Breaking News: Apple Announces the iPad 3 March 7, 2012

[DaddyTorgo]

Originally Posted by cartman

They announced a whole series of adapters they can't wait to sell you. The new connector is something I'm not a big fan of.

Of course they did.

Heh.

[CleBrownsfan]

This will be a much appreciated upgrade from my 3s...

[Subby]

Sounds pretty sweet in every way. Huge upgrade over the 4.

[kingfc22]

So how are the phone companies going to try to screw over the consumers with the new LTE ability, especially AT&T?

[stevew]

gizmodo.com/5942710/fuck-that-goddamn-iphone-adapter-costs-30-bucks

[cartman]

Originally Posted by kingfc22

So how are the phone companies going to try to screw over the consumers with the new LTE ability, especially AT&T?

I'm curious about that as well. I've been grandfathered-in up to this point with my unlimited data plan.

[Easy Mac]

Originally Posted by kingfc22

So how are the phone companies going to try to screw over the consumers with the new LTE ability, especially AT&T?

Well, I can answer for Verizon. Until earlier this year, unlimited data plans were grandfathered in. Now, If I want an iphone 5, or any other LTE phone, I have to drop my unlimited data plan.

I pay $130 pre-taxes for 2 iphone 4s phones with unlimited data, unlimited text, and unlimited talk.

If I want an iphone 5, for $130 I get unlimited text, unlimited talk, and 1 GB of data to share with my wife.

For comparison, my wife used 1/2 gig last month, she's on pace for about that much this month. I used 5 gigs last month, and am on pace for about 6 this month. So I'd probably need to get an 8 gig shared plan, just to cover myself. That's an extra $40 a month (pre-taxes), so an extra $500 a year.

[Easy Mac]

dola,

So I'm pretty much staying with the iphone 4s until its no longer usable with apps (most apps don't work on my 3 year old ipod touch because apple doesn't update the ios software on it).

[kingfc22]

Just saw that AT&T announced that they will allow those grandfathered in to keep their unlimited data plans! Woot!

Press Release

[cartman]

So I get a message from AT&T that my upgrade date isn't until May of 2013, (which I am aware of). But they do tell me I am eligible for a discounted iPhone upgrade. Which is the purchase price + $250 + $36 upgrade fee. Ummm.... I'll wait until May. That is basically the unsubsidized price they are charging.

[Marc Vaughan]

Originally Posted by kingfc22

Just saw that AT&T announced that they will allow those grandfathered in to keep their unlimited data plans! Woot!

Press Release

That'd be me then

(would hate to lose use of Pandora on car trips)

[Galaxy]

Originally Posted by Subby

Sounds pretty sweet in every way. Huge upgrade over the 4.

[Ksyrup]

How much worse can my experience with Apple be? I already have constant freezing of iTunes every time I try to use it with my iPod. I rarely plug in as a result. Last night I wanted to add some music, so I plug in and it comes up with an update to the OS. I figure I haven't upgraded in a while, so why not?

6 hours later, the full restore of my iPod was complete. The iOS6 upgrade completely bricked my iPod. Tried to reset a few times, nothing would work, the computer wouldn't recognize it, etc. So I had to do a full restore to factory settings and reload 7500 songs last night.

Thanks Apple!

[DaddyTorgo]

Originally Posted by Ksyrup

How much worse can my experience with Apple be? I already have constant freezing of iTunes every time I try to use it with my iPod. I rarely plug in as a result. Last night I wanted to add some music, so I plug in and it comes up with an update to the OS. I figure I haven't upgraded in a while, so why not?

6 hours later, the full restore of my iPod was complete. The iOS6 upgrade completely bricked my iPod. Tried to reset a few times, nothing would work, the computer wouldn't recognize it, etc. So I had to do a full restore to factory settings and reload 7500 songs last night.

Thanks Apple!

Man - your experience with Apple is absolute shit. I can't explain it...I'm no apple-fanboy, but my experience hasn't been anywhere near that painful.

[Ksyrup]

It all ties back to that shitty iTunes program.

I should have just bought that damn Cowon X7. Open source, can drop/drag files freely back and forth just like my phone. My problems are probably caused by the negative energy I emit every time I realize I have to interface with iTunes.

[Alan T]

Yeah, same here. Just updated to the new Iphone OS this morning, and no problems at all. I backed up my phone, started the update and took my daughter out to the bus stop. By the time her bus came, I was back inside and my phone is all updated and ready to use with all my apps and music still on there.

[Subby]

Originally Posted by Galaxy

[Subby]

Ok maybe not better maps.

[Easy Mac]

I tried 6 times to update over wifi and it wouldn't let me. I finally got to my computer and tried it there. First time my phone bricked. Luckily it had backed up before I upgraded, so I went ahead and restored everything, so nothing was lost. Took about an hour and a half, so I was without a working phone for that long.

The new OS is a little faster, but maps and passbook are useless.

[Daimyo]

I'm not upgrading until (if) Google's maps app is accepted to the app store...

[Peregrine]

Yeah same here - I use the maps enough that it's an essential feature - not upgrading until I hear (and believe) that the issues are resolved, or until I can get Google's maps.

