AT&T has been quietly accumulating smartphone units to add to their war chest in anticipation of the iPhone being made available through Verizon in the near future. Bloomberg reports:

AT&T Inc., facing the possible loss of its hold on the iPhone, is adding handsets at an accelerating clip and retraining store staff to help reduce reliance on its top-selling smartphone during the holidays. AT&T clearly has tried to diversify themselves away from the iPhone, and that's probably the right strategy since they've relied so heavily on the iPhone these past few years [...] this handset strategy could shelter them from some customer losses."

AT&T has also been revamping many of their retail outlets and giving alternate smartphones to their staff in order to be less dependent on the iPhone in a post-exclusivity world. Is AT&T right to worry or just smart to prepare? Sound off in the comments below!

[Bloomberg]

by Andrew Wray

AT&T preparing for loss of iPhone exclusivity? is a story by TiPb. This feed is sponsored by The iPhone Blog Store.

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Victoria’s Secret launched their iPad app a few days ago and it has already soared into the #1 position on the Top Free iPad Apps chart. As if having the store’s catalogue at your fingertips wasn’t sexy enough, the Victoria’s Secret app also brings you photo shoots, fashion show exclusives, TV commercials, special events and the ability to stalk up-to-the-minute coverage of their supermodels.

• Insider access – supermodel secrets, commercial sets, photo shoots, behind-the-scenes photos and exclusive videos of the VS fashion show
• Browse the catalogue – tap the image of an item you like to add it to your shopping cart on Victoria’s Secret’s website
• Find the nearest Victoria’s Secret store – you know, for those times you traveled out of state for a wedding and realized you forgot to pack your strapless bra
• Share with friends – Post VS pics, videos and stories directly to Twitter and Facebook

You may not of thought it possible, but yes, your iPad just got sexier.

I assume that the Victoria’s Secret app is already #1 because of all the selfless men in the world who have download it to their iPads for their wives and girlfriends. Am I right?

[Free - iTunes link, via TUAW]

Victoria’s Secret comes to iPad is a story by TiPb. This feed is sponsored by The iPhone Blog Store.

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Both AT&T and Verizon have now released their quarterly earning statements, and it turns out AT&T (driven primarily by 5.2 million iPhone activations) signed up 2.6 million net subscribers to Verizon’s 0.9 million.

So Droid doesn’t bring subscribers the way iPhone 4 does? That’s actually terrific news because Verizon in a position of power is not something any Android or iPhone lover would want to see. Perhaps this will encourage Big Red to let Droid be a little more Android. No doubt it’s what’s encouraging them towards a Verizon iPhone 4 in 2011, right?

Verizon turning to iPhone because Droid doesn’t bring the subscribers? is a story by TiPb. This feed is sponsored by The iPhone Blog Store.

TiPb - The #1 iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch Blog

Remember that TiPb iPhone and iPad wallpaper contest we had going in our forums? We didn’t forget about it, but I don’t think we made it exactly clear what we were looking for either. So to kick things off (again), we’ve picked our first winner, the forum member who submitted the beautiful wallpaper they made above.

Think you can make a killer wallpaper? Jump over to our thread and submit your iPad or iPhone wallpaper for your chance to win. We’ll be picking a winner every week. Each winner will have their wallpaper put on the front page of TiPb as well as receive $20.

Remember: we are looking for original works, not photos. It can be based on your own photo but it has to be made into a real, great looking wallpaper. Textures, abstract patterns, stripes, plaid – whatever you think will really make an iPhone or iPad background stand out. You’ll need to create these though, not just find one online.

And now for our first winner, CoffeeFaith – for their awesome iPad/iPhone creation you see above. Great job!  He’s got it posted in all iDevice formats over in our forums, so check it out!

If you guys think you’ve got some awesome creations, once again hop on over to our Wallpaper Contest Thread!

TiPb iPhone and iPad wallpaper of the week! is a story by TiPb. This feed is sponsored by The iPhone Blog Store.

