viernes, 19 de octubre de 2012

iPad By Davis: “Is your Verizon or Sprint iPhone 5 displaying the wrong date and time?” plus 10 more

iPad By Davis: “Is your Verizon or Sprint iPhone 5 displaying the wrong date and time?” plus 10 more

Is your Verizon or Sprint iPhone 5 displaying the wrong date and time?

Posted: 18 Oct 2012 08:00 PM PDT

We are receiving reports from Verizon iPhone 5 users that their iPhones are randomly displaying the incorrect date and time causing iMessage to fail, and even worse, alarms not going off in time to wake up for work. There is a thread in the Apple Support Community with many users, including a few Sprint users, reporting the same issue.

Woke up yesterday and was very confused because my phone thought it was 8/26/12 and 30 minutes later than the actual time. I reset network settings and it self resolved...until this morning. I woke up and looked at my phone and had a melt down because my alarm never went off. I hurriedly got ready and looked at the microwave as I ran out, and it was 30 minutes earlier than my iPhone said.

The temporary fix seems to disable automatic date and time by going to Settings > General > Date & Time > Set Automatically > OFF.

Are any other Verizon or Sprint users experiencing this issue? If so, please head to our forums at tell us all about it!

iMore show 320: Selling trucks

Posted: 18 Oct 2012 05:35 PM PDT

Rene and Jim Dalrymple of The Loop talk the October iPad event, the iPad mini, Microsoft Surface, and the difference between the two types of compromises and companies.

Guests

Hosts

Credits

You can reach all of us on Twitter @iMore or ADN @iMore, or you can email us at podcast@imore.com or just leave us a comment below.

For all our podcasts -- audio and video -- including the iMore show, ZEN and TECH, Iterate, and more, see MobileNations.com/shows

Thanks to the iMore Accessory Store for sponsoring this week's show. Your one-stop-shop for everything iPhone and iPad, including cables, cases, chargers, Bluetooth and much more, check out store.imore.com.




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iPad mini preview redux

Posted: 18 Oct 2012 02:23 PM PDT

iPad mini preview redux

The iPad mini. It's been the subject of rumor and speculation. Its size has been labeled as DOA by no less than Steve Jobs himself. Its very existence has been doubted, and not without reason. Yet the iPad mini is real. 7.85-inches and not crippled by smartphone software stretched out, but made powerful by tablet software at scale. The iPad mini is an iPad, only slightly smaller and thinner, and much, much lighter. And Apple will likely be announcing it on October 23.

iPad mini timeline

Apple has been experimenting with smaller form factor tablet for while, perhaps as far back as the original Safari pad project that ultimately yielded the iPhone in 2007, and certainly since Apple SVP Eddy Cue helped warm Apple's late co-founder, Steve Jobs to the idea back in 2011.

Back in March of 2012, iMore learned that Apple had decided to go ahead with the iPad mini, that it would be running the iPad version of iOS, that it would cost around $200-$250, and that it was tentatively planned for an October 2012 release.

Since then more details have emerged, and the release has gone from tentative to likely. While nothing is ever certain, much less confirmed, until Apple holds it up on stage, here's an updated run through of what we think we know to date.

The iPad mini form factor

iPad mini won't be much smaller, but will be a lot narrower, thinner, and lighter

With a screen that diagonally measures 7.85 inches across, the iPad mini may not seem that much smaller than the current 9.7-inch iPad. That's exactly the points. It's not supposed to be a major compromise in screen size or usability. It's supposed to be a major compromise in overall volume and weight. It'll be a similar type of optical illusion to the one Apple achieved with smaller-but-larger, less-of-it-but-more of it iPhone 5. The iPad mini will seem impossibly thin and light, yet the screen will still look relatively big, especially with the reduced bezel around the sides.

That thinner bezel is made possible by the iPad mini's relative thinness and lightness, just like the iPod touch's thinness and lightness allows for almost no side bezel. As the physical size shrinks from iPad to iPad mini to iPod touch, so can the side bezel, without overly effecting usability.

The important thing to remember in all this, however, is that the iPad mini won't be a big iPod touch. That's makes for a huge difference.

