BlackBerry considers selling itself to stay alive

It seems we may be nearing the end of a long and tortuous death march by Canadian smartphone maker BlackBerry. After attempting to beat Apple and its own game, then talking about doing a Dell and going private, BlackBerry is now putting out the “For Sale” sign.

Underlining its latest move, BlackBerry’s biggest investor resigned from the company’s board. However, with a market share hovering near 0 percent, will the smartphone maker attract a buyer?…

In a Monday statement, the Waterloo, Canada-based company announced it has formed a special committee to investigate its options. Those options include an outright sale, a joint venture, partnership, or something completely different.

“Given the importance and strength of our technology, and the evolving industry and competitive landscape, we believe that now is the right time to explore strategic alternatives,” BlackBerry board member Timothy Dattels said in a statement reported byReuters.

Translated, the statement indicates BlackBerry knows it can’t compete with either Apple or Android and wants to put itself on the auction block while its BBM technology is still worth something.

It is interesting that Dattels is heading the exploratory committee. A senior partner in the private equity firm (read: private buyout experts) TPG Capital and a former top executive at RBC Capital Markets, Dattels caused a bit of a flurry among investors when he joined the board in 2012.

The worry – that Dattels might sell BlackBerry – seemed just a bit too early.

Too late was BlackBerry’s Z10, which attempts to compete with the iPad but without much success. The other problem was BlackBerry was caught flat-footed by Apple and Android, turning a lead in smartphone mindshare into a continual drain of customers. In response to shrinking revenue, BlackBerry has slashed its costs, performing a rather public lobotomy on its organization.

Will a buy-out of some sort help BlackBerry?

Short-term, yes.

The company’s shares rose 9.4 percent in early trading, Reuters reported Monday. However, analysts don’t expect talk of a new owner to help BlackBerry’s long-term prospects.

Take BMO analyst Tim Long told

While a change in structure could result in a higher stock price in the near term, we do not envision any changes that would help BlackBerry reverse the significant smartphone share loss or rapid decline in service revenues.

What might help is if BlackBerry found a winner.

A potential advantage might be its BlackBerry 10 software. BlackBerry CEO Thorsten Heins has mentioned BlackBerry 10 as the bright spot in the company’s portfolio.

We are seeing BlackBerry shift more towards a software and services provider. The company has recently announced plans to offer its BlackBerry Messaging service as an app for iOS and Android. Secure Work Space for iOS and Android was also unveiled.

Let’s face it: BlackBerry just doesn’t get touch screens – the present and future of smartphones. But as Google has found, hardware is only half of a successful handset. This isn’t the first time a manufacturer has cut its hardware ties to focus on software and services.

We’ve seen it with IBM and other PC makers battered by the plummeting market for hardware. BlackBerry still can produce innovative smartphone software, and that – not its out-of-step hardware – will be what the company offers a new buyer.

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WSJ corroborates iPad mini like design, touchscreen tech for iPad 5

Various sources have been mulling for months that Apple’s fifth-generation 9.7-inch iPad will adopt the overall appearance of the iPad mini, including its skinnier side bezels and thinner, lighter enclosure. And as if you ever needed more proof, now the credulous Wall Street Journal is finally out with its own report.

Corroborating the rumor-mill chatter, the story reaffirms the notion that the iPad 5 partially owns its slimmer and lighter form factor to a new touchscreen technology borrowed from its little brother. Read on for the full reveal…

Per The Journal:

The same touch-panel technology that made the iPad mini thin and light will likely feature in the next iPad, which is currently being produced by Apple Inc.’s Asian suppliers, according to people with knowledge of the matter.

The publication is talking about the thin-film touchscreen technology called GF Ditto (also known as GF2), currently utilized on the iPad mini. As recently reported by DisplaySearch, all upcoming iPads will adopt GF2 tech.

GF2, a double-sided ITO film, has allowed for the iPad mini’s much thinner and significantly lighter enclosure versus the bulkier iPad 4 that uses a glass-based touch panel called G/G touchscreen.

