What could a single phone offer in terms of an upgrade that would drive a "10X" increase in data usage on a network? Streaming video? Video chat? Tethering?
Although those are all obvious big data utilizers, I can't see how new sales of a single phone could reasonably be expected to produce such a huge increase.
And, how can ATT be credibly expected to meet such a demand? I read the article, I see the explanations of what they're doing, but I find it hard to believe that ATT, or any carrier for that matter, is in a position to even double, much increase tenfold, their data capacity within a few months just because they believe a new model phone is going to put additional demands on their network.
I think it's reasonable to assume that the new iPhone will increase data usage on ATT's network, and that ATT is doing what it can, as fast as it can, to increase their capacity.
But the actual numbers being tossed around sound crazy.
Another but......
But what if the numbers are close to being actual? What if Apple and AT&T really expect a near 10 fold increase in traffic in the coming months after the June event? I think it is most likely that AT&T has been working longer on this upgrade than the public is aware of. And I think perhaps...just perhaps the new hardware coming in June is going to INDEED encourage users to bombard AT&T with a LOT of extra traffic.
Iphone pro HD extreme? iFoldingTabletThingy from the 5th dimension? iPowerRing complete with recharging iLantern?
I don't think you're disagreeing with me here-- as I've said, let's assume that the ten times the traffic part is true-- my question remains: can AT&T provide ten times the capacity, "over the next few months"?
New routers, fine, expensive, you bet, many towers need upgrading, yes.
But every carrier has their upgrade map and rollout schedules and equipment acquisition plans and budgets, and I'm not aware of anyone who has managed that kind of enormous expansion in data services over time frames measured in anything but years.
So, again: assuming the ten fold increase in demand is correct, over a period of months, I can't see how AT&T can actually match their capacity increase to that curve, unless cell phone carriers in general have been shining us on, till now, and can actually move much, much more quickly with rolling out service improvements that they've led us to believe.
Which means there is going to be at least some period during which the average data using iPhone experience is going to be at least somewhat negatively impacted.
I would think that there's a good possibility that they've gotten a good deal of this in place right now, and it hasn't been turned on, as most of it is the new 7.2 Mbs equipment.
Also, as I mentioned about my own experience, once AT&T moved 3G from 1900 to the much more desirable 850 MHs, service instantly got much better. They're on a tear doing this.
I would think that there's a good possibility that they've gotten a good deal of this in place right now, and it hasn't been turned on, as most of it is the new 7.2 Mbs equipment.
Also, as I mentioned about my own experience, once AT&T moved 3G from 1900 to the much more desirable 850 MHs, service instantly got much better. They're on a tear doing this.
As I say, I hope you're right. I would hate to see the whole country look like this year's SXSW, where iPhone toting hipsters completely overwhelmed AT&T's capacity.
At any rate, I imagine that, like all things cellular, improvements will be location dependent, with some areas getting the new shiny first while other others are still gnashing their teeth over AT&T's dreadfulness. I can only imagine that big increases in data traffic will exacerbate the disparity, at least for a while.
As I say, I hope you're right. I would hate to see the whole country look like this year's SXSW, where iPhone toting hipsters completely overwhelmed AT&T's capacity.
At any rate, I imagine that, like all things cellular, improvements will be location dependent, with some areas getting the new shiny first while other others are still gnashing their teeth over AT&T's dreadfulness. I can only imagine that big increases in data traffic will exacerbate the disparity, at least for a while.
I think that all of this AT&T bashing is nonsense anyway.
I had Sprint for years, and it always got bad reviews. But there were plenty of times when I could make or get calls where people using Verizon couldn't, including my last place of business.
I don't seem to have any more problems with AT&T than anyone I know with any other service, and better than T-Mobile in a lot of places, where they have no 3G at all (which is just about everywhere it seems).
I don't know a single person, regardless of which service they use, who is happy. Right now though, it's Sprint that's losing customers at a rapid rate.
And since the numbers indicate that the iPhone is responsible for two thirds of ALL mobile data usage in the US, including tethered laptop use, it stands to reason that all the other networks combined, only have less than half the use that AT&T is giving, because not only that, but AT&T has other 3G phones, and tethered service.
Maybe much less.
That means that T-Mobile, Sprint, AND Verizon are having it easy.
We don't really know if their networks are really any good at all, because they aren't getting enough use to get stressed.
So, sure, there are some places where AT&T's 3G doesn't reach, but that's true for all the others as well. But the other 3G networks are hardly being used. It's easy for people here who are on them to brag about how good they are then.
I think that all of this AT&T bashing is nonsense anyway.
I had Sprint for years, and it always got bad reviews. But there were plenty of times when I could make or get calls where people using Verizon couldn't, including my last place of business.
I don't seem to have any more problems with AT&T than anyone I know with any other service, and better than T-Mobile in a lot of places, where they have no 3G at all (which is just about everywhere it seems).
I don't know a single person, regardless of which service they use, who is happy. Right now though, it's Sprint that's losing customers at a rapid rate.
And since the numbers indicate that the iPhone is responsible for two thirds of ALL mobile data usage in the US, including tethered laptop use, it stands to reason that all the other networks combined, only have less than half the use that AT&T is giving, because not only that, but AT&T has other 3G phones, and tethered service.
Maybe much less.
That means that T-Mobile, Sprint, AND Verizon are having it easy.
We don't really know if their networks are really any good at all, because they aren't getting enough use to get stressed.
So, sure, there are some places where AT&T's 3G doesn't reach, but that's true for all the others as well. But the other 3G networks are hardly being used. It's easy for people here who are on them to brag about how good they are then.
I'm not impressed!
Um, OK, but I'm not "bashing" AT&T, by any means. I'm just observing that there seems to be a disparity between the kind of increases in demand which AT&T themselves are saying they anticipate and what one could reasonably assume is possible, in terms of increased capacity, at least in the near term.
Once again, it blows my mind that seemingly every article speculating on future iPhone hardware and AT&T's 3G network fails to even mention or acknowledge that data communication is a two-way street! It's not just about download speeds! Obviously people are invariably more interested in fast download speeds over upload speeds given their disproportionate use, but the latency (time delay) and throughput of the uplink part of a data connection can greatly affect the loading time and responsive of webpages... a fast uplink is not just about sending email attachments faster or less time spent uploading photos to facebook.
AT&T's current 3G HSPA network is capable of both HSDPA (fast, low-latency download/down-link) *and* HSUPA (fast, low-latency upload/uplink); however, the iPhone 3G only supports the HSDPA "download" side of the HSPA standard. So even without AT&T doing anything to their network, a new iPhone 3G supporting the fast, low-latency HSUPA upload standard would most likely greatly improve the wireless data experience on the iPhone. At the least, large complex webpages with dozens of page elements should load faster, in addition to greatly speeding up any data uploading, such as emailing attachments or uploading files/photos to websites or what have you.