The iPad mini finish and colors

The iPad has always had an aluminum back, unlike the iPhone and iPod touch which only joined that particular club this year. The iPod touch 5 even comes in multiple colors now, including blue, red, yellow, and pink, just like the iPods nano and shuffle.

Because the iPad mini is a lower-cost line, like the iPods, it's tempting to think Apple might release them in fun, flashy colors as well. The current iPad was black only in the first generation, and the more upscale and traditional white and black only in the last two generations. So, while it's possible the iPad mini could go polychromatic at some point, it probably won't be this year. What's more likely is that Apple could use the new finishing processes found in the iPhone 5 and iPod touch 5 to make for an incredibly precise if not incredibly scratch resistant iPad mini enclosure.

The iPad mini purpose

Amazon Kindle bikini ad

Neither the 7 inch BlackBerry PlayBook, nor the 7 inch Amazon Kindle Fire, nor the 7 inch Google Nexus 7 have taken the world by storm. In fact, most of them aren't even that usable outside the U.S. due to the lack of content RIM, Amazon, and Google can provide internationally.

Apple won't have that problem. They already have the iTunes Store at global scale, and they already sell the current iPad in over 90 countries world wide. The iPad mini will be the same story, only with lighter, less expensive hardware. And that's important. Even considering the current iPad's incredible market lead, some customers may simply not be buying it because it's too heavy or too expensive. With an iPad mini,

Apple's goal is to mainstream computing. They want to sell hundreds of millions of devices that delight exactly the type of consumer usually left frustrated and alienated by technology. The iPad mini removes two large, expensive barriers of entry.

It will also, frankly, step on Amazon and hard. If Apple chooses to put a heavy emphasis on books for the iPad mini, that pressure only intensifies. Right now, chances are if you walk onto an airplane you might see some Kindles mixed in with the iPads. The iPad mini is aimed at fixing that.

The iPad mini interface

The original iPhone interface had 44 pixel touch targets at 163 ppi. The original iPad kept the same 44 pixel touch target but at a lower density, 132 ppi. That made them physically bigger. Scaling the 9.7-inch iPad interface down to 7.85-inches simply returns those 44 pixel touch targets to 163 ppi, the same physical size as the original iPhone. It will be slightly big for one handed use, slightly small for two, but it will be eminently workable. The "slack" that currently exists between 3.5-inch iPhone interface elements and 9.7-inch iPad elements would just disappear, and you'd have the same basic iPad look with the same basic iPhone usability. Here's how it would work:

The iPad mini display

On one hand, it's hard to imagine Apple releasing a non-Retina iOS device at this point. The current generation iPhone, iPod touch, and iPad are all running at Retina resolutions. On the other hand, no iOS device has ever been introduced with a Retina display. The original iPhone, iPod touch, and iPad were all launched with standard displays, and later received Retina displays as part of their upgrade cycles.

Rumor has it, Apple experimented with a Retina display in the 2011 iPad 2 but due to price and yield issues, had to wait until the 2012 iPad to ship it. Arguably, 2048x1536 is right at the edge of what the 9.7-inch iPad can handle. Even with a slightly more modern chipset, a smaller device might not have the room for a battery big enough to power it.

It's possible Apple has experimented with a Retina display for the iPad mini, and may well introduce one in a future model, but for cost and performance issues, a standard, iPhone 3GS density display sounds more likely this year.

What's more interesting, however, is whether or not Apple will use the same new in-cell technology as they do in the iPhone 5 and iPod touch 5. With the touch sensor combined into the LCD, two layers become one and the pixels get closer to the surface than ever before, and it could make for the best looking non-Retina panel ever.

The iPad mini and LTE

There have been some rumors saying Apple won't include cellular connectivity in the iPad mini in an effort to either keep costs down or artificially differentiate the iPad mini from the current iPad. Keeping costs down is a non-reason. The current iPad has a low cost, Wi-Fi only option, and a $130 up-sell for cellular. Apple could and likely will do the same here. And since there's a real differentiator, namely size, Apple doesn't need an artificial one.