“Following the iPad mini’s success, Apple plans to use the film-based touch panel in its next regular-size iPad”, people familiar with the matter told the newspaper.

Here’s a video from Youku which purportedly depicts a partially assembled iPad 5.

The Journal educates us on the benefits of GF2 vs G/G screen assembly:

For device makers, the option of using a film-based touch panel is becoming more attractive than before, as the film material has largely overcome previous technical disadvantages against glass, and it has advantages in terms of thickness and weight, said DisplaySearch analyst Shoko Oi.

Because Apple is the world’s largest vendor of tablet computers, what technologies it uses to produce iPads could have a significant impact on component suppliers. More demand for film-based touch panels is good news for manufacturers of PET films that are used to produce such panels.

For what it’s worth, it was iLounge’s Jeremy Horwitz who back in January first called for the iPad 5′s iPad mini-like design. Based on a physical model he had apparently seen, Horwitz wrote that the next full-size iPad could be “a lot smaller than one would guess was possible”with “virtually no left or right bezels”.

At any rate, the bulkiness, the added weight and the overheating non-issue plaguing the current Retina iPads are all about to become a thing of the past, should Apple engineers have their way.

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New Photos Emerge of the iPad 5th Generation Front Panel with Narrow Bezel

New photos of the next generation 9.7″ iPad’s front panel surfaced last night, again suggesting that Apple is planning to move toward thinner bezels like the iPad mini.

MacRumors shares some interesting points with us on the new photos.

- The display area is the same as the iPad Retina. 
- The edges of the frame are narrower using the same style as the iPad mini.
- The ITO (Indium tin oxide) is the same as the iPad mini. 
- There is now 2 connectors instead of 1. 
- The connectors have been changed from FFC (Flat Flexible Cable, like the iPad 2/3/4) to FPC (Flexible Printed Circuits, like the iPhone 4/5)
- Stamped on the front panel is a part number of 821-1892-02, which matches the format used by Apple on many of its iOS device components.

You can view the gallery of the new photos below. 

Late last week a new video emerged showcasing the iPad 5′s rear shell.

Apple is expected to launch the next-generation iPad and iPhone in the fall with the release of iOS 7. What do you think of these new photos?

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Poll finds most users actually prefer the look of iOS 7 over iOS 6

The responses to the radical user-facing changes Apple has made in iOS 7 have been a mixed bag thus far. While some users welcome the new designs and like the way the software looks, others dislike the update so much they say it could kickstart Apple’s downfall.

But it looks like the voices in the latter camp are just the loudest, and don’t necessarily represent the majority. Because according to this online poll conducted by Input Factory’s Polar platform, most folks actually prefer the overall UI design of iOS 7 to that of iOS 6…

9to5Mac points to the Polar survey, which is actually a number of smaller surveys asking users which UI elements they prefer, those in iOS 6 or iOS 7. This includes on/off switches, pickers, alerts, sliders, search, the share sheet, the Lock screen, and the Notification Center.

And here’s how users have voted thus far:

As you can see, an overwhelming majority of folks who voted preferred the look of iOS 7 UI elements to those in iOS 6: 72% to 28%.

Now, you can argue that these results aren’t indicative of how the general population feels—and you’d be right, iOS 7 isn’t publicly available yet. But in the same breath you could argue that it’s not just developers using the betas right now, which evens the playing field a bit.

It’s also worth pointing out that these results match up with those from a previous poll, also conducted by Polar, which asked users for their preferences on iOS 6/iOS 7 icons. In that survey, more than 50,000 people chimed in, and a majority of them voted for iOS 7′s images.

But it’s not the folks in these polls Apple will have to win over with its new design this fall. It’s the 300+ million other iOS users who will update their devices in a few months, unaware of the changes that lay ahead of them, that they’ll have to impress. Can they do it?

What’s your take on all of this?