TiPb - The #1 iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch Blog

VoterHub is a new iPhone app which brings a plethora of voting information into the hands of iPhone wielding U.S. citizens. With VoterHub you can

• register to vote
• find out what the deadlines are for registering
• find out voter qualifications
• find out when early voting begins
• find out when vote-by-mail/absentee voting begins
• find your local polling place
• view your state’s election calendar
• find out who is on the ballot

Maybe in 20 years we’ll be able to vote with our iPhones? Ok, probably not, but a girl can dream.

If you pick this one up, let us know what you think!

[Free - iTunes link]

AT&T brings VoterHub to iPhone is a story by TiPb. This feed is sponsored by The iPhone Blog Store.

TiPb - The #1 iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch Blog

Back in April Apple launched their magical, revolutionary iPad and all this week TiPb’s been wondering just how well all that magic and revolution has held up some 6 months later. Rene has already shared his thoughts in an editorial and Chad and Georgia shared theirs during the last iPad live! podcast, but we wanted more.

Here’s our original iPad review. Follow on after the break to see how the TiPb writers and Smartphone Expert editors Dieter, Kevin, and Malatesta feel about their iPads… six months later.

Dieter Bohn, SPE Editor-in-Chief

Six months in, the iPad has basically filled in two niche uses for me. First and most important: the iPad is the perfect airplane / airport device. I have the 3G version, so I don’t feel beholden to the vagaries of airport WiFi before I get on the plane. While in-flight, I rarely find the environment good for getting actual work done, so the iPad is a perfect device for watching movies and some light reading. The second niche use is as an internet device when I’m puttering around the house. I still don’t feel I can effectively get ‘real’ work done (the browser isn’t up to my needs there), but it’s great for looking up random stuff and sneaking in a game or twenty of Strategery.

Could I live without the iPad? Absolutely. But I’d be hauling out my laptop, not my phone, to fill those gaps.

Check out PreCentral.net’s updates on the forthcoming webOS PalmPad

Chad Garrett, TiPb.com

At first I thought the iPad would be a back-up device to my iPhone. I purchased the 16GB Wi-Fi only model at launch. Though, this worked, I longed to be able to access data anywhere on the device. Over time I have used it more and more, to the point that it is my main computing device. I have since sold my 16GB model and I upgraded to the 32GB 3G version. This device now competes me. Is it perfect? No. But it does what I need it to do very well. Do I still love my purchase? Yes. I love it more than ever.

Georgia, TiPb.com

It’s a larger version of phone more than a laptop, so if you want a laptop, get a laptop. iPad can’t replace that. If you want something easy to use, for pictures or surfing the web or games, get an iPad. For less tech-savvy parents, for children, it’s fabulous.

But it’s not perfect. I wish it didn’t need that ugly USB adapter for my camera. I wish I could just sync it directly with my iPhone. And I’m upset Apple is taking away my orientation lock in iOS 4.2. Plus, what’s with Mac getting FaceTime before the iPad?

That aside I still love it. Go get it.

Ally Kazmucha, TiPb.com

At first it seemed like there weren’t a ton of apps that were made specifically for iPad but as that number grew, so did the amount of time I’ve spent with it. Adding multitasking may make me more apt to spend more time on the iPad than I do with my iPhone 4. After 4.0, my usage switched to being heavier on the iPhone 4. I’m looking forward to see what devs will do with multitasking on the iPad. I think it’ll only help people make the decision between an iPad and a netbook. 4.2 should add a lot of features people need and want.

Leanna Lofte, TiPb.com

Six months ago I did not think I would be purchasing an iPad because of the cost. I decided to get one at the last minute and do not regret it one bit. My MacBook has been playing the role of a desktop now and if I had the money, I would actually sell my MacBook, purchase an iMac, and use the iPad for my mobile computing. My biggest complaint about the iPad is that 6 months later, we are still waiting for iOS 4.0. This is unacceptable to me and I’m looking forward to multitasking and a unified inbox when it finally becomes available. Although I absolutely love my iPad, it is still clearly a 1.0 device in my eyes. I have high hopes for the next generation iPad and can’t wait to see what Apple announces for it.

