iPhone World:
AT&T Inc., the biggest U.S. mobile service provider, said that their profit increased 62 percent after adding 2.7 million wireless customers.
Fourth-quarter net income increased to $3.14 billion, or 51 cents a share, from $1.94 billion, or 50 cents, a year earlier, AT&T said today. Sales almost doubled to $30.3 billion, short of the $30.5 billion average of analysts’ projections. Sales missed analysts’ estimates after the company cut off more home-phone subscribers for failing to pay their bills.
Stephenson, AT&T CEO said that he is cutting 10,000 jobs in marketing and technology to slash costs after the $86 billion acquisition of BellSouth Corp., completed at the end of 2006. With the purchase, AT&T got full control of its mobile-phone division, which has an exclusive agreement to sell the iPhone in the U.S.
AT&T lured mobile customers by offering Apples iPhone and Samsung Electronics Sync. Apple said this week it sold 2.3 million iPhone handsets worldwide last quarter.
Thanks: Bloomberg
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Written by David on January 24th, 2008 with no comments.
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iPhone World:
As News.com reports, AT&T announced on Wednesday that it will soon offer its broadband subscribers unlimited free Wi-Fi access in its hotspots and a new supercharged 10Mbps tier of internet access service.
Free Wi-Fi will be offered only to AT&T broadband subscribers who subscribe to services with 1.5Mbps downloads or higher. Subscribers to AT&T wireless service will not be offered free Wi-Fi.
AT&T is reported to have more than 10,000 Wi-Fi hot spots in the U.S. in locations like McDonald’s restaurants, Barnes & Noble bookstores, coffee shops, and sporting venues. The carrier has been offering free Wi-Fi access to its higher-speed broadband customers since last year.
With that new offer AT&T is likely to bundle cell phone service with their broadband service. As news.com reports it might also be a way of competing with other cellular providers like T-Mobile USA. T-Mobile offers its subscribers access to its more than 8,000 Wi-Fi hot spots. Also, T-Mobile gives its customers the ability to switch between Wi-Fi and the cell phone network while they are at home.
AT&T also announced that it would offer a new home broadband service with 10Mbps downloads and 1.5Mbps uploads. New service has been called U-verse. U-verse has been designed to deliver TV and broadband over the same Internet connection to the home. That new service would costs $55 a month. U-verse subscribers also qualify to receive free Wi-Fi access.
©2008 iPhone World. All Rights Reserved.
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Written by Krzysztof on January 24th, 2008 with no comments.
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iPhone World:
Although it’s a popular choice, jailbreaking the iPhone, Apple’s recently announced 4 Million sold iPhones leaves something to be desired, since about half of them aren’t officially under AT&T contracts.
AT&T said that it ended 2007 with just around 2 million iPhone subscribers, which gives a girth for damaged/returned iPhones as well, but if over two million iPhones were damaged, there wouldn’t really be a market for the device.
So, there’s obviously over a million iPhone users on different networks using unofficially unlocked devices, but why? Alot of dispute over AT&T exclusive contract with Apple has really turned about 30% of the iPhone’s users to using complex methods of cracking, apparently.
Speaking of which, the latest firmware’s jailbreak should be released soon, so keep an eye out for that upcoming article.
Thanks: iPhone Atlas
©2008 iPhone World. All Rights Reserved.
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Written by patrick on January 24th, 2008 with no comments.
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iPhone World:
Apple faces yet another legal battle over the iPhone concept and technology. This time it’s Minerva Industries, which targeted not only Apple but also RIM, and a satellite phone company, Atlantic RT Inc. among others, with one of three lawsuits filed on Tuesday, after just beating out rival patents filed by Apple itself.
The patent in question, USPTO patent No. 7,321,783, gives a brief description of a “mobile entertainment and communication deviceâ€, and outlines a palm-sized device used “for recording data directly from the Internet†that “also includes a camera and microphone for recording images and soundâ€.
Minerva believes that Apple was keeping tabs on their patent application (which records show was filed in November of 2003), and waited until the last minute to provide prior art concepts in an attempt to hinder this application, while boosting one of its own claims. Minerva states they informed Apple of their patent application last November.
Both sides were reviewed by the US Patent Board which ruled in Minerva’s favor, determining that their device was patentable. Minerva claims that Apple’s attempt at claiming its patent invalid has caused them to “[suffer] monetary damages in an amount not yet determinedâ€. In addition to paying said damages, they are also seeking a permanent injunction stopping Apple from further infringement on Minerva’s patent.
The other two Minerva Technologies lawsuits filed that day target 31 defendants in total, including Research in Motion, AT&T Mobility, LG, Palm, and Motorola.
Thanks: Apple Insider
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Written by Chantelle on January 24th, 2008 with no comments.
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iPhone World:
Apparently the iPhone is the hot unofficial topic of discussion for some panelists at this years’ World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland. The annual meeting of global political and business elites included New York Times journalist John Markoff, who was one of the few with the device at this years’ meetings.
“It’s still very much a RIM Blackberry world. Indeed, if you pull an iPhone out of your pocket, it still creates a mild sensation here, because unlike in the United States, most Europeans have yet to touch Apple’s six-month-old handheld phenomenon.†states Markoff in the ‘Davos Diary’ on New York Times Online.
Apparently discussion was had during a Technology Update panel, which included the likes of AT&T Chief Executive Randall Stephenson as well as others from High Tech Computer & Lenovo, and it was agreed that the iPhone is greeted as a positive for the technology sector, on account of its easy-to-use interface attracting more casual mobile users, in addition to usual business users. In contrast to the apparent foreboding of an economic crisis , the iPhone may be shining example of perhaps what the future may hold for the technology sector.
©2008 iPhone World. All Rights Reserved.
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Written by Chantelle on January 24th, 2008 with no comments.
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