while they last -- we hear Little Magenta's assimilation by the borg isn't too far off.
Verizon's Galaxy Tab 10.1 may pack Micro SIMs, force Charge owners to break out the scissors
There were some mumblings that T-Mobile's OG Galaxy Tab would come packing a Micro SIM, but that rumor never came to pass. Now a similar tale is being spun about Verizon's LTE-sporting Galaxy Tab 10.1. Android Central got its green, fingerless arms on a purported image of Big Red training docs that reveals the Honeycomb slate will not use the standard-sized 4G SIMs found in the Thunderbolt, Droid Charge, Revolution -- instead, it will come stuffed with a tiny 3FF card. The company has already made it abundantly clear that there will be no LTE roaming with its devices, perhaps now it's trying to discourage users from swapping a single SIM between a phone and tablet to save cash. Or, maybe Samsung chose the format due to space constraints. Guess we'll just have to wait and see -- which hopefully won't be much longer.
Unlocked iPhone FAQ, including AT&T plan info (updated)
Updated with information about AT&T plans. As we posted earlier, Apple is selling an unlocked version of the iPhone in the US starting at US$649. To help clarify questions about this development, we've put together this little FAQ. We'll explain what the unlocked iPhone means to you as a customer and how you'll be able to use it both at home and abroad. This TUAW unlocked iPhone FAQ is a work in progress. You can help us out by correcting any errors you see. Just leave a comment or send us feedback on our contact page. What is locking? Locking (also called "SIM locking") is a limitation of some phones, preventing their use outside of the issuing carrier; it is generally implemented in software and phones can be 'unlocked' either by the carrier or by third parties. Until now, the US GSM iPhone has been exclusively locked to AT&T. Another iPhone model, which uses CDMA technology, is available from Verizon in the States; there is already a second US carrier (Cricket) supporting those phones via unlock. What has changed is that Apple now offers a GSM iPhone to US buyers that is not locked to a specific carrier. Many overseas carriers have offered unlocked iPhones before now; in fact, we're told that in the UK it is the act of selling the phone with a SIM on the same order that tags the phone's unique identifier as 'locked,' but the phone itself is unlocked at the factory and then locked in the sales process. The availability of unlocked US iPhones is likely to accelerate the worldwide liquidity of the device, as Horace Dediu puts it, since an unlocked iPhone can be taken to any GSM system worldwide. Is unlocking the same as jailbreaking? Jailbreaking is a process that opens the full underlying iOS operating system to end-user control ('breaking out' of the chroot jail, hence the term). It has been a pre-requisite for running third-party unlocking software until now. The new Apple unlocked iPhone does not require jailbreaking or third-party unlocks to be used with non-AT&T carriers. What carriers can you use with the unlocked iPhone? For right now, AT&T is a given for full iPhone compatibility. You can sign up for an AT&T plan with no term commitment with an unlocked unit, meaning that frequent travelers now have at least one officially-sanctioned option for temporary service; simply cancel your plan at the end of the month, and re-up on your next trip. AT&T spokesman Seth Bloom tells TUAW: You can, of course, buy an unlocked iPhone from Apple and use it on the AT&T network. If you do, there's no term commitment – and customers may choose any current voice and data plan. AT&T offers data plans starting as low as $15 per month for 250 MB of data. (You do still need to have both a voice and data plan.) Will the unlocked phone work with T-Mobile? Definitely on EDGE; not on 3G. Here's why. The iPhone uses SIMs, little cards that identify you as a carrier subscriber. For calls (rather than data), you can use any carrier that offers compatible GSM SIMs, including AT&T and T-Mobile. For data, it's not just about SIMs. It's about frequency. The iPhone 4 supports the following frequencies: UMTS/HSDPA/HSUPA: 850, 900, 1900, 2100 MHz GSM/EDGE 850, 900, 1800, 1900 MHz AT&T uses the 850 frequency for 3G. T-Mobile uses AWS; 1700 MHz for uplink, 2100 MHz downlink. The iPhone 4 doesn't do 1700 MHz, so you're stuck on EDGE if you put a T-Mobile SIM into it (or if, like our own Rich Gaywood, you roam onto the network when traveling). This is hardware antenna design, it's not firmware patchable in the iPhone. While future iPhones may be truly universal, the iPhone 4 is not. Where do I get SIMs? The iPhone 4 uses a microSIM, not a full-size (technically known as a 'mini') SIM. Carriers provide