Over the past few weeks we’ve reported on the iPhone 4’s infamous antenna reception issues and Apple’s solution to provide free bumpers. We’ve also covered Apple’s assertion that reception troubles are as prevalent among other smartphones as they are among iPhone 4 users. Specifically, we discussed how Apple used video evidence to single out RIM, HTC, Samsung, and Motorola for supposedly manufacturing phones equally as flawed as the iPhone 4, and we also detailed those companies’ respective responses. Well, apparently Apple’s propaganda war against its competitors is now over, at least as far as Apple is concerned. Apple removed the incriminating videos from its website. Let’s hope everyone involved can now get back to making great smartphones.

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Yesterday we posted a blog that provides the pros and cons of jailbreaking your iPhone 4. We also detailed how to jailbreak the phone through the website jailbreakme.com. The website utilizes a security flaw that allows it to download a PDF file directly onto the iPhone. Code inside the PDF file is then used to jailbreak the phone. While jailbreakme.com exploits this for a completely benign purpose, hackers may use the same security oversight to disable or otherwise compromise the iPhone or any other Apple device. Apple has yet to release a statement regarding the security flaw, nor has it provided a security patch.

It should be noted that the PDF security problem can only harm your phone if you visit a malicious website. Such websites can automatically download a simple PDF document to your iPhone and then release a virus imbedded within the file. The virus can do anything from stealing your address book to remotely viewing everything you do. This can happen even on non-jailbroken Apple devices.

Fortunately, there is a fairly simple way to overcome this security flaw for the time being if you jailbreak your phone first. We highly recommend doing the jailbreak through jailbreakme.com. You can then download an app called PDF Loading Warner, available through the unofficial Cydia store, which alerts you whenever a website attempts an unauthorized download. The reason the phone must be jailbroken first is because PDF Loading Warner is an unofficial app, which means it’s not available through the iTunes App Store. While this doesn’t completely resolve the security issue, you will at least see a warning anytime a PDF file attempts to download. This warning lets you choose whether to allow or abort the download.

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A recent ruling handed down from the U.S. Copyright Office now legalizes the jailbreaking and unlocking of cell phones in the U.S. So what are the advantages and disadvantages of jailbreaking? This blog entry answers those questions with attention specifically directed toward the iPhone 4, which is the smartphone most affected by this ruling.

Let’s begin with the positives. Jailbreaking your phone allows you to download apps from anywhere, not just the iTunes App Store. This is important because Apple refuses to authorize certain kinds of apps. Specifically, there are no apps in the official App Store that let you customize the home screen or turn your iPhone into a Wi-Fi hotspot for your laptop. However, such apps do exist elsewhere on the internet for jailbroken phones. Many suspect that jailbreaking may even allow for the development of apps that let you video chat over 3G networks; currently this feature is only available over Wi-Fi. Jailbreaking the phone will let you visit non-Apple websites to download these and other apps.

Unlocking a smartphone is also desirable for one important reason: it allows you to use your phone over any GSM network. The only GSM networks in the United States are AT&T and T-Mobile, which is bad news for those who want to unlock their phone and take it to Verizon or Sprint. However, the ability to legally unlock your phone is great news for those wanting to take the phone to T-Mobile.

So what’s the downside of jailbreaking your phone? As Apple was quick to point out following the government ruling, jailbreaking voids your warranty with Apple. This means if the phone turns into a brick—tech lingo that essentially means the phone is broken—Apple likely won’t fix it. In other words, jailbreaking could leave you with an expensive iPhone that can’t do anything. Furthermore, all iTunes apps are pre-approved for download by Apple while apps downloaded from other websites are often less likely to have been thoroughly tested and are more likely to contain harmful viruses.

Despite the potential harmful effects, many readers will still choose to jailbreak and unlock their phones. And remember, doing so is not illegal, though it should only be done with caution. So how exactly does one jailbreak an iPhone or other Apple device? The easiest way is to visit www.jailbreakme.com directly on the device you want to jailbreak. A prompt will pull up asking permission to download. You can then unlock the phone through a different program once it has been jailbroken. At this time we don’t know of any unlocking programs that are safe and reliable, but we will keep our readers updated on any good ones that we find.

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Attention all thieves: don’t mess with the iPhone. That’s the message being sent this week to would-be criminals bent on stealing property that doesn’t belong to them. Apple has a brand new app called Alert & Respond. If your iPhone is ever lost or stolen, simply login to your computer and track your device in real time.

The importance of this app was demonstrated in San Francisco this past Monday. A woman who works for Covia Labs, a company involved in development of the new app, was on the street with her iPhone while her boss showed the company’s public relations team how the app could track an iPhone anywhere it went. Suddenly, the phone appeared to be moving quickly down the street. It turns out a thief, Horatio Toure, had nabbed the phone from the woman’s hands. She returned to the office, the police were called, and within ten minutes Toure was apprehended.

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Apple has been facing a public relations nightmare following last month’s release of the iPhone 4. The fourth generation iPhone’s well-publicized antenna reception problem—coupled with the fact that Apple has been lukewarm at best when it comes to acknowledging the problem—is the foremost cause of the negative press. In fact, Apple’s solution to the reception problem is telling owners to hold the phone differently. In all fairness to Apple, this is reasonable advice since the way one has to hold the phone to experience the antenna interference is rather awkward. However, this solution falls short of bringing satisfaction in a world where the customer is always right.

