I'm offended by AT&T only offering features when they *have* to.
But your not offended by Verizon turning down the iPhone 5 years ago? You?re not offended by the way the cellphone industry evolved in general?
Of all the things to be offended by I?d say AT&T using it?s iPhone advantage to its advantage (imagine that!) is one of the last things to strike against.
It sucks that iPhoners have to pay for tethering, in Android its built in to the OS and its free. You just turn it on and your surfing from your laptop. Can't do that on AT&T, and on Verizon you can't surf and talk at the same time. No wonder Android is number 1 in the world.
I'm offended by AT&T only offering features when they *have* to.
I can't tell if you're being sarcastic or not !
It reminds me of the services telcoms provide for residential customers. How long have they been delivering the same old voicemail services? It took Google Voice / Grand Central and other VOIP providers to deliver some fresh functionality. All the R&D power of AT&T, Lucent, etc - and nothing to show for it.
It's just proof of what competition does, and how obviously consumers suffer when it doesn't exist. Clearly AT&T viewed their iPhone exclusive as an excuse to hold back and squeeze consumers.
But your not offended by Verizon turning down the iPhone 5 years ago? You?re not offended by the way the cellphone industry evolved in general?
Of all the things to be offended by I?d say AT&T using it?s iPhone advantage to its advantage (imagine that!) is one of the last things to strike against.
It's more complicated than that.
Should they have benefited by having the exclusive? Sure.
Do carriers have a monopoly? Not so clear. Duopoly is more like it, and almost just as bad for consumers. The government doesn't seem interested in asking about collusion in this industry - so how are we to know if the prices for these services are artificially high?
My point in my first post, the list of things that AT&T has suddenly started offering, is that they ARE artificially high - as evidenced by how much more they can offer consumers at the first sign of competition.
What can be done? Not so clear. Who is the government to set the fair prices for things like texting? Tethering? Subscription commissions? Only FAIR competition - without collusion - can work out those numbers.
That is the worst attempt at trolling I?ve ever seen. Try again, but this time try to understand what you are rallying against. I suggest finding out why your opponent likes about the iPhone and then attack those fundamental principles.
It sucks that iPhoners have to pay for tethering, in Android its built in to the OS and its free. You just turn it on and your surfing from your laptop. Can't do that on AT&T, and on Verizon you can't surf and talk at the same time. No wonder Android is number 1 in the world.
iPhone OS has had tethering world wide for years. In some places, in this case the USA, it was the carrier that restricted it. So it wasn't the OS. The coming update adds it, but Apple had it everywhere else already. Blame ATT.
ALL CDMA phones prevent you from surfing and talking at the same time. Including your precious Android.
As far as Android OS being number 1 in the world, big deal. Most phones that it is on - most people never heard of, and never will.
The real question is, what is a great phone/OS combo? A crappy phone with a decent OS is still crappy.
iPhone is killing any given smart phone with Android installed. Now take your 12 year old pimply face somewhere else to whine.
Yeah this is exactly what I was thinking (here in Australia) $20 extra for what?
But I think this is due to the prevalence of the so called Unlimited plans in the States and the likelihood that a tethered iPhone supporting X Other devices has the ability to chew up a lot more data than an iPhone alone.
I suppose the other option is for Verizon or AT&T to offer a much lower more realistic usage cap plan or even a straight price per MB or GB and allow any amount of tethering for free.
This would again cause many howls of anguish but at least you wouldn't be paying for bandwidth you didn't use.
I've had tethering in Australia since the iOS 3 update, included in my plan, which they'd hurry up and roll this out, although I still prefer to tether with a cable using my MacBook's larger battery to charge my iPhone as I use it, it may come in handy sometimes.
But your not offended by Verizon turning down the iPhone 5 years ago? You?re not offended by the way the cellphone industry evolved in general?
Of all the things to be offended by I?d say AT&T using it?s iPhone advantage to its advantage (imagine that!) is one of the last things to strike against.
AT&T treated their customers as though they had no choice, because if they wanted an iPhone, they didn't, and AT&T knew it. Now that customers have a choice, they all of a sudden want to provide better services.
