• Read more about AT&T Disappoints iPad/iPhone Power Users Yet Again

AT&T just announced new iPhone/ iPad wireless pricing plans which while costing more for future iPad power users, had some ray of hope: iPhone tethering. That meant you could now connect to the Internet from your iPad (whether from a WiFi-only model or a 3G model) using your iPhone's data plan. Or so we thought.

Techflash is reporting that an AT&T spokesperson told them via email that iPhone-to-iPad tethering won't be possible and mentioned something about the iPad not having USB ports. (AT&T are also saying it's an iPad/ iPhone issue, not their policy.) Sounds kind of unusual. The iPhone also has no USB port. How are other wireless devices to tether from the iPhone? This of course means that the iPhone will not have a "Mobile Hotspot" feature, unlike Android phones and Palm Pre Plus.

John Gruber of Daring Fireball suggested that the good outweighs the bad in AT&T's new iPhone/ iPad data pricing, but I'm really not so sure, in light of this -- at least not for a power user like myself. Let's look at some numbers. My iPhone costs me $70/mth (phone + data costs) to get online and has a 5GB/mth cap. Maybe I don't use all of that cap on my iPhone like AT&T says, but I expected to use close to 5GB or more than that on my future iPad 3G (I have a WiFi-only model right now). After the cost of the iPad 3G, I'd have to pay $25/mth for 2GB, plus $10/GB overage. So for 5GB, that's $55, but only if I use that much data.

On the other hand, my Palm Pre Plus costs me $80/m for phone and data, with a 5GB cap and free Mobile Hotspot. I can connect any 5 wireless devices to the Internet with the Mobile Hotspot feature. Yes, it's expensive in comparison, especially if I don't use my cap every month. Other "personal WiFi" options cost anywhere from $40-60/month, according to my research, with typical 5GB/month data caps -- though who knows if this will change.

For now, it does seem that non-power users are getting a better deal with AT&T's new pricing plans -- though power users (i.e., many early adopters) are being cheated out of what was promised: unlimited 3G for $30/mth. And even if AT&T says it's Apple's fault re iPhone-to-iPad tethering, I'm not sure everyone is going to view it that way. AT&T is the bearer of bad news in this case, and will be perceived as such, at least until there's more clarity as to what iPhone tethering means, what exactly you can do with it and what you can't.

• Read more about Reviewing Apple's Increased Mobile Device Market Share

Since the launch of both the WiFi-only and 3G models of the iPad, Apple has sold about 2M units in less than 2 months, and they're sold out at many of their Apple retail stores - proving that there is a market for tablet devices and thus a need for more apps. But will these sales levels be sustained past the current hype? Retrevo did a Pulse Report study [via Mashable] of over 1,000 respondents about consumer attitudes towards tablet computers and e-readers and over 50% said they're not interested in making such a purchase. Of non-iPad owners surveyed, over half said that they don't need one.

Let's look at some other stats. At an average of 1M units/month, they can easily top 8M units this year, beating out estimates of 5-7M units for 2010. The overall market for web-enabled tablet computing devices is estimated to hit over $8B by 2015, despite Retrevo's study. Such contradictions often exist, and sometimes it's a matter of creating the need or at least the desire. Apple managed it with iPods -- I remember being part of a group of people that held out. I in fact never bought an iPod but both won a Shuffle and was given an iPod as a gift. The latter ceased to function after a year of heavy use; I'd fallen in love with it. Can Apple repeat their iPod success and make people fall in love with iPads, even when they don't need them? (I believe so.)

Apple is already leading Android with  mobile devices in general. According to AdMob (which Google just purchased), iPhone OS-based devices are leading Android OS-based devices in the U.S. by more than a 2 to 1 ratio. Worldwide, the ratio is 3.5 to 1 in favor of iPhone OS. (With market advantages like this, is it any wonder that Apple stock price predictions for 2010 -- made in Dec 2009 - Jan 2010 -- suggest a $250-300 range?)

