It would appear that Samsung will be bringing on another advanced version of the Samsung Galaxy S4, this time working with the Active version – waterproof, that is. Like the original Samsung Galaxy S4 LTE-A, this version looks to carry the more advanced processor in the Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 quad-core SoC. This version also works […]
It’s no longer a summertime tease: FreedomPop’s freemium mobile phone service is now officially a go. Launched in beta today, the operator’s basic plan offers consumers a voice/text/data bundle that nets them 200 anytime minutes, 500 texts and 500MBs for the price of, well, nothing per month — and it’s contract-free, too. There’s also a more robust unlimited voice and text package for chattier users that runs about $11/mo. Keep in mind, FreedomPop’s network piggybacks on Sprint 3G, WiMAX and LTE, so coverage, reception and call quality (it’s VoIP) will be vary depending on your location and any data overages will cost you $0.01/MB and $10/GB.
It’s not all free champagne and strawberries, though — there is an actual price of entry, and it comes in the form of HTC’s EVO Design, offered at a very reasonable $99. Users accustomed to more device choice will have to hold out until later this year, as FreedomPop does plan to add other Android devices to its lineup. For now, though, it’s extremely slim pickings. But can you really look a gift horse in the mouth? We didn’t think so, freeloaders.
Filed under: Cellphones, Wireless, Mobile, Sprint
We knew good and well that Japanese carrier NTT DoCoMo would be divulging details about its 5G wireless plans at CEATEC, but the claims that we’ve stumbled upon here in Chiba are nothing short of bananas. Granted, the operator is making clear that its vision isn’t intended to reach implementation until 2020, and it confesses that a 5G standard has yet to be ratified. That said, it’s dreaming of a world where its network offers “1000 times the capacity and 100 times the speed as the current network.”
Representatives for the company told us that the challenge is going to be dealing with range limitations in higher frequency spectrum, but it plans to employ “high-frequency bandwidth by transmitting with a large number of antenna elements.” The goal for looking so far forward? It’s already seeing an insane appetite for video on networks that can barely maintain poise under the load, and the notion of transferring 4K content to the masses is going to require a substantial upgrade. CEATEC’s known as a place that allows companies to dream big and aim for the fences, but we’ll be honest — we’d really, really prefer that 2020 arrived sooner rather than later.
Mat Smith contributed to this report. %Gallery-slideshow99596%
Filed under: Cellphones, Wireless, Mobile
Three is the magic number. Three is lucky. Three’s a crowd. Okay, ignore that last one, but the number 3 does also apply to the latest Galaxy Note, and we’re curious to know which of those maxims might apply. What are the marquee features this time around? Well, there’s the usual bevy of specification improvements (a 5.7-inch display, quad-core Snapdragon 800 and 3GB of RAM), Android 4.3, some new S Pen features and the small matter of the Gear, that optional, polarizing companion watch.
Samsung makes a great many products, even if you just consider the mobile ones. However, since it burst into existence in 2011, the Note has been up there with the Galaxy S series on the flagship pedestal. So, it’d be fair to say that we’re expecting big things from this big phone, but with a SIM-free price in the UK of £620, it requires even deeper pockets than its predecessor did at launch (that one cost around £530). That said, if you want one, you’ll need big pockets anyway. While you check their size, we’ve scribbled, doodled and gestured the Note 3 with abandon to see if it’s worth the bounty. Read on to find out if it is.%Gallery-slideshow99481%
Filed under: Cellphones, Mobile, Samsung
After prematurely breaking cover in the US, Vodafone’s Smart 4G appears to have fled to Italy, where it’s allegedly been spotted again on one of the network’s local flyers. If the image above is to be believed — and the light spec list is pretty standard to this kind of marketing material — we now know a little more about Voda’s first own-brand LTE handset. Namely, its rounded-corner design, 4.5-inch display, 8-megapixel camera, Snapdragon processor and Jelly Bean Android build. Oh, and that in Italia, it should cost €5 per month on prepaid plans, or come free with two-year contracts. The FCC docs that originally outed the Smart 4G don’t list an LTE band compatible with Vodafone’s Italian network, suggesting the device could come to several European countries (at least) in a few radio variants. We’re still certain it’ll feature on a low-cost 4G contract in the UK, but before we get ahead of ourselves, let’s wait for the formal announcement, which has to be coming soon.