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Report: Apple Working on Non-Retina iPad Mini Powered by A6 Processor

We have some potential bad news for those that have been patiently waiting for an iPad mini with Retina display, as it appears that Apple is working on a new non-Retina model of the 7.9-inch tablet.

As discovered by developer Nick Frey, there are references within hidden files in the iOS 7 SDK that confirm Apple is contemplating at least three new tablets… 

9to5Mac has the scoop:

According to the provided information, Apple is considering three new iPad mini models: iPad “2,8,” iPad “2,9,” and iPad “2,10.” The respective code names for the devices are J75, J76, and J77. This points to one WiFi-only model and two cellular-compatible models (just like the current iPad minis).

The hidden strings reveal that the iPad minis will be based on the s5l8950x processor, which is the same Apple A6 system-on-a-chip found in the iPhone 5. As expected, the report claims that it is impossible to confirm that this iPad mini will ever be released to the public. It could remain a prototype for internal testing only, or could be part of a silent update alongside iOS 7 this fall.

For those that are still waiting for an iPad mini with Retina display, there is still hope. These uncovered iPad mini models carry a codename of “J75,” while the purported Retina model iPad mini is rumored to be codenamed “J85.” Multiple sources have confirmed that Apple has plans to release an iPad mini with Retina display for 2014.

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Popular gadget reseller says new Nexus 7 isn’t attracting iPad owners

On Wednesday, Google unveiled a new version of its Nexus 7 tablet. And on paper, it looks great. It’s both thinner and lighter than its predecessor, and features a number of upgrades, like a hi-res 1,920 x 1,200 display. But so far, iPad users aren’t impressed.

That’s at least according to electronics buyback site Gazelle. The company says it hasn’t seen any kind of spike in iPad trade-ins since the new Nexus 7 was introduced, or in the rumor-filled weeks leading up to it. But first-gen Nexus 7 trade-ins on the other hand…

Gazelle tells TechCrunch that there was a 333% increase in the number of Nexus 7 trade-ins the day of Google’s event, compared to the same day last week—Gazelle’s biggest Nexus 7 trade-in day to date. And, in the days ahead of the event, it saw a 442% increase.

“The Nexus 7 trade-in activity spiked so high that it made up nearly a quarter of all trade-ins for non-iPad tablets since the site began accepting them earlier this year.

Wednesday, the day Google made its announcement, was also the biggest Nexus 7 trade-in day at Gazelle to date, beating the next biggest day by 380 percent. That previous record was set when the new Nexus 7 leaked on July 17, which clearly prompted early adopters to take advantage of a small head start ahead of the big reveal.”

By comparison, Gazelle says it didn’t see any kind of notable increase in iPad trade-ins the day the Nexus 7 was launched, or in the days leading up to it, implying the tablet isn’t winning over current iPad owners. Of course, there’s nothing scientific about its findings.

If I had to wager a guess, I’d say that a majority of iPad owners aren’t trading in their tablets for two reasons. One, because they are way too invested into the iTunes ecosystem (purchased apps, media, etc.) to switch, or two, because they’re waiting on Apple’s move.

The Cupertino company is expected to unveil two new tablets this fall. There’s the iPad 5, which is said to feature a major redesign, and the second-gen iPad mini, which may or may not have a Retina display. I’d like to see slate trade-in numbers around that launch.

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How to add iPad styled popovers to the iPhone

While I like the popover style on the iPhone, I still believe that Apple made the right decision to use a slide up sheet on devices with smaller real estate. What do you think? If you want to know more, head over to Cydia’s BigBoss repo where it can be downloaded for free. Be sure to share your thoughts in the comment section below.

Have you noticed how iOS differs between the iPhone and the iPad when it comes to things like sharing images via the Messages app? On the iPhone, you’re greeted with a simple sheet that slides up from the bottom of the screen. On the iPad, you’re met with a popover style set of buttons. Both methods allow you to perform the same actions, but each has been designed to suite the screen size of the device in question.