The way I see it, a company has an opportunity to show they want my business, before and after the sale. But, when they only show they want my business when it comes down to losing me as a customer, I take offense to that.
I don't think Verizon is necessarily better than AT&T in this respect. I am not planning to reward Verizon for anything. I have never been a Verizon customer, so that's not the point. Everything is not within my control. However, letting AT&T know how I feel *IS* within my control. My alternative is to stay with AT&T and that's no different than saying, "OK AT&T, treat me however you want to treat me. I'm helpless and I don't care." Sorry. But, I do care. And, I plan to show it with my 3 iPhone plans that I pay for.
Why is this a carrier controlled feature? I pay for 2GB of data each month. Why do I have to pay extra to use it in teathering mode? 2G is 2G. I should get to use it any way I want.
Why is this a carrier controlled feature? I pay for 2GB of data each month. Why do I have to pay extra to use it in teathering mode? 2G is 2G. I should get to use it any way I want.
It seems strange doesn't it? I can see it with an unlimited plan where in theory you could be sucking data on more than one device but if there is a pre agreed limit how does it matter how you get there?
Why is this a carrier controlled feature? I pay for 2GB of data each month. Why do I have to pay extra to use it in teathering mode? 2G is 2G. I should get to use it any way I want.
A lot of people are paying for 2GB but using 200MB. If they allow tethering for free, more people will use what they are already paying for, further straining the network. It's BS, but that's one reason. The main reason is because they can.
Comments
I'm offended by AT&T only offering features when they *have* to.
But your not offended by Verizon turning down the iPhone 5 years ago? You?re not offended by the way the cellphone industry evolved in general?
Of all the things to be offended by I?d say AT&T using it?s iPhone advantage to its advantage (imagine that!) is one of the last things to strike against.
I'm offended by AT&T only offering features when they *have* to.
I can't tell if you're being sarcastic or not !
It reminds me of the services telcoms provide for residential customers. How long have they been delivering the same old voicemail services? It took Google Voice / Grand Central and other VOIP providers to deliver some fresh functionality. All the R&D power of AT&T, Lucent, etc - and nothing to show for it.
It's just proof of what competition does, and how obviously consumers suffer when it doesn't exist. Clearly AT&T viewed their iPhone exclusive as an excuse to hold back and squeeze consumers.
Old news. If your iPhone could tether before and you had the beta it worked. I've been doing it with the increased cap for a week now.
I agree and have been going this for weeks. Yet, the entire thread assumes otherwise....
But your not offended by Verizon turning down the iPhone 5 years ago? You?re not offended by the way the cellphone industry evolved in general?
Of all the things to be offended by I?d say AT&T using it?s iPhone advantage to its advantage (imagine that!) is one of the last things to strike against.
It's more complicated than that.
Should they have benefited by having the exclusive? Sure.
Do carriers have a monopoly? Not so clear. Duopoly is more like it, and almost just as bad for consumers. The government doesn't seem interested in asking about collusion in this industry - so how are we to know if the prices for these services are artificially high?
My point in my first post, the list of things that AT&T has suddenly started offering, is that they ARE artificially high - as evidenced by how much more they can offer consumers at the first sign of competition.
What can be done? Not so clear. Who is the government to set the fair prices for things like texting? Tethering? Subscription commissions? Only FAIR competition - without collusion - can work out those numbers.
That is the worst attempt at trolling I?ve ever seen. Try again, but this time try to understand what you are rallying against. I suggest finding out why your opponent likes about the iPhone and then attack those fundamental principles.
It sucks that iPhoners have to pay for tethering, in Android its built in to the OS and its free. You just turn it on and your surfing from your laptop. Can't do that on AT&T, and on Verizon you can't surf and talk at the same time. No wonder Android is number 1 in the world.
iPhone OS has had tethering world wide for years. In some places, in this case the USA, it was the carrier that restricted it. So it wasn't the OS. The coming update adds it, but Apple had it everywhere else already. Blame ATT.
ALL CDMA phones prevent you from surfing and talking at the same time. Including your precious Android.
