Briefly: T-Mobile cable, Mac OS X 10.6.5, iPad download speeds

Posted:
in General Discussion edited January 2014
T-Mobile confirmed the mysterious iPhone charge cable it will begin selling in the U.S. is for roaming European customers. Also, Apple released yet another build of Mac OS X 10.6.5, and, finally, a new report alleges the iPad performs better on a home Wi-Fi access point than a 4G hotspot.



T-Mobile



After reports of T-Mobile selling an iPod and iPhone charge cable emerged Friday, a T-Mobile spokesperson told BGR that the cable is intended for subscribers using unlocked iPhones and European T-Mobile customers roaming in the U.S., quelling rumors that the cable indicated T-Mobile might begin offering the iPhone stateside.



"Select T-Mobile stores will soon begin carrying iPod/iPhone charge and Sync cables to support customers who may be using an unlocked iPhone or are traveling from outside the United States and using an iPhone while roaming on our network. T-Mobile carries the iPhone in Europe, so many people traveling to the U.S. roam on our network with their iPhones," said the T-Mobile spokesperson.



T-Mobile recently lost iPhone exclusivity on its home turf of Germany, with O2 and Vodafone offering the iPhone as of the end of October. In addition, German customers can now purchase an unlocked, contract-free iPhone directly from Apple.



Earlier this week, Deutsche Telekom Chief Executive Rene Obermann blamed disappointing growth from its American subsidiary T-Mobile on the lack of the iPhone. T-Mobile, which is the smallest of the 4 major carriers in the U.S., could face a bigger threat from the iPhone if it comes to Verizon Wireless next year as expected.



Mac OS X 10.6.5



Apple issued a beta of the forthcoming Mac OS X 10.6.5 update to developers Friday. The beta, labeled build 10H571, comes 5 days after Apple released an internal "pre-release build."



According to the release notes, developers who installed Thursday's Mac OS X 10.6.6 beta will need to revert to 10.6.0-10.6.4 in order to install the latest 10.6.5 build. Focus areas for the build are: 3D Graphics, Printing, QuickTime, Time Machine and USB Devices.



The public release of Mac OS X 10.6.5, which is required to take full advantage of the soon-to-be-released iOS 4.2, is expected to come soon. iOS 4.2 is scheduled for a November release.



iPad



BTIG Research analyst Walter Piecyk claims the iPad's average download speeds using 4G hotspot devices are significantly lower than Windows laptops or when connected to typical Wi-Fi access points, John Paczkowski of Digital Daily reports.



The analyst tested the iPad's download speeds using hotspot devices, including Clear's iSpot, which is designed specifically for iOS devices, across several 4G and 3G networks. According to the research report, the iPad averaged download speeds of 2.53Mbps. In comparison, Windows laptops averaged download speeds of 5.2Mbps across three of the same hotspot devices. On hotspot devices using 3G networks, the difference between Windows laptops and the iPad narrowed, with average download speeds of .89Mbps for the iPad and .99Mbps for Windows laptops.



?This appears to be an issue with the iPad and hot spots and not Wi-Fi in general since our iPad speeds on our home Wi-Fi were equivalent to other devices. When we tested the iPad on our FiOS powered Wi-Fi connection, we received the full 25 Mbps of available download speed on every test,? wrote Piecyk.
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Comments

  • Reply 1 of 26
    Dang. Was looking forward to another GSM carrier in the US with iPhone...
  • Reply 2 of 26
    Full Article



    Quote:
    Originally Posted by AppleInsider View Post


    T-Mobile confirmed the mysterious iPhone charge cable it will begin selling in the U.S. is for roaming European customers. Also, Apple released yet another build of Mac OS X 10.6.5, and, finally, a new report alleges the iPad performs better on a home Wi-Fi access point than a 4G hotspot.



    T-Mobile



    After reports of T-Mobile selling an iPod and iPhone charge cable emerged Friday, a T-Mobile spokesperson told BGR that the cable is intended for subscribers using unlocked iPhones and European T-Mobile customers roaming in the U.S., quelling rumors that the cable indicated T-Mobile might begin offering the iPhone stateside.