I agree and have made this point myself numerous times. If AT&T's network is so bad why does the iPhone have twice the data use of every other smartphone combined. None of the other carriers have phones that use anywhere near the data of the iPhone, so we really don't know if their networks could handle the load or not.
I've made this point several times, people who want to bash AT&T attempt to down play the point, because it is inconvenient to their argument.
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Originally Posted by melgross
And since the numbers indicate that the iPhone is responsible for two thirds of ALL mobile data usage in the US, including tethered laptop use, it stands to reason that all the other networks combined, only have less than half the use that AT&T is giving, because not only that, but AT&T has other 3G phones, and tethered service.
Maybe much less.
That means that T-Mobile, Sprint, AND Verizon are having it easy.
We don't really know if their networks are really any good at all, because they aren't getting enough use to get stressed.
I can agree with your point that on numerous occasions AT&T has been caught unprepared to handle the data load from the iPhone. To be fair no other carrier has to deal with this problem the same way AT&T has to, so we don't how or if they would do any better.
It sounds as if AT&T has learned and is making more of an effort to improve on past mistakes. We just have to wait and see what happens.
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Originally Posted by addabox
Um, OK, but I'm not "bashing" AT&T, by any means. I'm just observing that there seems to be a disparity between the kind of increases in demand which AT&T themselves are saying they anticipate and what one could reasonably assume is possible, in terms of increased capacity, at least in the near term.
I can agree with your point that on numerous occasions AT&T has been caught unprepared to handle the data load from the iPhone. To be fair no other carrier has to deal with this problem the same way AT&T has to, so we don't how or if they would do any better.
It sounds as if AT&T has learned and is making more of an effort to improve on past mistakes. We just have to wait and see what happens.
Right, and I have no interest in running down AT&T compared to other carriers.
I just worry that if they haven't made sufficient enhancements to their network, and the iPhone brings a flood of new data use, it will damage the public perception of the roll out of the new model(s).
I think that all of this AT&T bashing is nonsense anyway.
It may be anecdotal but it certainly isn't nonsense. I'll copy this over from Consumer Reports since it is in the subscription section.
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Cell phone services Recommended
Last reviewed: January 2009
Overall satisfaction with the carriers, reflected in their reader scores, generally corresponds to their connectivity scores. Among those who contacted their carriers for help, however, customer support was a more important factor.
Recommended
These carriers stand out for the reasons cited below.
A standout choice for most people
Verizon
Widely available, among the leaders in satisfaction and connectivity in every rated city, and the standout in customer support. Its prepaid service is as highly rated as its traditional plans. It also offers Vcast mobile TV, a live-TV service offering cable and broadcast channels.
A fine alternative where available
Alltel
Though Alltel service is available to only 26 percent of the U.S. population (vs. 87 percent for Verizon), this provider typically matched Verizon for overall satisfaction and connectivity. It's also among the least expensive carriers for Web access. Its My Circle plan allows unlimited free calls to as many as 20 designated phone numbers, including wireless and landline on any network.
Worth considering, especially if you frequently travel overseas
T-Mobile
Overall satisfaction is similar to Verizon in most cities, though it doesn't match Verizon in connectivity or customer service. It's among the least expensive carriers for Web access and for text and multimedia messages. Its My Faves plan allows unlimited free calls to five designated phone numbers on any network.
Also consider
AT&T and Sprint might be an option if they're competitive in the Ratings for your city or if their exclusive phones or plan features appeal to you. AT&T is home to the iPhone and allows you to carry over unused minutes for almost a year and control kids' phone usage and access. Sprint, though inferior overall, has the Samsung Instinct and HTC Touch Diamond and unlimited free calling that starts at 7 p.m. weekdays, earlier than other carriers.
The message is clear. Grab AT&T if you need an iPhone, otherwise please avoid it.
The city by city results show Verizon first in almost every metropolitan area occasionally being knocked to second by Alltel who they just purchased. AT&T is last or second to last in just about every market.
In my market (Los Angeles) AT&T received no positive marks in the overall survey remarks with the highest mark being average in one category and worse and worst being all other categories.
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I had Sprint for years, and it always got bad reviews. But there were plenty of times when I could make or get calls where people using Verizon couldn't, including my last place of business.
Sounds like you are comparing worse with worst or vice-versa in most instances.
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I don't seem to have any more problems with AT&T than anyone I know with any other service, and better than T-Mobile in a lot of places, where they have no 3G at all (which is just about everywhere it seems).
I don't know a single person, regardless of which service they use, who is happy. Right now though, it's Sprint that's losing customers at a rapid rate.
I'm very happy with my service and I have VERY high expectations. I have the plan that allows unlimited everything except for calling minutes for my entire family. We keep no landlines and only have cell phones so if service was questionable, there would be no fall back. In fact, I am outright stunned when people talk of tolerating questionable service diailing or receiving of calls or data at home, work or any of the locations they live their life regularly. I would never tolerate that in this day and age. The provider would be fired.
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And since the numbers indicate that the iPhone is responsible for two thirds of ALL mobile data usage in the US, including tethered laptop use, it stands to reason that all the other networks combined, only have less than half the use that AT&T is giving, because not only that, but AT&T has other 3G phones, and tethered service.
Maybe much less.
That means that T-Mobile, Sprint, AND Verizon are having it easy.
I'd ask for a link because I've only read such numbers for smartphone use with a web browser.
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We don't really know if their networks are really any good at all, because they aren't getting enough use to get stressed.
So, sure, there are some places where AT&T's 3G doesn't reach, but that's true for all the others as well. But the other 3G networks are hardly being used. It's easy for people here who are on them to brag about how good they are then.
I'm not impressed!
I've used my phone to browse via its browser, tether for my laptop, and sent hundreds of picture messages. I have no doubt that if most cells and their cumulative data use of text and picture messaging were totaled it would easily beat what the iPhone demands. I love Apple as a company but will gladly call them onto the carpet when their data is cherry picked.
So ATT is not ready for faster 3g phones. Neither were they a month ago, despite what observers at AI believed. They may be ready by June, or they might not be so, as well...
I'm very happy with my service and I have VERY high expectations. I have the plan that allows unlimited everything except for calling minutes for my entire family. We keep no landlines and only have cell phones so if service was questionable, there would be no fall back. In fact, I am outright stunned when people talk of tolerating questionable service diailing or receiving of calls or data at home, work or any of the locations they live their life regularly. I would never tolerate that in this day and age. The provider would be fired.
No one has 100% perfect coverage everywhere. Even though its true Verizon has very good coverage, they still won't be good at someones home, work, or location they live their life regularly.
