AppleInsider StaffReports surfaced online Thursday that tethering between the iPhone and iPad would not be possible. AppleInsider contacted AT&T, and was told that the matter is a question for Apple, as the iPad apparently does not allow tethering via USB or Bluetooth.
"This is not a policy issue," an AT&T spokesman told AppleInsider, deferring to Apple for further information on the subject.
Apple's own documentation on tethering for the iPhone 3GS with iPhone OS 3.0 and up states that it is only possible through a USB cable or Bluetooth. But prior to the release of iPhone OS 4, tethering is not yet available on the AT&T network in the U.S.
The news confirms what Apple Chief Executive Steve Jobs allegedly said via e-mail in March. A user asked Jobs if the iPad would be able to tether with the Wi-Fi iPad, to which the company co-founder succinctly replied, "No."
While the reports seem to confirm that 3G tethering via Bluetooth is not available on the iPad, it is possible that Apple could add the feature to the iPad via a future software update. It's also possible that an iPhone software update could allow tethering over Wi-Fi, as some other smartphones currently do.
AT&T announced on Wednesday that it would allow tethering on the iPhone when OS 4 arrives. Users must pay $25 per month for the high-end plan with 2GB of data per month, plus an additional $20 to allow tethering. The feature allows customers to share their mobile 3G Internet connectivity with another device, such as a laptop.
Andrew Orr
Christine McKee
Sponsored Content
Wesley Hilliard
Amber Neely
88 Comments
That's a lie been doing it since day ipad came out
Google recently showed an Android phone acting as a mobile WiFi base station for an iPad. It is dumb that you will be able to do this with an Android phone but not an iPhone. Come on Apple.
That's a lie been doing it since day ipad came out
They don't mean jailbreaks. I expect AT&T doesn't care as long as you pay them $45 a month for 2GB limit.
Google recently showed an Android phone acting as a mobile WiFi base station for an iPad. It is dumb that you will be able to do this with an Android phone but not an iPhone. Come on Apple.
This is a different form of tethering. It would be cool though. What I'd really like to see is GPS information forwarded by wifi. The Cradlepoint access point devices will do it, but the google maps app doesn't know how to interpret it.
I don't get why people are refuting the truth of the article by claiming that it works over wifi. The article states that tethering will not be possible via bluetooth or USB.