Whether Apple is maintaining any lead in the tablet market is hard to say without actually figures, given that tablet computer have existed for a while. Where Apple is lagging is with iPad-specific apps compared to iPhone-specific apps. Developers had to work with only a software simulator for the first round of apps accepted by Apple for the Apr 3, 2010, launch of the iPad. That probably hindered development significantly, and my own observation is that many such iPad-specific apps crash on occasion.

So if Apple can reboot the tablet computer market and create a demand, there'll be room for loads more iPad-specific apps and maybe even 3rd-party peripheral devices. Whether or not that means the possibility of Windows-based tools such as Microsoft Visual Studio 2010 or Silverlight Web application plug-in for developing iPad/ iPhone apps remains to be seen. For now it seems it's not the case, even with suggestions for Apple to be more open.

• Read more about Joy of Skype Over 3G on iPhone Will Be Short-Lived

Skype is finally going to be available over 3G on the iPhone, but it's going to cost all of us who've been waiting.

Skype-to-Skype calls might be free from your computer or enabled VoIP phone, but that's not going to be the case with the iPhone. At least, not after the end of August. After that, if you want to make a Skype-to-Skype call from your iPhone, there'll be a monthly fee. As if that's not a downer for iPhone owners who were looking forward to this Skype feature, AT&T just changed its data plan pricing. Even if there was no monthly Skype-to-Skype 3G fee, AT&T's new plan makes it less cost effective. (Without doing a detailed calculation, it's hard to say by how much.)

This double whammy of cost is likely to dissuade Skype-to-Skype 3G calls on the iPhone, so my guess is that Skype is charging the monthly fee because they have to pay off carriers.

Notes: The Next Web.

• Read more about Apple's iPhone Manufacturer to Increase Wages

Foxconn, the Chinese company that manufactures Apple's iPhone has had over a dozen suicides either on its premises or from the homes of workers. The why of this is still being investigated, but so far it's chalked up to high-pressure, low wages. As a result of this, Silicon Valley Watcher's Tom Foremski asks whether it's time for a "Fair Trade" iPhone

Foxconn's Taiwanese parent company Hon Hai has promised a 20% raise to all 420,000 employees, but says that this has nothing to do with the suicides and does not address the reportedly sweatshop-like work conditions at Foxconn. Foxconn had been playing Buddhist music, presumably to soothe workers, and apparently went as far as sending a letter to employees asking them not to kill themselves, which they retracted. In addition to manufacturing iPhones for Apple, it produces devices and components for Dell and HP.

• Read more about Mobomo Mobisphere Roundup -- May 29, 2010

The mobile tech rumor mill suggests that Apple might open up iPhone/ iPad development to tools on the Windows PC environment, and for that reason, Microsoft's Steve Ballmer will appear at Apple's WWDC keynote next week. But Microsoft's officially Twitter channel says it's not true. What might be true, on the other hand, is that Microsoft's Bing search engine could become the default one for the iPhone OS.

Meanwhile, a U.S. Justice Dept probe is looking at how Apple does business with non-music media businesses. Apple's market capitalization just passed Microsoft's this week, and a recent complaint from Adobe has already triggered an anti-competitive practices probe.

Probes take time and in the meantime, it's pretty clear that Apple will be announcing a new iPhone some time in June -- an iPhone that'll be leaps and bounds, technologically, ahead of the last generation, in order to support all the new features that appear in iPhone OS 4.x.

Digitimes Research has a Q&A with senior analyst Ming-Chi Kuo about some of the iPhone rumors, but the existence of a new phone is not a rumor. In fact, BGR says in two-line post that AT&T has already confirmed to their employees that there is a new iPhone in June.

Unfortunately for consumers, AT&T seems to be upping the cost of ownership. While the new phone itself is possible going to cost only $18 to upgrade to from an older iPhone, AT&T's ETF (early termination fee) for all smartphones has increased from $175 to $325.

BGR also says that AT&T is launching a new iPhone insurance plan that costs a ridiculous $13.99 and launches in June. That's nearly half the cost of the data plan. There's also a deductible fee to be paid, for some claims. Are they expecting an increase in thefts and planning to capitalize? Or are they losing exclusivity and trying to come up with new revenue streams?  Or maybe both? Considering that AT&T claims that 40% of iPhone sales are to business users, businesses might in fact approve the insurance rates and write them off against profits.

