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SK Telecom and LG U+ launch LTE in Seoul, fellow South Koreans seethe with envy
Frustrated by a lack of choice amongst LTE carriers? We sympathize, so join us while we ponder a relocation to Seoul where not one, but two major telcos -- SK Telecom and LG U+ -- have enabled access to the high speed protocol. Service began on July 1st for data devices (read: modems) while phones from Samsung and LG are scheduled to make an appearance this fall. While those in Seoul are already surfing at higher speeds, the LTE wave is slated to go nationwide by 2012 for U+ subscribers and in 2013 for those on SK. Still not enough 3GPP goodness for you? Add the nation's third major carrier KT and their Q3 LTE trials to the mix, and we'll know where to send you next time you're hankering for delectable download speeds with a side of spicy kimchi.
HTC EVO 4G+ official, but is it destined for Sprint?
Well, what do we have here? Hard to say for sure, but it looks like this just might be the rumored Kingdom (or more likely its doublemint twin, the Rider, which showed up in stills this morning) that recently visited the FCC -- basically a CDMA and WiMAX-capable Sensation. Considering that the leaked video is titled "HTC EVO 4G+ preview," and that the handset pictured is cosmetically identical to the EVO 3D except for the camera pod, we're inclined to believe that this might just be destined for Sprint -- although that WiBRO setting means this particular unit is meant for the Korean market. The twin 5 megapixel cameras have been replaced with a single 8 megapixel shooter housed in a similar sized pod, and the 2D / 3D mode slider next to the shutter key now switches between photos and video. Let's just hope we're not dealing with a discarded prototype or an Asia-only model, and that the phone's guts are just as juicy and delicious as its 3D sibling -- complete with qHD display and dual-core 1.2GHz Snapdragon processor. Update: And just like that, it's official! HTC has just thrown down an official landing page for the EVO 4G+, and according to it, it's a phone that's "everything you can imagine." Bold. Thanks, Christian! [Thanks, Edwin]
WiMAX sleeve brings 4G speeds to the iPhone 4 in South Korea
This is exactly how we humans got out of the trees five million years ago. We spot a problem, like the iPhone 4's lack of 4G data, and we solve it. In fact, Korean Telecom's new Egg sleeve not only brings WiMAX to the iPhone 4 but also incorporates an extra battery to allow five hours of 4G surfing. It could make bipedalism slightly uncomfortable however, by bulking your pocket out with 2.4 ounces (68g) in added weight plus a third of an inch (8mm) in extra thickness. Primates outside of South Korea can't buy the ₩129,800 ($120) Egg right now, but problem-solving minds can always use 4G mobile hotspots instead -- like the Sprint Overdrive or Verizon's new LTE-based MiFi. That's why we're the jungle VIP.
Samsung Galaxy Tab goes WiBro, yo
Making fun of WiBro -- the Korean moniker for what's otherwise known as IEEE 802.16e mobile WiMAX -- never gets old. Fortunately, Samsung just gave us another reason to "pose hard" with the announcement of the WiBro- and T-DMB-equipped Galaxy Tab now available from the Korean operator KT for 900,000KRW or just a bit more than $800. Otherwise, it's pretty much the same 7-inch Android tablet that's about to get an 8.9 inch big brother on March 22nd. Hey Sprint, you seeing this? [Original image via ImSoGangsta.org]
LG E-Note H1000B 10.1-inch Windows 7 tablet arrives one year late
After seeing an unceremonious outing by the FCC and Twitter, LG's newest take on the Windows 7 tablet form-factor is finally official. The 10.1-inch 1366 x 768 pixel capacitive screen E-Note H1000B runs Windows 7 Starter on a 1.6GHz Atom Z530 processor with 16GB of SSD storage and 1GB of memory all powered by a 4-cell battery. The 14.5-mm thick / 850-gram slab packs 2x USB 2.0 jacks an SD card reader and 802.11b/g/n and Bluetooth 3.0 radios when sold for 961,000 Korean won (about $850) with a portable WiMAX router bundle on LG's home turf. The perfect tablet to accompany you at the world premier of Avatar. What? With specs like this it must be late 2009, right?%Gallery-107974%
Korea Telecoms suffers an Identity Tab crisis
What's this? A 7-inch, aluminum-trimmed, multitouch tablet from Korea running Android? Why it could be none other than the Samsung Galaxy, er, KT Identity Tab. Think of this 1GHz tablet with TFT-LCD, 8GB of internal memory (and SD expansion), DMB TV tuner, light and gravity sensors, built-in ebook reader, and 3 megapixel camera as KT's answer to Samsung's Galaxy Tab Android 2.2 tablet expected to hit SK Telecom, South Korea's largest carrier, sometime in September. And with KT's take on the Tab priced at KRW300,000 (about $253) or free with KRW27,000 per month contract and 50G WiMax (aka, WiBro in Korea) data plan, it certainly sets the expectation for how Samsung will price its Tab later this week. More pics of this oh too familiar tablet design after the break.
