T-Mobile pans lack of 4G in Apple iPhone; more evidence of Android apps for RIM PlayBook
U.S. carrier T-Mobile has criticized the iPhone for not including a 4G radio, even though its own network is not even true "4G." Also, new evidence supports rumors that Research in Motion's iPad competing PlayBook tablet will run Android applications, despite not running Android.
T-Mobile attacks iPhone 4 as 'a 3G phone'
"True story," a new advertisement from T-Mobile reads. "Despite the '4,' both the Verizon and AT&T iPhones run on 3G networks."
The sales pitch and accompanying graphics were noted Monday by Engadget. It displays the AT&T and Verizon networks as slower turtles, while T-Mobile's 3G network is represented by a rabbit.
T-Mobile's numbers come from a third-party speed comparison of networks in New York City and Atlanta. For the campaign, T-Mobile is pushing its lineup of so-called "4G" handsets, including the Galaxy S 4G, myTouch 4G, and Dell Streak 7.
T-Mobile's decision to portray its network as "4G" has been the subject of controversy, as it is technically built on "3G" technology. However, the carrier has argued that its HSPA+ network operates at "today's 4G speeds."
Verizon launched its proper 4G long-term evolution network in limited markets late last year, while AT&T plans to launch its own LTE network later this year. Because LTE networks utilize different technologies than today's standards, a new iPhone with a 4G-capable internal radio from Apple would be required to access those new networks.
RIM representative says PlayBook will run Android apps
Adding even more evidence to the rumor that RIM's forthcoming touchscreen tablet, the PlayBook, will run Google Android applications is a video discovered by CrackBerry.com. In a hands-on demo done at the recent Mobile World Congress expo in Barcelona, a RIM representative is heard as saying "We will also support Android apps" (see 14 second mark of embedded video below).
The discovery lends support to rumors that RIM plans to add support for Android 2.x applications to the PlayBook. Though the PlayBook will run its own custom QNX operating system, reports have suggested that RIM will emulate Google's open source Android operating system to support the more than 100,000 applications available for it.
Software options for users have become a major selling point for tablets, as Apple's iPad has mounted a considerable lead with more than 60,000 iPad-specific applications available as of late January. The iPad can also run almost all iPhone applications in a scaled-up format, while early Android tablets like the Galaxy Tab ran applications not designed for its larger screen and form factor.
T-Mobile attacks iPhone 4 as 'a 3G phone'
"True story," a new advertisement from T-Mobile reads. "Despite the '4,' both the Verizon and AT&T iPhones run on 3G networks."
The sales pitch and accompanying graphics were noted Monday by Engadget. It displays the AT&T and Verizon networks as slower turtles, while T-Mobile's 3G network is represented by a rabbit.
T-Mobile's numbers come from a third-party speed comparison of networks in New York City and Atlanta. For the campaign, T-Mobile is pushing its lineup of so-called "4G" handsets, including the Galaxy S 4G, myTouch 4G, and Dell Streak 7.
T-Mobile's decision to portray its network as "4G" has been the subject of controversy, as it is technically built on "3G" technology. However, the carrier has argued that its HSPA+ network operates at "today's 4G speeds."
Verizon launched its proper 4G long-term evolution network in limited markets late last year, while AT&T plans to launch its own LTE network later this year. Because LTE networks utilize different technologies than today's standards, a new iPhone with a 4G-capable internal radio from Apple would be required to access those new networks.
RIM representative says PlayBook will run Android apps
Adding even more evidence to the rumor that RIM's forthcoming touchscreen tablet, the PlayBook, will run Google Android applications is a video discovered by CrackBerry.com. In a hands-on demo done at the recent Mobile World Congress expo in Barcelona, a RIM representative is heard as saying "We will also support Android apps" (see 14 second mark of embedded video below).
The discovery lends support to rumors that RIM plans to add support for Android 2.x applications to the PlayBook. Though the PlayBook will run its own custom QNX operating system, reports have suggested that RIM will emulate Google's open source Android operating system to support the more than 100,000 applications available for it.
Software options for users have become a major selling point for tablets, as Apple's iPad has mounted a considerable lead with more than 60,000 iPad-specific applications available as of late January. The iPad can also run almost all iPhone applications in a scaled-up format, while early Android tablets like the Galaxy Tab ran applications not designed for its larger screen and form factor.
Comments
As an owner of an iPad and a Kindle I can honestly say: books on an LCD display make zero sense, bar saying you have that feature and you have this great UI etc. It's all marketing as far as I'm concerned. It's the screen where ultimately novels fall down - and I don't mean its resolution. There was an article a while back on here that said (and I'm paraphrasing): Study shows iPad no worse on your eyes than Kindle. Well as an owner of both I can tell you any story that says anything like this should be regarded as complete rubbish. Literally any article that says the iPad (or any tablet with an LCD) hurts your eyes no worse than the Kindle is absolute bullshit. Unquestionable bullshit.
For text books, magazines and newspapers LCD is perfectly fine, even better in fact - but for actual "books" LCD is not simply inadequate, but inherently the wrong technology. This is why I wonder if Apple is going to someday bring back the product name iBook. And build the dedicated touch screen e-Ink book reader that plastic logic failed to.
