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Verizon gets ready to shut down its 3G networks as LTE takes over
Verizon may not be releasing its first LTE-only phones until 2016, but it's already preparing for the day when its legacy CDMA and EV-DO networks ride into the sunset. Wireless tracker Milan Milanovic has discovered that the carrier is now using LTE data in Cleveland and Manhattan on 1,900MHz frequencies that were previously reserved for EV-DO (3G) service. Don't expect more bandwidth in your neck of the woods just yet, though. Verizon tells GigaOM that this is just a test -- it's not yet ready to make an official transition.
NetZero strikes deals to use Sprint LTE and Verizon 3G
We like the idea of NetZero's budget-friendly mobile broadband -- just not its use of Clearwire's small, aging WiMAX network. The provider should soon take care of that problem through new MVNO agreements with Sprint and Verizon. The five-year Sprint pact gives NetZero both LTE and EV-DO; the Verizon deal serves more as a safety net, supplying EV-DO alone for three years. Both agreements only take effect in the second quarter of 2014, but they should finally give the NetZero broad coverage and higher peak speeds that it needs to compete with more expensive rivals.
iPhone 5, updated iPod touch and iPod nano models reach the FCC right on cue
Apple has a tradition of timing FCC filings for new wireless mobile devices so that they appear just as soon as they've been announced, and it's not about to let up now. We've got a trifecta of approvals on the way for 2012 that start with the iPhone 5. What's hard to miss is the absurd number of cellular bands at work: as Apple had to make separate iPhone 5 models to cover every LTE carrier it supports, on top of the usual alphabet soups for CDMA and GSM, the filing combining the two devices is one of the largest we've seen to date. The addition of 5GHz WiFi support only compounds the situation. A pair of iPods also made their appearances today, and they've been given the regulatory once-over as well. The iPod touch has the 5GHz WiFi band included and isn't special by itself, but the new iPod nano is noteworthy simply for showing up at all -- the inclusion of Bluetooth means a spin past the testing facility in addition to some wireless audio. We're still digging to see if the iPhone or new iPods have any surprises, although you can have a first-hand look through the source links. Brad Molen contributed to this report.
Motorola Photon Q 4G LTE review: the best full QWERTY phone on Sprint's network
More Info Motorola ICS UI review Motorola Photon Q 4G LTE available August 19th for $200 Photon Q 4G LTE is coming 'very soon' The future of Motorola post-acquisition may still be a mystery, but the manufacturer has managed to stay quite active over the last few weeks: it unveiled the Atrix HD, its first smartphone with an HD display and native ICS build, and there's already much anticipation around Verizon's Droid RAZR HD ahead of the holiday season. For the here and now, however, it's Sprint's turn to soak in the Moto love with the Photon Q 4G LTE. (Say it five times fast.) Naturally, the name of the phone doesn't leave a whole lot to the imagination. As you'd expect, it's a follow-up to last year's Photon 4G that trades WiMAX for LTE and adds a full-sized QWERTY keyboard. What the name doesn't tell you, though, is that this phone costs a lofty $200 on contract, and features a qHD ColorBoost display (not to be confused with the Atrix's 720p screen, which uses the same branding). In other words, it's gotta be pretty good to have any success at that price point. How does the latest Googorola device hold up against the rest of Sprint's LTE lineup? Is it worth the premium? Follow us southward to find out.%Gallery-162994%
Verizon may cut what's left of Alltel data starting January 10th, 2013
Alltel customers brought under the Verizon umbrella have been getting more and more signals that it's time to let go of that legacy phone. The latest red flag is a letter that Droid-Life understands is making its way to holdout customers. According to one copy, Verizon will start shutting down the remnants of Alltel's data service on or near January 10th, 2013. Alltel's mobile data should be completely inert after April that year -- and those still clinging to the past will be down to basic phone calls and SMS until they get Verizon-blessed devices. At least corporate customers are getting incentives to cross the divide, so you can't accuse Verizon of forgetting to use the carrot along with the stick. We'll admit that we aren't exactly mourning the eventual loss ourselves: customers by that point will have had four years to make the leap, which in this era can feel like an eternity.
