Re: The iPhone thread
 

Talking about being futureproof and the frequencies most providers will get will not be compatible with this device.

Re: The iPhone thread
 

I doubt they will even on the iPhone 6. Apple won't make a variant just for o2 and Vodaphone UK.

Re: The iPhone thread
 

Other than EE (which does support the iPhone 5's 4G LTE), we won't have 4G LTE in the UK for another year or more, by which time there'll be an iPhone 5S that presumably will support the bands being auctioned by Ofcom (unless of course the roll-out is delayed yet again...).

It's not Apple's fault that the UK currently has no 4G LTE. Apple can't support every possible band (there are quite a few in the LTE standard!), and there's no point supporting bands that currently have zero use and will continue to have zero use for the near future.

Unlike the situation with the "4G" iPad 3, Apple is not to blame for this situation.

It has made it abundantly clear, from its iPhone 5 media event through to its own website, that the iPhone 5's 4G LTE will only work in the UK on the upcoming EE network.

The media has also made this clear, via news stories from the BBC, the national press, and various tech sites and mainstream sites.

And the networks have made it clear, given that only EE / Orange / T-Mobile have made any mention of 4G LTE with the iPhone 5 and all the other networks have kept quiet about it.

I do not see many people being "surprised" or "shocked" about the 4G LTE situation given that no UK network currently even has 4G LTE, and the only one that even mentions it in relation to the iPhone 5 is Everything Everywhere (Orange / T-Mobile / EE).

If you do want to blame someone, from what I have read the primary blame allegedly lies with O2 for delaying the 4G auction by taking repeated legal action against Ofcom.

As such, it amuses me that O2 is now saying that it wants its 4G services running "as quickly as possible".

It also amuses me that O2 is apparently unhappy with EE being allowed by Ofcom to re-farm its 1800MHz spectrum for 4G LTE, given that:

1) The other networks could also have asked Ofcom for permission to re-farm existing spectrum for 4G LTE.

2) O2 itself benefitted from Ofcom allowing it to re-farm its own 900MHz spectrum for 3G.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-19586067

http://www.theregister.co.uk/2009/03/26/2_6ghz_battle/

http://www.itpro.co.uk/634114/update...ion-is-illegal

http://forums.digitalspy.co.uk/showp...7&postcount=23

---------- Post added at 00:24 ---------- Previous post was at 00:11 ----------

Actually, I don't think that that would be so implausible.

Apple made a version of the iPhone 4 specifically for the Verizon network in the US (which uses the CDMA2000 system, rather than GSM/UMTS). It also has two versions of the iPhone 5 in North America: One GSM/UMTS model that supports the LTE bands used by AT&T in the US and also three networks in Canada, and one CDMA2000 model that supports the LTE bands used by Verizon and Sprint in the US.

So, if there was a sufficient market for an iPhone that worked on another set of LTE bands in Europe, in addition to the bands supported by the current European iPhone 5, then... why not?

Re: The iPhone thread
 

Verizon and Sprint are in another league, # of customers wise, to O2 and Vodaphone. Most of Europe already uses 1800 too.

Also, doesn't the CDMA version do China as well?

Re: The iPhone thread
 

The only country in Europe that will have 4G LTE with the iPhone 5 other than the UK (with EE) is Germany (Deutsche Telekom).

It may be that most of Europe uses 1800MHz, but not for 4G LTE.


You have a point about number of customers, lol.

Re: The iPhone thread
 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_LTE_networks

Based on that at least 14 European countries use 1800 for LTE, though I have no idea whether those networks offer the iPhone.

Regardless, I can't afford one. :(

Re: The iPhone thread
 

Apple apologise for maps fiasco...

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-19760978

Re: The iPhone thread
 

Ah. I checked a different list on Wiki that covered the bands and mentioned far fewer networks in Europe.


Very surprising. Good move by Tim Cook, though. Steve Jobs would have just told us to shut up and deal with it! ;)

Re: The iPhone thread
 

An apology does not really cut it if you were able to rely on the maps in the previous versions, but still it is quite amusing.