What if you wanted to adopt the iPad’s style of popovers on the iPhone? Now you can, with a new jailbreak tweak called Popoveractions. Check past the break for more details via our video walkthrough…

Popoveractions is an extremely simple jailbreak tweak that begins working immediately upon installation. There are no options or settings to configure, you just install it and go.

While I like the popover style on the iPhone, I still believe that Apple made the right decision to use a slide up sheet on devices with smaller real estate. What do you think? If you want to know more, head over to Cydia’s BigBoss repo where it can be downloaded for free. Be sure to share your thoughts in the comment section below.

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Microsoft Continues to Attack iPad After $900 Million Surface Tablet Blunder

Microsoft continues its aggressive marketing campaign against the iPad, releasing a new TV advertisement on Friday that mocks the Apple tablet for its absence of three Surface features: a real keyboard, kickstand and USB port. The 30-second spot also promotes the Surface’s new $349 price tag, over $599 for the iPad; however, the ad only shows the additional $119 cost for the Touch Cover in the fine print.

It is rather unsurprising that Microsoft is pushing to increase Surface sales, as the tablet cost the company $900 million in losses due to “inventory adjustments.” That’s a nice way of saying that the tablet is not selling, with only 1.8 million Surface RT units sold in the past two quarters. And when you’re forced to knock $150 off your flagship tablet, you know things aren’t going too well.

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Editorial: Do You Even Use Your iPad?

The iPad is a device which serves some very specific purposes and, if you have other devices that fill those purposes, you could very well find your iPad sitting around collecting dust. That’s how it is for me at least.

About 2 years ago, when I couldn’t afford a smartphone, the iPad 2 was the only iOS device I had. Because of this, I used it daily. Checking email, browsing the web, playing games, using iMessage and using those one-of-a-kind iOS apps was all done on one device. I didn’t have an iPhone, so my iPad 2 was my go-to device for things like TweetBot and Alien Blue. It was just easy to use as compared to browsing Twitter or Reddit on my desktop. Without a smartphone, I didn’t have many other options – and I enjoyed using my iPad immensely.

Fast forward 12 months, and I had sold my iPad 2 and purchased my first iPhone. After three or four months of being iPad-less I decided I missed being able to use my tablet in certain situations (every night in bed comes to mind as being one of them). So what did I do? I went out and purchased an iPad mini. Many may argue that the iPad mini was—and is even moreso now—a bad purchase (assumably because of the soon-to-come retina display model).

The iPad mini, though, never really picked up traction as a daily use device. Why? Because I have an iPhone now. I no longer /need/ an iPad to use those apps which I find such a joy to use. I use my iPhone upwards of four or five hours a day, but last time I checked my iPad’s battery stats, I had 30+ days of idle time. That’s a testament to the device’s battery of course, but it’s also a testament to how little I use the device. I simply don’t need it.

Why don’t I need an iPad anymore?

My iPhone 5 fills all the needs that an iPad serves in daily use. Need to see how a website loads in mobile safari? iPhone 5. Need a quick way to manage my multiple Twitter accounts? TweetBot on iPhone 5. Need to send a quick email? Mail.app on iPhone 5. Need to post a photo to Instagram? Instagram on iPhone 5. Need to manage my bank account? Simple on iPhone 5. Need to get directions? Google Maps (ha) on iPhone 5.

It’s not that my iPad is useless – it’s just that my iPhone 5 fills almost every need and provides even more. My iPad mini (or at least the Wi-Fi model) can’t give me directions on the go, but my iPhone can. My iPad mini has TweetBot—which I definitely do use occasionally—but my iPhone does as well. The other big contributor to this, I think, is the fact that I always have my iPhone on me. I don’t have a reason to tote my iPad around, and it seems to just stay in my backpack or sit on a shelf. When I need a big screen, I use my desktop or my MacBook.

What is the iPad mini useful for, though?

It’s not that the iPad mini isn’t useful. If I didn’t have an iPhone (or any other smartphone for that matter), the iPad would be a great go-to device to use mobile apps on a larger screen. It made sense when I didn’t have an iPhone and the iPad 2 had its benefits, but I just can’t justify the—albeit beautiful in most cases–larger screen apps over the handiness and the always-on-me nature of my iPhone.