Sure, the iPod touch has never had a cellular radio, but this is an iPad mini, not an iPod maxi. The Nexus 7 and Kindle Fire 7 are useless to anyone who needs cellular data. It's highly unlikely Apple will ship an iPad mini -- an even more mobile iPad -- that isn't great at being mobile.

Put the new, iPhone 5-class cellular radio in the iPad mini, and you have an international data powerhouse.

What Apple could call the 7-inch iPad

The name game: What Apple could call the 7-inch iPad

"7-inch iPad", "iPad mini", "iPad Air", or something else entirely, whatever name Apple chooses for the new, smaller iPad will influence how the public understands the device and its place in the iOS lineup.

Apple's branding is typically as succinct as Occam's Razor. Earlier this year, they took it a step further and rebranded what would have been the iPad 3 as simply the (new) iPad. While we probably won't see Phil Schiller on stage beneath a slide reading "the small iPad", we probably will see him beneath one reading something similarly simple. Here are the possibilities:

Could Apple sell a $200 iPad mini?

Apple has a long history of successfully marketing the same form factor at multiple sizes. Just look at the MacBook Pro and Macbook Air lines. You have 11-, 13-, and 15-inches options (and until a couple of months ago, 17-inches as well). Tablets could just as easily come in multiple sizes. Once you pick an aspect ratio, the size should just be an option.

An 8GB iPad mini with a 7.85-inch screen is a legitimate trade-off against a 16GB iPod touch 4 with a 3.5-inch screen at $2xx dollars. A higher capacity iPad mini is also a legitimate trade-off against a higher capacity iPod touch 5. For Apple, lack of size isn't a discountable feature. Mobility is a sellable feature.

Nothing other than what Apple thinks is the best balance between what will drive the highest revenue and gain the most marketshare will determine the price point.

iOS 6.x + apps

Rumors have persisted that Apple has more plans for iOS 6 than were unveiled at WWDC 2012 or were made publicly available in the iOS 6.0 release version that shipped back on September 19. Whether or not that's true, and whether or not Apple intends to show off more to coincide with the iPad mini and the release of iTunes 11, it's absolutely true that Apple believes software is the heart and soul of any new device.

In the past, when Apple released new versions of iOS alongside new iPhones in the summer, iOS x.1 releases followed new iPod touches in the fall. Last year it took until the spring. If Apple wants a software story to go along with the new iPad mini hardware, however, if they want Scott Forstall up on stage, showing off something other than iPad OS 6 but smaller, then we could well see iOS 6.x sooner rather than later.

Taking on Amazon means taking on books, however, and more boldly and broadly than ever before. So if Apple is serious about iBooks, we could also see the next phase of that alongside the iPad mini.

iPad mini release date

November 2nd makes a lot of sense. It's the next Friday after the event, which has been the traditional launch day for Apple hero devices in recent years, and it would give Apple as much time as possible to sell the iPad mini during their strong holiday quarter.

How to look up sports scores and schedules, team rosters, and player stats using Siri

Posted: 18 Oct 2012 12:07 PM PDT

How to look up sports schedules, player stats, game information, and more with Siri

Siri has become a full blown sports fan with iOS 6. Whether you're on the road and desperate for the latest news, or at a bar and just as desperate to win a bet, Siri now has you covered. From current game scores to upcoming schedules, player stats to team rosters and standings, you can query and compare to your soccer, football, baseball, and hockey from the following leagues:

How to look up current scores and game information with Siri

Siri makes it easy to keep up with games or to check in on a score for a game you may have missed. By default Siri will pull the score for the game currently going on or the last game a certain team played.

  1. Press and hold down the Home button to activate Siri.
    2. launch siri on iphone 5
  2. Ask Siri something like "What's the score for the Chicago Bears game?" or "What was the score for last night's Chicago Bears game?"
    3. ask siri game scores
  3. Siri will search for a game currently going on or she will give you scores for the most recent game that specific team played and present you with the information.
    4. siri game scores

How to look up game schedules with Siri

Siri can give you a list of scheduled games if you just ask her for them. While some sports may show a few upcoming games, many sports, like football, will only show the next upcoming game for either a league or specific team.

