3G

Verizon says data-hungry users hamper LTE network quality in big cities

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated December 23, 2017

When was the last time you heard a major United States wireless carrier admit that its network is facing pressure to meet the needs of its users? That's exactly what Fran Shammo, Verizon's chief financial officer, said in response to reports that its LTE network is folding under pressure in major cities such as New York, San Francisco and Chicago.

The network strain results in some users in metropolitan areas seeing their data throughput dropping to slower 3G speeds. Verizon blames its deteriorating network quality on "capacity constraints."

The company has promised to allocate more resources toward fixing the network in high-congestion areas so that these slowdowns dissipate by the end of the year...

First-gen iPad 3G owners receiving claim forms for data plan settlement

Cody Lee ∙ October 31, 2013

Last month, US District Judge Ronald White green-lighted a plan for Apple to pay $40 to everyone in the US who purchased an iPad 3G before June 2010 as part of a settlement for a series of class action lawsuits against it and AT&T.

The two companies were accused of pulling a bait-and-switch with the tablet, as Apple initially advertised it with AT&T's $30/month unlimited data plan, which the carrier ended up pulling a few months later in favor of share plans.

And class members have begun receiving their claim forms this week...

AT&T introduces new data plans for tablets: 250MB for $5/day, 1GB for $25 per 3 months

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated January 26, 2016

Today, at GigaOM’s Mobilize conference and ahead of Apple's iPad event next Tuesday, AT&T cunningly announced a pair of new data-only cellular plans beginning with the basic tier that will set you back five bucks per day, which buys you 250MB of 3G or high-speed 4G LTE cellular data. It's a nice option for those who only occasionally use their iPad while out and about, without Wi-Fi nearby.

Charlie Penrose, AT&T’s Senior Vice President of Emerging Devices, said at the conference that his company hopes the new tablet-only data offering will give customers yet another reason to consider cellular devices instead of overwhelmingly opting for Wi-Fi-only tablets. Jump past the fold to read about AT&T's other tier...

Apple to pay AT&T iPad 3G owners $40 in unlimited data lawsuit

Cody Lee ∙ September 29, 2013

In a ruling issued last week in San Jose, California, US District Judge Ronald Whyte green-lighted a plan for Apple to pay $40 to everyone in the US who purchased an iPad 3G before June 2010.

The decision comes in response to several class action suits waged against Apple and AT&T, accusing them of advertising an unlimited data plan, and then taking it away after they purchased their iPad...

Apple found to be using Multipath TCP networking in iOS 7

Cody Lee ∙ Updated April 13, 2018

China Telecom thanks iPhone for second-straight quarterly profit gain

Cody Lee ∙ August 22, 2013

It's believed that with strong competition from Samsung and other handset makers, the iPhone isn't as big of a draw for consumers as it once was. Some carriers have even stopped offering the phone, figuring it's no longer worth the hassle.

But ask providers like T-Mobile or China Telecom, and it's a completely different story. T-Mobile just posted its strongest consumer growth in 4 years last quarter on the back of its iPhone launch, and China Telecom is seeing similar results...

Verizon asks Obama to prevent upcoming iPhone sales ban

Christian Zibreg ∙ July 25, 2013

In April, the U.S. International Trade Commission (ITC) ordered an import ban on the iPhone 3G/3GS/4 after determining Apple had violated Samsung's 3G cellular technology patent. Apple was hoping the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) would overturn ITC's decision on the basis that Samsung was asserting a standards-essential patent.

Needles to say, Apple asked ITC to stay an order while the court considered the appeal, arguing the sales ban would "sweep away an entire segment of Apple's product offerings." And in an interesting twist earlier this week, the nation's top carrier Verizon Wireless pressured President Obama to intervene in the Apple v. Samsung case and veto the impending ban...

Samsung wants to settle EU antitrust case over Apple to sidestep $17.5B fine

Christian Zibreg ∙ June 25, 2013

The European Union six months ago launched a formal investigation into a potential breach of EU antitrust rules by Samsung. The antitrust investigation focused on the South Korean conglomerate's handling of industry-essential patents that EU regulators insist should be licensed to others on fair, reasonable and non-discriminatory terms (FRAND).

The investigation determined that Samsung was abusing its patent portfolio by seeking high royalties it knew didn't make business sense, just so it could later assert those patents against rivals such as Apple. ”Samsung has been involved in settlement discussions for several months now," an unnamed source told Reuters on Tuesday. "Samsung wants to settle”...

Apple devices top Android on 3G networks

Ed Sutherland ∙ Updated December 2, 2016

We've always contended that while Android has a numerical advantage over Apple's iOS, the iPhone and iPad see much greater usage.

More evidence of that belief: more than half of all 3G cellular traffic comes from Apple devices.

When combined, the iPhone 4, 4S and 5 account for about 53 percent of all 3G cellular traffic. Adding the iPad boosts the number to nearly 60 percent, according to a firm that analyzes cell network traffic. Where is Android? Samsung's Galaxy S, S2 and S3 combined make up a bit over eighteen percent of 3G traffic...

Apple prevails in UK’s Samsung 3G suit

Ed Sutherland ∙ Updated April 11, 2018

Apple scored another legal victory against rival Samsung. In a UK court, a judge Wednesday ruled that the iPhone maker does not infringe patents held by the South Korean-based Android smartphone manufacturer. The court's decision marks more than two-dozen failed attempts by Samsung to claim it is owed royalties on standard-essential patents.

The company had alleged Apple did not pay royalties to use its 3G wireless technology patents in the iPhone...

Apple posts iOS 6.1.1 firmware fixing iPhone 4S reliability, 3G issues

Christian Zibreg ∙ February 11, 2013

Right on cue, Apple has rushed out the new iOS 6.1.1 firmware update to the iPhone 4S owners to fix 3G connectivity issues, enterprise problems and quite possibly squash a few reliability related bugs. iPhone 4S owners can apply an over-the-air update by going to Settings > General > Software Update. Of course, if you're already jailbroken, do not update to iOS 6.1.1 until it becomes clear whether or not it breaks the jailbreak...

Poll: 3G, battery and overheating issues on iOS 6.1?

Christian Zibreg ∙ February 10, 2013

Like any software release, the January 28 iOS 6.1 firmware update did fix some known bugs, but also has introduced a new set of issues. Specifically, the update is said to contain a bug that affects your iPhone's battery life and 3G performance.

The battery inefficiencies could be related to an Exchange bug, clever people at AOL have learnt). Quick searches on the Apple Support Communities forum for iOS 6.1 battery and iOS 6.1 3G clearly prove these issues are more widespread than originally thought. While some people are seeing their iPhone 5 battery life dropping after updating to iOS 6.1, others are bitching about overheating issues.

To make matters worse, Vodafone advised its UK customers against upgrading to iOS 6.1 until Apple fixes 3G hiccups, which include the occasional difficulty in connecting to the network to make or receive calls or texts or connecting to the mobile Internet.

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