O'Grady's PowerPage

Tag: April

  • T-Mobile sells 500,000 iPhones in first 30 days, sees first subscriber growth in four years

    T-Mobile and the iPhone seem to be getting along just fine, even in the first stages of the relationship.

    Per 9to5Mac, wireless carrier T-Mobile just released its first earnings report since it started officially carrying the iPhone on April 12th and ‘coincidentally’ the first where it has picked up customers in 17 quarters. The carrier had accumulated 2.1M iPhone users without even carrying the iPhone up until it launched in April, which is up from 1 million in 2011.

    T-Mobile tallied approximately 500,000 iPhone 5 sales in the first 30 days which is stronger than you might initially imagine, especially off a launch cycle. Other US carriers who have reported iPhone sales in the millions over 3 months note that about half of their sales are iPhone 5 (the other half are the cheaper iPhone 4 and 4S models).

    The US #4 carrier saw its subscriber base increase by 579,000 customers, a number likely directly correlated to iPhone sales. In addition, T-Mobile will be adding 9 million MetroPCS users over the coming quarters to its ranks. T-Mobile also ran into some legal problems last month and was forced to change its marketing terminology with regards to ‘no-contract plans’ and was forced to offer customers refunds.

    If you’ve snagged an iPhone running on the T-Mobile network and have any feedback to offer about the experience, please let us know in the comments.

  • Apple seeds third OS X 10.8.4 beta to developer community

    OS X 10.8.4 is en route.

    It’ll just be in beta for a bit longer.

    Per AppleInsider, Apple on Wednesday seeded build 12E33a of OS X 10.8.4 maintenance update to developers, with the latest beta coming a little over one week after the build 12E30 went out for testing in early April.

    Mountain Lion’s latest build comes with no known issues and once again asks testers to focus on Wi-Fi, Graphics Drivers and Safari.

    In the last beta build 12E30, code was discovered mentioning the 802.11ac “Gigabit” wireless protocol, suggesting that Apple could be making preparations to launch compatible hardware in the near future.

    Wednesday’s release is the third beta build release for OS X 10.8.4. Developers can access the most recent seed through the Mac App Store’s Software Update mechanism, a feature first seen with the OS X 10.8.3 beta builds.

    If you’ve gotten your mitts on the new build and have any feedback to offer about it, please let us know in the comments.

  • Apple extends replacement program for MacBook bottom case, bumps claim period from two to four years

    You remember Apple’s somewhat-weird polycarbonate MacBook with the rubber bottom?

    And how the rubber bottom had its own oddities?

    Well, Apple’s extending the coverage period on said weird rubber bottom.

    Per MacRumors, Apple last week quietly made a change to its program regarding defective MacBook bottom cases, extending the coverage period from two years after purchase to four years.


    macbookrubber

    The program’s extension comes as the original end-by date quickly approaches, and now gives affected MacBook owners four years from the original purchase date to make a claim.

    In May of 2011, Apple initiated the bottom case replacement program for MacBooks shipped between October 2009 and April 2011, citing an issue in which the non-slip rubber bottom of the polycarbonate MacBook would separate from the chassis. Variations of Apple’s rubber design can be found in current generation products like the Mac mini and AirPort Extreme.

    Under the terms, which will remain unchanged, Apple will replace any affected unit free of charge, regardless of warranty status.

    Apple will continue to offer three options for case replacement: an appointment with an Apple Genius at an Apple Retail Store; repair through an Authorized Service Provider; and a do-it-yourself kit that includes all materials and instructions needed to replace the component.

    The company notes that last week’s extension may not be the last, as it will continue to evaluate the service data and provide further program supplementation if deemed necessary.

  • T-Mobile firmware update to bring Visual Voicemail, LTE access to unlocked iPhone 5 units on carrier’s network

    Never doubt a nifty firmware update.

    Per TmoNews, a software update released this past Friday will give iPhone 5 users on T-Mobile access to the carrier’s LTE network, in addition to adding a number of other features like Visual Voicemail

    T-Mobile on Friday updated its support forums to detail the new features the carrier update will bring. All eligible iPhones using a T-Mobile SIM card will now have access to Visual Voicemail, the Commercial Mobile Alert System, and LTE connectivity on T-Mobile’s AWS spectrum for iPhone 5 users.

    The update also brings HD Voice to T-Mobile iPhone 5 users, and it contains device/network optimizations that will improve battery life.

    The update is restricted to iPhones running iOS 6.1.x or higher. Rumors of the update leaked earlier this month, and it has rolled out as predicted.

    T-Mobile’s network currently hosts roughly two million iPhone customers using unlocked devices, adding about 100,000 more per month. The carrier will begin officially carrying Apple’s smartphone on April 12, with a 16GB iPhone 5 available for US$99. Pre-orders for the device began on Friday.

    Stay tuned for additional details as they become available.

  • iPhone 5 now available for pre-order through T-Mobile

    There’s nothing wrong with a good pre-order via an upcoming iPhone carrier.

    Per 9to5Mac, customers will be able to order the iPhone 5 on T-Mobile’s newly revamped “un-carrier” unlimited plans for a carrier-exclusive low price.

    Along with the low down payment on the pre-order comes a two-year financing plan that totals US$579.99, which is US$70 cheaper than purchasing the phone unlocked. Plans start at US$50 per month for 500MB of high-speed data and throttled data afterward, while US$70 per month gets unlimited high-speed data.

    Following the pre-orders this week, all models of the iPhone will be available for immediate purchase on April 12. Customers who purchase a new iPhone 5 through Apple or T-Mobile will be able to take advantage of T-Mobile’s speedy LTE network in markets where it is available, but those who use older AT&T or unlocked iPhone 5 models will need to install an over-the-air update to do so (and won’t get all the AWS HSPA bands without new hardware). T-Mobile also announced that the updated iPhone 5 will receive HD Voice service in a future software upgrade.

    Stay tuned for additional details as they become available.