  1. Press and hold down the Home button to activate Siri.
    2. launch siri on iphone 5
  2. Say something like "When do the Chicago bears play next?" or "Tell me when the next Chicago Bears game is." or "When is the next NFL game scheduled for?"
  3. Siri will give you information on the next game scheduled for that particular league or team.
    4. siri schedule for sports

How to look up player statistics with Siri

  1. Press and hold down the Home button to activate Siri.
    2. launch siri on iphone 5
  2. Ask Siri something like "Does Matt Ryan or Jay Cutler have more touchdowns?" or something even simpler like "Show me stats for Jay Cutler."
  3. Siri will either give you a comparison of the players you've asked about or the stats for the specific player you want to know about.
    4. siri league standings

How to look up league standings with Siri

  1. Press and hold down the Home button to activate Siri.
    2. launch siri on iphone 5
  2. Ask Siri something about the league you want rankings for. You can say things like "Show me current NFL standings." or "Show me the standings for the MLB."
  3. Siri will pull the standings for whatever sports association you are looking for.
    4. siri player stats

Apple loses appeal in UK court, must place ad stating Samsung didn't copy iPad

Posted: 18 Oct 2012 11:36 AM PDT

Apple has lost an appeal against a UK ruling regarding the similarity of the Samsung Galaxy Tab line of tablets to the iPad, and will be forced to run ads acknowledging that Samsung did not, in fact, copy the iPad design. The decision comes after Apple appealed a July ruling by the High Court that Samsung's Galaxy Tab line of tablets did not infringe on the iPad's design. Apple will have to post a link to the original judgement on its UK website, as well as run ads in major publications, the BBC reports:

The US firm had previously been ordered to place a notice to that effect - with a link to the original judgement - on its website and place other adverts in the Daily Mail, Financial Times, T3 Magazine and other publications to "correct the damaging impression" that Samsung was a copycat.

The appeal judges decided not to overturn the decision on the basis that a related Apple design-rights battle in the German courts risked causing confusion in consumers' minds.

The three judges determined that the Galaxy Tab did not infringe on the iPad based on the tests for infringement under UK law. This included the fact that Samsung's logo is on the front of their device, where Apple's registered design states that there should be "no ornamentation", and also that the Apple's design features a "sharp edge", which the Galaxy Tab does not. The Samsung design was also said to be "altoghether busier" than that of the iPad. Apple can still choose to appeal this decision to the UK Supreme Court.

Despite some victories Apple has lost a number of lawsuits to Samsung in a number of countries over tablet design. It should be noted that even in the case of the win in the US, Samsung was found not to have infringed on the iPad's design, and their loss was entirely because the jury felt that they had infringed on the iPhone.

So was the Court of Appeal right in their decision that Samsung did not copy the iPad? Should Apple be forced to publicy acknowledge this on their website and in the press?

Why the iPad Mini Is Exciting

Posted: 18 Oct 2012 09:26 AM PDT

iPad Mini and Event Invite

Image Source: Martin Hajek

A couple days ago we learned that Apple's special event with their expected unveiling of the iPad Mini (or whatever name is given to the new smaller iPad) is set for next Tuesday, October 23. After months of rumors and leaks we should get an official announcement of the iPad Mini in just a few days.

So this seems as good a time as any to talk about why the iPad Mini is exciting. Here are some of the reasons I'm excited about it:

A 7-8 Inch Tablet Is An Attractive Option: One of my favorite tech writers, Kevin C. Tofel, has been singing the praises of smaller tablets for a long while now, and it seems his writing even helped convince Apple's management team to reconsider this form factor. The popularity of devices like the Kindle Fire and Google's Nexus 7 is further evidence that this size of tablet has some market traction. Having used a Kindle Fire and the new Kindle Fire HD, I am hoping that the rumors of the iPad Mini being much closer to 8 inches (7.85 is the consensus) prove true. Firstly because my understanding is that this will allow iPad apps to run at 1024X768 and developers won't have to redo their apps for the iPad Mini, and also because my eyes are old and the slightly bigger display on the smaller iPad will be more comfortable for them.