    "Select T-Mobile stores will soon begin carrying iPod/iPhone charge and Sync cables to support customers who may be using an unlocked iPhone or are traveling from outside the United States and using an iPhone while roaming on our network. T-Mobile carries the iPhone in Europe, so many people traveling to the U.S. roam on our network with their iPhones," said the T-Mobile spokesperson.



    T-Mobile recently lost iPhone exclusivity on its home turf of Germany, with O2 and Vodafone offering the iPhone as of the end of October. In addition, German customers can now purchase an unlocked, contract-free iPhone directly from Apple.



    Earlier this week, Deutsche Telekom Chief Executive Rene Obermann blamed disappointing growth from its American subsidiary T-Mobile on the lack of the iPhone. T-Mobile, which is the smallest of the 4 major carriers in the U.S., could face a bigger threat from the iPhone if it comes to Verizon Wireless next year as expected.



    Mac OS X 10.6.5



    Apple issued a beta of the forthcoming Mac OS X 10.6.5 update to developers Friday. The beta, labeled build 10H571, comes 5 days after Apple released an internal "pre-release build."



    According to the release notes, developers who installed Thursday's Mac OS X 10.6.6 beta will need to revert to 10.6.0-10.6.4 in order to install the latest 10.6.5 build. Focus areas for the build are: 3D Graphics, Printing, QuickTime, Time Machine and USB Devices.



    The public release of Mac OS X 10.6.5, which is required to take full advantage of the soon-to-be-released iOS 4.2, is expected to come soon. iOS 4.2 is scheduled for a November release.



    iPad



    BTIG Research analyst Walter Piecyk claims the iPad's average download speeds using 4G hotspot devices are significantly lower than Windows laptops or when connected to typical Wi-Fi access points, John Paczkowski of Digital Daily reports.



    The analyst tested the iPad's download speeds using hotspot devices, including Clear's iSpot, which is designed specifically for iOS devices, across several 4G and 3G networks. According to the research report, the iPad averaged download speeds of 2.53Mbps. In comparison, Windows laptops averaged download speeds of 5.2Mbps across three of the same hotspot devices. On hotspot devices using 3G networks, the difference between Windows laptops and the iPad narrowed, with average download speeds of .89Mbps for the iPad and .99Mbps for Windows laptops.



    ?This appears to be an issue with the iPad and hot spots and not Wi-Fi in general since our iPad speeds on our home Wi-Fi were equivalent to other devices. When we tested the iPad on our FiOS powered Wi-Fi connection, we received the full 25 Mbps of available download speed on every test,? wrote Piecyk.



  • Reply 3 of 26
    mgl323mgl323 Posts: 247member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Suddenly Newton View Post


    Dang. Was looking forward to another GSM carrier in the US with iPhone...



    Who knows, maybe Apple will introduce a CDMA iphone and a iphone that is compatible with T-mobile too.
  • Reply 4 of 26
    realisticrealistic Posts: 1,154member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by mgl323 View Post


    Who knows, maybe Apple will introduce a CDMA iphone and a iphone that is compatible with T-mobile too.



    Keep on dreaming.
  • Reply 5 of 26
    nkhmnkhm Posts: 928member
    T-Mobile already carry the iPhone in a few countries and provide accessories for it - so why should the appearance of these accessories in countries where the phone isn't officially supported by such big news?



    There's a world outside the USA, and the iPhone is on multiple carriers in most of it. here in the UK we've got t-mobile, orange, 02, tesco mobile, vodaphone and others who carry the phone.
  • Reply 6 of 26
    nkhmnkhm Posts: 928member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by mgl323 View Post


    Who knows, maybe Apple will introduce a CDMA iphone and a iphone that is compatible with T-mobile too.



    The iPhone is already compatible with t-mobile.
  • Reply 7 of 26
    benroethigbenroethig Posts: 2,782member
    Somewhat. It would need a new chip to access T-Mobile's 3G frequency though.
  • Reply 8 of 26
    solipsismsolipsism Posts: 25,726member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by BenRoethig View Post


    Somewhat. It would need a new chip to access T-Mobile's 3G frequency though.



