Hasta La Gadget!

There’s not much surprise left to LG’s Optimus G Pro reveal set for next Wednesday in New York. We’ve already seen the device slip through the FCC and recently had a previewed glimpse of the potential hardware. But thanks to a trusted source, we now have more insight into the the upcoming AT&T variant’s specifications. Based on the official doc we had a look at, LG’s managed to keep this US model mostly in line with its global sibling, porting over the same 5.5-inch form factor, 3,140mAh battery, 1.7GHz Snapdragon 600 processor paired with 2GB RAM, a healthy 32GB of internal storage (expandable via microSDXC to 64GB), 2.1-megapixel front-facing / 13-megapixel rear cameras, NFC and WiFi a/b/g/n. What has changed is the actual screen technology used: the AT&T G Pro employs a Full HD IPS panel as opposed to the True HD-IPS+ in the original. Additionally, and unsurprisingly, the device’s radios have been tweaked, with the AT&T G Pro now supporting the carrier’s flavor of LTE (700/1700 MHz), HSPA+21 (850/1900/2100 MHz) and quadband GSM (850/900/1800/1900 MHz).

Though it would be nice to see LG bump this up to a more current version of Android — namely, 4.2.2 — the AT&T model will likely ship with the more dated 4.1.2 Jelly Bean. Continuing further down the software track, carrier bloat looks to be at a minimum as only two automobile-specific apps are mentioned in the document: AT&T DriveMode and Navigator. Aside from that, LG’s own software suite makes the transition, bringing along QSlide 2.0 (a multiwindow feature), Dual Recording (for the picture-in-picture effect), Tag+ for NFC, VuTalk (a note sharing app), QuickMemo, Notebook and the ability to preset the Home Key’s LED. That enough of a preview for you? Stay tuned for formal unveiling next week.

[Image credit: @evleaks]

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

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2011 sure doesn’t feel like that long ago, but it’s evidently long enough for Verizon to realize that demand for innovation is booming in Silicon Valley. Not quite two years after the company cracked open the doors to its San Francisco-based Innovation Center, it’s already looking to expand. During a briefing today at its other Innovation Center — the one located just outside of Boston — we were told that plans are underway to expand the SF facility. Presently, the Waltham, Mass. center is the vaster of the two, and it’s Verizon’s goal to stretch the California edition to (roughly) match the original location.

We were also told that the company has looked at a variety of other cities where potential Innovation Centers could be planted, and while “three to four” undisclosed metropolises are in play, the company wants to nail the execution of its first two before hastily expanding into new locales. According to Praveen Atreya, director of Verizon’s Innovation Program, there’s just too much involved in the incubation and launch process to not devote the proper amount of manpower to it. In other words, there’s more to launching a product than just design and manufacturing; a lot of TLC goes on in order to make something have a successful shelf life.

Filed under: Cellphones, Networking, Mobile, Verizon

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After nearly a year of soaking rural and suburban locations with 4G, Sprint is finally starting to extend its reach to some major cities. Having wrapped up test runs in a handful of areas, the carrier is now officially offering LTE in 21 additional markets, including Los Angeles, CA, Charlotte, NC, Virginia Beach, VA, Memphis, TN and West Palm Beach, FL. What’s more, the Now Network revealed plans to bring its new high-speed offerings to more than 170 additional markets in the months ahead. Some of the cities on its docket include Orlando, FL, Portland, OR, El Paso, TX, Tulsa, OK and Spokane, WA. Didn’t see your hometown name-checked here? Check out the press release after the break for the full list.

Filed under: Wireless, Mobile, Sprint

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Verizon has offered Clearwire up to $1.5bn to buy its wireless spectrum, news has leaked, with Big Red hoping to use the airwaves to broaden its own 4G deployment. Word of the proposed deal broke on Friday after a regulatory filing by Clearwire that kept the identify of its potential suitor anonymous; however, as first reported by the WSJ, sources claim that buyer is in fact Verizon.

The news puts Clearwire’s business back under the microscope, and is timely given the announcement by Dish Networks earlier today that it was bidding on carrier Sprint. Dish already had a standing bid in on Clearwire, though has blamed regulatory red-tape for the deal not going through, though the company’s chairman did confirm today that the offer was still standing and had not been withdrawn.

Clearwire currently offers 4G service in selected areas across the US, covering approximately 130m people by population. Although best known for its WiMAX network, the carrier has been building out an LTE network for the future; most recently, Sprint announced a plan to buy Clearwire in a deal worth $2.2bn.

According to the filing, Clearwire will discuss the proposed deal – exact terms of which have not been revealed – with Verizon (which it identifies only as “Party J”) and Sprint. The $1.5bn tag would be reduced by the current value of what Clearwire itself pays to lease the spectrum, something which the company has warned could be a “substantial” figure.

“On April 8, 2013, the Company received an unsolicited, non-binding written proposal from Party J, a strategic buyer, in which Party J offered to acquire Clearwire spectrum leases generally located in large markets that cover approximately 5 billion MHz-POPs at a gross price of approximately $1.0 to $1.5 billion, less the present value of the spectrum leases which could be substantial. The Special Committee will, consistent with its fiduciary duties and in consultation with its independent financial and legal advisors, evaluate this proposal and any other proposal and engage in discussions with each of Party J and Sprint, as appropriate” Clearwire SEC filing

Adding to the complexity of the spectrum shuffling is the ongoing bid by Japanese carrier SoftBank for Sprint. The purchase is contingent on Sprint acquiring Clearwire, among other things.

Verizon offers $1.5bn in Clearwire spectrum grab is written by Chris Davies & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.

Sprint has been teasing for weeks that its LTE network would soon launch in Los Angeles. If a fresh leak from Phone Arena proves true, we may at last be down to the final hours before the Now Network officially flicks the switch for those Angelenos — and a good chunk of the US population, for that matter. The staff memo reportedly has LTE formally launching in 21 markets on April 12th, with LA being joined by larger cities across the US like Charlotte, Memphis, Norfolk, Virginia Beach and Newport News. Its schedule also has a number of sizable cities joining the mix across 10 states, with multi-city expansions on the way in California, Florida, Indiana, North Carolina, Tennessee, Texas and (as you likely noticed) Virginia. Although the faster 4G service still won’t be ubiquitous on Sprint if the rollout goes ahead as claimed, the expansion could be a very convenient complement to the HTC One launch.

Update: Much like San Francisco, LA will be something of a soft launch: Sprint has noted that bits and pieces of the LTE network are in testing.

Filed under: Cellphones, Wireless, Mobile, Sprint

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Source: Phone Arena