vodafone

European carriers team up to block iCloud Private Relay on iPhone and iPad

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iCloud Private Relay
The feature undermines "European digital sovereignty," they say.
Image: Killian Bell/Cult of Mac

European are joining forces in a bid to block iCloud Private Relay — a feature Apple introduced in iOS and iPadOS 15 to bolster its privacy protections. It seems some have already begun disabling it on cellular plans.

A group, which include Vodafone and T-Mobile, has signed an open letter that says Private Relay prevents them from obtaining “vital network data,” and will impact their ability to “efficiently manage telecommunication networks.”

Widespread shipping delays hit iPhone 7 on eve of launch

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iPhone 7 Plus jet black
Jet black iPhone 7 will be hard to find.
Photo: Apple

With the iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus scheduled to arrive in less than 24 hours, customers around the globe who preordered are being notified that their devices won’t ship on time.

The unpleasant news isn’t sitting well with these Apple fans, many of whom thought they’d get their iPhone 7 on launch day.

EE Announces U.K.’s First 4G Pay-As-You-Go Plans

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EE has today announced the U.K.’s first 4G pay-as-you-go plans, as well as its “most affordable” pay monthly 4G packages as it looks to step up its fight against competing 4G services from O2 and Vodafone. They go live on October 30, and they promise to provide Brits with cheaper and easier access to the 4G revolution.

The New iPhones Will Support All Four Of The U.K.’s 4G Carriers, Despite What Apple Says

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When Apple updated its website on Tuesday and added the new iPhone 5s and iPhone 5c to its online store, we were surprised to see that it was only advertising support for two of the U.K.’s four 4G carriers — EE and Vodafone. But don’t worry, both Three and O2 have confirmed that the devices will support their new LTE networks, too.

Three U.K. Confirms 4G Rollout Is On Track For Q4, Will Not Cost Any Extra

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Now that EE is already providing 4G LTE services in the U.K., and Vodafone and O2 are scheduled to launch their own 4G networks at the end of this month, Three was the only major carrier yet to announce its rollout plans.

But the company has today confirmed that it is on track to launch 4G during the fourth quarter of this year, and that it will come at no extra cost to consumers.

Vodafone U.K. Confirms 4G Rollout Will Begin August 29

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Vodafone U.K. has today announced that it will begin rolling out its new 4G network on August 29 — the same day rival O2 will launch its own 4G service. The company will reach 12 major cities across the country initially, with further expansion planned before the end of this year.

That means that by the end of this month, EE will no longer be the U.K.’s only 4G provider.

O2 U.K. Announces 4G Price Plans & Launch Date

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EE has been the United Kingdom’s only 4G provider for around nine months now, but at the end of this month, it’ll finally see some competition. O2 has today announced that its own 4G network will launch on August 29, with prices starting at £26 per month. The service will reach three cities initially, with ten more scheduled to be added by the end of the year.

EE Announces Plans To Double 4G Speeds In 10 U.K. Cities

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EE has announced plans to double its 4G LTE network speeds in ten U.K. cities by the summer. The move will boost headline speeds to 80Mbps, and increase the average speed to 20Mbps for both new and existing subscribers. The carrier says this is part of its ambition to “stay one step ahead” as rival carriers prepare to launch their own 4G networks in the coming months.

Vodafone Tells iPhone 4S Users That It’s Okay To Update To iOS 6.1.1

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iPhone 4s marked a leap in iPhone photography with an 8MP sensor.
iPhone 4s marked a leap in iPhone photography with an 8MP sensor.
Photo: UWHS

Vodafone U.K. has told iPhone 4S users that it’s okay to update their handsets to Apple’s latest iOS 6.1.1 release. The carrier had previously warned that updating to iOS 6.1 could cause connectivity problems, but it has now confirmed that those issues are fixed in the latest release.

iOS 6.1 Upgraders Reporting Battery And Connectivity Issues, But Apple’s Rushing Out A Fix

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Even under iOS 6.1 the iPhone struggles to stay awake.

iOS 6.1 has already been out for a few weeks, but we’re now seeing reports that it’s causing problems for a lot of upgraders.

Multiple users have taken to Apple’s iPhone support forums to report that their battery life has dropped significantly since the iOS 6.1 upgrade. Others have claimed that iOS 6.1 has given them a slew of problems when trying to connect to 3G networks, and Apple has yet to respond.

EE’s 4G Coverage To Reach 55% Of The U.K. This Summer As It Adds 27 New Towns

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EE has today announced plans to rollout its 4G LTE network to another 27 towns in the United Kingdom by June 2013, expanding its 4G coverage to 55% of the U.K. population. The carrier is currently the only network to offer a 4G service in the U.K., but its latest announcements comes as rivals begin making preparations for their own 4G services.

Vodafone U.K. Prematurely Announces It Has Half A Million Nano-SIMs Ready For iPhone 5

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Vodafone micro-SIM vs. nano-SIM.
Vodafone micro-SIM vs. nano-SIM.

On Tuesday, it was reported that Vodafone Germany had received its stock of nano-SIMs for the upcoming iPhone 5, which is expected to launch on September 21. Vodafone U.K. has now confirmed — prematurely! — that it, too, has received half a million nano-SIMs, which are ready to ship to early iPhone 5 adopters.

Vodafone Germany Has iPhone 5 Nano-SIMs Ready To Ship

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Ready for your iPhone 5.
Ready for your iPhone 5.

With Apple’s iPhone 5 announcement now just over 24 hours away, and a possible launch just over one week away, carriers are preparing for what will undoubtedly be the fastest-selling smartphone of all-time. Vodafone Germany is the latest to receive stock of the handset’s new nano-SIM, and they’re ready to be shipped out to the iPhone 5’s early adopters.

New iPad Requires Reboot To Connect To 3G Networks

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The new iPad drops its data connection after it connects to Wi-Fi
The new iPad drops its data connection after it connects to Wi-Fi

[UPDATE: See the end of the post for a possible solution, which works for some people.]

Many iPad 3 users are experiencing a bug which kills their 3G connection every time they connect to a Wi-Fi network. The cellular connection looks normal, with the carrier name, the 3G logo and reception bars, but when you try to do anything that requires a connection, it either times out or throws the error messages “Could not activate cellular data network.”

I am having the exact same problem, and here’s what’s happening.

RIM Sides With Nokia Over Nano-SIM, Accuses Apple Of Vote Rigging

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RIM thinks Apple employees are pretending to be from other companies to rig votes for the nano-SIM.
RIM thinks Apple employees are pretending to be from other companies to rig votes for the nano-SIM.

Research in Motion may be watching its mobile business crumble away at its feet, but that’s not the Canadian company’s only concern. It has sided with Nokia and spoken out against Apple’s nano-SIM proposal, accusing its employees of vote rigging by registering themselves under a different affiliation.