Hasta La Gadget!

Wireless device certifications can sometimes give away a little more of a company’s game plan than intended. Case in point: a China Compulsory Certification for the iPhone 5. The expected A1429 variant has been given initial clearance on its way to China Unicom, but there’s also a previously unseen, CDMA2000-based A1442 iPhone with a similar rubber stamp. With the iPhone 4S already on the market for a CDMA-only China Telecom, it doesn’t take much to suggest that the A1442 represents Apple’s taller, faster smartphone already prepared for the same carrier. Neither edition of the iPhone 5 is imminent without the equally important network and radio clearances. Getting the ball rolling on multiple variants so soon after the initial launch, however, raises the chance that we’ll see the iPhone 5 on more than one Chinese provider faster than the iPhone 4S took to arrive the last time around.

Filed under: Cellphones, Mobile

iPhone 5 swings through first round of Chinese approvals, may already have China Telecom onboard originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 26 Sep 2012 16:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Those of you pumped up about the iPhone 5 bringing in architecture that allows simultaneous voice and data on a single radio, take heed: it’s been confirmed that this ability only works on GSM-based LTE (and 3G) networks. If you’re planning on working with a network that uses CDMA for voice and LTE for data, you’ll be out of luck – they’ll both work, just not at the same time. The key here may be in the official Apple statement (as seen below) which includes a “not yet” which may keep some doors open.

If you’re working with AT&T with the iPhone 5, you’ll be on GSM, and will be able to work with simultaneous voice and data right out of the gate. If you’re on any other carrier here in the USA, you’ll be working with CDMA, and will not yet have that functionality. Have a peek at the official statement from Apple on this situation.

“iPhone 5 supports simultaneous voice and data on GSM-based 3G and LTE networks. It is not yet possible to do simultaneous voice and data on networks that use CDMA for voice and LTE for data in a single radio design.” – Apple

Again keep your eyes on that “not yet possible” and decide for yourself whether or not that means that the operating system will be able to be tweaked to a degree in the future to allow both voice and data at the same time over LTE. For those of you that do plan on purchasing an iPhone 5 and have not yet chosen a carrier, take a peek at the timeline below with a collection of iPhone 5 news bits and updates to help you see.

iPhone 5 simultaneous voice and LTE data on GSM only – for now? is written by Chris Burns & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.

The new, lighter iPhone 5 has a bigger screen, punchier processor, LTE and dual-band WiFi, but if you plan to pick one up for Sprint’s network, you can’t have it all. Carrier spokesperson Michelle Leff Mermelstein told Phone Scoop that its version of HD Voice will not work on Apple’s new wünderphone. While most carriers use WCDMA networks to achieve the greater definition, Sprint uses CDMA 1X Advanced, which unfortunately isn’t compatible with the handset. Knowing the feature will be missing prior to launch isn’t ideal, but when you’re calling your friends to boast about that day-one purchase, a slight drop in clarity isn’t likely to kill your geek buzz.

Filed under: Cellphones, Wireless, Mobile

Sprint confirms its HD Voice is incompatible with the iPhone 5 originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 13 Sep 2012 06:01:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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We know now that the iPhone 5 will be launching in multiple regions around the world on hundreds of different carriers, and in order to make the iPhone compatible with everyone’s LTE networks, Apple will be launching two different models of the newest iDevice. One of these models will support GSM, while the other will support CDMA. That’s in contrast to the iPhone 4S, which had support for both included under the hood.

The models Apple details on its iPhone 5 specs page list a GSM model dubbed A1428 and a CDMA model going by the number A1429. Both support HSPA+, DC-HSDPA, and LTE, but the difference is that A1428 comes with support for bands 4 and 17 while A1429 supports bands 1, 3, 5, 13, and 25. There is also a GSM model called A1429 that supports bands 1, 3, and 5, which should be the version used in international markets. GSM A1428 will obviously be used at AT&T and Canadian carriers, while A1429 will be headed to Verizon.

We’ve seen Apple do this plenty of times in the past, offering different GSM and CDMA models of the iPhone 4, and then again with the new iPad so it could support LTE at both AT&T and Verizon. Of course, with Apple offering separate models of the iPhone 5, don’t expect to be able to unlock your device and take it to any carrier you want. Since these different models support different LTE bands, some carriers will be off limits depending on which model you have, at least as far as 4G LTE service is concerned.

Still, we doubt that little caveat will prevent people from rushing out to purchase to new iPhone. Apple’s presentation today had a bunch of major talking points, and you can find them all (including our brand new hands-on posts) by visiting our Apple portal. Stay tuned, because we’ll have plenty more iPhone 5 news throughout the day.

iPhone 5 will come in different GSM and CDMA versions is written by Eric Abent & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.

The Apple v. Samsung patent war that will seemingly never end has taken another turn today, as Apple is asking the court to add newer Samsung Galaxy hardware, including the Galaxy S III, Verizon Galaxy S III, Galaxy Note and Galaxy Note 10.1 to its complaint against the Galaxy Nexus and other related devices. If you thought updated software and designs would keep these newer smartphones and tablets out of the fight — you were wrong. Just to help you keep things straight, remember this is a separate case from the one that ended exactly a week ago with a decision in Apple’s favor to the tune of more than $1 billion in damages.

At issue here are eight of Apple’s utility patents that it says Samsung has infringed upon. The headliner patents at issue are ‘721 which covers slide to unlock, and ‘604, which could apply to the universal search feature Samsung has been pulling from its phones recently. Another familiar entry is the ‘647 patent Apple slapped HTC with in 2010, which has a vague description but applies to clicking on a phone number in an email, for example, to call it. You can read the details on each and every one in the PDF linked below, we’ll be doing… anything else.

Filed under: Cellphones, Mobile

Apple adds Samsung’s Galaxy S III, Galaxy Note and Galaxy Note 10.1 to ongoing patent lawsuit originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 31 Aug 2012 21:39:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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