SIMs at their stores when you sign up for plans. You may need to use a SIM cutter in order to convert your full-sized SIM for iPhone 4 use if the store will not provide you with a microSIM. For developers who don't really need full phone and data plans, who just need a SIM that they can make a few incoming calls to test their apps, the very best plan is H2O Wireless. Their SIMs are for sale at Best Buy. For $10 you get $5 of airtime billed at very low rates, lasting for 90 days. You will have to cut the SIM down to fit it into the iPhone 4. As OS X Daily points out, you can also get an AT&T PAYG SIM (but you may be better off not telling the salesperson you have an iPhone). For information on prepaid SIMs available across the globe, this wiki is probably the best available reference. Who is the primary customer for the unlocked iPhone? This phone is perfect for frequent travelers, who want to use their iPhones when visiting other countries. They'll be able to buy and use local SIMs with locally-priced calling and data plans. You may want to carry a cutter with you, however, or buy one locally/have it shipped to you if you don't think you'll get the stapler-sized device through airport security. Our friend & former colleague Nik Fletcher has this handy guide to using your UK iPhone in the US; it's covering the use of the 3G iPhone but it should work just fine with the 4. AT&T has not yet confirmed whether any current pay-as-you-go plan is approved for use with the unlocked iPhone, so right now the only official option for US call and data with AT&T is a standard voice + data plan (you must have both; data plans start at $15 for 250 MB and voice plans at $40 for 450 minutes of call time). Because AT&T is not subsidizing the unit, you have no term commitment and can cancel your plan at any time. See below for Pay as You Go plans. We have contacted T-Mobile for comment but have not yet heard back about possible plans. If you are a subscriber of another US GSM carrier, like Cellular One, please let us know what they say about iPhone support. Developers will also buy the unlocked iPhone as a contract-free unit, allowing them to purchase a device for development without committing to a plan. What about Pay-As-You-Go? AT&T's tacit support for PAYG data plans on the iPhone ended in 2009, so keep that in mind as you read the following section. Right now AT&T's data plans for PAYG are not confirmed as available for the iPhone. The 100 MB data pack costs $15 if you buy it atop a prepaid plan. You can swap a PAYG SIM into an unlocked iPhone 4 (or, for that matter, a locked one) but there may be some hoops to jump through to get data. All that to say, there's no official support for PAYG on the iPhone 4, but it mostly works. If you want data, sign up for a normal iPhone contract -- keeping in mind that you cannot get a data-only or voice-only plan from AT&T right now, you must get both. As mentioned, AT&T has not yet clarified its policy on unsubsidized phones, so you may need to negotiate or you will be locked into a 2-year contract complete with cancellation penalties sans subsidies. AT&T has confirmed that there is no term commitment for these plans and you may cancel at any time. It's clearly cheaper to sign up for a $15 monthly data plan than a PAYG data plan, but then you're saddled with a $40 voice plan you probably don't need. TUAW reader Fruit Attack adds: [The] AT&T GoPhone data package has become pretty reasonable, $25 for 500 MB. Expiration is 30 days. The downside is that you have to refill every month to keep the unused data bucket rolling. In theory you can buy a big bucket ($25 for 500 MB) in the first month and refill $5 (for 10 MB) by the end of the month to roll over the unused MBs. It's actually a pretty affordable solution. AT&T does not officially support iPhone on their GoPhone plan, so don't bother going to the AT&T store or phone for any sign-up help and support." He recommends this write-up about activating your data service. Got suggestions for T-Mobile plans? Other carriers like CellularOne? Let us know! Why is an unlocked iPhone almost $700? That's the "real" price of the Apple iPhone. Carriers subsidize that "price," offering you contracts in exchange for a much lower price tag. When you buy without a contract, you pay full freight. You may ask what the real price differential is between the equipment in an iPhone and, say, an iPod touch, but that's not the way that carriers work. They have a "price." They have contracts. They have you. Can I unlock my AT&T iPhone 4 when I am out of contract? AT&T's website says: "iPhone cannot be unlocked, even if you are out of contract." We have contacted AT&T for more details in case this information has changed. Got more questions? Put them in the comments!