As far as Android OS being number 1 in the world, big deal. Most phones that it is on - most people never heard of, and never will.
The real question is, what is a great phone/OS combo? A crappy phone with a decent OS is still crappy.
iPhone is killing any given smart phone with Android installed. Now take your 12 year old pimply face somewhere else to whine.
ALL CDMA phones prevent you from surfing and talking at the same time.
For the record, so does my iPhone when AT&T's crappy 3G coverage drops me to EDGE speeds.
Verizon's network has its shortcomings, but AT&T's network is far from perfect.
For the record, so does my iPhone when AT&T's crappy 3G coverage drops me to EDGE speeds.
Verizon's network has its shortcomings, but AT&T's network is far from perfect.
Interesting how Verizon just has shortcomings, but AT&T is far from perfect
For the record, so does my iPhone when AT&T's crappy 3G coverage drops me to EDGE speeds.
Verizon's network has its shortcomings, but AT&T's network is far from perfect.
It's not my job to sell ATT and I didn't, and I certainly didn't say it was perfect. I'm just correcting a liar with facts.
But I suppose VZW is better in "fly over country". Personally, I live in a metropolitan area and the service is great.
I agree and have been going this for weeks. Yet, the entire thread assumes otherwise....
Same thing is happening on other forums. Kind of ridiculous that this is news.
http://forums.macrumors.com/showpost...&postcount=167
Old news,
http://forums.macrumors.com/showpost...&postcount=167
Thanks for digging this up.
But I suppose VZW is better in "fly over country". Personally, I live in a metropolitan area and the service is great.
Outside places around my own town, the worst 3G data reception I've had was in the Bay Area and LA...
Yeah this is exactly what I was thinking (here in Australia) $20 extra for what?
But I think this is due to the prevalence of the so called Unlimited plans in the States and the likelihood that a tethered iPhone supporting X Other devices has the ability to chew up a lot more data than an iPhone alone.
I suppose the other option is for Verizon or AT&T to offer a much lower more realistic usage cap plan or even a straight price per MB or GB and allow any amount of tethering for free.
This would again cause many howls of anguish but at least you wouldn't be paying for bandwidth you didn't use.
I've had tethering in Australia since the iOS 3 update, included in my plan, which they'd hurry up and roll this out, although I still prefer to tether with a cable using my MacBook's larger battery to charge my iPhone as I use it, it may come in handy sometimes.
But your not offended by Verizon turning down the iPhone 5 years ago? You?re not offended by the way the cellphone industry evolved in general?
Of all the things to be offended by I?d say AT&T using it?s iPhone advantage to its advantage (imagine that!) is one of the last things to strike against.
AT&T treated their customers as though they had no choice, because if they wanted an iPhone, they didn't, and AT&T knew it. Now that customers have a choice, they all of a sudden want to provide better services.
The way I see it, a company has an opportunity to show they want my business, before and after the sale. But, when they only show they want my business when it comes down to losing me as a customer, I take offense to that.
I don't think Verizon is necessarily better than AT&T in this respect. I am not planning to reward Verizon for anything. I have never been a Verizon customer, so that's not the point. Everything is not within my control. However, letting AT&T know how I feel *IS* within my control. My alternative is to stay with AT&T and that's no different than saying, "OK AT&T, treat me however you want to treat me. I'm helpless and I don't care." Sorry. But, I do care. And, I plan to show it with my 3 iPhone plans that I pay for.
Why is this a carrier controlled feature? I pay for 2GB of data each month. Why do I have to pay extra to use it in teathering mode? 2G is 2G. I should get to use it any way I want.
It seems strange doesn't it? I can see it with an unlimited plan where in theory you could be sucking data on more than one device but if there is a pre agreed limit how does it matter how you get there?
Why is this a carrier controlled feature? I pay for 2GB of data each month. Why do I have to pay extra to use it in teathering mode? 2G is 2G. I should get to use it any way I want.
A lot of people are paying for 2GB but using 200MB. If they allow tethering for free, more people will use what they are already paying for, further straining the network. It's BS, but that's one reason. The main reason is because they can.