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Microsoft reportedly adding video from Comcast, Verizon, HBO Go and others to Xbox Live
Microsoft announced new integration with live TV as a part of the Xbox 360's fall update during E3 earlier this year, but didn't name any US pay-TV partners at the time. Now, anonymous rumors recently posted on Digiday suggested the folks at Redmond were looking to work with Verizon and Comcast, followed by Bloomberg hearing similar talk from its own "people with knowledge of the situation." Today's rumors finger Verizon (which showed off live TV on a variety of devices at CES), Comcast, HBO, Crackle, Bravo, Syfy and UK service Lovefilm as likely partners. Missing from the list is AT&T's U-verse, which already offers an Xbox 360 tie-in and distributes its IPTV on the Mediaroom platform, just like some of the international partners previously announced. If these services launch it will be interesting to see how the integration works and if it's VOD like the existing Xfinity TV and Flex View mobile apps, or if providers cross the IPTV bridge with in-home devices like the Televation / AnyPlay box.
Carriers testing LTE-enabled 4G iPhone?
Earlier this year, Verizon CEO Dan Mead all but confirmed that an LTE Apple device would be making its way to Verizon. Eventually. And no 2011 Apple rumor spattering would be complete without at least a casual mention of the high-speed 4G network. Now, BGR claims to have received an internal iOS test build from a major carrier, revealing a property list file for LTE. This of course doesn't guarantee that Apple will be shipping an LTE iPhone flavor later this year, but that it at least remains a possibility. Still, an October iPhone launch would fall nicely in line with recent confirmation that AT&T will be releasing an LTE smartphone in "late 2011," and 4G compatibility could definitely explain Cupertino's holdup in announcing the iPhone 4's successor. So, will you be flying through the wireless web at lightning-fast speed later this year? Hopefully we need not wait much longer to find out.
Verizon promotes Lowell McAdam to CEO, Ivan Seidenberg stays on as Chairman
Ivan Seidenberg, the man who took the helm as Big Red steered its ship into the iPhone's waters, is stepping down as CEO effective August 1st, the completion of a succession plan that's been underway since last year. His replacement? Current President Lowell McAdam, who helped lead the charge to bring Apple's smartphone to the company's subscribers -- and who proudly stood on stage with Apple's Tim Cook to announce it. Seidenberg will remain Chairman for the time being to help aid in the transition, and while we're not sure for just how long that will be, we wonder if maybe he's not just waiting to pick up a Bionic before heading out.
Mophie Juice Pack Plus iPhone charging case now Verizon-friendly
Until now, Verizon iPhone owners looking for the Mophie battery boost had three options: lugging around a Powerstation plug-in, settling for the Juice Pack Air's measly 1500mAh battery, or slipping into an ill-fitting Juice Pack Plus AT&T case -- an awkward fit, thanks to a slight difference in the handsets' button placement. That long national nightmare is finally over, however, now that the 2000mAh Juice Pack Plus is compatible with both carriers, giving users up to eight more hours of 3G talk time and a few extra millimeters of thickness for around $100. The rubberized charging case is available in black, cyan, magenta, yellow, and a limited edition purple, of which only 2,000 were made. Oooh, exclusivity.
Casio G'zOne Commando review
For years, construction workers, thrill-seekers, and everyone else unfettered by cubicle walls have had rubberized, rugged handsets to keep them company on the road. Until fairly recently, though, the price of durability has been settling for a dumbphone. And frankly, the selection of toughened-up smartphones remains pretty sparse today. Casio's G'zOne Commando ($199 on contract) isn't the first quasi-invincible Android device, but it is the first to be sold on Verizon's network. As expensive as a flagship handset, the Commando offers military-grade resilience against drops, water, extreme cold, and other elements. But is it capable enough for everything else? Let's find out. %Gallery-123268%
iOS 5 updates expected to be carried over-the-air, at least for the Verizon iPhone
Having spent a good part of our day yesterday negotiating with iTunes and downloading a whopping 666.2MB file to update our iPhone to version 4.3.3 -- a version, we might add, whose sole claim to fame is the removal of things -- we know well the pains of updating Apple's mobile software. Those aches, however, may soon be coming to an end. 9to5Mac has multiple sources informing it that Apple and Verizon are scheming to start delivering iOS updates over the air from this fall, or just as soon as iOS 5 is made available. Untethered OS updates are a familiar feature to users of other smartphone operating systems and even the iOS-infused Apple TV, but getting Apple's mobile devices up to date has so far always required going through the company's own cable and software. There's no reason to believe this wireless update feature will be limited to Verizon, mind you -- that's just where the informants are coming from in this instance -- though Apple will almost certainly have to alter the file sizes of its updates. We can't think of many carriers who'll be happy to push more than half a gigabyte of data per user per update. Additionally, since iTunes currently acts as the major backup hub, 9to5Mac speculates Cupertino must be working on a cloud backup service as well, which would seem a very sensible idea. Of course, that doesn't paint a very happy or busy future for iTunes, but so what?
