If you need to borrow a couple of bucks to tide you over until payday, then the folks over at Broadcom should be feeling altruistic. The chip maker’s latest financials show that it pulled in $2.13 billion turnover and a cool $220 million profit. While that’s more than the $160 million it pulled in in the second quarter, it’s a little off the $270 million it made in the same period last year. Given that the company’s innovating with both 802.11ac chips and branching out into the wireless headphone business, they might even lend you some cash next month, too.
Analog TV broadcasts have been shut off in the UK, marking the final stages of the digital switchover and freeing up valuable spectrum for further 4G LTE roll-out. The signal broadcast milestone is the culmination of half a decade of handover, with Northern Ireland the last remaining hold-out; transmissions there ceased at midnight local time, the BBC reports, ending 80 years of analog television. However, the potential for high speed data is probably enough to assuage any sadness.
UK carriers have been chomping at the bit to repurpose the swathes of spectrum until now being used for analog TV, with the frequencies ideal for LTE services. That sense of urgency has only increased in recent months, after EE – a combination of carriers T-Mobile UK and Orange – revealed it planned to jump ahead and launch its own LTE service at the end of this month.
EE has hit an unexpected stumbling block with the news of its first LTE tariffs, which the carrier seemed to expect – with the inclusion of free film rentals, cloud backup, and more – would be broadly welcomed by speed-hungry consumers, but which in fact met with disappointment. The tariffs may offer higher speeds and unlimited calls/texts, but in some cases the data allowances are uncompetitive in comparison to rival 3G carriers.
Nonetheless, EE has an advantage in the marketplace and it’s one its competitors aren’t happy with; adding salt to the wound is the fact that the best-selling iPhone 5 is only available in LTE form on EE in the UK. The same is true of the 4G versions of the new iPad with Retina Display 4th-gen and iPad mini, announced yesterday.
Exactly how long it will take to repurpose the analog TV frequencies for LTE is unclear, though Vodafone and others have indicated their services could launch in Spring 2013.
A few months back an anonymous tipster gave us a candid look at the Verizon-bound LG Spectrum 2, but after a couple more sightings here and there, the trail eventually went cold and Big Red’s unannounced smartphone fled back into seclusion. However, a recent website posting by Best Buy has brought this mobile Sasquatch out of hiding and back into the mainstream media. While this listing is mostly a refresh confirming our source’s shared specs, it notes the Spectrum 2’s unsubsidized price as $650. Now, before you would-be buyers start directing your browser to the retailer’s webpage in hopes of making a quick purchase, it should be noted that the device is listed as “sold out online.” Still, we can’t help but notice the pictured device’s homescreen carries a date of November 3rd, which could be a nod to when the Spectrum 2 might officially show up on store shelves.
In case you missed all of the hullabaloo, the iPad Mini and the fourth generation iPad were revealed earlier today, and both of them are sporting 4G functionality. Now, all Apple enthusiasts need to do is decide where they’re going to purchase their shiny new tablet. Verizon has announced that it will offer both the fourth generation iPad and the iPad Mini at launch, so if you’re looking to take full advantage of their 4G capabilities, Verizon might be a good choice.
Of course, Verizon was listed in that rundown of carriers for the iPad 4 we saw earlier today, but that Verizon will be getting the iPad Mini at launch is news to us. Verizon touted the fact that it now has 4G LTE service in more than 410 markets across the country, which comes with a download speed of “5 to 12 megabits per second (Mbps) and upload speeds of 2 to 5 Mbps.” In other words, if you feel the need for speed, Verizon can deliver it – so long as you’re in a coverage area.
If you go for the fourth generation iPad, you’ll be getting your device a little quicker than soon-to-be iPad Mini owners. The fourth generation iPad is scheduled to launch on November 2, which is just over a week away. By comparison, Apple won’t start shipping out 4G iPad Mini until a couple of weeks after the Wi-Fi-only version’s November 6 launch, so you’ve got about a month to wait for that one.
The iPad Mini with Wi-Fi and 4G will set you back $459, while the fourth generation iPad with 16GB of storage and 4G capabilities costs $629. Verizon says that it will be offering a “range of attractive data plans,” with both the fourth generation iPad and the iPad Mini, but didn’t go into much depth about the individual plans. Will you be picking up your new iPad from Verizon, or will you be buying one elsewhere?
