Apple seeds iOS 8.0 beta 5 build 12A4345d to Developers.
iOS 8.0 beta 5 now shows indicators when Wi-Fi calling is enabled. This feature is currently available on T-Mobile USA network.
iOS 8.0 beta 4
Apple seeds iOS 8.0 beta 4 build 12A4331d on Monday, July 21, 2014.
iOS 8.0 beta 3, T-Mobile and WiFi Calling
Apple adds WiFi Calling to iOS 8.0 beta 3. At this point in time, T-Mobile is the only carrier in the USA that supports WiFi Calling feature.
I ask T-Mobile USA if currently they are supporting iOS 8.0 WiFi Calling. One T-Mobile USA representative adamantly stated that T-Mobile is not yet adding the support for iPhones, even though the feature is now built in iOS 8.0 beta 3.
WiFi calling is available on certain Android phones on T-Mobile USA network.
iPhone, Seven Years Ago.
iPhone went on sale on this date seven years ago (June 29, 2007) at 06:00 p.m. local time in the United States. It was an AT&T exclusive.
Pricing and Availability
iPhone goes on sale in the US on June 29, 2007 at 6:00 p.m. local time through Apple’s retail stores and AT&T’s select retail stores. Apple’s online store will be taking orders for iPhone beginning at 6:00 p.m. PDT. iPhone will be available in a 4GB model for $499 (US) and an 8GB model for $599 (US), and will work with either a PC or Mac®. Beginning June 30 and continuing through the summer, Apple Stores in the US will open early at 9:00 a.m. for iPhone sales. Customers can check iPhone availability at their local Apple retail store starting at 9:00 p.m. the night before at www.apple.com/retail.
The photo was taken on June 29, 2014.
Up to date, including the original iPhone, there are:
- iPhone 3G (2008)
- iPhone 3GS (2009)
- iPhone 4 (2010)
- iPhone 4S (2011)
- iPhone 5 (2012)
- iPhone 5c (2013)
- iPhone 5s (2013)
Apple is expected to release a new iteration of the iPhone sometimes in Fall 2014.
T-Mobile Test Drive: Day One
Received T-Mobile Test Drive kit on Wednesday afternoon, June 25, 2014.
The Test Drive Kit includes:
- Gold 64GB iPhone 5s with nano-SIM pre-installed
- Apple EarPod with mic and remote
- Apple 5 Watt USB Charger
- Apple Lightning Cable
- Manual
- Terms & Conditions booklet
I wonder what T-Mobile / Apple would do with the EarPod after it is being used. Remember, I have to return the Test Drive kit at after the seventh day.
T-Mobile Test Drive is free with no obligation to buy, but if the iPhone 5s comes back with a cracked screen, damaged screen display, water damage, active Find My iPhone feature, or can’t be powered on we have to charge a $100 damage fee. If you don’t return the device, we have to charge $699.99 plus applicable taxes.
A hold for $699.99 + taxes will be placed on your credit or debit card. The timing of releasing that hold will vary by credit card company. We won’t charge your card unless you fail to return the device.
Here’s the interesting part: a 64GB unlocked iPhone 5s retails for $849 + taxes at Apple Store. Should I choose to keep the 64GB iPhone 5s from the Test Drive kit, it would have cost me $699 + taxes. That is $150 cheaper than Apple Store price.
I already have an unlocked 64GB iPhone 5s, courtesy of firstnameatappledotcom. I don’t think I would want to buy one anytime soon.
For 24-hour period I used the iPhone 5s on T-Mobile network and performed Speed Test using Ookla SpeedTest.net app. Bear in mind, these tests were not done scientifically. In that 24-hour period I spent some times at the following locations in Southern California:
- Long Beach, Downtown and 2nd Street
- Fullerton and Placentia
- Costa Mesa and Newport Beach
I noticed that T-Mobile network performed exceptionally well in the Costa Mesa and Newport Beach area; 74.99 Mbps download and 25.43 Mbps upload peak test result. T-Mobile has the best network around my office desk, beating out AT&T, Sprint and Verizon. T-Mobile might have secretly installed a cell tower a few feet from me.
Somewhere in the Fullerton / Placentia area, Verizon seems to have the best network; beating T-Mobile and AT&T. Sorry for the slightly blurry picture, it’s the only one I have.
iPhone 5s on Verizon LTE network has an impressive 40.77 Mbps download speed compared to 13.48 Mbps and 9.92 Mbps for T-Mobile and AT&T, respectively.
In the Downtown Long Beach area, AT&T hits 8.88 Mbps download speed while T-Mobile hits 20.55 Mbps.
What do these all mean?
I can certainly say that I would not mind switching carrier. Six more days to go.
p.s. Here’s a 37-second video of one of the speed test I did.
iOS 8 beta 2
Apple seeds iOS 8 beta 2 build 12A4297e to developers on Tuesday, June 17, 2014.
This build seems to be a lot more stable than the first iOS 8 beta which crashed at least three times within the first hour. iOS 8 beta 2 seems to be stable enough that I told my colleagues they could install it if they would.
I installed iOS 8 beta on an iPhone 5s and iPad Air instead of on older devices; they are the only 64-bit iPhone and iPad I have. Apple is going full on 64-bit with the upcoming iOS devices.
I noticed that my iPad Air rings whenever my iPhone 5s rings. It seems that phone call handoff is working between the two devices. Overall, I’m really excited with iOS 8.
iOS 8 randomises the MAC address while scanning for WiFi networks
I certainly welcome what Apple is trying to do in iOS 8 to protect our privacy.
Frederic Jacobs (@FredericJacobs) tweets:
iOS 8 randomises the MAC address while scanning for WiFi networks. Hoping that this becomes an industry standard. pic.twitter.com/oGsZMtydUo
Luis Abreu (@lmjabreu):