But in some ways, this might be just me and my needs. My iPhone fulfills my mobile iOS needs, and my MacBook (and desktop PC) fulfill my productivity needs. If you need an iPad at work to use as a digital notepad or find the iPad on your person regardless of having a smartphone, I can testify to the fact that most apps are easier and more intuitive to use on an iPad screen. There are some experiences—fullscreen ore taking, artistic apps, fullscreen web browsing, the list goes on and on–you just can’t get on an iPhone, but I think I’m simply someone who almost never needs them.

I was a believer.

Let me make this very clear: Before the release of the iPad, I was a firm believer in the fact that this device serves a purpose. It does, in fact, serve a purpose as evidenced by the fact that the iPad grew and became mainstream far faster than the iPhone ever did. If not a need, there is definitely a want. And, I’m sure for some people, having iOS apps displayed in full 9.7-inch or 7.9-inch glory is an absolute necessity. But it just isn’t for me.

So why don’t I sell my iPad?

I’m going to hold onto my iPad because it still serves a purpose to some extent. I use it as a gaming machine. Because I don’t use my iPad for anything else, I have downloaded 9 pages of games – basically all the games I’ve ever purchased on theApp Store (or at least the universal ones compatible with iPad). This serves a great purpose, because gaming is simply something that I never do on my iPhone. My iPhone 5 is 16 GB and 12 of those are music (something I don’t really need on my iPad – not mobile) and the rest are my necessity apps like Tweetbot.

So I guess maybe this is more of an article about how few games I have time to play. My iPad does a great job of storing them and 10 year-old me would have loved to have that thing. But for now, I only really use my iPad when I’m bored on a car trip across the country.

What about you?

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Alleged Retina panel shortages could push back iPad mini 2 into early-2014

While supply chain sources appear to agree that a fifth-generation iPad is launching this Fall, pointing to Apple’s procurement of components ahead of trial production, there is no definite consensus on a successor to the 7.9-inch iPad mini.

A new report out from Taiwan on Friday asserted that Retina panel shortages may have forced Apple’s leadership to push back the device into early-2014.

Tim Cook & Co. have reportedly scrapped the original plan which called for launching the iPad mini 2 during the fourth quarter of 2013, in time for the holiday shopping season…

This information was reported on by Taiwan’s Economic Daily News, via MacRumors. The story alleges Apple may even introduce both Retina and non-Retina versions of the iPad mini 2.

The sentiment echoes that of May’s NPD DisplaySearch report calling for two Retina iPad mini 2 models, one in the second half of this year and another in the first quarter of 2014, sporting a faster chip.

Apple pulled a similar maneuver last year when unveiling the iPad 4 with Lightning I/O and a faster A6X chip just six months following the iPad 3′s introduction.

Back in April, the reliable KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo similarly told clients “technical challenges” would probably push back the second-generation iPad mini until September-November timeframe.

Likewise, on Monday the hit-and-miss Taiwanese trade publication DigiTimes wrote Apple is“still adjusting” the new iPad mini as Apple’s engineers reportedly face challenges in terms of the impact of the power-hungry Retina Display on battery life.

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Next-Generation iPads and MacBooks Could Have IGZO Displays

Further corroborating claims that we’ve heard in the past, Korean website Electronic Times reports that Apple will adopt IGZO displays in its next-generation iPads and MacBooks to reduce the power consumption of its mobile devices. Apple is reportedly in discussions with LCD panel manufacturers Sharp and LG to supply the displays.

IGZO is a semiconductor material that has a forty times higher higher electron mobility than amorphous silicon, allowing for screens with higher resolutions, faster reaction times and less energy consumption. Moreover, the technology allows for displays that are thinner than the current screens used on Apple products. 

It was first reported by Taiwanese supply chain source DigiTimes in December that Apple would be using IGZO displays in its latest iOS devices, while a second report by The TechBlock surfaced in May that claimed MacBooks would also receive the upgrade.