Apple’s iPad mini and 4th-generation iPad didn’t arrive alone. In the company’s time-honored tradition, it has timed the FCC filings for both devices to show up alongside the products themselves. Each iOS tablet has been approved in both singular WiFi and dual cellular editions: the iPad mini has appeared as the WiFi-only A1432 as well as the A1454 and A1455 for worldwide HSPA+, EV-DO and LTE coverage, while the full-size iPad has been cleared in directly paralleled A1458, A1459 and A1460 versions. Not surprisingly, the frequency range matches that of the iPhone 5 and suggests that we’re dealing with the same Qualcomm MDM9615 chip. We’ll know more once the two iPads are in our hands and those of teardown artists, but for now you can explore Apple’s regulatory gymnastics in full at the source links.
Today, Apple finally announced its highly anticipated iPad mini. This 7.9-inch “little tablet that could” will be available from Verizon, AT&T and Sprint with shipping starting “a couple of weeks after” WiFi models go on sale on November 2nd. Available in black and white for $459 (16GB), $559 (32GB) and $659 (64GB), the company will begin accepting pre-orders on October 26th. So, if you plan on calling dibs on one of these little guys, we suggest that you plan accordingly.
Apple announced the 4th-generation iPad today, and it came with some incremental updates compared to the third-gen model, including the new A6X chip, a better camera, and improved WiFi. While some may not see this as a huge update to warrant a completely new generation of the iPad, Apple did add other carriers to the 4G LTE mix.
Apple announced that the 4G LTE in the new fourth-generation iPad will now support the Now Network in the US, as well as KDDI in Japan, both of which are huge carriers that will undoubtedly see more wireless customers purchase the iPad. The tablet now supports over 20 carriers located around the world. Here’s the full list:
– AT&T – Deutsche Telekom – Sprint – Verizon – EE – Rogers – Bell – Fido – Koodo Mobile – Telus – Telstra – SingTel – KT – SmarTone – SK Telecom – KDDI – StarHub – SoftBank – Optus – Virgin Mobile – Hong Kong Telecom
If you missed the fourth-generation iPad announcement, here’s a quick recap of what the new tablet brings. It’s got Apple’s new A6X chip, which doubles the processor and graphics performance from the previous iPad model. The new iPad also now as a 720p HD front-facing FaceTime camera — great if you want to look even better for chatting with your friends.
The new iPad also has the new image signal processor that’s found in the iPhone 5, and will feature the same Retina display as the third-gen model, which is an insane 2048×1536 resolution. Battery life will remain the same 10 hours as previous models, and the 16GB WiFi-only base model will cost $499, while the 16GB WiFi+4G model will cost $629.
Apple has confirmed pricing for the iPad mini, the company’s new 7.9-inch tablet unveiled today, with pre-orders kicking off on Friday. The new slate will be priced from $329 for the 16GB WiFi model, while its WiFi + Cellular counterpart will start from $459. However, capacities will go all the way up to 64GB.
The 32GB WiFi-only iPad mini will be $429, while its WiFi + Cellular cousin will be $559. Finally, the 64GB iPad mini will be $529 for the WiFi-only model, and $659 for the WiFi + Cellular. The iPad 2 will remain on sale, priced at $399 for the WiFi-only 16GB, and $529 for the 16GB WiFi + Cellular.
Preorders for the iPad mini will begin on October 26, with shipping of the WiFi-only model kicking off the following week, from November 6. There’s a considerable number of countries getting that model, too:
As for the WiFi + Cellular iPad mini, that will start shipping a couple of weeks after the WiFi version, beginning in the US. International availability will follow after that. More details on the smaller tablet here.
EE‘s new 4G plans for the UK have been revealed, but the carrier also has a new movie store, EE Film, for both its own subscribers and those of other carriers. Preloaded on EE handsets, such as the iPhone 5, Samsung Galaxy S III 4G LTE, and Galaxy Note II 4G LTE, but also available to other smartphone users to download, EE Film will offer what the network says is the best selection of new releases of any UK rental service, on a par with DVDs.
Over 700 will be offered at launch, priced from £0.79 for rentals, though some of the blockbuster titles – such as Wrath of the Titans and Prometheus – came in at £3.99. Rental purchases last for up to 30 days, though once you start watching you have 48hrs access before the movie expires; that compares well to iTunes’ 24hrs rental period.