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I've used my phone to browse via its browser, tether for my laptop, and sent hundreds of picture messages. I have no doubt that if most cells and their cumulative data use of text and picture messaging were totaled it would easily beat what the iPhone demands. I love Apple as a company but will gladly call them onto the carpet when their data is cherry picked.
Of course the iPhone doesn't account for more data than every phone used on a network, no one made that claim. The comparison is only between smartphones.
No one has 100% perfect coverage everywhere. Even though its true Verizon has very good coverage, they still won't be good at someones home, work, or location they live their life regularly.
Huh? What are you talking about? I swear it is literally like you have an entirely different experience than I do regarding cell use. My cell phone is not something that might place a call sometimes or likewise receive one. My phone works! The only times I haven't been able to get it to work in the last couple years are as follows, driving up to the city of Idyllwild on a long mountain road that had dozens of switch backs that took us in and out of possible coverage due to shear blockage by said mountain. Here it would get and lose signal. It didn't work when I took it down to San Felipe, Mexico but did in Mexicali (Roamed internationally but not in the second town.) Finally there was a stretch of about ten miles I could not get service in Arizona driving up to Lake Havasu.
I can recall those instances so easily because the rest of the time I get great service. I know what you are talking about though because other people talk about their cell phones as you do. My handyman called me back outside of our local Walmart because his phone won't get calls INSIDE Walmart (T-mobile.) My friend used to get intermittent service inside his own home.(AT&T) One of my classmates when asked if she had a home line mentioned she has to because her cell reception is spotty (iPhone and AT&T.)
Perhaps Verizon isn't that way everywhere and perhaps AT&T isn't that way everywhere but if Verizon is great here and AT&T is crap then I hire Verizon. If I lived somewhere else and the reverse is true, then I would hire the reverse. What I would never do though is put up with questionable service though for the phone which is why I do not own an iPhone. Consumer Reports shows that this isn't just where I live though but pretty much nationwide. AT&T may be first tier in terms of number of customers but they are second tier in terms of delivery of service.
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Of course the iPhone doesn't account for more data than every phone used on a network, no one made that claim. The comparison is only between smartphones.
Melgross did.
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And since the numbers indicate that the iPhone is responsible for two thirds of ALL mobile data usage in the US, including tethered laptop use, it stands to reason that all the other networks combined, only have less than half the use that AT&T is giving, because not only that, but AT&T has other 3G phones, and tethered service.
Maybe much less.
That means that T-Mobile, Sprint, AND Verizon are having it easy.
As you note that is not the case and it is for browser share on smartphones. The rest of the networks happily deal with the data of delivering millions of MMS messages a day full of pictures, video and sound. They deal with tethering services, etc. I've done it I know.
Um, OK, but I'm not "bashing" AT&T, by any means. I'm just observing that there seems to be a disparity between the kind of increases in demand which AT&T themselves are saying they anticipate and what one could reasonably assume is possible, in terms of increased capacity, at least in the near term.
I didn't mean you in particular. It was a general statement about what we read here.
It may be anecdotal but it certainly isn't nonsense. I'll copy this over from Consumer Reports since it is in the subscription section.
I think it's nonsense, because the CR article doesn't take anything into account regarding the amount of data services being used by consumers on any network.
Because of that, the results we see about satisfaction aren't truly meaningful regarding the overall network robustness, or availability in uptime.
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The message is clear. Grab AT&T if you need an iPhone, otherwise please avoid it.
The city by city results show Verizon first in almost every metropolitan area occasionally being knocked to second by Alltel who they just purchased. AT&T is last or second to last in just about every market.
In my market (Los Angeles) AT&T received no positive marks in the overall survey remarks with the highest mark being average in one category and worse and worst being all other categories.
Again, it doesn't show what it purports to show.
Let's use the od car analgy.
If you are on an eight lne highway that's filled with cars, and there's the occasional breakdown, traffic will at times be slow.
But, if you are on a four lane highway, with little traffic, and there are breakdown, traffic willflow unimpeded. Of course, I'm assuming that the comparison doesn't have the people who slow down to "rubberneck" the way they do in real life.
So the fact that Verizon has maybe one forth the network traffic of AT&T because of the extremely high data useage of the iPhone means that even if its network isn't as robust, it's getting little use in comparison. Therefor, the many fewer people who are using it have no "traffic jams" to contend with, and they have better service.
I'm not saying that AT&T's service is better per individual obviously, but that they have so much more service to handle, that their network, while it may actually be much better able to handle high loads, is still stressed by the enormous traffic it gets, while the others don't have that problem?yet.
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Sounds like you are comparing worse with worst or vice-versa in most instances.
Am I? Sprint was voted poorly, but Verizon was given the highest rating here.
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I'm very happy with my service and I have VERY high expectations. I have the plan that allows unlimited everything except for calling minutes for my entire family. We keep no landlines and only have cell phones so if service was questionable, there would be no fall back. In fact, I am outright stunned when people talk of tolerating questionable service diailing or receiving of calls or data at home, work or any of the locations they live their life regularly. I would never tolerate that in this day and age. The provider would be fired.
Then you either are in an area with little traffic, have low expectations, or are very lucky.
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I'd ask for a link because I've only read such numbers for smartphone use with a web browser.
The problem with this link, as with so many others right now, is that it uses data from AdMobile, which as you've noticed only shows info about web use. for that the iPhone is at 50%, according to their network of sites.
But, the iPhones' data use is considered to be much larger than that because of other services it uses, such as e-mail, which, on the iPhone is thought be quite large, and accommodating attachments, such as photos. I read somewhere, that almost as many e-mails are being send from and to iPhones as with Blackberrys, and that they tend to be larger.
I've used my phone to browse via its browser, tether for my laptop, and sent hundreds of picture messages. I have no doubt that if most cells and their cumulative data use of text and picture messaging were totaled it would easily beat what the iPhone demands. I love Apple as a company but will gladly call them onto the carpet when their data is cherry picked.
I doubt that very much. People use their phones much more for phoning, and I have to admit, to my surprise, texting, than anything else. With the Blackberry, it tends to be vanilla e-mails, except for the Storm.
I'm going by what recent reports have been saying. This doesn't include the various business services the networks sell directly to corporations or government.
As far as non-smartphone MMS's go, very few are sent with photos when compared to those sent from smartphones. Though I suppose we could debate what exactly a smartphone is, as there seem to be somewhat varying descriptions. There are some very expensive "featurephones" that some people use to do this, and some of those are used in the numbers.
You have to read these articles carefully, because they don't say "smartphone use", they say "mobile use". mobile use includes everything that is mobile.
So ATT is not ready for faster 3g phones. Neither were they a month ago, despite what observers at AI believed. They may be ready by June, or they might not be so, as well...