The website calls for the next-generation MacBook to be released in the first half of next year, while multiple sources have speculated that Apple will release a fifth-generation iPad this fall ahead of the holiday shopping season. Will you consider purchasing one of these devices?

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Apple asks ITC for stay on sales ban affecting older iOS devices

Apple has asked the United States International Trade Commission (or ITC) to stay a ban on sales of older iPhone and iPads while a court considers an appeal. The company filed a motion on Monday arguing that the ban, which is the result of a Samsung patent infringement complaint, will ‘sweep away an entire segment of Apple’s products…’

GigaOM reports:

“Less than four weeks before an import ban on popular Apple products will take effect, the iPhone maker is asking the International Trade Commission to stay the ban while a court considers an appeal.

In a motion filed Monday with the ITC, Apple said the ban, set for August 5th, will “sweep away an entire segment of Apple’s product offerings,” and also harm its phone carrier partners.”

For those who missed it, the ITC ruled last month that several Apple products, including the iPhone 4, the iPhone 3GS and 3G iPads, infringe on one of Samsung’s cellular patents. The commission issued a blanket sales ban on the devices, which would bar Apple from importing them into the country, and it’s currently trying to appeal the decision.

“If the Orders go into effect, Apple will lose not only sales of its iPhone 4 (GSM) and iPad 2 3G (GSM) products but also the opportunity to gain new smartphone and tablet customers who otherwise would have purchased these entry- level Apple devices…

…The products subject to the Commission’s orders have been purchased by [REDACTED]. They remain very popular and are strong sellers for the GSM carriers. As noted above, the GSM carriers will be placed at a competitive disadvantage against their CDMA competitors because the Orders will prevent them from offering these popular, entry-level devices.”

In a statement last month, Apple said that the ban would not impact the availability of its products in the United States. But given the above comments from Monday’s filing, it appears they’re starting to get a bit more nervous. If Apple doesn’t win the stay, the White House Administration is essentially its final hope to avoid the sales ban.

It’ll be interesting to see how this plays out.

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Jailbreak Tweak PredictiveKeyboard Launches on Cydia

PredictiveKeyboard is one of the latest iOS jailbreak tweaks to arrive on scene, bringing auto-completion functionality to the stock keyboard on iPhone and iPod touch. As you are typing a message in the compose field in any app where the keyboard is activated, PredictiveKeyboard will try to guess the last word you are typing before you complete it.

For instance, as seen in the screenshot above, the letters “milli” were enough to prompt the following three predictions: million, millionaire and millions. For power users that are frequently using their iPhones or iPods to send text messages, emails, tweets or so forth, it’s easy to understand why this tweak is so valuable. PredictiveKeyboard by Matthias Sauppe is $2.39 on Cydia in the BigBoss repository.

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iOS 7 hints at growing interest in Apple pre-release software

Whenever Apple releases new software, consumers rush to give it a try. Now the average Apple user wants in on pre-release software once the domain only of developers and others paid to ensure everything is in order.

There has been such interest in the changes made to iOS 7 that this so-called ‘beta’ software is being adopted at a faster pace than test versions of iOS 6, one company noted Tuesday.

More than twice as many iPhones are online with the beta version of iOS 7 than was the case when the pre-release version of iOS 6 was made available to developers, according to a company which optimizes websites for mobile users.

Why the heightened interest in software declared not ready for mass use? How is Apple responding to this trend?

As of June 17, iOS 7 betas accounted for 0.46 percent of the firm’s total traffic, nearly double that of the iOS 6 beta which registered 0.25 percent over the same period in 2012, according to mobile web optimizing irm OnSwipe, via TechCrunch.

Individually, 0.77 percent of iPhones and 0.28 percent of iPads were detected running the test version of Apple’s mobile software. This compares to 0.38 for iPhones and 0.19 percent of iPads found to be running last year’s pre-release iOS 6.