(...)
Read the rest of Why the iPad Mini Is Exciting (346 words)

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Tweetbot for Mac review

Posted: 18 Oct 2012 09:19 AM PDT

Tweetbot for Mac review

Tweetbot for Mac is here! After a public alpha followed by a public beta, Tweetbot has officially been released in the Mac App Store. Everything you love about Tweetbot for iPhone and iPad including the familiar interface, gestures, and sounds, are now brought to the Mac and the experience is exactly what you'd expect -- wonderful.

The look and feel of Tweetbot for Mac is similar to the iPhone and iPad version of Tweetbot, yet tweeked to be more appropriate for the Mac. The left hand side has a column of tabs that take you to your timeline, mentions, messages, favorites, retweets, mute filters, and more. You can change the size of the window to fit your needs -- from short and skinny to wide and tall. Tweetbot for Mac also lets you open different tabs and views in new columns and windows, including the timelines of multiple accounts, so that you have many screens available simultaneously, as shown in the screenshot above.

Tweetbot for Mac supports shortcuts and gestures to make the desktop Twitter experience quick, easy, and natural. For example cmd+n will create a new tweet, cmd+r will reply to the selected tweet, a swipe to the right will open conversation view, and swipe to the left will open the tweet detail view. And instead of Tweetbot for iOS' trademark action drawer, if you hover over a tweet icons that let you reply, retweet, mark as favorite, share, and more overlay on top of it.

When creating a new tweet or replying to an existing tweet, a little window will popup that looks like a speech bubble coming from the new tweet button or the tweet you're replying to. It will move around, staying relative to the main Tweetbot window, unless and until you tear it off and reposition it somewhere else. When replying to a tweet, the popup will also display the conversation associated with that tweet underneath the text entry field. This is a great reference and helps you keep track of the conversation at hand.

There are many adjustments and tweaks that can be made in Tweetbot for Mac's preferences including sounds, font size, display name, date format, quote format, and the option to pin the timeline to the top so that you don't have to scroll to see new tweets -- they just appear as they come in. Tweetbot for Mac also supports multiple accounts and lets you choose URL shortening, image upload, video upload, read-later, and sync (including iCloud) services individually for each one. You can also select if you want notifications for mentions, retweets, favorites, and follows.

Now the price. Tweetbot for Mac is $19.99, which is substantially more than the iPhone or iPad version. Unfortunately, during the Tweetbot for Mac alpha period, Twitter changed their Rules of the Road to greatly restrict the amount of user tokens third party apps could use. That means Tweetbot for Mac will only ever be able to activate a limited number of users, which means a limited number of customers. If you have a limited resource and a limited market, prices go up. You can't spread development and support costs, and profit margins out over a huge quantity of users, so each user pays more. Tapbots is pricing according to the market conditions Twitter has created, and they're probably not the last Twitter app maker that's going to have to do that.

Thanks Twitter.

The good

  • Very similar to Tweetbot for iPhone and iPad with the same gestures, sounds, and UI
  • Open multiple columns and windows
  • Notifications for mentions, direct messages, retweets, favorites, and follows
  • Four font sizes
  • Support for bitly, Instapaper, Pinboard, Pocket, and Readability
  • Mute filters
  • Support for multiple accounts
  • Double-tap Message tab to mark them all as read
  • Lists support
  • Search
  • Drafts
  • iCloud sync

The bad

  • Sometimes there is a delay when sending Tweets
  • Can only choose one read-later service

The bottom line

Tweetbot for Mac is the best Twitter app currently available for the Mac. If you're a big fan of Tweetbot for iPhone and iPad and also a Mac user, what are you waiting for? Download Tweetbot for Mac!

$19.99 - Download Now

Tweetbot for Mac developer Todd Thomas and designer Mark Jardine talk process, production, and pricing

Posted: 18 Oct 2012 09:19 AM PDT

Tweetbot for Mac officially hits the Mac App Store today, and thanks to Tweetbot for iOS developer Paul Haddad simultaneously ducking behind him, and throwing him in front of the camera, I had a chance to chat with Tweetbot for Mac developer Todd Thomas about the newest Tapbots creation, and their first for OS X.

We covered everything from the impetuous for Tweetbot for Mac, to the development process, to the price point and the realities of living -- and selling -- in a post-restricted user token world.