Kevin Michaluk, Founder of CrackBerry.com

Yes, I’m the world’s biggest BlackBerry addict, but that doesn’t mean I hate Apple. Truth be told, I probably own more Apple products than most of the hardcore Apple fan boys out there. When it comes to the iPhone, I’ve owned all of them — including the iPhone 4 — but honestly I have yet to really ever be enticed by any of them…. it’s a great consumer product, but for what I do 90% of the time when I have a phone in my hand (communication, critical apps, etc.) for me the BlackBerry simply gets it done quicker, and that’s what I want in a mobile device. I don’t use a phone to kill time, I use it to get sh!t done. But when it does come to killing time with media and games, which is that that other 10% for me, I really appreciate the iPhone as this is where it excels.

When the iPad came out, I picked one up in the USA long before it came to Canada. And it didn’t take me long to decide that for me, everything the iPhone can do the iPad does better. When I travel and have time to kill at the airport and on flights, it really is my best friend. The night before I leave town I always download a few movies and buy a few new games for the iPad. I really like iTunes – it’s one of the best things Apple has going for it (though if you own multiple devices it’s still a pain in the butt to move your content around between them). For the iPad It’s all about that big screen size – why would you want to squint playing Angry Birds on an iPhone when you can have it be nice and big on an iPad? Previously a Kindle user, my Kindle now collects dust too as I now use the iPad as my ebook reader (I use Amazon on the iPad though – not the iBook stuff). Whoever says e-ink is better for reading never grew up with computers – I have no issue reading on the iPad and I do like flipping pages with a touchscreen (I do still find the iPad is a little heavy though for reading when lying in bed – it’s bonked me on the head a few times now when I’ve fallen asleep with my arms outstretched).

The iPad isn’t perfect though. One of things I really wish for is multiple user management. The iPad is kind of like a coffee table book for me – I leave it lying around and it’s something for guests to play with or my niece or nephew when they visit. The fact I can’t set up a guest account on it has forced me to never really start using it as a work tool – I don’t put my email on it. I also own enough laptops that I would never send email on it anyways – time is money and I can type 110 words per minute on a real keyboard… so why would I want to do something slower on an iPad that I can do quicker on something else?

The lack of flash really sucks too. I know the web is quickly catching up and going html 5, but still… I wanted to buy an iPad for my girlfriend’s dad as a present. He doesn’t use a computer but I figured he’d like using the iPad. I showed him mine and he liked it. But the first 3 websites he wanted to check out (mainly the websites for magazines that he reads) had a lot of flash on them so didn’t even load. It turned him off immediately.

Things are getting exciting in the world of BlackBerry with the announcement of their first tablet, the BlackBerry PlayBook. I’m really excited to get my hands on this one. It’ll be interesting to see how I like it. For me, I’ve never really liked the iPhone because I’m so entrenched in BlackBerry – going away from that physical keyboard and the BlackBerry way of things things (fast!) has just always felt alien for me. But on the tablet front, the iPad is my home. It’s what I’m used to in a tablet device. So it’s going to be the PlayBook that will have to be fantastic to really impress me. Apple set the bar for tablets high, so we’ll just have to wait and see how it goes!

Check out CrackBerry.com’s ongoing coverage of the BlackBerry Playbook

Rene Ritchie, TiPb.com

"It's just a a big iPhone" is exactly right — size is the killer app. Almost immediately I stopped reading on my iPhone or MacBook. I began saving everything I came across to Instapaper so I could read it later on my iPad. (I would even close my MacBook and pick up my iPad just to read long articles, the experience was so much more enjoyable). Browsing the web is fantastic; disintermediating the keyboard and mouse of the traditional PC and touching the screen made for a far more immediate and intimate experience. So much so, in fact, that when Dieter and I wrote our iPad review we focused almost entirely on the experience of the device. Gaming also benefited from the big screen, igniting an ongoing debate in Chad's heart as to whether the faster launch schedule of iPhone games can equal out the grandeur scale of iPad.