Sn0wbreeze brings untethered jailbreak to Verizon iPhone for Windows users
Verizon iPhone owners, your untethered jailbreaking prayers have been answered. Hacker iH8Sn0w updated the Sn0wbreeze tool, adding support for Big Red handsets running iOS 4.2.7 and finally allowing those who have forsaken AT&T to bring the magic of Cydia to their phones without the cumbersome need for tethering. The usual caveats apply: you'll have to get your hands on a copy of iOS 4.2.7 (just do a little Googling) and there is always a very small chance that something could go horribly wrong and you'll wind up with a very shiny paperweight. Mac users will have to sit this one out -- Sn0wbreeze is a Windows-only affair. Hit up the source link to get your iHack on. [Thanks to everyone who sent this in]
Verizon iPhone untethered jailbreak now available for iOS 4.2.7
While GSM-iPhone owners have had the pleasure of an untethered jailbreak for the latest iOS iteration, 4.3.2, Verizon CDMA-iPhone owners haven't been so lucky -- until now. Sn0wbreeze 2.6.1, a Windows-only utility brought to you by the folks from iH8sn0w, is now able to install an untethered jailbreak for the Verizon iPhone running iOS 4.2.7. But what about all those Mac-owning Verizon iPhone users who want in on the untethered action? No problem -- simply jailbreak with redsn0w as per normal, then head to Cydia and install the Verizon Untether for 4.2.7 from the http://cydia.pushfix.info repo. Quick, simple and now without the need to connect to your computer to reboot. [via BlogsDNA]
NPD credits Verizon iPhone with stemming the Android tide in Q1 smartphone sales
As much as we were hoping to get some definitive statements from AT&T and Verizon's Q1 2011 financials about the Verizon iPhone's impact on the smartphone market, none were really forthcoming. It's left to analyst outfits like the NPD, therefore, to try and parse the data for us and read between the official lines. The latest numbers from the NPD Group's Mobile Phone Tracker indicate that Apple's share of US smartphones sales jumped from 19 percent in Q4 2010 to 28 percent in the first quarter of this year, which helped stymie Android's prodigious expansion. The Google OS went from being on 53 percent of all smartphones sold to a flat 50 percent in the quarter. Also intriguing about the period is that, for the first time, smartphones accounted for more than half of all mobile phones sold in the US, at 54 percent. The top five best-selling cellphones also happened to be smartphones, with Apple and HTC providing two each; the iPhone 4, iPhone 3GS, Droid X, EVO 4G, and the Droid Incredible took home the NPD commendations. [Thanks, Matt] Disclaimer: NPD's Ross Rubin is a contributor to Engadget.
How would you change the Verizon iPhone?
It's an iPhone 4... but not the original iPhone 4. Verizon Wireless became the first CDMA carrier in the States to call an Apple smartphone one of its own, and the resulting handset is eerily similar to the AT&T variant in most regards. That said, we're sure that a few of you folks would have done things differently if given the design credentials needed to do so, and this is place for you to vent. Would you have added any features to this guy not already found on the GSM iPhone 4? Offered a Big Red-exclusive color? Thrown an LTE radio in there? Changed up the antenna layout? Included a secondary display, Echo-style? Go on and get creative in comments below -- you never know what suggestions may shape the shape of the iPhone 5! (Or something like that.)