Oddly enough, this insurance is supposed to be available in the Apple App Store, but you have to sign up within 30 days of purchasing or upgrading to a new iPhone. In case you don't feel like doing the math, that's nearly $170/year in premiums.

• Read more about Don't Hold Your Breath for a Verizon or Sprint iPhone

A lot of changes are happening in the iPhone area, and there's a ton of speculation about what's coming for the 4th-gen iPhone.

Firstly, the 8GB iPhone 3GS might be on it's way out of production. The Apple.com site no longer allows it to be selected as an option to view details about. Speculation is that it will be replaced with another $99 iPhone, possibly a version of the upcoming 4th-gen iPhone. However, Wal-Mart plans to sell the 16GB model at $97, starting yesterday.

Of course, there's also speculation about whether any other American carriers will get the iPhone. First it was Verizon getting it,and now rumors suggest that Sprint might get the next-gen iPhone, aka iPhone HD, in June. However, an analyst at Piper Jaffray says that this is unlikely. Apple Outsider also gives an interesting technical explanation for why a Verizon iPhone is probably unlikely any time soon. (Note: Apple Outsider's Matt Drance is, if I'm not mistaken, a recently former Apple employee who appeared in some of the iPhone development how-to videos.) AT&T's exclusivity contract is said to be ending, but I believe it's not for a couple of months yet.

• Read more about 10 Confirmed or Possible Features for 4th-Gen iPhone

We all probably know by now that another generation of iPhone is coming and that it'll have numerous new features. Some of these features will catch Apple up with other handset manufactures, but other features will put them ahead of everyone else.

Foxconn, Apple's Chinese manufacturer of the iPhone, will apparently ship 24M units of the next generation of the smartphone. The new phone is likely to be announced on Jun 7, 2010, during Apple's WWDC (Worldwide Developers Conference), and Foxconn will ship close to 5M units before H1 2010, with the rest of the units from July-Dec. Given that the 1st half of 2010 ends Jun 30th, I'm guessing that there's an expectation of selling 5M units in June. Given that AT&T is offering an $18 upgrade fee from older iPhones, I wouldn't be surprised if they exceed 5M units. Note: Unwired View thinks
the phone will be announced Jun 22nd, but that leaves a little over a week to move 5M units. I'd put my money on Jun 7, with a faster release to markets outside the U.S. than is the case for the iPad. (The iPad becomes available in Canada and select other countries this Friday, May 28th.)

Digitimes Research is saying that the gen-4 iPhone will boast a screen resolution of 960x640, which if correct is 4 times that of the current iPhones (480x320). Inside will be an "Arm Cortex A8 processor and a 512MB memory module." However, other sites have speculated on the same A4 chip that is inside the iPad, as well 256MB of RAM, and possibly 128MB of storage, thanks to recently available, less expensive 64GB flash memory modules. It'll like have a longer battery life as well -- which will be necessary to power video chat on the go.

Confirmed New Features

Now in addition to features on the next-gen iPhone that we've recently discussed, and other openly confirmed and discussed features such as app folders and third-party multi-tasking, here are some recently revealed features:

1. Utilities folder on the default home screen containing the clock, calculator compass, and voice memo apps.
2. Tethering support. This was available in OS 3.0 but never offered. While the ability is there again in OS 4.0, AT&T or other carriers will not necessarily offer it. But if they do, you can finally connect your iPad WiFi-only model, or any WiFi device, for that matter, when you need to get online. That'd be a definite plus, as the Palm Pre Plus Mobile Hotspot feature that I use currently for my iPad is only as good as the battery life, which is maybe 2-2.5 hours while in use. If the new iPhone's battery has a longer life, that'll be a huge plus.
3. Screen lock, just like on the iPad, so that the screen doesn't rotate on you if you're lying down.
4. CDMA version, presumably for Rogers Canada, but possibly also for Verizon USA.

There will likely be many other features revealed this week and next -- or until the phone gets announced.