It's not perfect. It can be heavy and unwieldy at times. When iPhone 4 and iOS 4 launched in June the combination of Retina Display, FaceTime, and especially multitasking and unified inbox had me reaching for my iPad less and less often. Some of that was surely "shiny new toy" syndrome. Some of it was hard limitations of iPad under iOS 3.2. iOS 4.2 for iPad is on the horizon, however, bringing everything iOS 4 brought to iPhone back in June but adding AirPrint for productivity and AirPlay for entertainment, and while the former was needed the second could just be killer.

iPad is Apple’s first generation mainstream computing appliance, the Apple I or Lisa, not the Apple II or iMac, and that means it's certainly not for everyone, not yet and perhaps not ever. But it's proven over time that it's for me, maybe not "right" but "right now". Apple hasn't nailed the device yet — they might next time, or the time after — but they hammered it hard, harder than I initially thought, and developers have taken it even further.

(That’s an extract of the longer iPad: Six months later editorial we ran earlier this week.)

Daniel Rubino (Malatesta), Editor of WPCentral.com

My affair with the iPad has been a mixed one, at best. It all started with a little interest, even a hint of mockery when first announced (okay, more than a hint). But like most people, at one point intrigue crept in and then a sense of fascination, curiosity with a hint of disgust…at myself.

Being ensconced in the Microsoft world (though hardly any allegiance), my interest in Apple is mainly as opposition, though I certainly respect their design aesthetics and recent market prowess. It took me three trips to the Apple store before I committed to buy, so yes hesitation was with me at every step. That all seemed to come to end once I opened it up the box and turned it on–that smooth metal, shiny glass and eye candy of the OS–I immediately fell in like with the device. Over the next few weeks, while not a full convert, I did administer more praise than critique, perhaps surprising a few tech compatriots a long the way.

Fast forward six months and where am I? I’m probably back in the critique camp, though it’s not to say the iPad is a bad device–just not the device for me. What changed? A few things–the way I used the iPad, the strength of my Acer Aspire 1410 Notebook (had it before the iPad) and new or refreshed technologies like the Sprint EVO and new Amazon 6″ Kindle. First, my Asus just served me better for productivity. As a blogger, typing, searching, copying, pasting, linking, etc. are all just easier on my Asus than my iPad. You could even say I love my Acer–I really do. Likewise, although I can read Kindle books on the iPad, I’m just not a fan of reading on displays with a backlight (my eyes tire quickly, headaches ensue). In this regard, the Amazon Kindle is just amazing–e-Ink is truly a remarkable thing if you’re a heavy reader and although the iPad gets great battery life (still impressed by this), the Kindle can go weeks instead of hours. Between the $139 price tag on the Kindle, the battery life and the fact it only weighs 8oz, there’s just no comparison between the two for reading for my situation. (And yes, took my Kindle to the beach where it was awesome; never thought about taking the iPad).

And the Sprint EVO? Yes, as it turns out, having a device with a 480×800 4.3″ screen with 3G can serve wonders for checking email, twitter and websites (and being a Windows Phone fan, I expect the HTC HD7 to replace my EVO–hello Xbox + Zune). The iPad served as a great couch-companion for looking up things on IMDb, YouTube, or checking Twitter. But with the EVO, I can do all of that but faster. And its easier to handle too. As it turns out, my iPad still does serve a purpose: it’s great for watching movies, video podcasts and Netflix. In fact, I use it 90% of the time just for this function. With the great battery life and 10″ screen, it makes a good movie player at work (don’t ask). Is that worth $500? No, not really.