Survey suggests Verizon's iPhone customers more satisfied than AT&T's
A survey of the differences between AT&T and Verizon iPhone customers shows what we knew all along: many AT&T iPhone customers are quite fed up with the phone network. All the main points in the Mobclix survey of iPhone users (taken in February) reinforce the conclusion: The larger and more densely populated the city -- and hence the more overcrowded AT&T's network -- the more likely iPhone users are to have switched to Verizon. San Francisco, Los Angeles, Seattle, Chicago, New York City and Boston have the highest Verizon iPhone usage. AT&T iPhone users resort to Wi-Fi 53% of the time, compared with just 38% for Verizon users. AT&T users do, however, get free automatic access to the company's 24,000 Wi-Fi hotspots included in their subscription. The top three reasons cited for switching to Verizon were reception issues, personal Wi-Fi hotspot availability on Verizon (only recently introduced by AT&T) and reputation. Most damning of all, a massive two-thirds of those switching from AT&T to Verizon were willing to pay the $325 early termination fee demanded by the iPhone's original network provider. A full 14% of iPhone 4 users are on the Verizon network now, but adding in users of earlier models brings this down to just 4% of iPhone users on Verizon. Of course, plenty of AT&T users are happy with the service they get on their iPhone, but it's clear that many couldn't wait for the day they could get an iPhone on Verizon. Perhaps this situation will change in a year or two if iPhone users on AT&T also get access to T-Mobile's network. Personally, I'm very happy to live in a country (France) where, by law, the iPhone is available on all mobile phone networks, and hence overcrowding simply isn't an issue. [Via TechCrunch]
Verizon, AT&T iPhones load web pages at same rate, firm reports
Verizon's network may reach areas that AT&T doesn't, but people stuck with AT&T have told themselves at least AT&T's data network is faster. While this is indeed the case, it doesn't make web pages load any faster on AT&T than on Verizon, according to a phone testing firm. Metrico Wireless confirmed that data speeds on Verizon's CDMA network are indeed just half those on AT&T's network, but that this made no difference when it came to browsing the Web. Users will only notice the difference if they're downloading large files on their iPhones. Verizon boasts that its network is more reliable than AT&T's, and Metrico's testing confirmed this. But, without revealing exact percentages, the firm said that the difference in terms of dropped or unconnected calls wasn't that great. Metrico tested with 4,000 calls and 10,000 web page downloads in New York, Seattle, Washington, Baltimore, Chicago and Dallas and surprisingly found that the Verizon iPhone was 10 percent less reliable than the AT&T model when downloading a file in a moving vehicle.
Verizon CEO: iPhone 4 sales strong, more coming from Apple on LTE
In a recent interview, Verizon Wireless CEO Dan Mead rebutted recent reports suggesting Verizon iPhone sales were low by confirming that the wireless carrier sold more iPhone 4s during its initial launch than any other product in the carrier's history. Mead would not divulge the actual numbers, but he confirmed these sales figures would be released during the carrier's next quarterly report. The Verizon iPhone launch was characterized by fewer and shorter lines at both the carrier's retail outlets and Apple stores. According to Mead, this was not a reflection of low demand, but the carrier's plan to stagger the launch. "It was a conscious decision to spread the launch over three phases," said Mead, who also confirmed that 60 percent of iPhone sales were processed online. Verizon held two pre-sale opportunities on February 3 and 9 and kicked off the official launch on February 10. Besides the iPhone 5, Mead hinted that Apple was interested in LTE technology and working on devices compatible with Verizon's 4G network. Mead said, "You'll see more coming from Apple on LTE. They understand the value proposition of LTE and I feel very confident that they are going to be a part of it." Apple recently addressed LTE, and COO Tim Cook confirmed the Cupertino company is not ready to adopt this 4G technology. Speaking at the Verizon iPhone launch, Cook said, "the first-generation LTE chipsets force some design compromises, some of which we wouldn't make." Hopefully, Apple can work with chipset manufacturers to iron out these kinks, and we can look forward to 4G speeds combined with Apple's solid hardware and slick mobile OS.
Apple details call-related differences between CDMA and GSM iPhones
The only thing conspicuously missing here are the differences that actually count.
Apple outlines differences between CDMA and GSM phones
Apple detailed the differences between the GSM and CDMA iPhone when it comes to voice calling and its associated features. The document confirms the Verizon iPhone is unable to hold a conference call with more than two attendees as well as put a call on hold. The Verizon iPhone can also use a manual method to toggle call forwarding, call waiting and caller ID instead of using the settings within iOS. Though not earth shattering, these shortcuts and, in certain cases, limitations may be helpful for folks with either version of the iPhone. [Via 9to5 Mac and Macgasm]
AT&T's old $49 iPhone 3GS gets a new ad to sell it (video)
It looks like someone's realized that simultaneous voice and web will not be enough to keep kids away from the Verizon iPhone. But where technical details fail to entice, perhaps a good deal will. Because, really, what's better (or at least as good) as retaining your current customers? Well, if you ask AT&T it's bringing in a slew of new ones by advertising that bargain-basement $49 iPhone 3GS (8GB). Feel free to check out the latest commercial after the break -- as is usually the case, this one is a non-stop thrill ride.