If they were ready would they be updating their network as much as they are? With the next iPhone's reported use of HSUPA and even faster HSDPA, as well as potential switchers who have been waiting for copy/paste, MMS, video, etc. I think AT&T can expect to see the biggest wave of new users to 3G phones this summer. This may not as big an issue to networks that have a higher percentage of 3G smartphones but I think AT&T will be hurting once again this summer. I fear for the large, dense metropolises.
Just a thought: Is it possible that certain HW and/or SW features have features have been held off the iPhone because if added too soon Apple and AT&T would not be able to handle the demand and load thus hurting the product in the long term? Could the lack of video and copy/paste be a way for Apple to control the number of switchers will want the product at a given time within reason?
I think it's nonsense, because the CR article doesn't take anything into account regarding the amount of data services being used by consumers on any network.
Because of that, the results we see about satisfaction aren't truly meaningful regarding the overall network robustness, or availability in uptime.
Again, it doesn't show what it purports to show.
Let's get a few things straight. EVERYTHING on a cell network is digital data. Voice, SMS, MMS, web, email, it is all data sent via radio frequencies.
Second, again the iPhone limited perspective really distorts your understanding. The size limit for a MMS that I send on my phone is half a meg. It sends it in a couple seconds at most. I'm getting older and do not use it as much as the kids so I only do 50-60 of these per month. But the kids are nuts not just with texting but specifically with video and picture messaging. They do loads of it, thousands of texts and hundreds of pictures per month. Email to them IS text messaging. They send jokes, forward each other funny pictures, all the crap email used to do they do with texting. We are even coming up with new words (SEXTING for example) to explain what they do with it.
If you dig into it all, you absolutely realize this because getting MMS and SMS messages to your phone is no different than email. I can email my phone from my computer and likewise do the reverse. SMS/MMS messages go to [email protected]. I messaged a large picture from my phone today to my Facebook page today with no problem. The kids understand this even if you don't. The send loads of stuff over those networks and I don't just mean 160 character messages. I mean ringtones, pictures, videos of them skatingboard, their asscheeks, you name it.
Also streaming video(tv services), music, and GPS. Sorry that Apple doesn't endorse this or wants it done through iTunes but everyone else does it through their carrier just fine.
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Again, it doesn't show what it purports to show.
Let's use the od car analgy.
If you are on an eight lne highway that's filled with cars, and there's the occasional breakdown, traffic will at times be slow.
But, if you are on a four lane highway, with little traffic, and there are breakdown, traffic willflow unimpeded. Of course, I'm assuming that the comparison doesn't have the people who slow down to "rubberneck" the way they do in real life.
So the fact that Verizon has maybe one forth the network traffic of AT&T because of the extremely high data useage of the iPhone means that even if its network isn't as robust, it's getting little use in comparison. Therefor, the many fewer people who are using it have no "traffic jams" to contend with, and they have better service.
I'm not saying that AT&T's service is better per individual obviously, but that they have so much more service to handle, that their network, while it may actually be much better able to handle high loads, is still stressed by the enormous traffic it gets, while the others don't have that problem?yet.
The most common complaint about AT&T is simple inability to get service aka place calls, use network, etc. Very seldom is the complaint overloaded network (circuits full) in fact I don't think I've ever read that complaint about any provider recently.
I have read many complaints about VOICE QUALITY and that bangs again, against that limited view you want to enforce where different forms of data are treated differently. Data is data. Pipes are pipes. I've read loads of complaints about the codecs AT&T uses that reduce voice quality and make calls sound bad. You speak to the issue of network throughput. I've not read anywhere where peope on ANY network are getting great reception but terrible throughput no matter the provider.
So I'll ignore the car analogy which is about throughput because it doesn't address the main issue which is most people complaining they cant even get on the freeway due to lack of on ramp. (no signal)
Finally the last issue you ignore is that very few phones today have wi-fi built in today. It is an iPhone advantage but also allows the iPhone/iPod to register browser share without ever touching the AT&T network. You could be checking your email, browsing the web, doing all those things and not even ping the AT&T cell network if you are near any wifi hotspot. There is no way nor any source I have seen that attempts to separate what people use the iPhone to do from the means of access to do it. Your link again shows smartphone data use but not whether that use was done via the AT&T network or from the home wifi network. It completely leaves out features phones like mine that send large half meg pictures/ringtones/videos/etc. perhaps dozens of times per day.
Again, data is data, the network is the network.
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Am I? Sprint was voted poorly, but Verizon was given the highest rating here.
According the Consumer Reports AT&T was last for service for NYC.
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Then you either are in an area with little traffic, have low expectations, or are very lucky.
Southern California isn't exactly suffering from depopulation. A good medium size city here is larger than the largest cities in other states. Inland Empire has about 17 million people in it. I don't think I'm suffering from little traffic. I'm not lucky. My friends have converted from other networks because Verizon handles their business here. I say this as someone who owns three Macs in my home, two iPods and would buy two iPhones tomorrow if they were on the right network.
My friend even went a tried to convert. He bought the iPhone, converted his entire family to AT&T brought it home and called me from his living room. He realized the problem when I told him I couldn't hear him in the car with his window down. He was in his living room. He tried it for two more days and it had to go back.
Another friend had started with AT&T, moved to Cingular, watched AT&T buy them and the whole time had spotty cell service. He kept his landline because of this. He switched to Verizon and now has no landline because he gets all his calls.
As for me, as I said my expectations are insane. I have no landline at all. My phone must make and receive calls on par with a landline or I would be upset. For now, for where I live, Verizon does this. My phone is an LG Dare. It is a feature phone that I bought because of the camera. I use that camera often and send the pics all over the place.
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I doubt that very much. People use their phones much more for phoning, and I have to admit, to my surprise, texting, than anything else. With the Blackberry, it tends to be vanilla e-mails, except for the Storm.
I'm going to politely suggest that perhaps you are becoming trapped by your demographics. Most kids I know would rather text each other across the room than talk. I cannot emphasize enough how different this is with the the kids especially. Have someone under 18 show you all the crap on their phone. (if they dare) Texting can be done via SMS and the iPhone already does that as well. MMS is different and much more data intensive. My phone allows me to send videos from my phone straight to YouTube for example (since it takes video at 640x480@15 fps.)
Let's take the premise of this thread along with what we know about iPhone 3.0 software. What is Apple offering guaranteed on the next version of the iPhone that might create the demand noted in this thread, MMS messaging.
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I'm going by what recent reports have been saying. This doesn't include the various business services the networks sell directly to corporations or government.
As far as non-smartphone MMS's go, very few are sent with photos when compared to those sent from smartphones. Though I suppose we could debate what exactly a smartphone is, as there seem to be somewhat varying descriptions. There are some very expensive "featurephones" that some people use to do this, and some of those are used in the numbers.