Potential New Features

By "potential feature" I mean that a feature is either supported by evidence but not confirmed by Apple, or it's a feature that may not be available in OS 4.0 but rather in upgrades down the road, or finally a plausible feature that has been rumored by one site or another.

1. Colors. Possibly as many as 5 case colors, though pictures of rumored prototypes show only black and white so far.
2. Video chat. Apparently the director of the movie American Beauty (Kevin Spacey, Mena Suvari), Sam Mendes, will be directing a series of commercials for the next iPhone, and Engadget says that a "trusted source" that one scene will have a simulated video chat between a mother and a daughter. It's not like we didn't already know it was coming, with all the evidence out there (including a video calls debugging feature), but this sort of thing helps cement the reality.
3. Front- and back-facing cameras, to maintain current camera abilities and to support video chat.
4. Camera flash, to light up dark environments.
5. Redesigned architecture and footprint: Thinner frame, larger battery, larger screen resolution.
6. Contextual advertising, local coupons, temporary location apps.

Of course, some of the above is still essentially speculation until the official announcement. We'll all just have to wait and see.

• Read more about Mobomo Mobisphere Roundup -- May 24, 2010

There's been yet another "leak" of a possible prototype of the 4th-gen Apple iPhone. A photo (above) shows both a black and a white phone with larger screens. Given all the rumors and SDK evidence, it seems obvious that the OS 4 iPhone will have video calling and the larger screen resolution necessary to pull that off.

Fortunately, in just 2 weeks, all the speculation will be put to rest when Apple's 5-day WWDC (Worldwide Developers Conference) kicks off on Jun 7th. Steve Jobs will start the event off with a keynote address to over 5,000 developers at the sold-out event. There's an email circulating around the Web that's supposedly from Jobs telling someone that "you won't be disappointed," in reference to what he's probably planning to announce at the conference. I.e., probably the new iPhone, other features of the new SDK, and a mention of the countries where the iPad will by then be available.

What Jobs might not know is the new but celebrated iPad hasn't only been banned in some countries but also in New York's Yankee Stadium of all places. Apparently the stadium's security policy considers the iPad to be in the laptop category, and laptops are not allowed in the stadium.

Has anyone told Yankee Stadium security that even the TSA (Transportation Safety Authority) differentiates between iPads and laptops? That's actually a very disappointing fact. If more venues ban iPads, then carrying a tablet computer around might not become a common practice. I carry my iPad with me wherever I go, almost without fail. Now if I'm driving, I could always leave my iPad hidden somewhere, but if I'm walking or taking public transit -- which is very likely in New York -- then what am I supposed to do with it? Considering London will have full Wi-Fi access for the 20102 Olympics, I'm guessing they won't be banning the iPad at venues there. Well, given that many Apple stores are sold out of the iPad, especially the 3G model, I'm guessing not a lot of people are going to be worried about this sort of ban, at least for now.

Is Apple stealing the market? Google announced last week that they were shutting down their online store and now Nokia is closing their flagship New York store. The Chicago store, on the other hand, is not closing. Wait a minute; doesn't New York have a larger population than Chicago? Wouldn't it make more sense to do the closing the other way around?

AT&T just got the Palm Pre Plus, but they're charging $150 for it despite Verizon's lower price. However, if you're a new AT&T customer, you can get the phone for $50, but without the free Palm Touchstone charging dock. AT&T's Pixi Plus will be available Jun 6th, to join the new AT&T Palm Pre Plus. The free Touchstone charge deal doesn't apply to the Pixi Plus [Engadget]. If you get any smartphone from AT&T, be forewarned that they've increased the early termination fee from $175 to $325, effective Jun 1st -- whether you're a new subscriber or renewing your service.

The U.S. FTC finally approved Google's purchase of mobile ad network AdMob Inc. While it took them six months to approve, the decision was partly to do with Apple's own purchase of ad network Quattro Wireless. If I'm not mistaken, Apple's purchase will result in their iAd network, announced at the same event earlier this year where Steve Jobs revealed some of the features that iPhone OS 4 would have.

