The news is spreading quickly today to disappointed iPhone users who were highly anticipating next month’s debut of iPad: You won’t be able to tether, or piggyback, your 3G data service to the new tablet device.
So iPhone users would have to pay twice for 3G coverage from AT&T.
Did Apple Chief Steve Jobs make an official announcement? Not exactly.
The question has been on the minds of millions of iPhone users, but one man in Sweden supposedly got the official word on the iPhone-iPad burning question – and the word was a very terse “No” that came via email. That’s it. Just “No.”
Jezper Söderlund, a self-described long-time Apple fan, asked in his email: Will the WiFi-only version somehow support tethering thru my iPhone?
9to5Mac has posted Jezper’s complete email with the response, including the email header information that seems to verify that the response came from Apple. And possibly Jobs himself, if indeed he monitors and responds himself to such emailed questions.
So, iPhone users hoping to purchase the WiFi-only, cheaper iPad and tether 3G Internet access may rethink buying the new device. Moreover, buying the more expensive 3G-ready iPad would still require a separate AT&T data plan.
Is AT&T trying to salvage bandwidth issues blamed on iPhone users? Possibly, but if one has both an iPhone and an iPad, will they be tapping into their 3G plan simultaneously?
Apple announced yesterday that the iPad will go on sale April 3 for the starting price of $499.
The simple “No” from Jobs/Apple leaves some questions unanswered. Primarily: What about a credit for iPhone users? For example, 25 percent off an iPad data plan.
Stay tuned. Or watch out for the next email from Jobs.
AT&T is driving business to Sprint.
The hack to allow teathering has been available for some time in the older phone os on youtube.
This hack did not even violate the warrenty as the ability has always been in the software, it is only the lack of AT&T support that has limited the function.
I suspect the tethering hack will be all over the place very soon.
I, myself, have an ‘Overdirve” from Sprint that I use for my business. This gives me 4G service now for as many as six devices (5 wireless+1if a cable is used) so I will buy a a wifi iPad and ditch my ‘ton o bricks’ model HP laptop for business travel. I travel a lot and I am a CEO so I would also like to say that all the pundits predicting that the iPad will not be used in business are 100% wrong. I am the very typical face of a businessman and will have an iPad wifi asap. The IT department reports to me, not me to them.
Jobs has changed the face of computing for the most of us, again. He has finally invented the “noncomputer computer” and that is why all the techies are running scared. Their positions of superiority seated in their mastery of jargon and unimportant details is about to rendered impotent to the rest of us, the bulk of us, who just care about function and content. Jobs has positioned his company to master both of these. The masses of us have and will respond by increasingly buying his products and services.
“Kiss your, computing world, goodbye”. It has never worked to my satisfaction (except when using apple products).
I am gladly lining up for my place in the Apple cloud. Thank you Mr. Jobs.