Why the increase in interest in Apple’s pre-release software?

There are many possible explanations.

Firstly, with the introduction of so many new features, as well as a totally-revamped “flat” user-interface, developers are showing twice as much interest in retooling their apps to look best in the new digs.

Secondly, consumers have followed the twists and turns regarding this version of iOS in the most minute detail. As author Darrell Etherington points out, there was a record audience to hear Apple CEO Tim Cook and others describe software and products not likely to appear on shelves until this fall.

In response to the growing interest in its pre-release software, Apple is clamping down on its retail employees, ensuring the company speaks with one voice when it comes to iOS.

Some retail Apple employees have said they were threatened with firing if they showed the iOS 7 beta installed on their personal iPhones to customers. At the same time, Genius Bar workers were also admonished against servicing customers who had the beta installed on their handsets.

It’s a wonder how long Apple can continue this two-track way of marketing.

Hyping its next software while trying to control the message is a bit like poking a lion to prompt it to growl while making sure you’re not eaten.

Meanwhile, the third iOS 7 beta is expected to appear July 8.

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How To Use Personal Hotspot On iPhone/iPad

One of the main features I really love it and think it is very useful is the Personal Hotspot. For those who don't know what is Hotspot and what does it do.. Using Hotspot you will be able to turn your iPhone/iPad into a wireless router, thereby sharing the devices internet connection with other Mac, PC, or any other capable hardware. We often call it "Internet Tethering" or Wi-Fi hotspot. This is a very great features for travelers who need internet in critical situations..

 So here's how to enable Personal Hotspot on your iPhone and turn it into a wireless router: 

• Go to Settings--->Personal Hotspot and switch it on. 
• Optional but highly recommended: Tap on “Wi-Fi Password” to set a new custom wireless password to access the device through wifi
• From the Mac, PC, or other iOS device, choose the newly created personal hotspot as the wireless router, typically it’s named “iPhone” or “iPad”, or whatever the name of the device is set to

Very simple right ? Whatever device becomes connected to the iPhone or iPad will treat it as a normal wireless router and use it’s internet connection as usual, never knowing the difference. The iPhone/iPad will display a blue status bar indicating Hotspot is on and devices are connected to it’s internet connection.

Connecting through wi-fi is by far the easiest way to use the iOS devices internet service, but you can also connect through Bluetooth if desired, which is often slightly slower, or through a tethered USB connection, which is often the quickest and has the advantage of also charging the iPhone or iPad, but it’s disadvantaged by the physical USB attachment between the devices. Most carriers place a five device limit on Personal Hotspot use, so be aware of that and don’t try to provide the entire officer neighborhood with an internet connection through your cell phone.

When you are finished using the iPhone/iPad internet connection, go back into Settings and toggle Personal Hotspot back to OFF. This will stop broadcasting the wi-fi and Bluetooth signal as a hotspot, and also save some battery life.

Personal Hotspot isn't Showing Up On iPhone/iPad ? 

Can't you see Personal Hotspot on your iPhone/iPad ? Well there is a lot of things that may cause such thing.. First not all carriers support Persoanl hotspot feature, so you will have to call your carrier and ask them if this feature supports your carrier or not..

On the other hand, if you know for sure that you do have support for internet sharing on your iPhone or iPad with a data plan to support it, but Personal Hotspot has mysteriously disappeared, you can often just reset the devices network settings to bring it back into the Settings menu. Then just flip it on again as usual to get going.

How To Watch Personal Hotspot Data Usage:

So you have successfully turned your iPhone into a Wireless router, but maybe you want to know and keep your eye on the personal hotspot data usage.. But remember using personal hotspot is very expensive, so don't try to download a movie or watching a YouTube video from computer... Just surf the web and check Facebook or etc...

Here’s how to check this in iOS:

• Open Settings, go to “General”, then go to “Usage”
• Scroll down to “Cellular Usage” and look under “Cellular Network Data” to see a live count of network use

Following these steps will make you sure that you don't mess up anything when using personal hotspot.

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