Engadget Primed: What is NFC, and why do we care?
Primed goes in-depth on the technobabble you hear on Engadget every day -- we dig deep into each topic's history and how it benefits our lives. Looking to suggest a piece of technology for us to break down? Drop us a line at primed *at* engadget *dawt* com. The introduction of Google Wallet felt a little too good to be true, didn't it? It's magical, like the tech equivalent of pulling a rabbit out of a hat. In reality, the tech behind mobile payments has been around since 2003 on a much smaller scale using near-field communications, more commonly known as NFC. The idea behind Wallet (amongst other services, like ISIS) is contactless pay -- using your phone as a credit card -- and is just one of the many ways NFC can be useful in our everyday lives. In fact, we're only scraping the surface of what's theoretically possible. Google is definitely not the first company to dabble in NFC, but it appears to be poised and ready to push the tech's adoption forward at a rapid pace with the advent of Wallet and Offers. Until now the coals have been hot; but if a fire's going to start, someone monolithic has to throw a few newspapers in as kindling -- and Google volunteered. But what good is NFC if it's just an acronym that causes our eyes to glaze over? Is El Goog the only instigator? After the break we'll focus on what NFC is capable of, and why we want it on our phones as soon as yesterday.
Battleground Europe celebrates D-Day, adds U.S. forces
June 6th is an historic day in the annals of both U.S. and military history. The Allied landing on the beaches of Normandy was not only the largest amphibious assault ever but also a decisive turning point in the course of the second world war. It's fitting, then, that D-Day also marks the 10th anniversary of Battleground Europe (or World War II Online, as it was known in 2001). To celebrate, Cornered Rat Software has announced the addition of American forces to the long-running WWII sim. The dev team has also been hard at work on behind-the-scenes functionality improvements and a scenario-based gameplay option called Rapid Action. A special Rapid Action D-Day scenario pack will mark the introduction of U.S. troops and equipment to the game, as will a special Battle for Aachen campaign event. Details on all the new deployments present in version 1.34 can be found on the official Battleground Europe website. You can also take a peek at Cornered Rat's 10th anniversary teaser after the cut.
AT&T also working with Apple on shrinking SIMs
Back in May, an Orange executive told Reuters that Apple had proposed a standardized SIM card that would be smaller than those currently found in the iPad and iPhone 4. Orange was apparently supportive of Apple's efforts to create the smaller SIM and now it looks like AT&T also is throwing its support behind Apple. According to an AllThingsD interview with Ralph de la Vega, President and CEO of AT&T Mobility and Consumer Markets , AT&T is also "working with the industry" to develop a smaller SIM standard. While de la Vega didn't mention Apple by name, it likely that Apple is one of the "industry" partners that wants one SIM standard for both Europe and America. Also, if AT&T is working with the "industry" to achieve a smaller SIM standardization, the wireless carrier wouldn't be seeking to change a standardization without the blessing of one of its most important smartphone manufacturers.