You have to read these articles carefully, because they don't say "smartphone use", they say "mobile use". mobile use includes everything that is mobile.
They limit them to smartphone platforms. Your own link confirms this.
This may not as big an issue to networks that have a higher percentage of 3G smartphones.
Which networks are those?
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Originally Posted by solipsism
Just a thought: Is it possible that certain HW and/or SW features have features have been held off the iPhone because if added too soon Apple and AT&T would not be able to handle the demand and load thus hurting the product in the long term? Could the lack of video and copy/paste be a way for Apple to control the number of switchers will want the product at a given time within reason?
(I don't even believe it)
I can believe Apple purposefully releases some features in stages. Over time to help push fence sitters over to the iPhone.
Comments
Two questions:
What could a single phone offer in terms of an upgrade that would drive a "10X" increase in data usage on a network? Streaming video? Video chat? Tethering?
Although those are all obvious big data utilizers, I can't see how new sales of a single phone could reasonably be expected to produce such a huge increase.
And, how can ATT be credibly expected to meet such a demand? I read the article, I see the explanations of what they're doing, but I find it hard to believe that ATT, or any carrier for that matter, is in a position to even double, much increase tenfold, their data capacity within a few months just because they believe a new model phone is going to put additional demands on their network.
I think it's reasonable to assume that the new iPhone will increase data usage on ATT's network, and that ATT is doing what it can, as fast as it can, to increase their capacity.
But the actual numbers being tossed around sound crazy.
Another but......
But what if the numbers are close to being actual? What if Apple and AT&T really expect a near 10 fold increase in traffic in the coming months after the June event? I think it is most likely that AT&T has been working longer on this upgrade than the public is aware of. And I think perhaps...just perhaps the new hardware coming in June is going to INDEED encourage users to bombard AT&T with a LOT of extra traffic.
Iphone pro HD extreme? iFoldingTabletThingy from the 5th dimension? iPowerRing complete with recharging iLantern?
June will be here very soon!
I don't think you're disagreeing with me here-- as I've said, let's assume that the ten times the traffic part is true-- my question remains: can AT&T provide ten times the capacity, "over the next few months"?
New routers, fine, expensive, you bet, many towers need upgrading, yes.
But every carrier has their upgrade map and rollout schedules and equipment acquisition plans and budgets, and I'm not aware of anyone who has managed that kind of enormous expansion in data services over time frames measured in anything but years.
So, again: assuming the ten fold increase in demand is correct, over a period of months, I can't see how AT&T can actually match their capacity increase to that curve, unless cell phone carriers in general have been shining us on, till now, and can actually move much, much more quickly with rolling out service improvements that they've led us to believe.
Which means there is going to be at least some period during which the average data using iPhone experience is going to be at least somewhat negatively impacted.
I would think that there's a good possibility that they've gotten a good deal of this in place right now, and it hasn't been turned on, as most of it is the new 7.2 Mbs equipment.
Also, as I mentioned about my own experience, once AT&T moved 3G from 1900 to the much more desirable 850 MHs, service instantly got much better. They're on a tear doing this.
I would think that there's a good possibility that they've gotten a good deal of this in place right now, and it hasn't been turned on, as most of it is the new 7.2 Mbs equipment.
Also, as I mentioned about my own experience, once AT&T moved 3G from 1900 to the much more desirable 850 MHs, service instantly got much better. They're on a tear doing this.
As I say, I hope you're right. I would hate to see the whole country look like this year's SXSW, where iPhone toting hipsters completely overwhelmed AT&T's capacity.
At any rate, I imagine that, like all things cellular, improvements will be location dependent, with some areas getting the new shiny first while other others are still gnashing their teeth over AT&T's dreadfulness. I can only imagine that big increases in data traffic will exacerbate the disparity, at least for a while.
As I say, I hope you're right. I would hate to see the whole country look like this year's SXSW, where iPhone toting hipsters completely overwhelmed AT&T's capacity.
At any rate, I imagine that, like all things cellular, improvements will be location dependent, with some areas getting the new shiny first while other others are still gnashing their teeth over AT&T's dreadfulness. I can only imagine that big increases in data traffic will exacerbate the disparity, at least for a while.
I think that all of this AT&T bashing is nonsense anyway.
I had Sprint for years, and it always got bad reviews. But there were plenty of times when I could make or get calls where people using Verizon couldn't, including my last place of business.
I don't seem to have any more problems with AT&T than anyone I know with any other service, and better than T-Mobile in a lot of places, where they have no 3G at all (which is just about everywhere it seems).
I don't know a single person, regardless of which service they use, who is happy. Right now though, it's Sprint that's losing customers at a rapid rate.
And since the numbers indicate that the iPhone is responsible for two thirds of ALL mobile data usage in the US, including tethered laptop use, it stands to reason that all the other networks combined, only have less than half the use that AT&T is giving, because not only that, but AT&T has other 3G phones, and tethered service.
Maybe much less.
That means that T-Mobile, Sprint, AND Verizon are having it easy.
We don't really know if their networks are really any good at all, because they aren't getting enough use to get stressed.
So, sure, there are some places where AT&T's 3G doesn't reach, but that's true for all the others as well. But the other 3G networks are hardly being used. It's easy for people here who are on them to brag about how good they are then.
I'm not impressed!
I think that all of this AT&T bashing is nonsense anyway.
I had Sprint for years, and it always got bad reviews. But there were plenty of times when I could make or get calls where people using Verizon couldn't, including my last place of business.
I don't seem to have any more problems with AT&T than anyone I know with any other service, and better than T-Mobile in a lot of places, where they have no 3G at all (which is just about everywhere it seems).
I don't know a single person, regardless of which service they use, who is happy. Right now though, it's Sprint that's losing customers at a rapid rate.
And since the numbers indicate that the iPhone is responsible for two thirds of ALL mobile data usage in the US, including tethered laptop use, it stands to reason that all the other networks combined, only have less than half the use that AT&T is giving, because not only that, but AT&T has other 3G phones, and tethered service.
Maybe much less.
That means that T-Mobile, Sprint, AND Verizon are having it easy.
We don't really know if their networks are really any good at all, because they aren't getting enough use to get stressed.
So, sure, there are some places where AT&T's 3G doesn't reach, but that's true for all the others as well. But the other 3G networks are hardly being used. It's easy for people here who are on them to brag about how good they are then.
I'm not impressed!
Um, OK, but I'm not "bashing" AT&T, by any means. I'm just observing that there seems to be a disparity between the kind of increases in demand which AT&T themselves are saying they anticipate and what one could reasonably assume is possible, in terms of increased capacity, at least in the near term.