Re: The iPhone thread
 

It's no big deal - Google maps through the browser works just as well.

Re: The iPhone thread
 

I use a Nokia N8 so just use OVI maps when required and it just works.

Re: The iPhone thread
 

I used to use that, it was pretty good but out of all the free satnavs I still say Google Navigation is the best.

Re: The iPhone thread
 

Having tried out Apple Maps some more... it really is awful :(

Oh sure, streets and roads are fine, and it has turn-by-turn, etc. etc., but... So many points of interest (POIs) are completely wrong. Some are in the wrong place, some ceased to exist years ago, and some are not listed at all and so do not even show up in a search :rolleyes: No use having turn-by-turn or a search function if it doesn't find the location you want, or it does find it but takes you to the wrong place.

I've tried it out for a few locations here in Cambridge. I've used it to check out areas I'm particularly familiar with, pubs, my walk to work, and so on.

Just on my walk to work there are several errors: Pubs are on the wrong side of the road, McDonald's is on the wrong side of a roundabout, a B&B is on the wrong block completely, an Indian restaurant that closed down five years ago is still shown, a branch of MFI that ceased to exist when MFI went into administration in 2008 is still shown...

I was out on Thursday night at a popular local pub that has been around for years in the same location: Google Maps has it in the correct location, while Apple Maps has it at the other end of the road and round a corner, while a different pub is shown in its place instead of on the opposite side of the road as it is in reality.

Mrs D and I went to London yesterday for my birthday. She took me to see the stage version of War Horse (which is excellent btw).

War Horse was at the New London Theatre in Drury Lane, not far from Covent Garden. The theatre opened in 1973, and according to Wikipedia is well known for Cats, which premiered there in 1981 and ran for 21 years. It's not some random little back-alley theatre that no one has heard of.

While in Covent Garden, I tested both Apple Maps and (via the web app) Google Maps.

I searched for "New London Theatre", and Apple Maps gave me a theatre in New London, Connecticut, USA.

I tried again, with "The New London Theatre". Apple Maps found nothing. I tried again with "New London Theatre London", and it gave me a location in New London, New Hampshire, USA. I tried "New London Theatre Drury Lane", and it gave me Drury Ln, New London, New Hampshire, USA. I tried "New London Theatre England", "New London Theatre UK"... all returned no results.

Mrs D suggested I try some other well-known theatres in the West End's "Theatreland".

"Savoy Theatre" gave me a theatre in Savoy, Illinois, USA.

"Queen's Theatre" gave me Shaftesbury Avenue, Harrow instead of Shaftesbury Avenue, London.

"Novello Theatre" gave me no results.

"Lyceum Theatre" gave me no results.


And what did Google Maps find? It found every location first time, without problem, and without even needing to refine the search by adding "London" or "England" to the end (not that that helped with Apple Maps!).



Another test: Public transport.

The old Map app, which Mrs D still has on her iPhone 4S as she refuses to update to iOS6, would also handle directions via public transport as well as car or foot. She uses it regularly when she goes to London to see musicals (hence refusing to update to iOS6). Stick in a start point and an end point and it will tell you how to get there by public transport, with detailed information regarding e.g. where to walk to get the bus, which number and destination bus to get, what time the bus is and how long it will take... [This also still works via the Google Maps web app]

Apple Maps on iOS6? Ask it for a public transport route, and... it takes you to the App Store, to the section for transport apps. Useless :rolleyes:

Re: The iPhone thread
 

I think what happens now is the important thing. Apple have publically accepted there is a problem (which is something they almost never do). They now need to fix the problems. Which, in fairness, they seem to be doing. I wonder if Tim Cook did the same as Steve Jobs did when MobileMe didn't live up to expectations? For those who don't know, when the reports of bad service started coming in, Steve called the team behind MobileMe into his office. He asked "Can anyone tell me what this service is supposed to do?" When they replied, he stopped them and said "Now can you tell me why the **** it isn't doing it?". Not sure what else he did, but MobileMe improved pretty quickly after that.

Re: The iPhone thread
 

All these problems... You must be holding it wrong. :D

Can't a Google Maps app be used until they fix it?