AT&T Confirms Personal Hotspot Support Alongside March 11th iOS 4.3 Launch
Several weeks ago, we
reported that AT&T iPhone customers with access to iOS 4.3 beta versions were finding that the personal hotspot functionality was working with their existing tethering plans, but the carrier had yet to offer any official word on whether it would support the functionality once the software launched to the general public.
Electronista now reports that AT&T has indeed confirmed that it will support personal hotspot functionality on existing tethering plans with the public launch of iOS 4.3 on March 11th. Hotspot functionality will require that users have the $25/month DataPro plan with 2 GB of data plus the $20/month add-on tethering plan that the carrier recently augmented with an additional 2 GB of data capacity.
AT&T on Wednesday night confirmed with Electronista that it would start supporting the Personal Hotspot feature in sync with the launch of iOS 4.3. Subscribers will have the same support as Verizon customers when the update pushes out to the GSM iPhone 4 on March 11. Pricing should stay the same as for basic tethering and will need its new DataPro hotspot/tethering plan, which combines 4GB of total data with connection sharing for $45.
While the personal hotspot functionality is included in iOS 4.3, it does require carriers to specifically support the feature. Given that AT&T has been slow to adopt similar features such as tethering in the past, some customers had been concerned that the carrier would not offer hotspot services at launch.
Verizon is already able to offer hotspot functionality with its version of the iPhone, pricing its plans in a package of unlimited phone data for $29.99 per month with a separate 2 GB bucket of data for hotspot and tethering priced at an additional $20 per month. The carrier is, however, planning to drop its unlimited plan in favor of tiered pricing this summer, although tethering/hotspot add-ons will presumably continue under a similar pricing structure.
Popular Stories
Following nearly two years of rumors about a fourth-generation iPhone SE, The Information today reported that Apple suppliers are finally planning to begin ramping up mass production of the device in October of this year. If accurate, that timeframe would mean that the next iPhone SE would not be announced alongside the iPhone 16 series in September, as expected. Instead, the report...
Key details about the overall specifications of the iPhone 17 lineup have been shared by the leaker known as "Ice Universe," clarifying several important aspects of next year's devices. Reports in recent months have converged in agreement that Apple will discontinue the "Plus" iPhone model in 2025 while introducing an all-new iPhone 17 "Slim" model as an even more high-end option sitting...
Apple supply chain analyst Ming-Chi Kuo today shared alleged specifications for a new ultra-thin iPhone 17 model rumored to launch next year. Kuo expects the device to be equipped with a 6.6-inch display with a current-size Dynamic Island, a standard A19 chip rather than an A19 Pro chip, a single rear camera, and an Apple-designed 5G chip. He also expects the device to have a...
Apple typically releases its new iPhone series around mid-September, which means we are about two months out from the launch of the iPhone 16. Like the iPhone 15 series, this year's lineup is expected to stick with four models – iPhone 16, iPhone 16 Plus, iPhone 16 Pro, and iPhone 16 Pro Max – although there are plenty of design differences and new features to take into account. To bring ...
Apple’s iCloud Private Relay service is down for some users, according to Apple’s System Status page. Apple says that the iCloud Private Relay service may be slow or unavailable. The outage started at 2:34 p.m. Eastern Time, but it does not appear to be affecting all iCloud users. Some impacted users are unable to browse the web without turning iCloud Private Relay off, while others are...
Apple is planning to release at least one iPhone 17 model next year with mechanical aperture, according to a report published today by The Information. The mechanical system would allow users to adjust the size of the iPhone 17's aperture, which refers to the opening of the camera lens through which light enters. All existing iPhone camera lenses have fixed apertures, but some Android...