Samsung, KT hooking up for new WiBro-enabled phone
If this picture looks a little "off," yeah, we know what you're talking about -- it's hard to say how any graphic designer could've mis-rendered a mocked-up screenshot this badly -- but just squint your eyes a little bit and play along, won't you? This is apparently a conceptual view of Samsung's new SPH-M8400 for South Korea's KT, which will become just the manufacturer's second phone to feature WiBro (and KT's first) after the M830 / M8300. In fact, they've coined a fun little term for it -- 3W -- which means you're getting WiBro, WiFi, and WCDMA all wrapped up in one for the total 3G / 4G experience. Neither a date nor pricing are easy to come by at this point, but unless you happen to be around Seoul, that WiBro compatibility isn't going to do you a heck of a lot of good anyhow. [Via Unwired View]
Samsung boasts of first commercial LTE modem for cellphones
We can't say that we're absolutely certain that Samsung's not fibbing a little with its latest claim, particularly since NXP rolled out a multi-mode LTE / HSPA / etc. cellular modem way back in June of last year. Whatever the case, we're just stoked to see yet another big player drinking the LTE Kool-Aid, with Sammy developing what it calls the "first LTE modem that complies with the latest standards of the 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP)." The modem, which is being labeled the Kalmia for now, supports download rates of up to 100Mbps and upload speeds around 50Mbps within the 20MHz frequency band. In other words, if your future handset is equipped with this chipset, you could theoretically stream four HD movies with no buffering. Now, if only Samsung would announce a new mobile to go along with this, we'd really have reason to carouse.
Viliv X70 EX Premium 3G on sale now in Hong Kong
The folks behind the Viliv brand of consumer electronics don't ever stop swinging, it seems. They hit us with the beloved X70, the keyboard-sportin' S7, and before we have a chance to blink they're back in the ring with the X70 EX Premium. Currently on sale in Hong Kong, this bad boy features optional 3G (in which case you should ask for the X70 EX Premium 3G) and sports a 1.3GHz Intel Atom Z520 processor, 1GB RAM, a 32GB SSD, and an SDHC slot for extra storage. As you've probably guessed, the display is your standard 7-inch with 1024 x 600 resolution. Throw in Windows XP, WiFi, Bluetooth 2.0, and a GPS, and this guy is yours for $6,898 in Hong Kong bucks (roughly $890 US). No word yet on a Stateside release.Update: Hello! You can pre-order this badboy in the States, courtesy of Dynamism. The site is offering the device at $599.99 along with a bundle of free accessories. So, if you absolutely must claim your spot in line today... you know where to look.[Via Gadget Mix]
Viliv S7 UMPC gets final pricing and specifications
We've held onto our hats for quite awhile waiting for this day to come, but at long last, Viliv is dishing out the final specification lists and prices for its remarkably striking S7 UMPC. First shown way back at IDF 2008 as a prototype, this QWERTY-packin' machine has matured quite nicely over the months, with a trio of models on tap to showcase its mobile prowess. The entry-level I-LOG HX is equipped with a 1.33GHz Intel Atom Z520 CPU, 1GB of RAM, a 60GB hard drive, a battery good for 9.5 hours of use and Windows XP, while the mid-range I-LOG 3X steps up to a 32GB SSD. The flagship D-LOG 3X even gets an internal DMB TV tuner, while WiBro (South Korea's WiMAX) is an option on all three. We expect the 7-inch device -- which is priced at ₩729,000 ($572), ₩799,000 ($628) and ₩849,000 ($666) in order of mention -- to ship in its homeland soon, though no official release date has been made public.[Via SlashGear]Update: jkkmobile has it that international versions could feature processors as speedy as 2GHz along with Vista and a free upgrade to Windows 7.
