Apple : iOS 5.1 update brings '4G' to iPhone 4S on AT&T

iOS 5.1 update brings '4G' to iPhone 4S on AT&T
Opinion: Why the new iPad is all about the display
Gary Marshall: Apple's iPad strategy just keeps on rolling
Apple TV 2nd gen also gets software update
Netflix subs now available through iTunes

iOS 5.1 update brings '4G' to iPhone 4S on AT&T

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The Apple iPhone 4S on AT&T is now magically a '4G' device thanks to the iOS 5.1 update issued on Wednesday.

However, the upgrade can simply be attributed to the carrier's assertion that its HPSA+ internet speeds of up to 14.1Mbps still count as 4G mobile internet.

Now, whenever iPhone 4S users on AT&T enter HSPA+ territory, the on-screen display will now say "4G", which is as close as they'll get to seeing true 4G before the next generation iPhone comes along.

The change is due to to the "updated AT&T network indicator," featured within iOS 5.1, although there has been absolutely no improvement to the mobile speeds on offer.

Fool me once, shame on you...

Some blissfully unaware iPhone 4S owners have been taking to Twitter to proclaim joy that their beloved smartphone is now a fully functioning 4G device.

@JakeGoecks13 was one of them. He tweeted: "How bout the new update to the iPhone for AT&T makes it 4g now #movinup."

Upon the launch of the device, Apple's marketing chief Phil Schiller said it wasn't up to the company to decide what was 3G or 4G.

He said: "This [HPSA+] is what the majority of our competitors claim when they talk about 4G performance.

"We're not going to get into a debate in the industry about what's 4G and what isn't - we'll leave that for others to talk about."

AT&T, of course, does have its own 4G LTE network and the newly-announced new iPad will be available on that network on March 16th.

Opinion: Why the new iPad is all about the display

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From the very beginning, iOS devices have been all about the display and your interaction with it.

Rather than aping the then-competition, Apple first presented the iPhone essentially as a small pane of glass with a single front-facing button, omitting even a logo from the front of the device. It begged you to interact with content directly, manipulating on-screen elements with gestures that rapidly became second-nature.

The iPad followed: a ten-inch display, which 'becomes' whatever app is running, free from cruft and distractions. It's not hyperbole to argue that this created a revolution in computing—the meteoric rise in sales backs this up, bucking the trend seen in the PC industry as a whole.

brightcove : 1494544804001

Additionally, the iPad has found itself blessed with apps for a surprisingly wide range of tasks, showcasing that millions of people spend more than the odd fleeting moment interacting with their device's screen.

With the new iPad, Apple's tablet is more than ever about this display. In fact, the latest change impacts everything to do with Apple's device and will have big repercussions on the industry as a whole.

On the face of it, the change seems merely logical and evolutionary. Apple's crammed in four times as many pixels, much like it did on the iPhone, branding the result 'Retina'

The thinking is someone with average eyesight can no longer resolve screen pixels when the device is held normally. But this seemingly simple and obvious update comes with weighty consequences. It's only when you compare the iPad's resolution with other displays that you realise how revolutionary rather than evolutionary it is.

2048-by-1536 dwarfs 1080p HD (1920-by-1080); even Apple's largest display, which is 27 inches, is not large enough to provide a full preview of the new iPad's screen—you'd need something like Dell's 30-inch 3007WFP for that.

New ipad display

Such a display requires power, which has forced Apple to work up the new A5X chip, capable of driving higher-resolution graphics and retaining the device's noted smoothness and fluidity. Apple's had to upgrade the internal camera, otherwise video-chats and video recording would have been noticeably ropey on the new screen.

And then there's the battery—Apple still claims ten hours of use, yet reports suggest the battery has a capacity 70 per cent higher than the previous iPad's; clearly, the new screen requires a lot of juice.

Developers now need to act

But the effects of the Retina display go beyond giving headaches to Apple engineers. Developers must now make the decision on boosting the resolution of their applications and games, which will increase development costs.

Users will notice app sizes skyrocket, causing anyone on a limited-download web connection to feel the strain. And then there's the rest of the industry. Before Tim Cook revealed the new iPad, everyone else was battling to compete. In not having Apple's massive cash pile, competitors struggled to match the iPad's price, and battled razor-thin margins, often resulting in 'good enough' build quality rather than something both solid and beautiful.

iPad retina

Apple's now added a Retina display, retained industry-leading battery life, added LTE and boosted the camera quality, without raising the iPad's price. Will Apple's rivals take the challenge, add similar displays and continue the fight, or are we about to see the competition throw in the towel and begin a race to the bottom, only to find themselves battling a ferocious Amazon instead?

