Search the Community

Will there be an iPad that runs on Sprint's network? This article from cnet suggests it is on the way. http://news.cnet.com/8301-1035_3-20106099-94/sprint-to-get-its-own-ipad-2-report-says/?fb_ref=fbrecT&fb_source=profile_multiline

Apple adds Samsung's Galaxy S III, Galaxy Note and Galaxy Note 10.1 to ongoing patent lawsuit http://www.engadget.com/2012/08/31/apple-samsung-galaxy-s-iii-galaxy-note-patent-lawsuit/

http://bits.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/08/05/apple-patent-fight-with-samsung-spills-some-iphone-and-ipad-secrets-disruptions/ Saw this in the news today and it is just sad that Apple is trying everything to get rid of competition in the market. Seems to me that Apple is falling and Samsung is dominating in the new era. Just feel that if Apple succeeds in suing Samsung then Sony will sue Apple for everything that Apple is. ' Childish act of Apple. Apple does not literally mean everything, it is a democratic country and stop bragging about the design. Wish iphone 5 is a bit curvy so Samsung can sue Apple for stealing its design. Honestly, I think lets have a fair competition in the market. Apple is great but I have to admit Samsung is doing whole lot better in the market in recent years. Apple's image is getting torn because of this.... SAD!!!!!!!

How is the current iPhone 4 & iPhone 4S preforming on the Now Network? Also, how is the sales on the phone Jan. 2012 - Current

I thought this was the best and funniest thing in a while. Jerimiah Yap – Fourth Estate Cooperative Writer London, United Kingdom (4E) – Samsung is waiting for Apple’s apology. A UK judge ruled that Apple Inc. apologize to Samsung by publishing a notice online and in print informing the public that Samsung did not copy the iPad from Apple. Apple must do this on their UK website and in British newspapers. You can read the rest of it here http://gantdaily.com/2012/07/19/uk-judge-rules-that-apple-must-publicly-apologize-to-samsung/

Looks like crApple is at it again... Doing what they do best. http://www.engadget....rd-itc-dispute/

by Scott Johnson Sprint 4G Rollout Updates Thursday, March 29, 2012 - 12:47 PM MDT When Apple first released the iPhone in 2007, they introduced a technological renaissance. The iPhone ushered in the “smartphone era” bringing phone technology to an entirely new level. Since the iPhone release, the iPhone has seen some technological advancement along the way, but not to the degree of changing the industry. The next iPhone is not only expected to introduce LTE capability to the line, but it may also be a true world phone, connecting to nearly every network technology. There could potentially be a single iPhone model that could be activated on nearly any carrier with the swap of a SIM card. Many carriers will undoubtedly impose a SIM lock, to keep the phone on their carrier, but it has the potential. Many technologies, one tiny chip At the heart of this advancement is the Qualcomm MDM9615 from Qualcomm’s GOBI line. This multiple device modem (MDM) chip supports both voice and data over LTE (FDD and TDD)as well as connecting to EV-DO Rev A and B, HSPA+, dual carrier HSPA+, and TD-SCDMA. With the added support of voice over LTE this phone could also be one of the first to support VoLTE. All this in the tiny iPhone form factor The MDM9615 will pair with Qualcomm’s WTR1605 and PM8018 integrated circuits to combine multiple mode and multiple band connectivity, low power consumption, and small footprint. The WTR1605 is Qualcomm’s first wafer level radio transceiver and will allow LTE FDD, LTE TDD, CDMA, WCDMA, TD-SCDMA and GSM connections. The PM8018 will provide efficient power management at the wafer level. The only sticking point for Apple is how to fit all the antennas, PA's and filters for all the different bands into the iPhone without significantly increasing the size. This may keep them from being able to introduce a “world” phone and have to settle for regional or carrier specific models with the components to support the bands the carriers use. But will it retain Apple’s iconic battery life?[float right][/float] First generation LTE chips are energy hogs, which may be why Apple opted to skip the addition of LTE to their iPhone 4S. The 28nm MDM9615 may be just what Apple was waiting for in order to retain their small form factor and still give outstanding battery life. Not only will the 28nm chip have a reduction in size, but when paired with Qualcomm’s Power Optimized Envelope Tracking (Q-POET) the chip will see further enhanced power efficiency and heat management. What we know As of this point, Apple is only reviewing potential components for their next iPhone, but the fact that they are reviewing these specific components leads many to believe that they will utilize the components to their maximum potential. Apple generally is leak proof, which means that we will have to wait until an official announcement until we have confirmation of what will be included in the newest installation of their iPhone line. The combination of these chips may not even see the Apple device first. An Android OEM may be already working on this and introduce a phone with the wide capabilities possible with this chipset. Sources: Qualcomm (2) Simonblog Engadget AppleInsider Baseband RF Photo courtesy of Barklay's Research