AT&T's current 3G HSPA network is capable of both HSDPA (fast, low-latency download/down-link) *and* HSUPA (fast, low-latency upload/uplink); however, the iPhone 3G only supports the HSDPA "download" side of the HSPA standard. So even without AT&T doing anything to their network, a new iPhone 3G supporting the fast, low-latency HSUPA upload standard would most likely greatly improve the wireless data experience on the iPhone. At the least, large complex webpages with dozens of page elements should load faster, in addition to greatly speeding up any data uploading, such as emailing attachments or uploading files/photos to websites or what have you.
I've made this point several times, people who want to bash AT&T attempt to down play the point, because it is inconvenient to their argument.
And since the numbers indicate that the iPhone is responsible for two thirds of ALL mobile data usage in the US, including tethered laptop use, it stands to reason that all the other networks combined, only have less than half the use that AT&T is giving, because not only that, but AT&T has other 3G phones, and tethered service.
Maybe much less.
That means that T-Mobile, Sprint, AND Verizon are having it easy.
We don't really know if their networks are really any good at all, because they aren't getting enough use to get stressed.
It sounds as if AT&T has learned and is making more of an effort to improve on past mistakes. We just have to wait and see what happens.
Um, OK, but I'm not "bashing" AT&T, by any means. I'm just observing that there seems to be a disparity between the kind of increases in demand which AT&T themselves are saying they anticipate and what one could reasonably assume is possible, in terms of increased capacity, at least in the near term.
I can agree with your point that on numerous occasions AT&T has been caught unprepared to handle the data load from the iPhone. To be fair no other carrier has to deal with this problem the same way AT&T has to, so we don't how or if they would do any better.
It sounds as if AT&T has learned and is making more of an effort to improve on past mistakes. We just have to wait and see what happens.
Right, and I have no interest in running down AT&T compared to other carriers.
I just worry that if they haven't made sufficient enhancements to their network, and the iPhone brings a flood of new data use, it will damage the public perception of the roll out of the new model(s).
I think that all of this AT&T bashing is nonsense anyway.
It may be anecdotal but it certainly isn't nonsense. I'll copy this over from Consumer Reports since it is in the subscription section.
Cell phone services Recommended
Last reviewed: January 2009
Overall satisfaction with the carriers, reflected in their reader scores, generally corresponds to their connectivity scores. Among those who contacted their carriers for help, however, customer support was a more important factor.
Recommended
These carriers stand out for the reasons cited below.
A standout choice for most people
Verizon
Widely available, among the leaders in satisfaction and connectivity in every rated city, and the standout in customer support. Its prepaid service is as highly rated as its traditional plans. It also offers Vcast mobile TV, a live-TV service offering cable and broadcast channels.
A fine alternative where available
Alltel
Though Alltel service is available to only 26 percent of the U.S. population (vs. 87 percent for Verizon), this provider typically matched Verizon for overall satisfaction and connectivity. It's also among the least expensive carriers for Web access. Its My Circle plan allows unlimited free calls to as many as 20 designated phone numbers, including wireless and landline on any network.
Worth considering, especially if you frequently travel overseas
T-Mobile
Overall satisfaction is similar to Verizon in most cities, though it doesn't match Verizon in connectivity or customer service. It's among the least expensive carriers for Web access and for text and multimedia messages. Its My Faves plan allows unlimited free calls to five designated phone numbers on any network.
Also consider
AT&T and Sprint might be an option if they're competitive in the Ratings for your city or if their exclusive phones or plan features appeal to you. AT&T is home to the iPhone and allows you to carry over unused minutes for almost a year and control kids' phone usage and access. Sprint, though inferior overall, has the Samsung Instinct and HTC Touch Diamond and unlimited free calling that starts at 7 p.m. weekdays, earlier than other carriers.
The message is clear. Grab AT&T if you need an iPhone, otherwise please avoid it.
The city by city results show Verizon first in almost every metropolitan area occasionally being knocked to second by Alltel who they just purchased. AT&T is last or second to last in just about every market.
In my market (Los Angeles) AT&T received no positive marks in the overall survey remarks with the highest mark being average in one category and worse and worst being all other categories.
I had Sprint for years, and it always got bad reviews. But there were plenty of times when I could make or get calls where people using Verizon couldn't, including my last place of business.
Sounds like you are comparing worse with worst or vice-versa in most instances.
I don't seem to have any more problems with AT&T than anyone I know with any other service, and better than T-Mobile in a lot of places, where they have no 3G at all (which is just about everywhere it seems).
I don't know a single person, regardless of which service they use, who is happy. Right now though, it's Sprint that's losing customers at a rapid rate.
I'm very happy with my service and I have VERY high expectations. I have the plan that allows unlimited everything except for calling minutes for my entire family. We keep no landlines and only have cell phones so if service was questionable, there would be no fall back. In fact, I am outright stunned when people talk of tolerating questionable service diailing or receiving of calls or data at home, work or any of the locations they live their life regularly. I would never tolerate that in this day and age. The provider would be fired.
And since the numbers indicate that the iPhone is responsible for two thirds of ALL mobile data usage in the US, including tethered laptop use, it stands to reason that all the other networks combined, only have less than half the use that AT&T is giving, because not only that, but AT&T has other 3G phones, and tethered service.
Maybe much less.
That means that T-Mobile, Sprint, AND Verizon are having it easy.
I'd ask for a link because I've only read such numbers for smartphone use with a web browser.
We don't really know if their networks are really any good at all, because they aren't getting enough use to get stressed.
So, sure, there are some places where AT&T's 3G doesn't reach, but that's true for all the others as well. But the other 3G networks are hardly being used. It's easy for people here who are on them to brag about how good they are then.
I'm not impressed!
I've used my phone to browse via its browser, tether for my laptop, and sent hundreds of picture messages. I have no doubt that if most cells and their cumulative data use of text and picture messaging were totaled it would easily beat what the iPhone demands. I love Apple as a company but will gladly call them onto the carpet when their data is cherry picked.
I'm very happy with my service and I have VERY high expectations. I have the plan that allows unlimited everything except for calling minutes for my entire family. We keep no landlines and only have cell phones so if service was questionable, there would be no fall back. In fact, I am outright stunned when people talk of tolerating questionable service diailing or receiving of calls or data at home, work or any of the locations they live their life regularly. I would never tolerate that in this day and age. The provider would be fired.
No one has 100% perfect coverage everywhere. Even though its true Verizon has very good coverage, they still won't be good at someones home, work, or location they live their life regularly.
I've used my phone to browse via its browser, tether for my laptop, and sent hundreds of picture messages. I have no doubt that if most cells and their cumulative data use of text and picture messaging were totaled it would easily beat what the iPhone demands. I love Apple as a company but will gladly call them onto the carpet when their data is cherry picked.