The iPad might have a very long lasting battery but most smartphones seem to fizzle out in just a couple of hours of use. For example, the Palm Pre Plus I bought for it's Mobile Hotspot feature (to power my WiFi-only iPad), has a battery that dies long, long before the iPad. But Google's Larry Page recently said that if your Android-powered device isn't lasting a day, there's something wrong with your apps.

• Read more about Mobomo Mobisphere Roundup -- May 21, 2010

This is a stream-of-consciousness roundup of news in the mobile platform space from the past week. It covers Apple, Palm, Android and the mobile platform in general.

iPad sales in 2010 in the U.S. might hit 8M units, up from a previous estimate of 5M units [MacRumors]. Obviously, the international release is going to play a big factor in this, but at least iPad apps are now available internationally [Engadget]. Tablet devices in general could go from 7.6M units in 2010 to 46M units in 2014, according to IDC research [IDC]. To qualify as a "tablet" in IDC's research, a mobile device must have a 7-12 inches in diagonal screen size and have no physical keyboard. IDC compares that figure to the nearly 400M portable PCs that they expect will ship in 2014. Also noteworthy is that while U.S. Mac sales were up nearly 40% [Fortune] in April 2010, iPads are outselling Macs [All Things Digital], are nearing iPhone sales levels, and are taking away iPod sales [Silicon Alley Insider].

iPad and general tablet device sales might be up, but DisplaySearch says that 376M touchscreen phones shipped in 2009 [Mobile Entertainment News]. Gartner Research says that mobile phone sales worldwide grew 17% in just Q1 2010 [Gartner]. With this rapid sales growth, it's a bit refreshing to know that an extensive study does not conclusively tie cell phones to cancer [Bloomberg BusinessWeek]. Though unfortunately that doesn't mean they don't [Mobile Burn]

The number of Android-powered devices that Google is activating daily has increased from 30,000 last year to 100,000 now [TechCrunch]. Other news: there are now over 50K apps in the Android Marketplace, and with Google officially announcing Android 2.2 (Froyo) [MobileCrunch], that will increase. A couple of welcome changes with 2.2 include Internet tethering for carriers that choose to support it, and the ability to install apps on the SD card [PC World]. Google's Android 3, aka Gingerbread, will be released in Q4 2010 [MobileBurn], thought it might actually be numbered as 2.3 or 2.5.

Adobe has revealed Flash 10.1 for Android-based mobile devices [Mashable], with the intent of showing Steve Jobs he's wrong, that Flash can work smoothly on mobile phones [BusinessWeek]. Jobs' issues with Flash is that it's slow, power hungry, not touchscreen-enabled, and would cause mobile apps to crash. Now if they succeed in proving their point, and Jobs' does rescind his ban, it still might be a year before iPhone OS devices get Flash, if ever. (Rumor is that Apple Mac computers will also stop supporting Adobe Flash, which is a serious disappointment to me as an Apple products owner and tech evangelist. While the fact is that Flash does crash regularly on both my PC and Mac, I'd still like the choice to view Flash-enabled Web sites, considering Hulu has yet to adopt the HTML5/ H.264 video format.)

• Read more about iPhone As Car Remote on a Nissan Leaf

The Nissan Leaf is an electric car that'll be getting an iPhone app with two initial features: letting you know when it's all charged up, and allowing you to control the in-car climate. It'll be interesting to see what comes next for the app, but there are a whole host of possibilities, including using paying for parking, finding the car easily in large parking lots, and much more.

Now if Apple goes ahead and adds NFC (Near-Field Communication, a close cousin to RFID) chips to the next generations of iPhones -- which some recent patents hint at -- there are additional possibilities, including being able to lock and unlock your car with your iPhone, and maybe even remote starting, for those colder days.

In short, the iPhone becomes a car remote control unit. Unfortunately, all the computerized features in cars today mean hacker attacks on your car might increase in the future, and smartphone integration aids the proces.

Nissan is not the only car maker with iPhone integration in the works, though Ford was recently told it'll have to wait a year to get the necessary communications chip from Apple, for it's Sync system.

[Via: MobileCrunch]