    The unlocked iPad would have been a great place to include the UMTS frequency band for T-Mobile USA. It wouldn?t have required any real cost for shrinkage or would be less likely to impact any contractual obligations with AT&T.



    The fact that it wasn?t included told me that AT&T would probably have exclusivity for the iPhone 4. I wonder what 2010 will bring. These rumors about a CDMA iPhone seem too many to ignore. I think it?s going to happen in 2010 and that could mean T-Mobile USA getting included in that list as it wouldn?t be much effort on Apple?s part.
  • Reply 9 of 26
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Suddenly Newton View Post


    Dang. Was looking forward to another GSM carrier in the US with iPhone...



    Just use it on T-Mobile NOW.



    Quote:
    Originally Posted by mgl323 View Post


    Who knows, maybe Apple will introduce a CDMA iphone and a iphone that is compatible with T-mobile too.



    Just use it on T-Mobile NOW.
  • Reply 10 of 26
    richlrichl Posts: 2,213member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Tallest Skil View Post


    Just use it on T-Mobile NOW.



    The iPhone 4 doesn't support the 1700Mhz frequency band used by T-Mobile USA's 3G service. If you're happy with 2G speeds, go for it.



    Penta-band modems are becoming available so there's no reason why the next iPhone won't support T-Mobile's 3G network though.
  • Reply 11 of 26
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by RichL View Post


    The iPhone 4 doesn't support the 1700Mhz frequency band used by T-Mobile USA's 3G service.



    So? The probability that he lives anywhere near 3G is low enough for that not to matter. It works on T-Mobile. That's what counts.



    Quote:

    ...there's no reason why the next iPhone won't support T-Mobile's 3G network though.



    Sure there is. The same reasons that the past four models haven't supported it: There's no legitimate reason to do so.
  • Reply 12 of 26
    zoolookzoolook Posts: 657member
    Never mind iPad download speeds, what about iPad syncing speeds... 14 hours now, and climbing.



    http://discussions.apple.com/thread....t=120&tstart=0



    Never seen an article here about this problem...



    and



    http://peter.vdhamer.com/2010/08/15/...-backup-issue/
  • Reply 13 of 26
    kolchakkolchak Posts: 1,398member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Zoolook View Post


    Never mind iPad download speeds, what about iPad syncing speeds... 14 hours now, and climbing.



    http://discussions.apple.com/thread....t=120&tstart=0



    Never seen an article here about this problem...



    and



    http://peter.vdhamer.com/2010/08/15/...-backup-issue/



    You guys are doing something strange. My 32GB iPad is about 60% full. Backup usually takes a couple of minutes. On very rare occasions, it stretches out to 15 minutes or so, but never an hour or more. It doesn't help that people are going around spreading bad information, such as one guy saying "remove Zinio." You don't have to remove Zinio. If he checked the prefs for that app, he'd find there's an option to disable backup of the magazine files.
  • Reply 14 of 26
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Kolchak View Post


    You guys are doing something strange. My 32GB iPad is about 60% full. Backup usually takes a couple of minutes. On very rare occasions, it stretches out to 15 minutes or so, but never an hour or more. It doesn't help that people are going around spreading bad information, such as one guy saying "remove Zinio." You don't have to remove Zinio. If he checked the prefs for that app, he'd find there's an option to disable backup of the magazine files.



    You're half right. I can backup 2- GBs of photos and movies in about 30 mins - not bad for the Mac Mini. However, try downloading



    - Ars Technica App

    - WSJ

    - Wired

    - Equire

    - NY Times App



    Load up a couple of issues and plug in. It'll take at least 10 - 12 hours, and you can't disable backup in any of those apps. The issue is that tiny files, 4k in size or so, are written, confirmed and then written again as a .info file on the Mac. So yesterday my iPad backed up 30,900 files, the vast majority of which were 4kb files. It backs up about 50 - 60 files per minute (write file, verify, write-back), which gives you about 9 hours. Plus the really large files (I had 4 HD TV shows to write back) racks it up to 10 hours or so.
  • Reply 15 of 26
    bwinskibwinski Posts: 164member
    T-Mobile



    After reports of T-Mobile selling an iPod and iPhone charge cable emerged Friday, a T-Mobile spokesperson told BGR that the cable is intended for subscribers using unlocked iPhones and European T-Mobile customers roaming in the U.S., quelling rumors that the cable indicated T-Mobile might begin offering the iPhone stateside.



