Author: Phillip Vélez

Communication Professional and Writer/Blogger
Posted in Technology

Sticking With AT&T for Another 2 Years

Posted on by Phillip Vélez
Photo courtesy of howtoarena.com

My contract with AT&T was up in mid September, but I held off on making any major decision on switching carriers until I purchased the new iPhone 4S. As my previous posts show, I was seriously considering switching to Sprint mainly for it’s unlimited data plan, however that all changed once the carrier began selling the iPhone 4S.

As soon as the phone became available, Sprint customers complained about the slow speed of the iPhone on its network, and social media blogs and news sites also covered the slow data drama. At the same time, all carriers were out of the hottest smart phone so I had to wait anyway. This waiting game caused me to closely consider two options: unlimited data on a slow network, or fast data on a limited data network?

In the end, I decided to stick with AT&T because news reports showed that AT&T had the fastest network for the iPhone 4S. I now have to stick with AT&T for another two years, but as long as its data speeds outshine Verizon and Sprint, I’ll be happy.

Did you get the new iPhone 4S? And if so, what has your network experience been so far?

Posted in Technology

Apple and Sprint in NYC Already Out of the New iPhone 4S

Posted on by Phillip Vélez
Photo Courtesy of techbuffalo.com

The new and illusive iPhone 4S on the Sprint network is a great hit in New York City. It’s such a massive hit that Apple and Sprint are already out of the incredible device. I unfortunately did not pre-order the iPhone 4S and it looks like it will be days before I can get my hands on one. Last night I called the Fifth Avenue Apple store, which is open 24 hours, to ask if they would be able to activate the phone on the Sprint network overnight. I was informed the flagship store in NYC was out of all Sprint phones. Today I called the Apple store on the Upper West Side and was also informed that Apple is all out of Sprint iPhones.

Then I thought my only hope now would be to place an order online with Sprint. And surprisingly enough, Sprint is all out, asking customers to sign up for an email letting them know when more will be in stock. It figures though really, since Sprint is the only one of the three iPhone 4S carriers to offer an unlimited data plan. A survey hosted by the Huffington Post asks which network do you think is best for the new iPhone 4S. Right now Sprint is leading the way.

If you already have an iPhone 4S on Sprint, please comment on what you think of the phone on the network so far. Thanks for reading!

Posted in Technology

Sprint Rumored to Get the New iPhone in Early October

Posted on by Phillip Vélez
(image courtesy of diphone.com)

I generally don’t post rumors, but I’ve been patiently waiting for the arrival of the latest iPhone and just couldn’t resist. News sources say Apple will announce the latest upgrade of their incredible iPhone on Oct. 4th. Apple may even debut two versions of the latest iPhone: the iPhone 5 and a less expensive iPhone 4S. Of course this is just a rumor and there’s no way of really knowing what’s going to happen.

I also hear that Sprint may be getting the new iPhone, joining AT&T and Verizon as major carriers of Apple’s innovative cellphone. I’m also excited about this rumor because my contract with AT&T is up for renewal allowing me to switch carriers. I’m considering jumping ship to Verizon, said to have the best network among the three major cellphone carriers. However Sprint’s unlimited data package and free nighttime minutes starting at 7pm are quite appealing.

In any event, I should not get too excited about these rumors. We’ll have to wait until early October to find out if Sprint actually gets the new iPhone. In the meantime, I’ll just continue researching which cellphone carrier would be best for my future iPhone.

If you are happy with your carrier, whether it be AT&T, Verizon, or Sprint, please feel free to comment below. Thanks!

Posted in Networking, Social Media

Google+ is Coming on Strong, But is it the Next Facebook?

Posted on by Phillip Vélez

There’s a lot of talk around Google+, but is it the next Facebook? It’s really too early to say. Google+ became one month old yesterday and it already has a reported 20 million users. However activity has slowed down recently, but it’s still not available to everyone. So does Facebook have anything to worry about?

“With tens of millions of users and Google behind it, Google+ has become a major player,” Rob Enderle, an analyst with the Enderle Group, told Computerworld.

However, a report by Hitwise, an Internet traffic tracker, found that for the week ending July 23, Google+ had 1.79 million visits, down 3 percent from the week before. The report also noted that the average time spent on the site had fallen 10 percent that week to 5 minutes and 15 seconds.

I’ve been using Google Plus for a little over two weeks now and so far so good. I do notice that not all my colleagues, friends, and family are on the network yet, but that should change once Google opens it up to everyone. Even then, I don’t think Google+ will become as huge as Facebook, mainly because users have to have or open a Google account. I am not sure non-Google users will open an account just to check out Google+.

Twenty million members in one month is not bad for Google+, but Facebook is currently up to about 750 million members. Though Facebook would be dumb not to keep an eye on Google+.

“It’s very early to tell whether Google+ will appeal only to a group of insiders who like to use it a lot, which is the case with Twitter, or whether it will become a broad threat to Facebook,” Forrester Research Senior Vice President Josh Bernoff was quoted as saying by PC World.

I don’t think Facebook has anything to worry about because the masses will remain on Facebook and its membership will continue to increase worldwide. Google+ may very well be a success, but with Internet and social network savvy individuals.

But it really is too early to say. Let’s see how it all plays out. If you have any predictions about Google+ feel free to leave a comment below.

Posted in Social Media, Technology

Apple’s iOS 5 Will Integrate Twitter

Posted on by Phillip Vélez

At this weeks’ Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC), Apple finally offered up a look at its new iOS 5, believed to be coming out sometime this fall. The new iOS 5 will have a new way to display notifications, easily access the camera app, and integrate Twitter.

Apple told WWDC attendees that the new OS will have some 200 new features, though only 10 of them were showcased. As an avid Twitter fan, integrating the popular social network seems the most exciting.

The Twitter integration in iOS 5 runs so deep that Apple will include a link to install Twitter right in the Settings application. For those who might be unfamiliar with the popular service, Apple even offers a brief explanation: “Twitter is an information network made up of 140-character messages called Tweets.” Also offered is a link where users can “Learn More about Twitter.”

Once Twitter has been set up on a system, links to post to the service can be found in a number of places. Apple iPhone users will be able to tweet a link that shows up in the Safari browser, tweet a picture from their camera roll, and tweet their location.

Many believe the changes come to compete with Android, which has overtaken the iPhone in popularity. As an Apple enthusiast, I don’t care if Apple took some ideas from Android. I am going to remain an iPhone user and look forward to the new iOS 5 this fall.