Rumor: iOS 4.3, Personal Hotspot Feature Coming February 13?
by Joe White
February 3, 2011
In David Pogue's New York Times review of the Verizon iPhone, the columnist noted that the AT&T iPhone will get Apple's Personal Hotspot feature on February 13. Following this, the comment was supposedly deleted.
The rumor comes from an AppleInsider reader, who states that Pogue's reveiw originally read:
The single new feature in Verizon’s iPhone is Personal Hotspot, where the iPhone becomes a Wi-Fi base station. Up to five laptops, iPod Touches or other gadgets can get online, using the phone as a glorified Internet antenna. That’s incredibly convenient. Many other app phones have it — AT&T’s iPhone gets it on Feb. 13 — but Apple’s execution is especially nice. For example, the hot spot shuts itself off 90 seconds after the last laptop disconnects. That’s hugely important, because these personal hot spot features are merciless battery drains.Now, the review simply reads: "AT&T says its iPhone will get it soon." Any trace of the February 13 date has been deleted from the article (if it was ever there to begin with). Since the initial beta version of iOS 4.3, Apple has been rushing through subsequent betas in an attempt to complete the software update as quickly as possible. The upcoming software update brings Apple's "in-app subscriptions" service to iOS devices, which is used by News Corp.'s The Daily. Currently, users of the application are enjoying a free two week period. However, after this trial has expired, users will have to pay $0.99 per week via an in-app subscription in order to access future copies of The Daily. Obviously, the other major feature iOS 4.3 brings is "Personal Hotspot," via which iOS device users can turn their handset into a mobile Wi-Fi hotspot. Verizon iPhone handsets will ship with iOS 4.2.5 installed, which already features Personal Hotspot. However, Apple is going to have to release iOS 4.3 soon, so other iPhone owners can take advantage of the feature. I can see Apple releasing iOS 4.3 around February 13. The company has certainly been rushing through beta versions - and considering few major features are added to the iOS, we can't be that far away from a Gold Master edition of the software update. Once we see iOS 4.3 GM, we know the final version won't be far away. We'll keep you posted.
