Hasta La Gadget!

If T-Mobile’s recent event cussed you into wanting one of its tweaked A1428 iPhone 5s with LTE, AWS HSPA+ and no contract strings attached, you can now order one up. Apple’s flagship can be had through the carrier for $99 down and 24 payments of $20 for a total of $579 — a snappy $70 savings over buying one directly from Cupertino. Meanwhile, T-Mo’s Simple Choice plan starts at $50 per month for unlimited talk, text and 500MB of data, with an additional 2GB for $10 and unlimited 4G data for $20. Just remember that should you opt into an iPhone 5 through T-Mobile then decide to opt out of your contract, the device will stay carrier locked until you pay it off or trade it back — unless you’re willing to skirt the law, of course. Hit the source to make your reservation.

Filed under: Announcements, Cellphones, Mobile, Apple, T-Mobile

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Source: T-Mobile

True to form, carriers won’t stop being so coy about the HTC One. We still haven’t received any official information regarding the flagship’s pricing or specific availability, but thanks to one of our eagle-eyed tipsters, we at least have a solid idea of AT&T’s particular plans for the device. The operator is set to begin pre-orders of the One this week, with the 32GB flavor being offered in both silver and black hues for $249.99. The exclusive 64GB model likely won’t be ready in time for early adopters, but it’ll go for $299.99 once it does show up on store shelves. Our tipster tells us pre-sales will begin in the retail channel on April 5th, while pending marketing materials indicate the One can be pre-ordered online the day before. If this is the case, we expect it won’t be long before AT&T delivers the official news, and hopefully T-Mobile and Sprint will do the same; we’ll keep you posted as soon as it happens.

[Thanks, anonymous]

Filed under: Cellphones, Wireless, Mobile, HTC, AT&T

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Sprint’s Galaxy S 4 recently took one step towards being ready for mass consumption, however the carrier hasn’t forgotten the device’s forefathers. We’ve received a memo from an anonymous tipster advising that the Epic 4G Touch is set to make the jump to Jelly Bean (Android 4.1, to be exact) starting sometime today. The new software bump will come directly from Samsung and will require a visit to an external website that has yet to go live. The memo also notes that in order to perform the update, you’ll need access to a rig with Windows 7, Vista or XP — in other words, OS X and Windows 8 users will have to visit a Sprint store to get their fix. For those fortunate enough to gain access in the coming hours, let us know how it’s treating you in comments below.

Update: Waiting for official confirmation? Then just check Sprint’s official log of updates for the Epic 4G Touch on its website, which now lists the GB27 version. It’s scheduled to start today, and to answer the question of why it’s only going out via PC download and not OTA, the log cites the (unspecified) size of the update.

[Thanks, anonymous]

Filed under: Cellphones, Software, Mobile, Sprint

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Source: Sprint

For jetsetters hoping to utilize T-Mobile’s iPhone for all of their international jaunts, we’ve a bit of bad news for you: WiFi Calling isn’t going to hit the carrier’s iPhone initially. Here at today’s T-Mobile UnCarrier event in New York City, the company’s chief marketing officer Michael Sievert told me that “it’s not coming” at launch, but when pressed, he confessed that T-Mob “loves its WiFi Calling feature, and I’ll have to leave it at that.” I then asked if it’s on the roadmap, and if the company would like to have it included in an ideal world, which garnered a smile that I can safely assume means something positive for the future.

Of course, WiFi Calling — which enables travelers to make and receive calls from their US phone number while latched onto a WiFi hotspot anywhere in the known universe — works today on Android, but iOS fanatics aren’t being given a clear date as to when they’ll be brought up to speed. That said, at least T-Mob will sell you an iPhone unlocked, assuming you pay the full MSRP up front. Sievert affirmed to me that if a customer rolls into a T-Mobile store and pays the full price for iPhone, the reps onsite will be empowered to unlock it “on the spot.” Oh, and as for that MSRP? It’ll be the one(s) set by Apple, so you won’t be facing any carrier-induced premiums either.

In fact, you could actually come out a bit cheaper if you’re willing to wait a month. Sievert explained to me that if you picked up a baseline iPhone 5 for $99 with a new T-Mobile agreement, and then paid the first $20 towards its total cost after your first month of service, you could then pay the thing off in full at the amortized rate… meaning that a $649 phone would cost you just $579. And it’d be unlocked for use on any carrier in the world after just a month with T-Mob. Not bad!

Filed under: Cellphones, Software, Mobile, Apple, T-Mobile

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“When you talk to end users about ports, they’ll tell you how much they need them. They’ll talk about the vast number of USB devices that they have. It’s easy to hear that and determine that you need five or more ports based on what these people report. When you watch these people work, however, and you’re more overt in your methods — you rarely see that happening.

Sometimes, there’s a conflict between what someone reports they need and what they require.”

So begins the backstory of the latest ThinkPad overhaul as told by Corinna Proctor, the senior research manager at Lenovo’s User Research Center. Clearly versed in the art of separating whimsical wishes from bona fide requirements, she spoke to me in a phone interview alongside two of her colleagues in the run-up to today’s unveiling of the redesigned ThinkPad T431s Ultrabook. The machine itself is still very much a ThinkPad — it’s black, it’s understated and it’s tough as nails — but those who appreciate the evolution of technology will no doubt recognize some changes. Changes that began as mere notions some 18 months ago.

Filed under: Laptops, Lenovo

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