[markw10]

Before I had my first iPhone I use to tether my previous phone which was great for browsing the internet on my laptop. I had to give that up with the iPhone and now with the 3G I have to wonder, is there any chance of tethering? I know this is a long shot and most of you would not know yet but I have to wonder. It sure would be nice to be able to do that with 3G!

[analogue SPRINKLES]

My guess would be no.

[Simon]

Nope. If it had been in there, we would have heard of it by now. From both Apple's and the carrier's business point of view it would make little sense to include it anyway.

[-Q-]

And while a 3rd party developer could probably write an application to do it, I'd doubt that Apple would allow it to be distributed via the App Store.

[analogue SPRINKLES]

Too many people would replace their home internet connection if so and really slow down the network with the crap they would do.

[Eug]

Originally Posted by Simon 

Nope. If it had been in there, we would have heard of it by now. From both Apple's and the carrier's business point of view it would make little sense to include it anyway.

Why? Some carriers have specific tethering plans that they charge extra for.

And from Apple's point of view I don't see the problem either, because it's actually not that complex a feature to add, considering that even my el cheapo GPRS phones from a bazillion years ago and many current non-smart EDGE phones support this feature.

I'm not saying I personally need it, but given that seems to be pushing for a corporate market now to some extent, I'm not sure how excluding tethering helps them.

At best I think it's just not a priority. It's something on the checklist that might be added later (like A2DB support), if not with this model, but perhaps with a subsequent model.

[Simon]

Originally Posted by Eug 

Why?

Umm, for starters because tethering means more load. The $30 data plan buys you unlimited data. Carriers don't want you to maximize that. If they'd be selling data plans by volume this would be different. But they aren't. And hence they don't want you tethering with an iPhone data plan.

[Full-Auto]

With the exception of the 3G service and GPS, the iPhone 3G is identical to the current iPhone. The processor is the same, the firmware is the same, the camera is the same, etc. So, I would say no.

Too bad, I used to tether with my Q too.

[Eug]

Originally Posted by Simon 

Umm, for starters because tethering means more load. The $30 data plan buys you unlimited data.

Not really. Providers have had separate plans for tethering for eons. Furthermore many "unlimited" plans strictly forbid tethering.

[Simon]

Exactly. And by not making tethering possible in the first place Apple is helping carriers make sure people don't use too much bandwidth.

[Eug]

Originally Posted by Simon 

Exactly. And by not making tethering possible in the first place Apple is helping carriers make sure people don't use too much bandwidth.

So Apple is saving the world from unauthorized tethering now? It's amazing the carriers and phone manufacturers didn't figure all this out until 2008.

[mduell]

dupe, better below

[Simon]

Apple wants:
a) people to see and use their iPhone as a mobile internet platform with all you need right there your pocket
b) people to use their iPhone as a modem while they surf on their Dell

Carriers want:
a) unlimited data for restricted use / volume charges for large amounts of data
b) unlimited data for everything so people put their entire load on the cellular network

Sure carriers could offer additional plans for unlimited data with tethering. But Apple's not interested in that.

[mduell]

Originally Posted by Simon 

Nope. If it had been in there, we would have heard of it by now. From both Apple's and the carrier's business point of view it would make little sense to include it anyway.

Originally Posted by Simon 

Umm, for starters because tethering means more load. The $30 data plan buys you unlimited data. Carriers don't want you to maximize that. If they'd be selling data plans by volume this would be different. But they aren't. And hence they don't want you tethering with an iPhone data plan.

It appears you're not even reading the replies to you.

The carriers have already figured out how to make the business case work for tethering and/or keep load down on their networks. AT&T offers two different data plans for smart phones: unlimited on the phone only and tethering with 5GB free and $/MB after that.

Tethering is possible with almost every smart phone other than the iPhone with AT&T; some will even act as a wifi access point. I'm surprised Apple doesn't push for tethering... "Plug your iPhone into your Mac (or just be in the same room) and have your Mac online with high speed data anywhere."

Originally Posted by Simon 

Apple wants:
a) people to see and use their iPhone as a mobile internet platform with all you need right there your pocket
b) people to use their iPhone as a modem while they surf on their Dell

Carriers want:
a) unlimited data for restricted use / volume charges for large amounts of data
b) unlimited data for everything so people put their entire load on the cellular network

Sure carriers could offer additional plans for unlimited data with tethering. But Apple's not interested in that.

You've come up with two false dichotomies. You can use the iPhone as a mobile platform, limited to what can fit in your pocket, and as an access point; there is no exclusivity there. Carriers build out their networks to carry traffic; the faster the network and/or the more traffic they carry, the more money they can make. Unlimited plans don't make much sense to me from the carrier's perspective, but I'm glad T-mobile offers one!

[The Godfather]

Originally Posted by -Q- 

And while a 3rd party developer could probably write an application to do it, I'd doubt that Apple would allow it to be distributed via the App Store.

Wouldn't it be possible with the Ad-Hoc application delivery? It doesn't go through the App store.

[CorpITGuy]

Originally Posted by The Godfather 

Wouldn't it be possible with the Ad-Hoc application delivery? It doesn't go through the App store.

Yep. One thing is sure: authorized or not, folks are going to find a way to tether.

[Simon]

Originally Posted by mduell 

It appears you're not even reading the replies to you.

I am, but they're not offering any insight. All I'm reading is what a few people here would like to have. The iPhone OTOH is about what Apple and the carriers want. And that does not include tethering. Be that on an unlimited plan (carriers don't want that) or on a volume plan (Apple doesn't want that).

Tethering isn't missing because of a technical issue or because they happened to forget it (twice). It's not there because they don't want it there. Duh.

[hsl]

o2 in the UK says it is possible to use the iphone 3G as modem,.. :-)

[Lava Lamp Freak]

I remember reading a while back about someone hacking a jailbreaked iPhone to tether.

