Hasta La Gadget!

AT&T says it will begin selling two new 4G products, the USBConnect Momentum 4G and Mobile Hotspot Elevate 4G, Sunday.

Finally — ATT has some 4G hotspots.

For $50, customers will be allowed up to 5 gigs of data monthly. Every extra gig will cost you 10 bucks. According to the press release, the two devices are the only ones in the United States to default to 4G/HSPA+ if you move outside of an LTE coverage area.

AT&T will begin deploying its 4G LTE network in five markets (Atlanta, Dallas, Houston, Chicago, & San Antonio) this summer. Its first 4G phone, the HTC Inspire 4G, had a successful launch in early February, but it soon became clear that AT&T’s HSPA+ 4G speeds weren’t up to par. The company has continued to expand its network, going so far as to proposemerging with T-Mobile to bolster its system.

So what did I mean by AT&T “finally” getting some 4G hotspotting action?

Other 4G hotspot options on the market include Clear’s WiMax iSpot, which runs on Sprint’s network for 3Mbps to 6Mbps down, for up to four hours. iSpot costs $100 plus a data plan with Clear that runs as little as 20 bucks a month. Clear also has a USB alternative, the Clear 4G+ Mobile USB, which can be had for $115 plus the price of a data plan.

Novatel also has a 4G WiMax MiFi hotspot that’s supposed to provide 30Mbps down and 10Mbps up, as well as MiFi units for LTE and HSPA networks.

And then there’s the Samsung LTE hotspot that works with Verizon’s speedy 4G network. And T-Mobile’s 4G hotspot will run you $125 to take advantage of their HSPA+ network.

AT&T’s existing hotspot, the USBConnect Adrenaline, will get an upgrade to support LTE on Aug. 26. You’ll be able to get the USBConnect 4G for $49.99 and the Mobile Hotspot Elevate 4G for $69.99 on Sunday, both with a two-year contract.

The USBConnect Momentum 4G modem and Mobile Hotspot Elevate 4G will provide portable 4G access to AT&T subscribers.

Image: AT&T

Why is LTE equipment being installed in an Apple Store? originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 16 Aug 2011 13:09:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Leaked FCC document details AT&T’s 4G LTE rollout plans, talks up T-Mobile merger originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 16 Aug 2011 06:48:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Last week, a partly redacted document about the AT&T-Mobile merger was oh-so-briefly posted on the FCC’s site by Arnold & Porter LLP, a law firm working on the deal for AT&T. Outlining some of AT&T’s confidential LTE plans, it was quickly taken down. Well, here it is. More »

Mobile carriers reportedly are testing 4G versions of Apple’s smartphone. But before you get all excited, it may not necessarily be the iPhone 5.

BGR says iPhone carriers are testing models with 4G LTE capability. It discovered evidence of a property list file (.plist) within the firmware, which definitively revealed Apple is developing the technology. Whether it’s for the next generation iPhone, or a generation after that, is yet to be seen.

As we get closer to the anticipated announcement of the next-gen iPhone, rumors are flying. After missing its traditional June launch, rumors pegged the announcement for September. That’s recently been debunked by some in favor of an announcement in October. Whenever it appears, the the iPhone 5 is expected to sport an A5 processor, 8-megapixel camera sensor, “curved” cover glass and a flat metal back.

The Guardian previously reported carriers have been testing iPhone 5 models inside “specially constructed boxes,” with hardware encased in “a dummy body.” This makes it seem it could be the iPhone 5 that is being tested for 4G support.

It looks like Apple is putting in a lot more time testing its next gen iPhone in the wild than it did with its predecessor in order to avoid something like last year’s Antennagate fiasco — which really, in the scheme of things, was not that big of a deal.

Or maybe employees just aren’t being quite as scrupulous about Apple’s closely guarded secrets as they have been in the past.

Photo: Steve Jobs with the iPhone 4 at WWDC 2010. (Jon Snyder/Wired.com)