France Telecom CEO talks SIM cards, next iPhone, apps and more
The CEO of France Telecom, Stephane Richard, recently spoke to Ina Fried at AllThingsD and spilled some juicy tidbits about how Orange (a global brand owned by France Telecom, which currently sells the iPhone in 15 countries) has worked with Apple. He also made some interesting comments about Apple's competition in the smartphone world while basically crediting the company for creating the entire smartphone market! And yes, he mentions RIM and Nokia, two other pioneers in the smartphone game. In terms of dealing with Apple, Richard's comments about apps made me cringe. He's basically in favor of carrier-owned app marketplaces, which were the standard before the iPhone came around. You know all that crapware that comes pre-installed on Windows machines and other smartphones? Yeah, he loves that stuff and worries that someday Apple will deny an app that Orange approves of. He also says, however, that his company has a good working relationship with Cupertino, who can be "a little tough." If Apple should refuse an app that Orange likes, Richards says, "Definitely, if we face these kind of problems, we will go to court. Because competition is not only something that should be applied to telcos and to carriers. For us it should be a principle for the whole Internet environment." Those of us in America will chuckle at that competition comment, given AT&T's former stranglehold on the iPhone. The juicy bit that the Apple blogosphere seems to be freaking out about today is Richard's comment about the "next iPhone." After a discussion regarding a SIM-less phone (like ESIM), and noting that the SIM card takes up valuable space, he goes on to say, "I understood that the next iPhone would be smaller and thinner and they are definitely seeking some space." Which, in blogosphere freak out-speak means that Apple's next iPhone will be the iPhone nano. I think he's simply saying the next iPhone will be somewhat smaller and thinner, which is par for the course for Apple's design team, isn't it? I'm hard pressed to think of a product line that Apple made larger and thicker in a new iteration. At any rate, we already knew Orange was working with Apple on a smaller SIM card.
Apple proposing smaller SIM standard?
It looks like the Micro SIM (announced with Apple's first iPad last year) is destined to shed a few more grams, an Orange spokeswoman said -- contradicting an earlier rumor claiming that Apple is trying to kill off the chip altogether. SIM cards in their current form have been in use for over a decade (a Micro SIM is simply a standard chip without the extra plastic), and today's devices look nothing like the cell phones of 2001, so it's no surprise that the SIM we've come to love and loathe has run its course. If adopted only by Apple devices, however, a new form factor would be an incredible setback for iPhone unlockers, since an unlocked device is useless unless multiple carriers offer a compatible SIM. Apple has submitted its proposal to ETSI with support from Orange, which says we may even see the smaller SIM sliding into devices next year.
Apple pushing for smaller SIM card standard with Orange's backing
An Orange executive told Reuters that Apple has proposed a standardized SIM card that is smaller than those currently found in the iPad and iPhone 4. Apple says the design would allow the company to produce thinner mobile devices. Orange's head of mobile services, Anne Bouverot, told Reuters that "We were quite happy to see last week that Apple has submitted a new requirement to (European telecoms standards body) ETSI for a smaller SIM form factor -- smaller than the one that goes in iPhone 4 and iPad. They have done that through the standardization route, through ETSI, with the sponsorship of some major mobile operators, Orange being one of them." Of course, the finalization of Apple's proposed new SIM standard needs to be worked out, but Bouverot says devices with the new SIMs could hit the market as early as next year. This isn't the first time Apple has been rumored to progress SIM technology. Last October, a rumor emerged that Apple was working with security firm Gemalto, a SIM card manufacturer, to create a software-reconfigurable SIM that would be directly integrated into future European iPhones. The iPhone would then be activated on the user's carrier of choice by downloading a carrier-specific app from the App Store. Apple has also taken interest in shrinking other common devices so that it could continually thin its mobile and handheld offerings. In September, an Apple patent emerged that described smaller audio jacks that could be used in future, thinner iPods. If you look at the iPod nano, for example, its current width is almost entirely dictated by the standard audio jack receptor. The SIM news is a sign that Apple is keenly aware that if it's going to continue making thinner and thinner devices, standardized pieces of hardware -- such as SIM cards and audio jacks -- will need to be redesigned.