There are now talks of an iPhone 4 recall, though we doubt this will happen. Apple likely would succumb to pressure and hand out free protective rubber shields long before a recall happens. The protective shields completely eliminate the interference problem and are a much cheaper alternative to replacing all iPhone 4 devices. Most estimates are that these pads only cost about $1 to manufacture, so the financial loss would be far less than issuing a recall. In fact, Consumer Reports refuses to recommend the iPhone 4 until this problem is fixed

To make matters worse, Apple has also gotten itself into the muck with the law. Since the release of the first iPhone, Apple and AT&T have been locked in an exclusivity contract, meaning AT&T is the only carrier allowed to sell iPhones. In return, AT&T pays Apple a certain amount of money to maintain this privileged status. Details of this contract are only partially known, but recently it was revealed that the initial contract was for five years, meaning it won’t expire until 2012.

On Monday, a judge granted class-action status to a lawsuit filed on behalf of all customers who have ever purchased an iPhone through AT&T. At issue is whether or not customers realized they were essentially signing up for a five-year deal instead of the two-year contract written on paper. Of course, no customers realized this because details of the exclusivity deal are mostly secret. Consequently, the merits of the case look quite strong. For example, if you bought an iPhone in 2008, your contract with AT&T expires in 2010. However, all iPhones are locked, meaning you can’t simply take them to another network/carrier once your contract expires. In essence, your only option upon expiration of your contract is to continue with AT&T.

One thing is for sure: people are growing increasingly dissatisfied with Apple’s treatment of customers. All these problems with Apple are likely to help out its competitors who, with increasing regularity, are releasing smartphones that rival the iPhone in form and functionality. In fact, Apple’s stocks have begun to fall in recent days. Meanwhile, countless consumers continue to hold out for the iPhone to become available on other networks. However, these consumers might not ever purchase an iPhone if they discover other smartphones that meet all their needs, as we’ve already begun to see with the Droid series and other high quality smartphones released in recent months.

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The iPhone 4 has been a big seller for Apple with most happy with the new hardware and functions.  Some complain the limitations with the video calls is not what they had expected but with AT&T seeming to struggle with data usage, it should not be much of a surprise.

The new iPhone seems to be a better business tool than the iPhone 3 models with some of its new options.  Will it give Blackberry more of a run for the money in the Enterprise market than past iPhones?  Time will tell but unless some of the data usage issues go away it may be limited.

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Apple has announced the newest model of iPhone with the Apple iPhone 4.  The new model includes a forward facing camera that can be used for video calls as well as a new high resolution screen.

The latest model is expected to be available on the AT&T network by mid June of 2010.

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T-Mobile is offering a great incentive for iPhone users to trade in their iPhones for HTC HD2 smartphones. As *Erika Morphy at E-Commerce Times explains, the trade-in credits range from $100 to $350 depending on the quality and generation of the iPhone. The promotion ends on May 19, 2010, and is certainly a tempting offer considering the HD2 is a better business phone as well as T-Mobile’s superior customer service reputation.

However, there is one major drawback to the HTC HD2 smartphone: it operates on the Windows Mobile 6.5 version. While the 6.5 is the best and most current Widows operating system, it will be replaced later this year by the Windows Phone 7. In her article, Morphy quotes Azita Arvani as saying, “Windows Phone 7… has no backward compatibility with the previous version of the operating system. So, people who buy Windows Mobile 6.5 devices now are basically buying a dead-end technology. And, guess what—there won’t be any developers adding any new applications. So, you are stuck with a limited app store with no new innovations.”

Needless to say, these facts may indicate that T-Mobile’s generous credit offer is nothing more than an opportunity for the company to unload its Windows Mobile 6.5 devices before they soon become unwanted and obsolete.  You can find a great selection of accessories for both phones at Discountcell.com

*http://www.ecommercetimes.com/story/T-Mobile-Offers-Fat-Trade-In-Credits-to-Switch-From-iPhone-to-HD2-69695.html?wlc=1270581228

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Gizmodo is reporting that it has in its possession a prototype of Apple’s next iPhone. Better yet, the website has put up several pictures and videos as proof. Other websites and media outlets are calling this the iPhone 4G, and Apple confirms that one of its prototypes has been stolen. Moreover, Gizmodo dissected the phone and has concluded that the perfectly fitted Apple-labeled components are proof that 1) the components were specifically designed for this case, and 2) this is undoubtedly a product that was constructed by Apple engineers.

After a week of playing around with the much anticipated smartphone, Gizmodo reports on several changes between this and previous version of the iPhone. For instance, the screen resolution quality is much improved, the video camera is now front-facing, a larger battery allows for 16% more battery life, and a second microphone allows for improved voice clarity. The iPhone 4G also thinner yet weighs 3 grams more than the 3GS. Of course, no details exist on when this phone will be available to the public, but it will likely be released later this year or early next year.  Find iphone accessories at http://www.discountcell.com

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Is the iPad an oversized smartphone or a miniature laptop? Perhaps the answer lies somewhere in between. However, one AT&T policy suggests the company views the iPad along the same lines as iPhones. As many are well aware, AT&T caps 3G data connection at 5 GB per month for netbook, laptop, and USB modem users. Meanwhile, iPhone and iPad users pay half that price yet receive unlimited 3G access. The good news for iPad users is that they can stream unlimited video content without worrying about getting slapped with excessive download fees. Better yet, Netflix has confirmed its new video streaming apps for the iPad and iPhone will work with the AT&T 3G cellular network.

At this point, it’s unclear whether or not iPhone and iPad users’ unlimited 3G access will affect AT&T’s 3G network. The reason it might is twofold. First, 3G iPads don’t go on sale until later this month, meaning that the iPads sold thus far have had zero impact on the 3G network. Second, the Netflix apps for both the iPhone and iPad have still not been released. The impact Netflix will have on the network should be a concern for all AT&T 3G cellular network users, especially now that bandwidth-hungry iPad users have been thrown into the mix.

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