    "Select T-Mobile stores will soon begin carrying iPod/iPhone charge and Sync cables to support customers who may be using an unlocked iPhone or are traveling from outside the United States and using an iPhone while roaming on our network. T-Mobile carries the iPhone in Europe, so many people traveling to the U.S. roam on our network with their iPhones," said the T-Mobile spokesperson.





    THIS quite frankly is the lamest of lame marketing ploy. We're gonna sell it because folks from Europe come to the states and will look for a T-Mumble store to buy a cable for their iPhone??? Are these guys really this stupid?? And average folks that have an unlocked iPhone are going to venture into a T-Mumble store for an iPhone cable.... truly stupid....



    They'll make a good marketing partner when Nokia snatches them up to dump their handset inventory before closing it...
  • Reply 16 of 26
    coolcatcoolcat Posts: 156member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by nkhm View Post


    The iPhone is already compatible with t-mobile.



    No it's not. T-Mobile's GSM is a different frequency than AT&T's....Nice try though. Thanks for playing
  • Reply 17 of 26
    coolcatcoolcat Posts: 156member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Zoolook View Post


    Never mind iPad download speeds, what about iPad syncing speeds... 14 hours now, and climbing.



    http://discussions.apple.com/thread....t=120&tstart=0



    Never seen an article here about this problem...



    and



    http://peter.vdhamer.com/2010/08/15/...-backup-issue/



    What the hell are you backing up? The library of congress?
  • Reply 18 of 26
    solipsismsolipsism Posts: 25,726member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by coolcat View Post


    No it's not. T-Mobile's GSM is a different frequency than AT&T's....Nice try though. Thanks for playing



    The iPhone’s GSM is fully compatible with T-Mobile USA’s network. This is how people have been using unlocked iPhones on T-Mobile USA since 2007. It’s T-Mobile USA’s UMTS AWS 1700MHz band for ‘3G’ that isn’t compatible.



    BTW, it has no barring on what frequencies one carrier has or doesn’t have, it has to do with what the handset has. The current iPhone has 4 GSM bands and 5 UMTS bands.
  • Reply 19 of 26
    kolchakkolchak Posts: 1,398member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Zoolook View Post


    You're half right. I can backup 2- GBs of photos and movies in about 30 mins - not bad for the Mac Mini. However, try downloading



    - Ars Technica App

    - WSJ

    - Wired

    - Equire

    - NY Times App



    Load up a couple of issues and plug in. It'll take at least 10 - 12 hours, and you can't disable backup in any of those apps. The issue is that tiny files, 4k in size or so, are written, confirmed and then written again as a .info file on the Mac. So yesterday my iPad backed up 30,900 files, the vast majority of which were 4kb files. It backs up about 50 - 60 files per minute (write file, verify, write-back), which gives you about 9 hours. Plus the really large files (I had 4 HD TV shows to write back) racks it up to 10 hours or so.



    Sounds like your problem isn't really that the syncing is slow, it's that those app writers didn't know what the hell they were doing and broke up their data unnecessarily. Don't blame Apple because these dummies decided to store everything in 4k files instead of larger files or even zipped archives. A badly written app on any OS can severely impact performance.



    BTW, I do have the Times app, so that figures in my original backup figure.
  • Reply 20 of 26
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by coolcat View Post


    No it's not. T-Mobile's GSM is a different frequency than AT&T's....Nice try though. Thanks for playing



    No, it's not. T-Mobile's GSM works perfectly with AT&T's. 3G is the only difference. Nice try, though. Thanks for playing.
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