by Scott Johnson Sprint 4G Rollout Updates Wednesday, March 28, 2012 - 10:44 AM MDT Fear not Sprint iPhone fans, Sprint will not be left out when the next iPhone model is released. There has been speculation that Apple may only manufacture LTE enabled iPhones to AT&T and Verizon after the iPad with LTE connectivity was only released for those carriers. While he didn’t come out and confirm that Sprint would be receiving a LTE iPhone, Sprint Nextel CFO Joe Eutenuer went on record saying that "we will not be disadvantaged" when it comes to selling the iPhone, adding that Sprint has the same contract as AT&T and Verizon for selling the iPhone. This contract that the carriers have also does not have LTE coverage requirements, so even if the iPhone is released earlier than expected, Sprint shouldn't be excluded due to less LTE coverage than the AT&T or VZW. This comes as good news for current customers who have held off their purchase of an iPhone because the 3G speeds in their area are lagging and they are prefer a 4G WiMax handset. If you build it, he will come [float right][/float]There is still no guarantee that the new iPhone will support LTE, but all signs point to the next generation iPhone boasting LTE connectivity. AT&T made the decision to move away from their HSPA+ 3.5G network and aggressively push LTE. Sprint also made the decision to aggressively rollout a LTE network, instead of continuing with Clearwire’s WiMax. Possibly the most telling sign was when the new iPad was announced to have LTE connectivity. Thanks to Sprint’s “Network Vision” plan, there will be plenty of LTE towers for iPhone fans to consume unlimited data at 4G speeds. By this Fall, when the iPhone is speculated to release, Sprint will have LTE service in nearly all major markets and will be starting work in many other markets. Sprint’s Network Vision is expected to have 100-120 million POPs covered by LTE by the end of the year. And you know you will get all the latest LTE deployment info here at S4GRU.com! Sources: Nasdaq SprintFeed Fierce Wireless

http://www.thedailyb...n-u-s-jobs.html

Well Joe spilled some of the beans at the investor conference...Saying that the companies agreement with Apple is similar to both ATT and VZ, also that Sprint is NOT being held to ANY 4G LTE coverage requirements. Source: http://www.nasdaq.com/article/sprint-free-to-offer-possible-future-4g-lte-iphones-cfo-says-20120327-01219 This is good news here for sure, and re-encouraging for those that were worried about possible restrictions that might be placed on the next LTE iPhone coverage wise...

Danny Bullard Sprint 4G Rollout Update Saturday, March 24, 2012 - 10:44 AM MDT According to iDownloadBlog, the iPhone 5, or whatever Apple decides to call it, will reportedly pack 4G LTE according to iOS 5.1 code strings. Until now, all the other LTE iPhone rumors have just been speculation and wishful thinking. The code strings says: We can gather that this line in iOS5.1 must be created for use in the new iPhone, because the new iPad cannot make phone calls. Although it seems odd that the Apple iPhone would not support simultaneous voice and LTE. The new LTE Android devices from Sprint have been confirmed to handle SVLTE. Perhaps it just cannot be enabled while a call is in process? Or maybe it is not compatible with one or more carriers in the world? So, if the new iPhone packs LTE connectivity with a faster processor, bigger display and the rumored aluminum casing, will you buy one on Sprint's LTE network? Assuming Sprint gets a LTE iPhone, of course. Sound off in the comments. Photo Courtesy of BGR.com Source: iDownloadBlog