With all that said, however; the Kindle is a piece of crap. Great screen technology, but too small of a screen (7" is more likely the sweet-spot), terrible hardware, software decisions and product design. This problem has yet to be solved in my opinion. As for the Kindle as-a-platform; why would you need your books to work on all these devices if the Kindle itself was so great? The real solution is to fix the Kindle and forget about "the platform" crap. If the Kindle was "awesome" people would use it. If it was truly great people would prefer it to real books. As for the time being real books are still the clear winner in terms of the best way of doing books.
This comment comes from viewing the Playbook's "book" app. (Kindle app or whatever it is) in the video attachment with the story.
As an owner of an iPad and a Kindle I can honestly say: books on an LCD display make zero sense, bar saying you have that feature and you have this great UI etc. It's all "marketing" as far as I'm concerned. It's the screen where ultimately novels fall down.
For text books, magazines and newspapers LCD is perfectly fine, even great - but for actual "books" LCD is inadequate. This is why I wonder if Apple is going to someday bring back the product name iBook. And build the dedicated touch screen e-Ink book reader that plastic logic failed to do.
Not to be a hater but...what odes this have to do with the article?
Not to be a hater but...what odes this have to do with the article?
He doesn't even know!
Iphone 4 (not Iphone 4G).... meaning 4th Iphone not 4G capable. My 4 year old understands this...if your customers don't I think I finally understand how you manage to stay in business.
T-Mobile's decision to portray its network as "4G" has been the subject of controversy, as it is technically built on "3G" technology. However, the carrier has argued that its HSPA+ network operates at "today's 4G speeds."
AT&T is doing the same thing as well.
... For text books, magazines and newspapers LCD is perfectly fine, even great - but for actual "books" LCD is inadequate. ...
Why is it perfectly fine for one but not the other? Reading is reading. And what exactly do you mean by "text books": Textbooks or books that are text only? I read on my iPad and iPhone all the time -- books that are text only -- and it's not a problem for me in any way, far from inadequate.
The reality is T-Mobile simply doesn't have a decent network.
If it wasn't for Miss 4G's semi-decent looks and flashy leg reveling dresses, who would pay attention to the commercials?
He doesn't even know!
Did you ream my comment? Check out the first paragraph.
Did you ream my comment? Check out the first paragraph.
I understand you like being reamed, but I politely decline.
Being able to run Android apps is great, so long as there are tablet optimized apps available. I read a story this morning from somebody who said they loved the XOOM and thought it was great that MLB at Bat was available for it. But my search of the Android Market revealed that the only MLB at Bat app for Android was designed for smartphones. This guy will soon learn what iPad owners learned a long time ago: sure iPhone apps will work on the iPad, but they are definitely not a great experience compared to apps specifically optimized for the tablet.
I understand you like being reamed, but I politely decline.
You are sick.
Our company is leaving them soon (I am Told) as the service just cant compare to AT&T or Verizon.
Playbook uses Android apps?
Sorry that is not a good thing. To many crappy apps and knock off's.
Ninjump and Cityjump as an example.
There are others but you get the point.
... With all that said, however; the Kindle is a piece of crap. Great screen technology, but too small of a screen (7" is more likely the sweet-spot) ...
Considering that they've already thought of this and released the Kindle DX, this complaint falls flat.
At least this shouldn't be an issue getting permission to add new towers like in the past, right?
Not to be a hater but...what odes this have to do with the article?
let him, he kept that deep inside for so long
Here is an interesting bit of real world knowledge - I have a T-Mobile myTouch 4G and an iPhone 4 on AT&T: The iPhone consistently loads webpages FASTER than the myTouch. The iPhone consistently maintains a 3G connection, whereas T-Mobiles network is so f*ed up that I bounce from 4g (H) to Edge (E) ALL THE TIME. Add to that the joy of not being able to browse and talk at the same time and AT&T gets another +.
Even more disturbing news for T-Mobile - My wife was a die hard T-Mobile customer for 8 years. She recently upgraded to the HTC HD7 (it sucked), then to the T-Mobile G2 (poor responsiveness), then to the myTouch 4G (still an android but a bit better), and yesterday she upgraded to an iPhone 4 on AT&T. Yep - she changed carriers to get a smartphone that WORKS. 4G on T-Mobile meant nothing to her; reliability, usability and consistency - thats what mattered.
T-Mobile is grasping at anything to stay relevant. They have failed to secure any relations with Apple - no iPhone, no iPad, nothing. Instead they have tried to make it selling cheap iPhone wanna-be's to people who want cheap phones. If it wasn't for the fact that my company is locked into a T-Mobile contract - we would all have iPhones and be on either AT&T or Verizon. As it is - I have a personal AT&T account so I can have the phone I want to use, and just use the myTouch to make work related phone calls and view my calendar items (not create, or edit, or manage - Android can't do that).
Even if 4G was consistent, reliable and stable - I would still prefer a useable phone with an excellent experience on a slower network over a fast network I can't do anything with because the phones all SUCK.