To round things out, and get a little more clarity on the design side, I also had a chance to catch up with Tapbots' Mark Jardine over old-school text.

On the Tweetbot, and Tapbots in general, aesthetic has been iOS only until now, and what it was like translating that to the Mac:

One of my primary goals of Tweetbot for Mac was to keep the same aesthetic going throughout while still feeling like a Mac app. I'm not sure I succeeded, but I tried my best. It's kind of funny because Tapbots started out with very experimental UI ideas and have always been purposefully over-the-edge so to speak. I know it's definitely not for everyone, but it's been a very fun experience. It worked out really well for our utility apps, but pushing our look and feel onto a Twitter client was a huge risk. I'm well aware that many find it too busy, but this is after all a Tapbots app and the brand must live on through each app we do under this company. The funny thing is my design work is traditionally very minimalistic. I'd say to the point of being a bit bland. So it always makes me chuckle when people associate this look with my personal style. I guess I should take that as a compliment to my brand consistency?

Anyways, back to Tweetbot for Mac. Some early designs started out with the light-colored chrome familiar to most Mac apps. But it just didn't feel like Tweetbot to me. One of the big issues with going with a dark interface is by default, OSX apps look horrible with it. Look at Apple's Reminders app over a light background for example. The edges become muddy because the 1px app border just isn't dark enough. So we ended up hacking a few things together to get it to look right. There are a few other issues as a result, but we are working through them.

I knew from the very beginning that I would be taking the iPad app's navigation interface and applying it on the Mac. I think that ties the apps together well. Everything else was really a mix between what worked on the iPhone and what worked on the iPad. If something didn't work right, we'd rethink it all.

The biggest challenge was definitely solving all the problems that come up with this new (to me at least) platform altogether. When I design for the iPad, I miss all the constraints of the iPhone. When I design for the Mac, I miss the constraints of iOS. Having strict boundaries gives me time to focus on ever little detail. The scope of the UI and experience of apps on the Mac is just really large...especially when you start going custom with the UI. This app took us a year to develop and I still feel like there's still so much more to improve. It will get better though and I've learned a lot from this experience.

On the gesture shortcuts in iOS and moving those over to the Mac:

I'll be honest with you. It was Paul and Todd who spent most of the time figuring out the gestures and keyboard shortcuts. I just made sure nothing felt really out of place. Apple's trackpads/magic mice definitely helps make the transition from iOS to Mac a bit smoother.

The hardest decision related to input device differences was with the tweet drawer. Originally we planned on having our signature tweet drawer in the Mac app. But after a few prototypes we quickly learned that it just didn't feel right at all on the Mac. We tried a bunch of different things and ended up settling with the hover action we have now. I'm still not quite sure it's the best solution, but that's the conclusion we ended up with.

If you haven't already, be sure to check out our full Tweetbot for Mac review, and if you like what you see, grab the app via the link below.

Cool Things: ‘iPad Widow’ Song Video Filmed Entirely on an iPad

Posted: 18 Oct 2012 08:47 AM PDT

iPad Widow song video

Here's a song and a video that should resonate with lots of significant others out there who feel spurned while their partners are obsessed with the iPad. It's a catchy little tune, a fun video, and filmed entirely on an iPad.

My thanks to Sarah for letting me know about it on Twitter. Here are the credits for it:

Filmed entirely on the Apple iPad. Song written and performed by Sarah-Louise Young and Michael Roulston. Filmed and edited by Rob Rackstraw, Gabrielle Motola and Matt Gosden. Starring Rob Rackstraw as iPad Man and Sarah-Louise Young as The Widow. For more original songs and videos from Sarah-Louise Young & Michael Roulston please visit their other You Tube channel 'SarahLouiseYoung1975′

Check out the video below:

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Deal of the Day: 47% off Seidio ACTIVE Case for iPhone 5

Posted: 18 Oct 2012 07:25 AM PDT

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Created for those that have and want to maintain their active lifestyle in mind, the Seidio ACTIVE Case provides great shock and impact absorption while adding minimal bulk to your iPhone 5. This two-layer case features a compact and lightweight rubber polymer with a precisely positioned hard skeleton for added protection. The arachnid design of the skeleton extends out to protect vulnerable parts of your iPhone 5, such as the corners and sides.