Scott Johnson Sprint 4G Rollout Update Friday, March 23, 2012 - 3:14 PM MDT Many Sprint fans were put off by the downgrade of the “S” stock and remarks of Craig Moffett of Bernstein Research released Monday morning. Moffett claimed a looming bankruptcy risk on the horizon thanks to mounting debt, Network Vision costs, and smaller channels of spectrum for their LTE network. On top of all that, Moffett claimed that the LTE iPhone, which Sprint executives claim will secure the future of the franchise, could bring disaster for Sprint. By Friday, Shing Yin of Guggenheim Securities came out reiterating his company’s “neutral” rating on Sprint, downplaying the skepticism of Moffett and claiming that Sprint’s fledgling LTE network would handle the pressure of the LTE iPhone. Moffett’s stance Moffett wrote that there is “little margin for error” for the newest carrier to offer Apple’s iPhone. He believes, along with many more, that the next generation of the Apple iPhone will contain LTE connectivity. He is not convinced that Apple will manufacture a version specifically with Sprint LTE connectivity, and if they do, it will prove disastrous for Sprint. There are several notable arguments that can be presented here. Sprint is way behind Verizon and AT&T in their LTE rollout. Also, AT&T and Verizon are using larger chunks of spectrum for LTE which will serve higher data speeds and more customers than Sprint. Further, AT&T and Verizon are also better positioned to continue to provide iPhone users with sufficient speed as data growth grows in the future. Yin’s counterargument Yin believes that Sprint will surely see an iPhone that will be capable of LTE connectivity. He believes that Sprint officials would not have committed to a deal of that magnitude with Apple in 2011 if they were going to get a handcuffed version the following year. As far as lack of capacity, he expects the network will be underutilized initially, making up for a smaller LTE carrier, noting that only 5% of Verizon’s postpaid subscribers converted to LTE handsets even though Verizon has been inundating customers with an advertising campaign built on LTE and offering double data for LTE capable phones. Yin also brought up the fact that Sprint was able to convert about 10% of their postpaid customers to WiMax devices actually selling more WiMax devices in a year than Verizon sold LTE. Customers will buy iPhones regardless 4G LTE is not likely the only technological addition to the next generation of iPhone. After the incremental upgrades on the iPhone 4S, customers were left dreaming of what could be included in the iPhone 5. Even though many customers expressed disappointment that the iPhone 4S wasn’t a generational change, it still broke iPhone single day sales records by 66%. The sales for a generational change in the iPhone could smash the sales record of the 4S. Unless current policy is changed, Sprint has something that AT&T and Verizon are unable to offer new customers, unlimited data. Whether the data comes from 3G or 4G, new Sprint iPhone customers will be treated to an unthrottled “all you can eat buffet” of data. The “truly unlimited” offering by Sprint could even convert AT&T customers with grandfathered unlimited plans thanks to AT&T’s adoption of throttling its unlimited customers. Many customers are unfamiliar with 4G data and what it means to them Despite all the advertising and promotion of 4G LTE, many customers still do not know what it is and how it applies to them. Verizon sales staff may be able to promote that they offer the largest LTE network or that they are the exclusive offering of LTE in that city, but the iPhone has a wide demographic of buyers, many upgrading to their first smartphone. Initially, these new smartphone customers will not notice or care about 4G speeds, they will be overwhelmed with learning all the new features and will use less data than experienced smartphone users, putting less strain on the network. What it all means Sprint is definitely in a state of transition. They are in the middle of a great balancing act, between Network Vision, impending debt payments, and life support to Clearwire. If Sprint can execute Network Vision, they will streamline their entire organization, bringing network maintenance costs down, enhancing coverage, and providing customers 4G LTE technology. Sprint will become more profitable and can focus their attention on expanding their LTE offering on additional spectrum and maintaining a positive user experience. Photos courtesy of cases.com and redmondpie.com. Sources: http://blogs.barrons...od=yahoobarrons, http://blogs.barrons...e-lte-prospect/, http://www.readwrite...d_1_million.php