[DaddyTorgo]

Originally Posted by Daimyo

I'm not upgrading until (if) Google's maps app is accepted to the app store...

You can always just get google maps on the web and set a bookmark to it on your home screen.

[M GO BLUE!!!]

My iPod touch is iOS 4.3.5. When I updated to 5.0 I found that it didn't like playlists larger than 10 GB or so at all & was mutch slower. Apple gave me a new ipod with 4.3.5 on it. They wanted me to update to 5.0 to see if it did the same thing, but I never got a guarantee that i would get another with 4.3.5. I told them if they wanted to send me one with 5.0 preloaded i would test it for them. No dice. So I never updated this one.

The problem i had with 5.0 was the first problem I had with an iPod. It has made me extremely leery over whether I ever want to buy a new ipod or iPhone, as if the attitude about an iPod is that playing music is so far down the list of what they need to get right... (I'm also frightened about any iTunes updates)

[Easy Mac]

Anyone else with horrible battery life on the 4s since upgrading?

[terpkristin]

Anybody here tried updating an iPhone 4 to iOS6? I'm likely getting a 5 when my contract is up in November, but kinda hesitant to update from iOS 5 to 6 on my 4...

Kinda want to know impressions from others...

/tk

[wade moore]

Originally Posted by terpkristin

Anybody here tried updating an iPhone 4 to iOS6? I'm likely getting a 5 when my contract is up in November, but kinda hesitant to update from iOS 5 to 6 on my 4...

Kinda want to know impressions from others...

/tk

I did it on Thursday and have had no problems besides one app (TapTalk) that seems to have problems working, but I do not believe has had an iOS6 update for the app itself.

[dawgfan]

Originally Posted by terpkristin

Anybody here tried updating an iPhone 4 to iOS6? I'm likely getting a 5 when my contract is up in November, but kinda hesitant to update from iOS 5 to 6 on my 4...

Kinda want to know impressions from others...

/tk

I updated mine as soon as it came out and didn't notice any technical issues. There's obviously the annoyance of Apple's war with Google which necessitates downloading the Google YouTube app and bookmarking Google Maps in Safari to get around the inferior new Apple maps app.

On the plus side, I like the ability to go full screen in Safari, and I've noticed some nice improvements in some of my apps that have been updated for iOS6.

[Ben E Lou]

Originally Posted by Easy Mac

Anyone else with horrible battery life on the 4s since upgrading?

{raises hand}

[INDalltheway]

Just sold my 16gb iPhone 4 on eBay for $253.67. I paid $300 and some change for my new 32gb iPhone 5. Yeah, I'm feeling good.

[Chubby]

Originally Posted by Easy Mac

Well, I can answer for Verizon. Until earlier this year, unlimited data plans were grandfathered in. Now, If I want an iphone 5, or any other LTE phone, I have to drop my unlimited data plan.

I pay $130 pre-taxes for 2 iphone 4s phones with unlimited data, unlimited text, and unlimited talk.

If I want an iphone 5, for $130 I get unlimited text, unlimited talk, and 1 GB of data to share with my wife.

For comparison, my wife used 1/2 gig last month, she's on pace for about that much this month. I used 5 gigs last month, and am on pace for about 6 this month. So I'd probably need to get an 8 gig shared plan, just to cover myself. That's an extra $40 a month (pre-taxes), so an extra $500 a year.

I believe you can buy it unsubsidized ad not have to switch plans

[terpkristin]

I did the upgrade of my 4 and it went relatively painlessly. Thanks to the folks here for giving me the confidence to do so.

/tk

[Marc Vaughan]

Is it ok if I pop in here to rant about AT&T, apparently they fulfill pre-orders after they sell out the stock they received which mystifies me .... and is why I'm still waiting for my pre-ordered iPhone5 ..... grrrr.

(to be frank I'm not particularly excited by the phone, but I do kinda need it to get FMH2013 working on it)

[Glengoyne]

I have to say that I loved the Samsung commercials about all of the people in line for their iPhones. Especially the hipster "just holding a spot" in the Apple line for his parents.

Good stuff.

[kingfc22]

Originally Posted by INDalltheway

Just sold my 16gb iPhone 4 on eBay for $253.67. I paid $300 and some change for my new 32gb iPhone 5. Yeah, I'm feeling good.

Man you reeled in a sucker.

I got $250 for a 32GB iPhone 4.

My wife's iPhone 4 is currently at $175, but that auction has a few days left so I hope some people get into a battle towards the end.

[BrianD]

Is there a real benefit to upgrade an iPhone 4 or an iPad 2 with iOS 6? They both seem to miss out on some of the bigger benefits, so I am wondering if this will do anything other than slow them down?

[Mota]

Originally Posted by Marc Vaughan

Is it ok if I pop in here to rant about AT&T, apparently they fulfill pre-orders after they sell out the stock they received which mystifies me .... and is why I'm still waiting for my pre-ordered iPhone5 ..... grrrr.

(to be frank I'm not particularly excited by the phone, but I do kinda need it to get FMH2013 working on it)

Oh the same happened to me last year with Rogers in Canada. They had a pre-order page online, you get notification and the phone is sent to your nearest store. The store even referred me to this page to ensure I got one.

