Twitter
Andrew Davidson 
Susan Menke 
Susan Wolfe 
Lisa Hronek Posts Tagged ‘iphone’
iPhone Network Comparisons
The iPhone is now offered on three different carriers: AT&T, Verizon, and Sprint. If you’ve been watching television lately, you might have noticed that the competitive ads are beginning to heat up; each one focusing on that network’s supposed strength. A recent study performed by Metrico Wireless, a mobile device performance analytics company, reported that AT&T wins for fasted data speed (plus AT&T is the only carrier that lets you talk and surf at the same time), Verizon has the most reliable phone service, and Sprint is getting lots of attention because of its unlimited data plan. The study by Metrico Wireless included 6,000 voice calls, 8,000 data doanload/upload tests, and more than 21,000 web pages. Among the three carriers, Verizon dropped the fewest number of calls (2.1 percent of the time), Sprint had the highest call quality on outbound calls, and AT&T had the highest call quality on inbound calls. When it comes to download speeds, Metrico concluded that AT&T was the clear winner with a maximum download speed of 6,047Kbps (Kilobits per second) – impressive compared to Verizon, which came in at 2,371Kbps, and Sprint with only 1,767Kbps.
However, what any iPhone customer will tell you is that when it comes to call quality and data speed, it’s all about location, location, location. It is unclear exactly where Metrico conducted its bandwidth test, so these results should be taken with a grain of salt. I have learned from personal experience that AT&T’s service can differ drastically from one area of Chicago to another, so state to state is sure to vary as well. Another interesting conclusion from Metrico was that the most recently released iPhone 4S performed perfectly across all three networks, 100% of the time. What I think this means, is that even though you might get a different experience on each network, it appears as though technological advances may be leveling the playing field.
Time to get Personal with my Assistant
In the rare possibility that you didn’t realize it, Apple released the iPhone 4S recently, and after an unveiling that was met with mixed reviews, it still sold millions. Apple has long been great about making our lives easier with their innovative gadgets. It didn’t stop with this new version of the iPhone. I personally don’t have one, but figure if I am getting a new assistant I probably should be setting up an interview. This might be a little bit of what it sounds like:
DT: Thanks for coming in today Siri, I hope you didn’t have trouble finding the place.
Siri: No, not at all, I am able to access GPS as well as able to be very prompt with meeting reminders.
DT: Great I am very forgetful and often ignored the alarms on my last phone that I personally set, I am very much looking forward to dictating to you.
Siri: I can handle that. DT: I hope you can, because on my last iPhone when I used the Voice Control feature, I had no control. I would say “Call Home” and it would call anything but.
Siri: I can assure you that your calls will be made without any problems.
DT: Well, you are a phone, so that should be the most important thing, but more importantly can you write my texts for me via speech so that I don’t have to call the person?
Siri: Of course I can, this will also benefit you when you drive.
DT: Oh good point! See I knew you were smarter than me.
At this point, I am pretty much sold on Siri, even if it just helps me keep my eyes on the road while I drive, it would be very beneficial. Hopefully iPhone 5’s Siri can read me the ESPN article that I can’t wait to read until I get out of the car. I have always wanted a personal assistant to make myself feel as important as my ego thinks I am… in that case – I may need to take two assistants.
The real question I have regarding this is do we really need this? The Saved by the Bell Zach Morris phone of the 90’s was impressive because we didn’t need to be attached to a house to talk, texting revolutionized communication; Apple provided us with the iPhone that was the trendsetter for internet access and games on a phone; but do we need a touch screen phone that we can now operate without touching? I didn’t think I need any internet at my fingertips or flying birds attacking evil pigs, but now I can’t imagine my life without them. I guess if Apple tells me I need it, they know better than I do. They haven’t been wrong in the past. Let’s see where we are a year from now with this personal assistant. Just don’t forget to me remind me. Wait…Siri? Please read that last sentence and remind me to revisit this in a year.