Samsung Galaxy S III review shootout: AT&T vs. Sprint
More Info Samsung Galaxy S III review AT&T announces Samsung Galaxy S III plans Sprint Galaxy S III arrives with Google Wallet on June 21 Each summer the world celebrates a time of warmth, fun and relaxation. For the tech community, however, it's traditionally the season in which Samsung unleashes the latest version of its Galaxy S flagship. But the now time-honored tradition is actually more of a one-two punch: first the unlocked international model is revealed, and later it's followed up by a litany of worldwide variants. US carriers intent on offering the "value" of differentiation to their customers have been the worst offenders in modifying Sammy's magic formula, ranging from motley form factors to egregious bloatware to clumsy naming schemes (Galaxy S II Epic 4G Touch quickly comes to mind). But Samsung's brand cachet has grown year over year, so much so that the company is starting to wield more power over carriers. No weird names, no exclusive agreements and no changes to the form factor. That's right, six carriers have signed up to carry the Galaxy S III so far, and every single one of these devices looks exactly the way Samsung intended, with the only major exceptions being the processor and memory allotment. So far we've had the opportunity to play with two of the six: AT&T's and Sprint's. How close to the original GS III (also known as the GT-I9300) do these devices come? What advantages and disadvantages does each bring to the table? Can you expect comparable performance? Stay with us as we break it all down. %Gallery-158527%
Sprint Galaxy Nexus review
Third time's a charm... Three's a crowd... She's once, twice, three times a lady Nexus... Three's a magic number... Good things come in threes... or is that sneezes? Okay, so maybe there isn't anything clever we can say to get you hooked, but do we really need to lure you in at this point? The Galaxy Nexus is, arguably, not only one of the best Android phones on the market, but one of the best phones, period. So, there's no reason to expect the Sprint variant ($199 on contract) would be anything short of incredible. Still, there's only one way to find out. Follow along after the break as we put the newest member of the Nexus family through its paces and see how it stacks up against its Verizon and unlocked siblings.
Verizon's ZTE Jetpack flies through FCC, arrival time still unknown
Do you wish you had your own personal Jetpack? Well, you may not have to wait much longer for ZTE's version -- the EuFi I890, announced at CES last month -- to come out, if its entry into the records of the FCC are any indication. It may not be the kind that you strap onto your back, but at least this one takes advantage of Verizon's LTE, and it happens to add in CDMA / EVDO and AT&T-compatible 3G radios. We knew the 4G-packing MiFi was going to hit stores in "the coming weeks," so this is essentially just one step closer to achieving that goal -- unfortunately, we still don't have a solid date yet. Hit the source link if you're into digging through government documents.
Tucows launches Ting, a contract-free mobile service on Sprint's network
Harken back to the days of Windows 95, and you may remember downloading a few shareware titles to your Compaq or Packard Bell courtesy of Tucows and its network of mirror sites. While the company is no longer of much relevance in the software arena, it's recently launched a mobile service called Ting that operates on Sprint's network, and like many of its competitors (think Boost Mobile and Virgin Mobile), no contract is needed. That's not to suggest everything is the same, however, as unlike other carriers, Ting offers to reimburse you for your unused voice, text and data allotments -- think of it as rollover to your wallet. Curious to know more? We've laid out and explained the full spread of Ting's phones and plans after the break.
Samsung's two-faced SCH-W999 Android plays the dual core, dual SIM game
Remember Samsung's second-gen dual-screen Android clamshell we spotted about a month ago? Well, here it is at last: announced in partnership with China Telecom, this SCH-W999 flip phone packs two 3.5-inch 480 x 800 Super AMOLED panels back to back, along with a 1.2GHz dual-core Qualcomm MSM8660, Android 2.3 with TouchWiz, HyperSkin back cover (as featured on the Galaxy Nexus for grip plus anti-smear), five megapixel camera, Bluetooth 3.0, WiFi and WAPI (China's not-so-successful take on WiFi, basically). Like many phones on China Telecom, the W999 comes with dual SIM slots and dual-mode connectivity (GSM and CDMA2000, with the latter offering EV-DO 3G), but with the additional support for penta-band radio for globetrotters. Want to nab one? We're looking at a 2012 launch, though there's no word on prices just yet -- well, just so you know, the predecessor W899 starts from ¥8990 ($1,410), so good luck with your garage sale. We got you some pictures from the China launch event after the break, courtesy of Samsung Mobile. %Gallery-140983%
Motorola Admiral to directly connect with Sprint on October 23rd for $100
We all knew it was coming, it was just a matter of time -- that, of course, is the Motorola Admiral that Sprint sure had a difficult time keeping a secret. But no matter now, as the fleet captain is ready to hook you up with the Now Network's CDMA-based Direct Connect service online starting October 23rd (November 13th for all sales channels) for $100 on a two-year commitment and after a $50 mail-in rebate. Summing up the specs: the Admiral features a 1.2GHz CPU, 5MP rear camera with 720p HD video capture, rugged 810G mil-spec design, 3G Mobile Hotspot for up to five devices at the same time, a 3.1-inch VGA display and Android 2.3. For a smartphone that you can kick the trash out of, that's not too shabby. Check out the full press release below.