KT's Egg gives your WiFi device access to the wonderful world of WiBro
Korea Telecom really wants to get you on the WiBro tip. The aptly-named (if a wee bit uninspired) Egg is essentially a router for connecting WiFi devices (such as the Nintendo DS or iPod Touch) to the company's wireless broadband network. According to the Korea Times, both KT and SK Telecom (the country's two main WiBro operators) have mere 170,000 WiBro customers total, "making a mockery" of its "most wired nation" aspirations -- so they can certainly stand to expand their customer base a little bit. Subscribers to the company's flat-rate data plan will get the device for free (trust us, they've paid enough). Or you can pick one up for yourself at the Apple store in Samseong-dong or Myeong-dong, the next time you're in Seoul. This guy should be hitting the shelves sometime in May for ₩220,000 (that's about $163). [Thanks, Stafford]
Samsung SCH-M830 hands-on
While perusing the Samsung booth for something fresh and fun we happened upon this, the Samsung SCH-M830. The M830 is a WiBro (mobile WiMax) and HSPA set, WiFI, Bluetooth, 3 megapixel camera, a 3.3-inch LCD, memory expansion with microSD, and runs Windows Mobile 6.1. The interface and all the UI elements were in Korean (see that Anycall branding? That's the hint) so if there were any special goodies in there we definitely didn't catch them. Impressions? It felt great and was really solid, but as to performance we can't add much there -- though just that big display had us smiling. Lovely gallery and a quick video flip-through follow the break.%Gallery-45266%
Trigem's $500 LLUON Mobbit MID goes on sale, wackiness ensues
Hard to believe but after three years (almost to the day) a MID / UMPC running a Microsoft OS with a $500 MSRP is finally out for retail. Trigem's LLUON mobbit is available in two configurations of which the lesser lists for KRW699,000 or about $490. A KRW799,000 ($560) presumably adds the listed WiBro spec for Korean style WiMaxing. That meager sum takes home a 13.2-ounce box o' XP with 1GB of memory, a 30GB disk, 4.8-inch 1,024 x 600 touchscreen with stylus, Bluetooth, WiFi, and 2 megapixel camera all riding Intel's Atom Z520 processor. Not bad... not beautiful by any stretch but significant enough to elicit maniacal behavior amongst devoted UMPC fanboys everywhere. Update: It appears that the WiBro model is actually the cheaper of the two. The lower price resulting from a required 18 month subscription.[Via CNET Asia]
South Korea approves standard for voice over WiBro
We've yet to hear any definitive plans out of Sprint for getting voice flowing over WiMAX-equipped handsets in the States, but it's bound to happen eventually -- and South Korea, one of the torchbearers of the standard with its long-operating WiBro network, is kicking off the party. The Korea Communication Commission has officially ratified a spec for voice over WiBro with service expected to start next year, though there probably wasn't a heck of a lot to ratify since it's essentially the same principle as any other VoIP tech. We're thinking the next challenge is probably getting enough battery juice to yap for longer than five minutes at a time, so yeah, good luck with that, guys.[Via SlashPhone]
Viliv's Atom-powered S5 MID gets detailed and pictured
Viliv got us salivating when it introduced the S5 MID and S7 UMPC back at IDF, and now we've got a few tasty updates on both. Starting with the former, we've learned via an interview with parent company Yukyung that the S5 MID will come packing a 1.33GHz Intel Atom CPU, 1GB of RAM, a 1.8-inch hard drive (1.3-inch when paired with a WiBro module in South Korea), a 4.8-inch 800 x 480 resolution touchscreen, integrated GPS / DMB and a primary battery good for up to six hours of use. The OS will be a home cooked system that's fairly attractive, though the outfit has made clear that WinXP versions will be available in the future. Speaking of the future, the currently unpriced S5 is expected to ship in South Korea this coming January or February, while the S7 is still on track for release sometime after that.[Via Slashgear]
Samsung's SWT-W100K WiBro PMP gets official, priced
We had the chance to get hands-on with Samsung's WiBro-lovin' SWT-W100k back at CES in January. Judging by the arrival of the product waifs, the 4.3-inch, WVGA touchscreen PMP now looks to be getting an official coming-out party in its native S.Korea. €341 takes the little all-purpose device with GPS, 2 megapixel camera, Bluetooth, 8GB of internal flash, and DMB mobile television home on a yet to be determined date. VoIP client, personal organizer, and web browser? Sure, that too. No word on the processor choice but it's definitely not running any flavor of Microsoft OS. With any luck, Samsung will bring a US-specced variant capable of running on Sprint's XOHM service later this year. Video refresher posted after the break.