Of course the iPhone doesn't account for more data than every phone used on a network, no one made that claim. The comparison is only between smartphones.
No one has 100% perfect coverage everywhere. Even though its true Verizon has very good coverage, they still won't be good at someones home, work, or location they live their life regularly.
Huh? What are you talking about? I swear it is literally like you have an entirely different experience than I do regarding cell use. My cell phone is not something that might place a call sometimes or likewise receive one. My phone works! The only times I haven't been able to get it to work in the last couple years are as follows, driving up to the city of Idyllwild on a long mountain road that had dozens of switch backs that took us in and out of possible coverage due to shear blockage by said mountain. Here it would get and lose signal. It didn't work when I took it down to San Felipe, Mexico but did in Mexicali (Roamed internationally but not in the second town.) Finally there was a stretch of about ten miles I could not get service in Arizona driving up to Lake Havasu.
I can recall those instances so easily because the rest of the time I get great service. I know what you are talking about though because other people talk about their cell phones as you do. My handyman called me back outside of our local Walmart because his phone won't get calls INSIDE Walmart (T-mobile.) My friend used to get intermittent service inside his own home.(AT&T) One of my classmates when asked if she had a home line mentioned she has to because her cell reception is spotty (iPhone and AT&T.)
Perhaps Verizon isn't that way everywhere and perhaps AT&T isn't that way everywhere but if Verizon is great here and AT&T is crap then I hire Verizon. If I lived somewhere else and the reverse is true, then I would hire the reverse. What I would never do though is put up with questionable service though for the phone which is why I do not own an iPhone. Consumer Reports shows that this isn't just where I live though but pretty much nationwide. AT&T may be first tier in terms of number of customers but they are second tier in terms of delivery of service.
Of course the iPhone doesn't account for more data than every phone used on a network, no one made that claim. The comparison is only between smartphones.
Melgross did.
And since the numbers indicate that the iPhone is responsible for two thirds of ALL mobile data usage in the US, including tethered laptop use, it stands to reason that all the other networks combined, only have less than half the use that AT&T is giving, because not only that, but AT&T has other 3G phones, and tethered service.
Maybe much less.
That means that T-Mobile, Sprint, AND Verizon are having it easy.
As you note that is not the case and it is for browser share on smartphones. The rest of the networks happily deal with the data of delivering millions of MMS messages a day full of pictures, video and sound. They deal with tethering services, etc. I've done it I know.
Um, OK, but I'm not "bashing" AT&T, by any means. I'm just observing that there seems to be a disparity between the kind of increases in demand which AT&T themselves are saying they anticipate and what one could reasonably assume is possible, in terms of increased capacity, at least in the near term.
I didn't mean you in particular. It was a general statement about what we read here.
It may be anecdotal but it certainly isn't nonsense. I'll copy this over from Consumer Reports since it is in the subscription section.
I think it's nonsense, because the CR article doesn't take anything into account regarding the amount of data services being used by consumers on any network.
Because of that, the results we see about satisfaction aren't truly meaningful regarding the overall network robustness, or availability in uptime.
The message is clear. Grab AT&T if you need an iPhone, otherwise please avoid it.
The city by city results show Verizon first in almost every metropolitan area occasionally being knocked to second by Alltel who they just purchased. AT&T is last or second to last in just about every market.
In my market (Los Angeles) AT&T received no positive marks in the overall survey remarks with the highest mark being average in one category and worse and worst being all other categories.
Again, it doesn't show what it purports to show.
Let's use the od car analgy.
If you are on an eight lne highway that's filled with cars, and there's the occasional breakdown, traffic will at times be slow.
But, if you are on a four lane highway, with little traffic, and there are breakdown, traffic willflow unimpeded. Of course, I'm assuming that the comparison doesn't have the people who slow down to "rubberneck" the way they do in real life.
So the fact that Verizon has maybe one forth the network traffic of AT&T because of the extremely high data useage of the iPhone means that even if its network isn't as robust, it's getting little use in comparison. Therefor, the many fewer people who are using it have no "traffic jams" to contend with, and they have better service.
I'm not saying that AT&T's service is better per individual obviously, but that they have so much more service to handle, that their network, while it may actually be much better able to handle high loads, is still stressed by the enormous traffic it gets, while the others don't have that problem?yet.
Sounds like you are comparing worse with worst or vice-versa in most instances.
Am I? Sprint was voted poorly, but Verizon was given the highest rating here.
I'm very happy with my service and I have VERY high expectations. I have the plan that allows unlimited everything except for calling minutes for my entire family. We keep no landlines and only have cell phones so if service was questionable, there would be no fall back. In fact, I am outright stunned when people talk of tolerating questionable service diailing or receiving of calls or data at home, work or any of the locations they live their life regularly. I would never tolerate that in this day and age. The provider would be fired.
Then you either are in an area with little traffic, have low expectations, or are very lucky.
I'd ask for a link because I've only read such numbers for smartphone use with a web browser.
The problem with this link, as with so many others right now, is that it uses data from AdMobile, which as you've noticed only shows info about web use. for that the iPhone is at 50%, according to their network of sites.
But, the iPhones' data use is considered to be much larger than that because of other services it uses, such as e-mail, which, on the iPhone is thought be quite large, and accommodating attachments, such as photos. I read somewhere, that almost as many e-mails are being send from and to iPhones as with Blackberrys, and that they tend to be larger.
http://blogs.zdnet.com/cell-phones/?p=982
I've used my phone to browse via its browser, tether for my laptop, and sent hundreds of picture messages. I have no doubt that if most cells and their cumulative data use of text and picture messaging were totaled it would easily beat what the iPhone demands. I love Apple as a company but will gladly call them onto the carpet when their data is cherry picked.
I doubt that very much. People use their phones much more for phoning, and I have to admit, to my surprise, texting, than anything else. With the Blackberry, it tends to be vanilla e-mails, except for the Storm.
Melgross did.
I'm going by what recent reports have been saying. This doesn't include the various business services the networks sell directly to corporations or government.
As far as non-smartphone MMS's go, very few are sent with photos when compared to those sent from smartphones. Though I suppose we could debate what exactly a smartphone is, as there seem to be somewhat varying descriptions. There are some very expensive "featurephones" that some people use to do this, and some of those are used in the numbers.
You have to read these articles carefully, because they don't say "smartphone use", they say "mobile use". mobile use includes everything that is mobile.
So ATT is not ready for faster 3g phones. Neither were they a month ago, despite what observers at AI believed. They may be ready by June, or they might not be so, as well...
If they were ready would they be updating their network as much as they are?
(I don't even believe it)
I think it's nonsense, because the CR article doesn't take anything into account regarding the amount of data services being used by consumers on any network.