To conclude, though the iPad is a unique device, one which will have a strong presence and continued success in the market, for my needs it fell short: not good for productivity (a fellow blogger tried using his a the recent Microsoft NYC event–I killed him in publishing), it’s not a great eReader and it’s just not that fast for doing things. Sure, I have a 3lbs notebook to carry around (5.5hrs battery life), a Kindle and my EVO, but I’m now quite happy with those over the iPad–in fact I’m thrilled with all of them. Still, I do look forward to trying the new OS update and will see if that breathes new life into the device which at this point is more luxury than necessity.

iPad: Six months later [Round table] is a story by TiPb. This feed is sponsored by The iPhone Blog Store.

TiPb - The #1 iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch Blog

Sylvester Caan dropped us a note to tell us (and show us!) his iPad being signed by US President Barak Obama. Take it away, Sylvester:

At a rally in Seattle, WA at the University of Washington, the President used the touchscreen on my iPad to give me his autograph.

He looked slightly surprised, but proceeded to use his finger to scribble on the iPad using the Adobe Ideas app.

How well was he able to sign? Check out the results and the video after the break. And if you and your iPhone or iPad have had any brushes with power or celebrity, let us know in the comments!

President Obama signs iPad is a story by TiPb. This feed is sponsored by The iPhone Blog Store.

TiPb - The #1 iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch Blog

Samurai II: Vengeance for iPhone and iPad is the sequel to award winning Samurai: Way of the Warrior. Unlike the first game, Samurai II offers you virtual on-screen controls. These can be moved around the screen to customise the gameplay to your comfort.

With gorgeous retina display graphics, Samurai II offers a beautiful, anime-style hack and slash game that fits in your pocket. You can either follow the Story Mode or fight as many enemies as possible in Dojo Mode.

The game is available as a universal application and will work natively on the iPad and iPhone, and has full Game Centre support with unlockable achievements and leaderboards.

Video after the break! If you try it out, let us know what you think.

[$2.99 - iTunes link]

by George Lim

Samurai II: Vengeance for iPhone, iPad hits App Store is a story by TiPb. This feed is sponsored by The iPhone Blog Store.

TiPb - The #1 iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch Blog

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We’re taking iOS back to the Mac with FaceTime and App Stores and Folders, oh my! Plus, Steve Jobs tells us what he really thinks about BlackBerry competition and Android openness, and we’ve got the body-bags to prove it. This is iPhone live!

Credits

Thanks to the TiPb iPhone accessory store for sponsoring the podcast, and to everyone who showed up for the live chat!

Our music comes from the following sources:

• I Called You — iPhone Remix by Pete Leidy
via Sneakmove iPhone Ringtone Challenge

iPhone live podcast 122: Back to the Mac is a story by TiPb. This feed is sponsored by The iPhone Blog Store.

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It looks like US President Barack Obama will be meeting with Apple co-founder and CEO Steve Jobs today. Business Insider reports:

“President Obama is flying to the Bay Area from Seattle this afternoon. He’s speaking at Google exec Marissa Mayer’s house in Palo Alto this evening. Before that, says a source familiar with the details, he will have a one-on-one meeting with Steve Jobs.”

We aren’t exactly sure what they’ll be discussing, but we have a sneaking suspicion that Obama might just have heard what Steve Jobs had to say on Apple’s most recent conference call and is now rethinking the Blackberry device he’s been using since he won the 2008 presidential election.

Perhaps The President will be reaching out to Jobs in order to see how viable the iPhone would be as an alternative — and given the number of apps now available in the App Store for his consumption, we don’t think it’ll be a very challenging pitch for Steve Jobs to manage.

All joking aside, what do you think they’ll be talking about during this one-on-one discussion? Let us know in the comments!

[Business Insider]

by Andrew Wray

President Obama meeting with Steve Jobs is a story by TiPb. This feed is sponsored by The iPhone Blog Store.

TiPb - The #1 iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch Blog