Raon Digital adds WiBro to Everun UMPC
We're still trying to decide whether or not we've become acclimated to Raon Digital's Everun, but regardless of where it sits on the scale of unsightly devices, it's still a fairly potent handheld. For those parked in South Korea, you've got another reason to lust after it, as the firm is cranking out a WiBro-enabled version and dubbing it the S60H WiBro. From what we can tell, this iteration remains identical to the prior version save for the added connectivity, and should be available soon for around ???799,000 ($853).[Via MobileWhack]
Samsung rolls out second generation WiMax devices in Korea
While Sprint teases us with their beleaguered WiMax offering, Samsung is already shipping product for KT's and SKT's year-old WiBro service in South Korea. In fact, they've already moved onto their second generation of devices available starting today. The list includes the SPH-9200 HSDPA, WiFi, and Mobile WiMax totin' butterfly XP device we've seen before. New, is that pair of SPH-H1300 and SWT-H200K USB Mobile WiMax modems and CDMA SPH-M8200 candybar running Windows Mobile 6 on EV-DO and Mobile WiMax data beneath that biggie touchscreen display. Now please Google, just cut to the chase and acquire Sprint so that we can get a taste of that high-speed mobile data on a homegrown frequency, too. Pretty please, with sugar?%Gallery-10188%[Via AVING]
Samsung's SPH-9200 gets specs, leaked manual
You may remember our old friend -- the Samsung SPH-9200 UMPC -- from way back in the hot and humid days of August, when we first laid eyes on the contraption (a re-up of the SPH-9000). Well, the little flip-out, fold-up has gone and gotten its manual leaked out to the internet, and we understand that at least two ultra-nerds have read it cover to cover. Of course, there's an upside -- we've got confirmed specs. What does it look like under the hood you ask? Well, the whole package runs atop a VIA C7-M CPU, sports 512MB of RAM, a 5-inch, 800 x 480 touchscreen, a 30GB hard drive, a 1.3-megapixel camera, WiFi, WiBro, HSDPA, and between two and five hours of battery life. No word on price or release date, but you can watch the most boring video possible of the device in action after the break.[Via SlashGear]
iriver's G10 WiBro gamer reborn as the Postdata G100
iriver's G10 / Wing handheld game console has been a pretty serious flame-out for the company -- while the concept of an 8GB 4-inch touchscreen handheld that rocked wireless multiplayer features over WiBro and WiFi seemed like a winner, endless delays eventually resulted in the device falling off the radar, and eventually just falling off the company's plans. It looks like the G10 is about to get another go-around, however, as Postdata (iriver's development partner on the G10) is showing off a revised played called the G100 at the WiMAX World conference. The G100 features a 4.3-inch touchscreen, WiMAX, WiFi and Bluetooth connectivity, and a slightly modified keypad. No word on availability, but at this point Postdata's way ahead of the game by just showing off actual devices.[Thanks, Brian]
