[hugh]

BGR reports Personal Hot Spot is rumoured to be coming in iOS 4.3

Other features include:

• Personal hotspot capabilities for GSM devices — as we exclusively reported earlier today
• AirPlay support for third-party native apps and third-party Web apps
• Redesigned FaceTime icon
• Multi-touch gesture support for iPad — “This beta release contains a preview of new Multi-Touch gestures for iPad. You can use four or five fingers to pinch to the Home Screen; swipe up to reveal the multitasking bar; and swipe left or right between apps. We are providing this preview before releasing them to the public to understand how these gestures work with your apps.”
• Configurable slide switch for iPad — users can now decide whether the hardware switch above the volume rocker on the iPad controls mute or rotation lock
• iAd full screen banners on the iPad — bigger ads… just what iPad users have been clamoring for

The hotspot is great news and so is the Configurable slide switch for iPad which they should have done in the last update!

 

[jshel101]

The hotspot is great news

I just hope the cell providers here actually enable this feature. Knowing how greedy they are, I don't have high hopes for this.

 

[Nuje]

Geez, if Apple couple this personal hotspot with removing that ridiculous 20MB limit to iTunes (and some other) downloads over 3G, my need/desire to jailbreak the iPhone4 drops to pretty much zero.
MiWi and My3G are really the only reasons I have a jailbroken iPhone these days.

 

[hugh]

I just hope the cell providers here actually enable this feature.

Me too. A year or two ago, when Rogers was the only provider and alternate wireless providers weren't around, I could see them suppressing it.

It's definitely going to be more difficult for them to suppress it now.

 

[hugh]

I have split the discussion about iOS and how it won't get to the iPhone 3G into the following thread
http://www.digitalhome.ca/forum/showthread.php?t=135206

so this thread can focus on the new iOS.

 

[99semaj]

I wonder to what extent they will be able to do so? Does Personal Hotspot data just appear as normal data consumption or can the carriers distinguish?

In my case, I have an unlocked, unsubsidized iPhone4, so it's never been touched or otherwise customized by the carrier. I haven't even specifically told them it's an iPhone, although they can probably tell from the IMEI.

 

[hugh]

Under usage, the iPhone shows Cellular Network Data and Tether Data. My guess is that Personal hotspot will show up under tether data.

 

[Hilman]

It must be different for iPhones as I use my Android as a hotspot and it is just seen as regular data. Having said that, does it matter? Wouldn't tethered data be the same as regular data?

 

[99semaj]

I can understand how the handset would distinguish...but does the carrier know?

 

[hugh]

At one point, Rogers was going to charge extra for tethering so my guess is they know how much data is tethered.

My concern is that Rogers starts charging for tethering when personal hotspot is invoked.