Danny Bullard Sprint 4G Rollout Update Friday, March 23, 2012 - 2:44 PM MDT Hello S4GRU readers, today I will be giving my verdict on the new iPad. I will tell you what I like about the new iPad and what I don't like about the new iPad. Let's get started... What I like about the new iPad 1.) After using the iPad for a few minutes at BestBuy, I fell in love with it's beautiful retina display. This display's PPI is 264, while packing an astonishing 2048x1536 resolution. The screen is just perfect, the colors are great and you can't really see any of the pixels when really looking at the display. 2.) If you've used the iPad 2's camera, I'm sure you are aware how horrible they perform. That's not the case with the new iPad, Apple upgraded the horrible 0.3MP camera to 5MP, using the same five-element optics from the iPhone 4S on the new iPad. The iPad was only capable of taking 720p video, but now the new iPad can record up-to 1080p HD video. After taking a couple shots with the camera, the camera is actually usable, in a good way. 3.) The new iPad packs a dual core CPU and a quad core GPU. After playing around with the new iPad, I've noticed it just seems faster then the iPad 2 when switching in between apps and etc. When it comes to gaming performance, the new iPad did not disappoint. Games look and perform great on the new iPad. Titles like Infinity Blade II look pretty darn good and I didn't notice any lag while playing this game. Not everything is perfect, and this applies to the new iPad. Now I will go over what I didn't like about the new iPad. What I don't like about the new iPad 1.) When the new iPad was announced, people were disappointed that there was really no physical difference between it and the iPad 2. When I compared the two tablets side by side and asked people which one is the new iPad, only a couple people could tell me. Honestly, I think that when a product's successor comes out, there should be at least a little physical difference. 2.) With the upgraded camera on the new iPad, you'd think Apple would include a LED flash this time around, right? Well no, the iPad is still lacking a LED flash. While I was surprised with Apple's decision to not include a LED flash on the new iPad, it wasn't the only thing Apple did not include with the new iPad.... 3.) If you've used the iPhone 4S, I'm sure you've used Siri. Siri is a personal voice assistant. You can have Siri send text messages for you, get you directions and more. With the upgraded GPU, I'm also shocked that Apple did not include Siri with the new iPad. Some people are disappointed with Apple's decision to not include Siri. Even though the new iPad is lacking Siri, Apple did include Voice dictation on the new iPad. 4.) When Apple announced the new iPad, they announced LTE versions for AT&T, Verizon and some Canadian carriers, While I was happy Apple decided to add LTE to the new iPad, I was disappointed that Sprint did not get any iPad loving. While we really don't know why Sprint did not get the new iPad, we can all pretty much assume that Apple didn't want to announce a LTE iPad on Sprint's premature 4G LTE network. Even though Sprint doesn't have the new iPad on their network now, doesn't mean Apple won't announce the new iPad on Sprint's network later this year. That's my verdict on the new iPad. Feel free to sound off in the comments telling what you love and hate about the new iPad. Photo Credit: Engadget, Mashable

Danny Bullard Sprint 4G Rollout Updates Tuesday, March 20, 2012 - 9:45 AM MDT Hello S4GRU readers. In this article, I will give you my 3 reasons why Apple is successful. I will go into extensive detail on each reason why Apple is successful. These are my opinions, so feel free to comment telling me your reasons why Apple is successful and how you think Apple could improve in each category. Note: These are in no specific order. 1. Marketing Apple markets their products like no other. If you've ever seen Apple's TV commercials, you'll notice how they're simple and cut to the chase. During most Apple commercials, Apple talks about the simplicity and beauty of their products. Example, Apple's new ad for the new iPad talks about the iPad's new retina display saying "When a screen becomes this good, it is simply you and the things you care about." When it comes to presentations, Apple is no slouch. When going over the product and such, they explain it all where the common buyer can understand everything about the product, not just tech geeks. Apple isn't only about marketing, they are also about engaging with their fans, and that is exactly what Steve Jobs did and Tim Cook is doing. 2. Simplicity The average consumer usually doesn't usually care about specs when looking into purchasing a smartphone or a tablet. They just want something that is easy to use and just "works". If you have ever used the iPhone or iPad, I'm sure you know how simple they are to operate/use on a daily basis unlike other devices. The iPhone 4S is so simple that your younger children can operate it without any hiccups (ever seen the Sprint iPhone Unlimited ad with the young child?). Apple's programs like iTunes and the App Store provide seamless experiences for downloading music and apps. Almost everything Apple releases is easy to use, and that's why we love them. Simplicity is a virtue to Apple, case closed. 3. Innovation Apple is known for innovation. They are always thinking of ways to improve their products while making them "different" from others. If you've seen the new iPad, I'm sure you've noticed the iPad's new display packing a whopping 2048x1536 resolution. That is the highest resolution of any tablet/mobile device. Impressive huh? Apple doesn't stop innovating there. Apple's iPhone 4S rocks an 8MP camera with F/2.4 Lens. It's the "The you-can't-believe-it's-on-a-phone camera." Innovation never stops at Apple. Those are my three reasons why Apple is successful. Please weigh in with your thoughts below! Constructive and well thought out comments only, please.