Rented movies can be downloaded to a device, or streamed to up to three devices, including over 4G connections. Billing is either to an EE contract bill or via credit/debit card or PayPal; subscribers to other UK networks will have to use a card or PayPal. Users will be able to pause playback on one device and then resume it on another.
EE Film demo:
Until the end of February 2013, EE will be offering subscribers one free rental per week, and if they use 4G to download it that won’t be counted against their monthly allowance. They’ll also get 2-for-1 cinema tickets on Wednesdays, accessed either via text message or the EE Film Store app.
New UK 4G carrier EE has revealed its LTE plans, with a variety of phone and mobile broadband packages as well as some added bonuses each month for subscribers. For regular users, EE will offer monthly plans with unlimited calls and texts, and 500MB of data, for £36 per month; there’ll also be 1GB, 3GB, 5GB, and 8GB packages for £41-£56. Meanwhile, mobile broadband is priced from £15.99 per month for 2GB. Full pricing and details after the cut.
EE’s consumer plans are based on a 24-month contract; if you’d rather go for a 12-month contract, it will cost an extra £10 per month. All subscribers get access to BT WiFi hotspots in addition to their mobile data allowance; if you run out of mobile data, you can add on more directly from the phone, priced at 50MB for £3, 500MB for £6, 2GB for £15, and 4GB for £20. Users will get an alert on their phone when they’ve used up 80-percent of their monthly allowance, and both tethering and VoIP use are permitted.
12-month SIM-only plans – useful if you’ve bought an unlocked iPhone 5 from the Apple Store – will be available from November 9. They’re priced at £15 per month cheaper than the 24-month plans, too, kicking off at £21. If you want a 30-day rolling agreement, that’s also available SIM-free, though you only get £5 per month off the contract pricing.
As for mobile broadband, EE will offer both a USB dongle and a mobile hotspot (which supports up to five WiFi-tethered devices), with 18-month plans. For consumers, they kick off at £15.99 for 2GB per month, rising to £20.99 for 3GB, and £25.99 for 5GB:
If you’re already a T-Mobile UK or Orange subscriber, there are a few routes to transition over to EE. If you joined in the last six months, you can pay a one-off fee of £99 to upgrade a Galaxy S III, iPhone 4S, or HTC One X to a 4G handset and new, 24-month EE agreement. If you buy a 4G handset outright, meanwhile, you can switch over to a new, 24-month EE agreement at no extra cost. Finally, if you’re more than six months into a T-Mobile or Orange agreement, EE will discount the costs involved in jumping to a 4G contract with the new network.
New 24-month EE smartphone prices per consumer tariff:
Subscribers will get access to one free EE Film rental per week, in a promotion running up to the end of February 2013, which can be accessed on a smartphone, or via a PC/Mac; if your device has an HDMI output, you’ll be able to watch it on your TV, too. Downloading that film over 4G won’t count against your monthly data allowance – useful, given each 720p movie comes in at around 750MB, EE tells us – though that might change after the initial promotion ends at the end of Q1 2013. EE says it hopes to continue the scheme, in some form, but that it hasn’t decided exactly how it will work. 2-for-1 cinema tickets will also be offered to subscribers each Wednesday.
EE Film demo:
Those on £41 per month or above plans will also get to choose either a free streaming pass (with offline caching) to the Deezer music service, or a choice of two premium game downloads per month. Alternatively, they’ll be able to choose Mobile TV access, with 19 channels including Channel 4, Eurosport, and Cartoon Network. Subscribers will be able to change their “perk” of choice every 30 days.
Finally, there’s Clone Phone, EE’s insurance policy and backup system for 4G handsets. It works via an app on the device itself, backing up photos, videos, and contacts (along with music, depending on the platform) and, if your phone is lost or stolen, you can track it remotely via your browser, or send alert messages to it. If it’s gone completely, EE will replace it within 24 hours, and you can restore your content from the Clone Phone backup; there’s a £50 excess to pay, but there’s no limit on how many times you can take advantage of the replacement policy.
For an indication of the sort of speeds you might expect from EE, check out our benchmarking tests.
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If you need to borrow a couple of bucks to tide you over until payday, then the folks over at Broadcom should be feeling altruistic. The chip maker’s latest financials show that it pulled in $2.13 billion turnover and a cool $220 million profit. While that’s more than the $160 million it pulled in in the second quarter, it’s a little off the $270 million it made in the same period last year. Given that the company’s innovating with both 802.11ac chips and branching out into the wireless headphone business, they might even lend you some cash next month, too.