Filed under: Cellphones, Mobile
Source: @flapic (Twitter)
Nokia‘s much-rumored tablet has appeared at the FCC undergoing LTE testing, with the Finnish company almost completely squeezing out references to the form factor of what’s expected to be a Windows RT based machine. Listed as the Nokia RX-114, the device makes no mention of its design until the final page, when it’s outed as […]
If you didn’t get enough mobile news during the week, not to worry, because we’ve opened the firehose for the truly hardcore. This week brought a new LTE phone to Boost Mobile, hints of consolidation between Sprint and T-Mobile, and lastly, hints of what we might see at Nokia’s upcoming ‘innovation reinvented’ event. These stories and more await. So buy the ticket and take the ride as we explore all that’s happening in the mobile world for this week of September 23rd, 2013.
Filed under: Cellphones, Wireless, Mobile
Verizon has a new 4G LTE home internet router that includes voice, and it’s meant to replace your home phone line and cable internet subscriptions in one fell swoop. The “Verizon 4G LTE Broadband Router with Voice” (rolls right off the tongue!) packs in WiFi connectivity as well as three Ethernet ports and a phone line jack for your landline. Up to 10 devices can connect to it wirelessly, though we wouldn’t suggest as much given the LTE connectivity.
Should you choose to pick one up ($50 w/ two-year plan or $200 outright), there are a few options for subscription: data only, voice and data, or just voice. Initially, if you snag that voice-and-data plan, the router itself is actually free — and it’s available starting today. Of course, as CNET points out, Verizon’s “Share Everything” data plans come with limitations (notably, data caps) and that means you’d better be a pretty light internet user (or employing the service for a brief period, like a vacation). Interestingly, Novatel Wireless — the company behind Verizon’s new LTE router hardware — is also offering its own, non-carrier-branded version of the same device, dubbed, “MiFi Home.” The price and release date for MiFi Home isn’t clear, but we’ve reached out for more info.
Filed under: Networking, Internet, Verizon
Via: CNET
Source: BusinessWire
Okay, okay, one more bit of info to share from Amazon tonight. Those snazzy new Fire HDX tablets are, as expected, getting cellular options. This time out, however, the company is adding an additional carrier. In addition to AT&T, Fire buyers will be able to go with a Verizon version. That upgrade will cost you an extra $100 on top of the base price, bringing the 7-inch version to $329 and the 8.9-inch one to $479. According to Amazon, “standard plans” will be supported for the two carriers. A breakdown of that pricing can be found after the break.
Samsung and others have promised to deliver TV over 4G using the LTE Broadcast standard, and it looks like you can now also add AT&T to the list of those hoping to make it a reality. Speaking at the Goldman Sachs Communacopia conference today, AT&T CEO Randall Stephenson confirmed that the carrier intends to use the slice 700MHz spectrum it acquired from Qualcomm back in 2011 for an LTE Broadcast network of its own designed to deliver video to LTE-enabled devices (and lighten the load on the rest of its wireless network in the process). Stephenson didn’t offer too many more details than that, however, saying only that the carrier is now almost “all about architecting networks to deliver video,” and that we can expect to see the technology “mature in scale within the three-year time horizon.” As Fierce Wireless notes, Verizon has also said that it hopes to deploy some type of LTE Broadcast service in time for the 2014 Super Bowl, although it, too, has remained light on specifics beyond that.
Filed under: Cellphones, Wireless, Mobile, AT&T
Via: Electronista
Source: Fierce Wireless
This is site is run by Sascha Endlicher, M.A., during ungodly late night hours. Wanna know more about him? Connect via Social Media by jumping to about.me/sascha.endlicher.