I personally don't have any need for tethering, so it isn't a big deal for me. I can check my e-mail and browse the web on my iPhone when I'm away from my desk. I always have wireless for my MBP at hotels I stay at. I can't think of any reason I would want to tether unless it was to replace a connection.

[videian28]

no tether capability probably is the deal killer for bringing my wife to the iPhone world, i'd pay more for the ability, but it looks like no matter how much you want to pay, they still won't let you do it.... what kinda sense does that make?

bad move IMO

[Eug]

Originally Posted by hsl 

o2 in the UK says it is possible to use the iphone 3G as modem,.. :-)

Link?

Originally Posted by Lava Lamp Freak 

I can't think of any reason I would want to tether unless it was to replace a connection.

Well, that's the point of tethering of course... Think of it this way. With your laptop tethered to a 3G phone, you could avoid the $9.99/day fees for internet access at your hotel or on your train or at the airport.

Plus, internet access might actually better through the phone sometimes. Even paid WiFi on my train sucks royally, and some hotels I've been in have less than reliable WiFi too. It really depends upon where your room is situated.

[moep]

While Apple and the carriers may not allow it, it's virtually impossible to prevent it completely.
I'm sure they will take measures to keep applications from acting as a gateway but people will find a way around it.

If all else fails you'll probably still be able to jailbreak the phone and do something like this: Tethering the iPhone for OS X with tinyproxy or tunnel through ssh via SOCKS.

But that's too complicated for 99.9% of all iPhone users and the remaining 0.1% won't bother Apple enough to lock 'em down.
7.2 mbps mobile internet here I come.

[videian28]

Originally Posted by moep 

While Apple and the carriers may not allow it, it's virtually impossible to prevent it completely.
I'm sure they will take measures to keep applications from acting as a gateway but people will find a way around it.

If all else fails you'll probably still be able to jailbreak the phone and do something like this: Tethering the iPhone for OS X with tinyproxy or tunnel through ssh via SOCKS.

But that's too complicated for 99.9% of all iPhone users and the remaining 0.1% won't bother Apple enough to lock 'em down.
7.2 mbps mobile internet here I come.

I know of this route, but damn, the iPhone is all about usability via the software, THAT is why is blows every other phone off the market, going a route like that is pretty much the exact opposite of what we should expect

[-Q-]

I wouldn't be surprised to see Apple imitate Virgin and start acting as a cellular reseller to provide services like tethering to those customers that want it. Not an area of strength for them, and no guarantee a cell provider would let them offer unlimited tethering, but it would present their customers with a better option than what's currently available.

[schalliol]

I thought I'd bump this. It really seems that there's no reason why we can't have this available. Tether over Bluetooth as a perfect companion to a MacBook Air, etc.

[Zeeb]

If the iphone allowed tethering it would dramatically alter my buying decision. However, even 3g speeds won't compare to my home broadband at this point so I'm not sure I'd want to rely solely on it. Maybe down the road mobile broadband will replace home broadband from a cable company--similar to the way a lot of people no longer have landlines but rely on their cellphones exclusively.

[Eug]

Originally Posted by -Q- 

I wouldn't be surprised to see Apple imitate Virgin and start acting as a cellular reseller to provide services like tethering to those customers that want it. Not an area of strength for them, and no guarantee a cell provider would let them offer unlimited tethering, but it would present their customers with a better option than what's currently available.

I would be EXTREMELY surprised if Apple went this route within the next 5 years.

Originally Posted by Zeeb 

If the iphone allowed tethering it would dramatically alter my buying decision. However, even 3g speeds won't compare to my home broadband at this point so I'm not sure I'd want to rely solely on it. Maybe down the road mobile broadband will replace home broadband from a cable company--similar to the way a lot of people no longer have landlines but rely on their cellphones exclusively.

The point of tethering for most people at this time at least is not to replace (a faster and more reliable) home connection. It's really for on-the-road broadband.

WiFi on-the-road is still very hit and miss. Many, many places have no WiFi at all, and even in places that supposedly support it, and it can be unreliable and very expensive. Tethered 3G solves those problems, at least for certain users who travel a lot.

[-Q-]

Originally Posted by Eug 

I would be EXTREMELY surprised if Apple went this route within the next 5 years..

I wouldn't be only for the following two reasons:

1) They introduce the iPod and iTMS and begin a revolutionary change in the music industry, a big gamble at the time and most certainly something outside their 'key strength' of computer and OS design.

2) They introduce the iPhone with a completely new process for registering and acquiring a cell contract. It almost seemed as if they were attempting to do the same revolutionary changes to the cell phone industry as they did for music. Why the new 3G phone falls back to the more traditional subsidized model is anyone's guess. Was it pushback from AT&T? Or the high number of unlocked phones running around?

But if Apple has changed the iPhone purchase model only to accommodate AT&T and their 5-year exclusive agreement, I wouldn't be too surprised that at the end of the 5-years, Apple does appear with it's own iTunes Celluar Store.

Completely uninformed guessing on my part of course.

[analogika]

Originally Posted by -Q- 

2) They introduce the iPhone with a completely new process for registering and acquiring a cell contract. It almost seemed as if they were attempting to do the same revolutionary changes to the cell phone industry as they did for music. Why the new 3G phone falls back to the more traditional subsidized model is anyone's guess. Was it pushback from AT&T? Or the high number of unlocked phones running around?

I think the fact that they weren't really selling the damn thing at all outside of the US.

Cellphone business models are just completely different in the rest of the world.

And they're obviously aiming for mass market, in the realistic hope of achieving critical mass similar to their rise to dominance in the mp3 player market. Lower entry price is a basic prerequisite to that (despite the slightly higher overall cost).