by Scott Johnson Sprint 4G Rollout Updates Thursday, March 15, 2012 - 12:51 PM MDT The 7 inch form factor for the tablet PC was largely understated up until the Kindle Fire’s release last year. There were the expensive high end Android offerings from Samsung, Dell, Acer, Toshiba and HTC as well as the Blackberry Playbook. The inexpensive end was headlined by the Kindle Fire, Barnes and Noble Nook and Lenovo. Sales were underwhelming, until the Kindle Fire caught everyone’s attention and sold millions of units. Now, we have what may be shaping up to be a faceoff between iOS and Android in the 7 inch tablet market. The idea of an offering smaller than the 10 inch tablet may have been dancing in Apple and Google’s heads prior to the Fire being released, but it would seem that they didn’t pull the trigger on those plans until after seeing how the $200 Kindle Fire did in the marketplace. Apple is rumored to be releasing a tablet in a size between the 3.5 inch size of the iPod touch and the 9.7 inch iPad. Some say that the reasoning behind Apple’s puzzling move to ditch the numerical model designation of the new iPad is so that they can simplify the tablet line and release an iPad mini, with naming conventions similar to their line of iPods using generations instead of numeric model numbers. Current rumors have Apple releasing a 7.85 inch tablet with a price point under $300 for the base model. The bezel is also rumored to be shrunk down to increase the portability of the unit. Apple rarely makes bad decisions when it comes to what components to insert in their devices, so it is safe to say this would be a device of “the highest quality.” We could see this “iPad mini” as early as 3rd quarter 2012. Situated on the opposite end is the latest offering in Google’s Nexus line of devices. It was recently confirmed by industry sources that Asus will manufacture a 7 inch Android tablet with the Nexus designation. This tablet would see a price point between $150 and $250 and be constructed of premium components. Google Executive Chairman Eric Schmidt was quoted stating that the tablet would be “of the highest quality.” This tablet is rumored to be hitting shelves as early as May, giving it a slight head start on its competition from Apple. Another competitor in the game will be Samsung, which has built a reputation for releasing high quality devices. They may have something in the works that would integrate the “S Pen” stylus present in the Galaxy Note and the Galaxy Note 10.1 tablet they revealed at CES 2012. Samsung would be smart to recognize the trend in the 7 inch tablet market and keep their offering in the $300 or less range if they want to be competitive. They have to be careful with this as they don't want to undercut sales of their Galaxy Note phone/tablet. The last competitor in this battle for 7 inch tablet supremacy could come from Nokia. With Microsoft bringing their Windows Phone 8 integration of phone and desktop operating systems to market this year, it would only make sense that they would include it on tablets as well. If they intend on moving into contention with Android and iOS, they can’t afford to miss a “battle” as this could turn out to be. To be competitive in this battle, they would be wise to offer a 7 inch tablet in the under $250 price range. Given the ability of WP 7.5 to run fast and smooth on hardware that appears on paper to be underwhelming, they should be able to hit that price point. This summer is looking to be a battle of heavyweight 7 inch tablets at a price lower than we may be used to for high end, well outfitted tablets. Will they see the sales numbers they are looking for? Or did the Kindle Fire snap up all the budget-minded tablet buyers, leaving these tablets out in the cold? If you were in the market for a 7 inch tablet, which tablet would interest you the most? Sources: Digitimes Rethink Wireless

From FierceMobileContent Looks like a personal injury attorney in Austin, TX is filing a class action suit in response to revelations that developers were able to mine data on customer devices.

What is interesting to me is that Google growth seems to be at the expense of BB, MS, and Palm, but not Apple. Check out how everyone declines other than Apple. I do not think Apple is losing any more customers to Google than Google is losing to Apple. Anyone else have info?

http://www.zdnet.com/blog/btl/apple-sold-more-ios-devices-in-2011-than-it-sold-macs-in-28-years/69717 s4gru