Then on launch day I go into the Rogers later in the day for an unrelated matter, and find out that they had shipped units for the shelves and so preordering was actually a disadvantage.

[stevew]

Originally Posted by Glengoyne

I have to say that I loved the Samsung commercials about all of the people in line for their iPhones. Especially the hipster "just holding a spot" in the Apple line for his parents.

Good stuff.

Yeah. Those are awesome.

[Groundhog]

Originally Posted by Easy Mac

Anyone else with horrible battery life on the 4s since upgrading?

Ahh yes, the infamous Apple OS upgrade, where they release a new version at the launch of a new product that degrades the performance of the previous models...

[Mota]

My 4S battery life is horrible now. My son asks "can I use your iPhone?", plays some games on it for 30 minutes, and I'm down to 56% battery. It's insane.

[stevew]

So I'm heading that the 5's Lightning port is so proprietary that there may be no way to make cheap cords? I have maybe 6 cords throughout the house and cars...there's no way anyone in this house upgrades If they cost $30 a pop.

[MIJB#19]

Ah, bummer. I was hoping the complaints on the web about iOS6 were just the usual 'there's always angry people', but the posts in this thread convince me there are real problems with upgrading.

[Professor58]

Not seeing what you get with iOS6 for the Ipad2, seems more is taking away.

[dawgfan]

Originally Posted by stevew

So I'm heading that the 5's Lightning port is so proprietary that there may be no way to make cheap cords? I have maybe 6 cords throughout the house and cars...there's no way anyone in this house upgrades If they cost $30 a pop.

Off-brand adapters are already showing up on Amazon.com (and elsewhere). And yes, this stuff could be junk trying to scam early adopters.

Still, I have a hard time believing that with the huge demand there will be for this stuff that Apple will be able to totally prevent other companies from offering much cheaper versions of these cables & adapters. I'm keeping my eye on Monoprice to see if they come up with adapters, and I'll keep tabs on my friends to see if they take the plunge on any of the cheap adapters already being sold, and if that gear is any good.

[stevew]

I see the off brand stuff as well, but I'm cautiously waiting until it becomes a bit clearer whether that stuff actually works. I mean, right now I can get like a 6pack of okay quality cords for the 4 shipped for maybe 8 bucks. If they break, I still have more left.

[dawgfan]

Originally Posted by stevew

I see the off brand stuff as well, but I'm cautiously waiting until it becomes a bit clearer whether that stuff actually works. I mean, right now I can get like a 6pack of okay quality cords for the 4 shipped for maybe 8 bucks. If they break, I still have more left.

Yeah, until stuff shows up on Monoprice, I'm going to wait for my friends to be the guinea-pigs on the stuff showing up right now

[samifan24]

Word is that the Apple Lightning cord contains a microchip which allows the cord to sync, charge, etc. based on what it's plugged into. I thought I read somewhere that aftermarket cables won't contain the chip and therefore won't be as versatile (they'll only charge).

[RainMaker]

I think some of the map stuff is overblown. The new Apple maps does suck, just as Google maps sucked in 2005. It takes a long time to build a reliable system and gather enough data from users. But it's overblown because there are really good alternatives to it and Google maps.

Mapquest is just as good as Google maps and is free. Garmin has an app too for navigation that is like 99 cents. And Waze is an amazing free app that everyone should have too.

Not downplaying how bad Apple maps is, just pointing out that there are a lot of good alternatives. I was more pissed about Apple dropping the YouTube app for the iPad.

[Pyser]

the biggest problem i have with the new maps is the lack of traffic updates. a few red dashes doesnt convey enough info, compared to the red/yellow/green google maps system. i used that multiple times a day in la.

[Ben E Lou]

Originally Posted by Easy Mac

Anyone else with horrible battery life on the 4s since upgrading?

Originally Posted by Ben E Lou

{raises hand}

Originally Posted by Groundhog

Ahh yes, the infamous Apple OS upgrade, where they release a new version at the launch of a new product that degrades the performance of the previous models...

Originally Posted by Mota

My 4S battery life is horrible now. My son asks "can I use your iPhone?", plays some games on it for 30 minutes, and I'm down to 56% battery. It's insane.

Went to the local apple store on Saturday and this is now resolved for me. Diagnostics determined that it was never really going to sleep, and it was running at a higher than normal temperature because some of the apps weren't truly "closing." They did a complete system reset and had me reload all my apps, and I'm back in business. They told me *NOT* to restore from a backup, though, because the problem was likely embedded in the backup. According to the duuuuuuuuude that helped me, it wasn't any sort of malware--I suppose because Apple products don't get malware, according to their worshipful minions. He did tell me to reload all of my apps (no concern about the problem being in one of the apps,) and not to restore the backup that contained the non-malware problem, though.

Bottom line: a full reset seems to have resolved the battery issue and another issue I was having with apps crashing.

[dawgfan]

The inability to truly close an app on iOS without rebooting it is annoying. I've had a few apps (mostly games) that would effectively crash on me, and the only way to get the app to work properly would be to reboot the phone.