Apple says on its website that the "Retina display transforms the entire iPad experience". It's more than that: Apple's just disrupted an entire industry. Again.

Gary Marshall: Apple's iPad strategy just keeps on rolling

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In the aftermath of Apple's new iPad launch, rival firms probably feel like the humorist Jack Handey.

He wrote: "Even though he was an enemy of mine, I had to admit that what he had accomplished was a brilliant piece of strategy. First, he punched me, then he kicked me, then he punched me again."

The first punch was the new iPad. The kick was iLife, iWork and iOS. And the finisher was the iPad 2.

As the late Steve Jobs might have put it: boom!

Warm and fuzzy

The new iPad is the haymaker, the punch everybody could see coming. The processor may remain a dual-core one rather than the quad-core one the rumour factory predicted and that some rivals already offer, but processors aren't what sell iPads; apps do.

And whether those apps are electronic magazines, games or the new iPhoto, seeing them on a retina display is going to get people's credit cards twitching. The retina display alone is good enough for me: if I didn't have to give a car mechanic all the money in the world this week I'd be pre-ordering a new iPad right now.

The second part of the strategy is the software. By providing free OS updates to everyone -- by the end of today I'll have upgraded two iPhones and an iPad to the latest iOS; no waiting six months for phone operators to test OS updates for Apple customers.

Apple keeps its customers feeling warm and fuzzy, and free Retina updates to the iLife and iWork apps mean there's no "if I upgrade I'll have to buy apps again" annoyances. These are little things, I know, but they matter.

The price is right

Last and most definitely not least there's the iPad 2. At £399 it's a brilliant machine; at £329 it's a steal. Rivals had a hard enough time competing with it at its previous price, and Apple's just ruined a lot of tablet firms' days.

It's a really interesting price point, low enough to make cheapo rivals considerably less attractive but high enough to make you think "Just another seventy quid and I could have the newer one." I'd bet plenty of people will go into Apple Stores planning to buy an iPad 2 and will come out twenty minutes later with a retina one instead.

What we've got, then, is a three-pronged strategy, the same one we've seen Apple adopt with the iPhone: make a new, shiny, headline-generating, must-have device for early adopters, gadget fans and people with spare cash; make existing customers feel warm and fuzzy; and make iPad ownership more affordable than ever before.

If you thought 15.4 million sales in a quarter were impressive, wait until you see how many iPads Apple shifts now.

Apple TV 2nd gen also gets software update

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Users of the second generation Apple TV set-top box can now download the new interface showcased during Wednesday's new hardware launch.

The new connected TV device is available to buy on March 16th, bringing full support for 1080p HD video, compared to the 720p content available on the current version.

When announcing the new hockey puck-like device, Apple also showed-off a brand new iOS-like interface which allows users to browse apps through familiar icons.

The interface may offer some clues as to how the Apple-branded HDTV set may look if the company presses ahead with its rumoured plans.

With existing owners able to download the new version of the software, the only reason to upgrade to the new $99 model would be to benefit from full HD video.

iCloud too, but not everything

Apple also announced that the new Apple TV would allow users full access to iTunes in the Cloud, meaning movies purchased on iTunes could be streamed to the device.

However, not all of the studios are on board. AllThingsD reports that Fox and Universal movies are exempt, thanks to a deal with HBO, which currently holds "an exclusive release window."

Efforts to resolve the situation are, apparently, well underway.

Where's the new apps?

Although we were excited to see Apple unveil a new version of Apple TV and this nifty new software, we're slightly disappointed there were no new apps also showcased.

Isn't it about time Apple TV owners were graced with the likes of iPlayer, 4oD and Sky Go in the UK or Hulu and HBO Go in the US?

Netflix subs now available through iTunes

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The arrival of the new Apple TV has prompted Netflix to allow users to sign-up for the Watch Instantly service through iTunes.

Members can now pay for a monthly subscription through their iTunes account, directly through the Apple TV app without signing up via Netflix first.

The announcement represents the first time that the streaming giant has handed over the billing responsibilities to a third party and it could be a sign of things to come.

As we reported earlier on Tuesday, the company is said to be sounding-out the potential for integrating its service with established US cable companies.

New Apple TV

The new Apple TV device brings support for 1080p video for the first time, but will retain the same $99 price-point when it arrives alongside the new iPad on March 16th.

Netflix also added that Apple TV users will be able to watch movies and TV shows at the full 1080p resolution, rather than the 720p capacity of the previous generation model.

The update brings a new and improved iOS like interface into the mix, allowing for easier navigation around apps and stored content from iTunes.

Paying for Netflix through iTunes is only available on the new Apple TV. Using the iPhone and iPad apps will still require new members to sign up elsewhere.

Yahuui Blog

Thursday, March 8, 2012