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Release of iPhone OS 3.0 prompts AT&T to change its Wi-Fi service
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Not game changing news, but still nice.
So, you may have heard, but Apple’s new operating system for the iPhone, 3.0, came out yesterday for their legions of users to get their hands on.
There were some reports of people having trouble downloading it, probably because there were so many trying to get it, but for the most part it sounds like the transition went pretty smoothly.
You also may have heard that AT&T has been taking a ton of heat for a bunch of different items relating to the release of the iPhone 3G S and yes, OS 3.0.
Let’s shift away from the bad news and try to find some good out of all of the chaos.
AT&T announced yesterday that it will begin to offer auto-authentication for its Wi-Fi Hot Spots for users of OS 3.0. This means that iPhone users will be able to seamlessly transition from AT&T’s 3G network to their Wi-Fi Hot Spots, 20,000 of which exist in the United States.
And hey, if you got OS 3.0 and a supported plan, it’s free.
AT&T?
Free?
Yes, you heard that correctly.
This new service rids your phone of the annoying prompt and subsequent two-step authentication process that probably drove more than a few folks crazy. Instead, the auto-connect feature will establish itself on your phone after the first time you connect to a Wi-Fi Hot Spot.
While this doesn’t make up for a lot of their shortfalls, it is definitely a convenient feature for the iPhone user that is on the go because a majority of the Hot Spots are located in airports, retail stores and restaurants.
So you can see it caters to the traveler.
According to AT&T more than 4 million connections have been made to their Wi-Fi Hot Spots in the first quarter of 2009 alone so it’s safe to say we are seeing a trend highlighting the increase in Wi-Fi usage amongst smartphone users.
And honestly, it’s not going to slow down any time soon.
The auto-authentication feature became available yesterday with the release of OS 3.0 and users with the iPhone, iPhone 3G and the upcoming iPhone 3G S are all eligible to use it. If any of this went over your head, you can hear it straight from AT&T here.
AT&T has gained a few points back on the likability scale, but it still has a long way to go to break even.
For more info: Contact Adam: admillios@gmail.com
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