AT&T highlights $49 iPhone 3GS in new TV ad
AT&T is wielding a new weapon in its fight against Verizon Wireless: the iPhone 3GS. In the carrier's latest advertisement, the almost 20-month old handset and its $49 price tag is dangled in front of customers as a cheap alternative to the iPhone 4. Price-wise, the iPhone 3GS lets customers jump on the iPhone bandwagon for $150 less than the 16 GB iPhone 4 and $250 less than the 32 GB model. Of course, there is always that nagging monthly cost. Still, if you are going to pay for it anyway and don't need the latest and greatest that Apple has to offer, why not? AT&T is hoping you will think that way so that the carrier can lock you into a contract before Verizon has its own cheap previous generation model to peddle to the masses. AT&T's television advertisement is included in the second half of this post.
Verizon refreshes FiOS app, launches free iPhone program
Verizon updated its FiOS DVR manager for the iPhone, an application that lets you use your handset as a remote control for your FiOS television service and its DVR. In a fun feature, FiOS users with a penchant for taking photos with their iPhone can also easily flick their photos and watch them on their TV. The latest update was rolled out today and added support for multiple DVRs, a landscape view for the Guide and the ability to change the name of your set-top boxes. To celebrate the launch of the iPhone, Verizon is offering a sweet discount for those who purchase a triple or quad play bundle that includes FiOS TV, High-speed internet service, home phone service or Verizon Wireless calling. The discount provides new customers with a $200 rewards card that can be applied towards the purchase of a Verizon iPhone 4 as well as a monthly discount on FiOS service that can total as much as $20 per month. Verizon also debuted a new ad that showcases the benefits of combining FiOS TV with the advanced capabilities of the iPhone. Check out the ad after the break.
Verizon iPhone gets five hardware tweaks
Although the Verizon iPhone is largely the same as the iPhone 4 Apple released last year, PC Mag has pointed out five tweaks Apple's made to the design of the new version of the iPhone 4. A few of these hardware changes were necessary in order for the iPhone to connect to Verizon's CDMA network, while others are either cost-cutting measures or subtle improvements to the design. The most obvious change is the outer antenna. The original iPhone 4 had three break points in the antenna, while the Verizon version has four. While the redesign may have been necessary to get the iPhone 4 working on a CDMA network, according to PC Mag, analysis from iSuppli indicates this could be a dual-antenna design intended to improve the Verizon iPhone's reception. However, according to what we've heard so far, this does not mean the Verizon iPhone 4 is immune from the "death grip" attenuation problem that affected some of the GSM-type iPhone 4s. This new antenna design also meant the volume and mute buttons got moved downward slightly, so case manufacturers (including Apple) will have to update their designs for the Verizon iPhone. Earlier this week, we learned from iFixit that the iPhone has a dual-mode CDMA/GSM chipset. With a SIM slot and a GSM antenna, this could have allowed the iPhone to act as a true "world phone," but without that essential hardware, the Verizon iPhone won't connect to a GSM network. It's possible that the iPhone 5 will use this same chipset and all the requisite hardware, meaning Apple might only need to produce one version of the iPhone 5 rather than two. According to iSuppli, and supported by iFixit's teardown, the Verizon iPhone lacks a standalone GPS chip. Instead, it relies on the same Qualcomm MDM6600 chip that handles connecting to GSM/CDMA networks. Rumors abounded last week that subtle hardware differences like these would require navigation app developers to make custom apps for the Verizon iPhone, but that turned out to be untrue. In its teardown, iFixit also discovered the Verizon iPhone's vibration motor has been entirely redesigned. According to iFixit, the new motor has a "quieter, softer feel, and makes a better sound when on a table." Finally, iFixit noted that although the Verizon iPhone's battery has the same capacity as the standard iPhone 4, the new battery weighs 1.3 grams less. Overall, these subtle changes to the iPhone 4's design don't make the Verizon version much different. That's not to say there are no differences -- the Verizon iPhone can't use data and voice simultaneously, for instance -- but overall it's still the same great device that Apple released last year.
Verizon iPhone hits the streets, fails to gather crowds (video)
Verizon may have had its best sales day ever with the launch of the CDMA iPhone 4, but you wouldn't be able to tell if you parked outside a retail store this morning. Reuters reports that the usual hordes didn't show up for the Verizon iPhone launch -- San Francisco and New York flagship Apple Store locations boasted as few as forty individuals in line -- and that by afternoon today, the initial shipment of devices were still in stock. Of course, the device had already been on sale for several days -- and face it, it's just a CDMA iPhone 4 -- but it's not often we get to see spectacles like the one on video above, shot at the Mall of America store.