As my phone was saying to my TV…
Are smartphones getting even smarter? I am pretty dependent on my iPhone for a number of reasons. I use it for texting, games, shopping, surfing the web, writing notes, and I guess every now and then I’ll use it to make a phone call. My point is that smartphones are universal devices for almost anything, and now, they can actually be used as remote controls for your television. I’ll be honest, sometimes I avoid watching TV or playing a movie because I don’t want to spend time figuring out which remote I’m supposed to use with which machine. Of all the problems one could have, juggling multiple remotes is not a big one, but I was pretty excited to learn that there is a new technology out there that will actually turn my smartphone, or any tablet for that matter, into a universal remote control. What’s even better is that this means remote controls can now actually be ‘remote,’ meaning you can control your TV and recording options from anywhere.
The technology itself isn’t actually new, but it’s getting a lot better. If you’re using an iPhone, all you have to do is go to the iTunes store and search for the term “universal remote.” There are many different applications available that will allow you to control your home TV or other entertainment equipment from your iPhone. This is easy, but there’s still a catch. Smartphones don’t have a built-in IR emitter which is what actually sends the signal to your TV or other devices. So, many of the apps available today must be paired with a device called a dongle which will send the IR signal from the phone to the device. Another catch is that these dongles are proprietary to each app so once you purchase a specific app, only one type of dongle will work with it.
While on the subject of smartphones and TVs, I started to think, “How often do I really need to turn my TV or DVD player on and off while I’m not in the house?” I’m sure my dog would love 24-hours of Animal Planet, but that just seems wasteful. What would be helpful to me is the ability to set my DVR to record while I’m not home. DIRECTV has developed a mobile app to do just that. Using an iPhone, iPad, Blackberry or other smartphone, DIRECTV’s DVR Scheduler app allows you to set your home DVR from anywhere. You can browse channels and movies, search for specific titles and set it to record. I’m sure DIRECTV isn’t the only cable provider to offer this, but it’s another interesting way to market both cable service and smartphones or tablets.
Verizon gets the iPhone!!
People are rejoicing about the news that Apple has officially made a version of the iPhone that is compatible with the Verizon Wireless Network. From an entrepreneur standpoint, this is great news for Apple and Verizon, but not so much for AT&T. Almost 70% of AT&T smartphone subscribers own the iPhone and they are some of the most loyal consumers when it comes to the phone, but not to the network.
A number of these individuals have been waiting for the opportunity to jump to another network due to spotty service, dropped calls, and expensive monthly bills. Being an iPhone user for 3 years now, I too am excited about the recent announcement, but I have a few questions that need to be answered before I start celebrating!
My first question is: Can Verizon’s network handle the amount of cellular activity that the iPhone generates?
iPhone users produce abnormally high cellular activity due to the number of users and advanced mobile capabilities, which aren’t widely available on other devices. This has created some of the issues that current subscribers have. Verizon claims to have the largest network, but its customer base is about to get a whole lot bigger and will have increased activity that may create some of the problems that AT&T has faced. I’m sure over time any problems will be addressed, but it could take a trial period before finding potential solutions.
My second question is: Dropped calls are a big concern, but is the iPhone the problem or is it the cellular provider?
After the release of the iPhone 4, Apple voiced concern that the placement of the iPhone antenna could hurt reception and lead to dropped calls. It became such a problem that Apple provided free rubber cases to help minimize reception problems. Now the Verizon iPhone may address this issue, but either way, AT&T shouldn’t take all of the blame for the service issues.
My third question is: Who is going to get the iPhone 5 first?
After the news broke that Verizon was going to make the iPhone available to its customers, rumors began to spread that Apple would be releasing the 5th generation iPhone as early as June 2011. Based on industry news and Apple product trends, this appears to be a valid point. Initial rumors suggest that a new iPhone model would be available to AT&T customers first because of the agreement between the two companies. It’s unclear how soon that version would be available to Verizon or to other carriers. There is no question that Verizon will have its hands full with the implementation of the iPhone 4 in February.
With these questions lingering, I’m not going to jump ship quite yet, but I am open to the possibility. Though it is tempting, I will wait this one out and hear what consumers have to say about product performance and service on the Verizon Network. Not to mention, if AT&T gets first dibs on the iPhone 5, I’d be hard pressed to leave AT&T.