AT&T hems, haws over free Wi-Fi for iPhone
Mon May 12, 2008 12:26PM EDT
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First it was on, then it was off. Then AT&T posted a list of 17,000 locations where you could get your free iPhone Wi-Fi—and then the list disappeared in a puff of smoke. What gives?
This weekend, my wife and I stopped by a midtown Manhattan Starbucks for an icy (and pricey) coffee drink, but alas, the AT&T splash screen demanded a full-on user name and password, rather than simply a prompt for my iPhone number. So much for free Wi-Fi.
The New York Times Bits blog got to the bottom of AT&T's on-again, off-again free-Wi-Fi-for-the-iPhone offer, which was never officially announced but got a burst of coverage earlier this month.
According to the Bits post, an AT&T rep confirmed that free Wi-Fi for the iPhone (as well as other AT&T phones with Wi-Fi capabilities) is, indeed, on the horizon. However, the spokesman said the list of available locations was posted early due to "human error."
Unfortunately, the AT&T rep wouldn't reveal when free Wi-Fi access for the iPhone would return (when the new iPhone launches, perhaps?), or what led AT&T to pull the offer after it went live. Some believe it was because laptop users were logging onto the free Wi-Fi hotspots by plugging in their iPhone numbers.
Meanwhile, Fortune took the debacle as an example of why Apple keeps its big announcements under wraps—since now, instead of a day of rosy headlines, AT&T now has a PR mess on its hands.
So, iPhone users—were you annoyed that AT&T giveth, and then taketh away, your free Wi-Fi? Or would you rather have had a taste of free Wi-Fi access than nothing at all?
Related:
AT&T’s Wi-Fi Tease for iPhone Users [NYT Bits blog]
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2 Posted by lightgrw on Thu Sep 3, 2009 6:50PM EDT Report Abuse
I love the iphone keyboard. I'm able to type at least 40-50 words per minute on the touchscreen, which is much better than I used to get with the tiny keyboards on other phones. To each their own, I guess.
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3 Posted by angel.rey26 on Thu Sep 3, 2009 2:54PM EDT Report Abuse
Makes me glad I stayed with T-Mobile, you know what your getting.
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4 Posted by fbadea55 on Thu Sep 3, 2009 3:59PM EDT Report Abuse
I LOOOOOVEEEEEE MY IPHONE... TOO BAD I REALLY HATE ATT... THEY ARE THE WORST RATED CELL PHONE COMPANY RIGHT AFTER SPRINT/NEXTELL... THANK GOD I CAN USE MY IPHONE W. TMOBILE !!!!!
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5 Posted by stapletonman on Thu Sep 3, 2009 9:39PM EDT Report Abuse
Apple is overrated. The will not apply discounts on there products like other companies do. I will stick with my blackberry and receive me discounts frpm AT&T and let people pay crazy prices for their Iphone
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1 Posted by maori_yelir on Thu Sep 3, 2009 7:05PM EDT Report Abuse
Go get a phone that isn't all accessory and actually does what it should and you wouldn't have these problems! Also, keyboards are not your enemy, not matter what Apple tells you. Tactile feedback is a must for quick and easy typing and even a little shake of the device that is planned for the next one is not going to give you the same feel as a button under your finger.