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Verizon sells 3.1 million iPhones in Q3 2012

Posted: 18 Oct 2012 06:45 AM PDT

Verizon sells 3.1 million iPhones in Q3 2012

Verizon has reported that Q3 2012 results, including over 3.1 million iPhones sold, over a fifth of which were Apple's latest generation iPhone 5. That compares to 3.4 million Android phones. That's an interesting mix given the iPhone 5 launched less than a month ago, and iPhone sales in general were greatly reduced prior to that. Lowell McAdam, Verizon chairman and CEO had this to say:

In the third quarter, Verizon continued to deliver double-digit earnings growth and strong cash generation, and we remain solidly on track to meet our financial objectives for the year. With our 4G LTE network advantage, well-received Share Everything Plans and unmatched product portfolio, Verizon Wireless continues to do an outstanding job of balancing growth and profitability. Wireless achieved record profitability in a quarter in which we reported the highest number of retail postpaid gross and net adds in four years.

And the Verizon Wireless specific results:

Verizon Wireless Results: Record Profitability, Strong Customer and Revenue Growth

In third-quarter 2012, Verizon Wireless delivered the highest number of retail postpaid net additions in four years; strong growth in revenues; an increase in smartphone penetration; and the highest segment EBITDA margin on service revenues (non-GAAP) in the company's history, surpassing last quarter's previous high.

Wireless Financial Highlights

  • Service revenues in the quarter totaled $16.2 billion, up 7.5 percent year over year. Retail service revenues grew 7.9 percent year over year, to $15.5 billion.
  • Total revenues were $19.0 billion, up 7.3 percent year over year.
  • Retail postpaid ARPA (average revenue per account) grew 6.5 percent over third-quarter 2011, to $145.42 per month. Following the recent introduction of the Share Everything Plan and as customers continue to add multiple devices to accounts, Verizon Wireless now reports ARPA instead of ARPU since customers can share data among multiple devices.
  • Wireless operating income margin was 31.8 percent and segment EBITDA margin on service revenues (non-GAAP) was 50.0 percent, setting record highs for the second consecutive quarter.

Wireless Operational Highlights

  • Verizon Wireless added 1.8 million retail net connections in the third quarter, including 1.5 million retail postpaid net connections, the highest in four years. These additions exclude acquisitions and adjustments.
  • At the end of the third quarter, the company had 95.9 million retail connections, a 5.7 percent increase year over year, including 90.4 million retail postpaid connections.
  • Verizon Wireless had 34.8 million retail postpaid accounts at the end of the third quarter, a 1.0 percent increase over the third quarter 2011, and an average of 2.6 connections per account, up 4.0 percent year over year. At the end of the third quarter, smartphones constituted more than 53 percent of Verizon Wireless' retail postpaid customer phone base, up from 50 percent at the end of second-quarter 2012.
  • Retail postpaid churn was 0.91 percent in the third quarter, an improvement of 3 basis points year over year. Total retail churn was 1.18 percent in the third quarter, an improvement of 8 basis points year over year.
  • Verizon Wireless continued to roll out its 4G LTE mobile broadband network, the largest 4G LTE network in the U.S. As of today (Oct. 18), Verizon Wireless 4G LTE service is available to more than 250 million people in 419 markets across the U.S.
  • The company introduced seven 4G LTE smartphones in third-quarter 2012: the DROID Incredible 4G LTE by HTC, Samsung Galaxy S III, Pantech Marauder, Intuition by LG, Samsung Galaxy Stellar, DROID RAZR M by Motorola, Apple iPhone 5; and one 4G LTE tablet, the Samsung Galaxy Tab 2. The company also announced the availability of the DROID RAZR HD and the RAZR MAXX HD by Motorola, which are launching today.
  • After receiving FCC approval in late August, Verizon Wireless purchased AWS spectrum from SpectrumCo and Cox Communications, and also completed its spectrum transactions with T-Mobile USA Inc., Leap Wireless and Savary Island Wireless.

Source: Verizon
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