Because of that, the results we see about satisfaction aren't truly meaningful regarding the overall network robustness, or availability in uptime.
Again, it doesn't show what it purports to show.
Let's get a few things straight. EVERYTHING on a cell network is digital data. Voice, SMS, MMS, web, email, it is all data sent via radio frequencies.
Second, again the iPhone limited perspective really distorts your understanding. The size limit for a MMS that I send on my phone is half a meg. It sends it in a couple seconds at most. I'm getting older and do not use it as much as the kids so I only do 50-60 of these per month. But the kids are nuts not just with texting but specifically with video and picture messaging. They do loads of it, thousands of texts and hundreds of pictures per month. Email to them IS text messaging. They send jokes, forward each other funny pictures, all the crap email used to do they do with texting. We are even coming up with new words (SEXTING for example) to explain what they do with it.
If you dig into it all, you absolutely realize this because getting MMS and SMS messages to your phone is no different than email. I can email my phone from my computer and likewise do the reverse. SMS/MMS messages go to [email protected]. I messaged a large picture from my phone today to my Facebook page today with no problem. The kids understand this even if you don't. The send loads of stuff over those networks and I don't just mean 160 character messages. I mean ringtones, pictures, videos of them skatingboard, their asscheeks, you name it.
Also streaming video(tv services), music, and GPS. Sorry that Apple doesn't endorse this or wants it done through iTunes but everyone else does it through their carrier just fine.
Again, it doesn't show what it purports to show.
Let's use the od car analgy.
If you are on an eight lne highway that's filled with cars, and there's the occasional breakdown, traffic will at times be slow.
But, if you are on a four lane highway, with little traffic, and there are breakdown, traffic willflow unimpeded. Of course, I'm assuming that the comparison doesn't have the people who slow down to "rubberneck" the way they do in real life.
So the fact that Verizon has maybe one forth the network traffic of AT&T because of the extremely high data useage of the iPhone means that even if its network isn't as robust, it's getting little use in comparison. Therefor, the many fewer people who are using it have no "traffic jams" to contend with, and they have better service.
I'm not saying that AT&T's service is better per individual obviously, but that they have so much more service to handle, that their network, while it may actually be much better able to handle high loads, is still stressed by the enormous traffic it gets, while the others don't have that problem?yet.
The most common complaint about AT&T is simple inability to get service aka place calls, use network, etc. Very seldom is the complaint overloaded network (circuits full) in fact I don't think I've ever read that complaint about any provider recently.
I have read many complaints about VOICE QUALITY and that bangs again, against that limited view you want to enforce where different forms of data are treated differently. Data is data. Pipes are pipes. I've read loads of complaints about the codecs AT&T uses that reduce voice quality and make calls sound bad. You speak to the issue of network throughput. I've not read anywhere where peope on ANY network are getting great reception but terrible throughput no matter the provider.
So I'll ignore the car analogy which is about throughput because it doesn't address the main issue which is most people complaining they cant even get on the freeway due to lack of on ramp. (no signal)
Finally the last issue you ignore is that very few phones today have wi-fi built in today. It is an iPhone advantage but also allows the iPhone/iPod to register browser share without ever touching the AT&T network. You could be checking your email, browsing the web, doing all those things and not even ping the AT&T cell network if you are near any wifi hotspot. There is no way nor any source I have seen that attempts to separate what people use the iPhone to do from the means of access to do it. Your link again shows smartphone data use but not whether that use was done via the AT&T network or from the home wifi network. It completely leaves out features phones like mine that send large half meg pictures/ringtones/videos/etc. perhaps dozens of times per day.
Again, data is data, the network is the network.
Am I? Sprint was voted poorly, but Verizon was given the highest rating here.
According the Consumer Reports AT&T was last for service for NYC.
Then you either are in an area with little traffic, have low expectations, or are very lucky.
Southern California isn't exactly suffering from depopulation. A good medium size city here is larger than the largest cities in other states. Inland Empire has about 17 million people in it. I don't think I'm suffering from little traffic. I'm not lucky. My friends have converted from other networks because Verizon handles their business here. I say this as someone who owns three Macs in my home, two iPods and would buy two iPhones tomorrow if they were on the right network.
My friend even went a tried to convert. He bought the iPhone, converted his entire family to AT&T brought it home and called me from his living room. He realized the problem when I told him I couldn't hear him in the car with his window down. He was in his living room. He tried it for two more days and it had to go back.
Another friend had started with AT&T, moved to Cingular, watched AT&T buy them and the whole time had spotty cell service. He kept his landline because of this. He switched to Verizon and now has no landline because he gets all his calls.
As for me, as I said my expectations are insane. I have no landline at all. My phone must make and receive calls on par with a landline or I would be upset. For now, for where I live, Verizon does this. My phone is an LG Dare. It is a feature phone that I bought because of the camera. I use that camera often and send the pics all over the place.
I doubt that very much. People use their phones much more for phoning, and I have to admit, to my surprise, texting, than anything else. With the Blackberry, it tends to be vanilla e-mails, except for the Storm.
I'm going to politely suggest that perhaps you are becoming trapped by your demographics. Most kids I know would rather text each other across the room than talk. I cannot emphasize enough how different this is with the the kids especially. Have someone under 18 show you all the crap on their phone. (if they dare) Texting can be done via SMS and the iPhone already does that as well. MMS is different and much more data intensive. My phone allows me to send videos from my phone straight to YouTube for example (since it takes video at 640x480@15 fps.)
Let's take the premise of this thread along with what we know about iPhone 3.0 software. What is Apple offering guaranteed on the next version of the iPhone that might create the demand noted in this thread, MMS messaging.
I'm going by what recent reports have been saying. This doesn't include the various business services the networks sell directly to corporations or government.
As far as non-smartphone MMS's go, very few are sent with photos when compared to those sent from smartphones. Though I suppose we could debate what exactly a smartphone is, as there seem to be somewhat varying descriptions. There are some very expensive "featurephones" that some people use to do this, and some of those are used in the numbers.
You have to read these articles carefully, because they don't say "smartphone use", they say "mobile use". mobile use includes everything that is mobile.
They limit them to smartphone platforms. Your own link confirms this.
This may not as big an issue to networks that have a higher percentage of 3G smartphones.
Which networks are those?
Just a thought: Is it possible that certain HW and/or SW features have features have been held off the iPhone because if added too soon Apple and AT&T would not be able to handle the demand and load thus hurting the product in the long term? Could the lack of video and copy/paste be a way for Apple to control the number of switchers will want the product at a given time within reason?
(I don't even believe it)
I can believe Apple purposefully releases some features in stages. Over time to help push fence sitters over to the iPhone.