A look inside Verizon's test car: we go heads-in at CTIA E&A 2011
Imagine if Verizon's Testman was actually the admiral of a fleet of Chevy Tahoes, all dedicated to the purpose of testing and comparing networks and asking if others can hear them now over a million times each year. The famous Testman himself is just an actor, of course, but Verizon's self-proclaimed "test cars" are a thing of reality; in fact, the fleet numbers a cool hundred nationwide. We had the opportunity to take a quick peek inside one of these cars, each of which drive an endless number of miles to measure the performance of not only Big Red's network, but its competition as well. You wouldn't recognize any of these unmarked cars if they drove past you on the street unless you were trained to look for the outside clues: on the roof lies a GPS module in concert with several black nubs, each one acting as its own phone antenna. If you look close enough at the back windows, you may be able to make out the multitudes of USB data sticks taped to them. All of these elements are crucial for Verizon in order to collect real-time data on how its network stacks up against the likes of AT&T, T-Mobile and Sprint, not to mention regional carriers such as Cricket and MetroPCS. Thus, each test car is equipped with phones that work on almost every network and try each one out thousands of times a year. The company's goal? To ensure that it maintains a standard of excellence in its network performance for both its voice and data quality. So how does this all happen? Read on past the break to find out what's inside the car. %Gallery-136457%
Apple iPhone 4S pre-orders exceed one million in first 24 hours (updated)
Last year's iPhone 4 launch brought more than 600,000 pre-orders within the first 24 hours. This year, that number nearly doubled, topping one million within one day of the device's pre-order availability through AT&T, Sprint and Verizon. Those that haven't pre-ordered the iPhone 4S can line up at Apple stores beginning at 8 a.m. on October 14th, or you can try your luck at pre-ordering now, though you may need to wait an extra week or two to get your hands on Apple's new iOS smartphone. Jump past the break for Apple's PR. Update: Maybe not a huge surprise considering the numbers Apple announced earlier today, but Sprint has just let us know that it has sold out of the 16GB iPhone 4S in both black and white for pre-orders, and that it's not taking backorders. 32GB and 64GB models are still available in both colors, however, as is the 8GB iPhone 4.
iPhone 4S officially announced: lands October 14th starting at $199 in sizes up to 64GB, coming to Sprint
What's this? The second coming of the iPhone 4? Sure enough, Tim Cook just pulled the covers off of the hotly-anticipated iPhone 4S here in Cupertino, making 2011 the first year in the company's current stint in the smartphone business that it chose to launch three new handsets (Verizon's CDMA iPhone 4 included, of course). On the outside the 4S looks exactly like its predecessor, but on the inside it's "all new." Apple has jammed a dual-core A5 CPU inside alongside a new dual-core GPU that supposedly boosts graphics performance by up to 7x. Up front is the same 3.5-inch Retina display we've all come to know and love, and around back is a glass plate. Those antennae around the sides (which caused many users so much trouble) have been revamped and iOS will intelligently switch between two different sets on the fly to avoid dropping calls no matter how you hold it. Those antennae are connected to a dual-mode GSM and CDMA radio that will let Apple's handset roam the globe while enjoying either 14.4Mbps HSPA+ or EV-DO Rev. A. %Gallery-135683% %Gallery-135727% %Gallery-135711%
ZTE N860 heading to Sprint, granted FCC and BlueTooth SIG approval
It's not often that a phone swings through the FCC with its carrier branding already in place, but here is the ZTE N860 with a nice big Sprint logo emblazoned across its regulatory label. Interestingly, it doesn't appear that the N860 (which we hope picks up a catchier name on its way to market) packs a WiMAX radio. Instead this Android smartphone only has test entries for its EVDO connection, but we wouldn't rule out a 4G hiding in some of the unreleased documents. In addition to its trip through the FCC, the handset also hit up the BlueTooth SIG and we can tell it sports A2DP capabilities - but, beyond that (even what particular version of Google's mobile OS it's running) this thing is still a mystery.
Samsung Illusion gets pictured on Verizon, convincing us it's not a figment of our imagination
We can't put all of our focus on Verizon's LTE lineup, lest we forget that there's plenty of 3G phones that need some attention too. The one shown above is a leaked image of the Samsung Illusion, also known to some as the Viper or the SCH-I110, a conceivably lower-end Android device with Gingerbread. It's difficult to pin down any more hard details on the device, as the components inside the phone seem to be even more of a hallucination than the phone itself; speculation, however, points to at least an 800MHz CPU, a 480 x 320 HVGA smaller-screen display and a few eco-friendly features (as indicated by its Sustainable Product Certification). Persuaded yet? Yeah, we didn't think so.
Elektrobit's Specialized Device Platform tailors Android devices for security-minded markets, won't hem pants
The defense industry may already have its share of deadly high-tech toys, but when it comes to the latest in mobile, it's often left to watch from the highly-secured sidelines. Enter Elektrobit Corporation with a just announced Specialized Device Platform that crafts made-to-order, Android-based devices for the public safety, security and aforementioned defense markets. Citing its lower cost, faster development approach, EB's service marries the "best of the traditional mobile world... with product-and industry-specific features" so clients won't have to deal with last year's Android OS. Oh wait, actually they will. The currently on offer Froyo-flavored, 1GHz single-core OMAP3 model packs a WVGA capacitive touchscreen (either 4-, or 4.3-inch), 5 megapixel camera, VGA front-facing camera, WiFi, Bluetooth and GPS with quad-band GSM, tri-band UMTS / HSDPA and CDMA2K / EVDO support. Clients interested in a 700MHz LTE, Gingerbread option -- that's right, no Ice Cream Sandwich -- will have to hold off until the first half of 2012, when the company's 1.5GHz dual-core OMAP4 models will be available for production. Alright, so these specs aren't exactly bleeding edge tech, but hey -- who needs a quad-core phone when you've got this.
Huawei Glory blazing to Cricket in November, 1.4GHz SoC and Gingerbread under $300
The Samsung Indulge is currently the king at Cricket, but Huawei is vying to steal the prepaid carrier's throne with its Glory. PC Magazine caught a glimpse of a pre-production unit, which features a 1.4GHz MSM8655T Snapdragon SoC -- the same as the upcoming Pre 3, which supports (but may not feature) dual mode GSM / CDMA for world roaming -- a 4-inch 854 x 480 TFT display, and an 8 megapixel AF camera with LED flash. While the manufacturer suggested its smartphone would be dual-core, the single Scorpion CPU associated with this chipset suggests otherwise -- though customers can rightfully expect an Adreno 205 GPU. Rounding out the components, you'll find a beefy 1900mAh battery, EV-DO Rev. A., WiFi, Bluetooth, GPS, and 2GB of storage (with an available expansion slot). Interestingly, Huawei hints that we'll see a "surprising" multimedia solution that compensates for the lack of HDMI -- anyone care to place bets on MHL or DLNA? The phone will ship in November with Gingerbread (followed by an upgrade to Ice Cream Sandwich), and is expected to retail for approximately $299. With such lofty components, it's easy to see where Cricket fans will be directing thanks for this holiday feast.
HTC Kingdom soars into FCC's database, WiMAX radio signals a Sprint release
Up until now, all we've had to go on were leaked Blurrycam photos and a few morsels "from the inside." Now, however, HTC's going to have an awfully difficult time denying the existence of its so-called Kingdom, known to the FCC as PH44100. The filing itself doesn't reveal a whole heck of a lot beyond what we already knew -- a 4.3-inch qHD display, namely -- but the presence of both a CDMA and WiMAX radio assures us that it'll be heading for Sprint sooner rather than later. A qHD contender for The Now Network? Yes, please.
Xperia Acro hits FCC, globe-trotting Japanese rejoice
Why, hello there CDMA SOI11... or should we say, Xperia Acro. This Japanese flavor of the Arc, just hit the FCC with both GSM and CDMA radios in tow for our globe trotting friends across the Pacific. In addition to the EVDO Rev A. data capabilities the Acro adds NFC and a TV tuner to the mix, but otherwise it boasts the same specs as its bowed cousin -- Gingerbread, a 1GHz Snapdragon processor, and a 4.2-inch screen. The filing lists AU by KDDI as the carrier, so Verizon customers shouldn't get their hopes up for an Arc of their own just yet, but at least folks from The Land of the Rising Sun can continue to use their sexy new handset when they pop by the States for a visit.
