Hasta La Gadget!

Ting has drawn a lot of attention among MVNOs for its unique mix-and-match approach to contract-free plans, but it’s had to contend with some rather middling phones inherited from its network partner Sprint. That gap in high-end phones will narrow before the summer’s up: Ting plans to carry the Galaxy S III within three to six weeks, becoming the first virtual carrier in the US to tout Samsung’s flagship. Its version is identical to the Sprint model and will even cost $20 less when you skip Sprint’s two-year term, at $529 for a 16GB edition and $579 for its 32GB cousin. If that doesn’t satisfy the appetite, Ting is also giving a peek at its menu for the months ahead. Along with adopting LTE this year to make that Galaxy S III hum, the carrier expects to bring in a more moderately-priced LTE phone, a hotspot, an accessible phone and a budget slider. We wouldn’t base any carrier switches around an iPhone or Windows Phone option, though. There’s only “some progress” coaxing a deal out of Apple, and a Windows Phone is most likely to wait until the first quarter of 2013.

Filed under: Cellphones, Wireless

Ting becomes first US MVNO to hop the Galaxy S III bandwagon, outlines its device roadmap originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 02 Aug 2012 19:34:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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AT&T has announced plans to buy NextWave Wireless, hoping to use the company’s WCS and AWS spectrum licenses to increase its own 4G LTE coverage. NextWave was granted Wireless Communication Services (WCS) and Advanced Wireless Service (AWS) spectrum some time ago, but if the FCC approves a June submission requesting approval to begin using WCS airwaves for mobile data, those holdings could become invaluable to AT&T.

The combination of the NextWave acquisition and the FCC rule changes “represent an alternative approach to creating additional wireless network capacity to help support skyrocketing wireless data usage on smartphones and tablets” AT&T said in a statement today. “If approved, the proposal will enable AT&T to begin initial deployment of WCS spectrum for added 4G LTE capacity, in approximately three years.”

That’s still a big “if”, given the FCC is still looking over the spectrum request made by both AT&T and Sirius XM. Previously, the FCC had concerns that using WCS spectrum for wireless broadband might interfere with satellite radio broadcasts in adjacent bands.

AT&T will pay $25m for NextWave’s equity, along with a contingent payment of around $25m; it will also settle or retire any outstanding NextWave debt, for a total of $600m in cash. Outstanding debt will be settled by a combination of cash or NextWave asset transfers, and AT&T claims “a majority” of shareholders are happy with the agreement.

The FCC will still have to approve the acquisition, and AT&T warns that the FTC and Department of Justice might want to have a look at the asset transfer part of the deal too. Still, it hopes to close by the end of the year.

AT&T grabs NextWave for 4G LTE boost is written by Chris Davies & originally posted on SlashGear.
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The fractious on-again, off-again love affair between NTT DoCoMo, Fujitsu and NEC has taken another turn. After dissolving a partnership to build a common LTE platform that included Samsung and Panasonic, the trio have rekindled their love over a candlelit dinner. The gang are stumping up the cash to bankroll Access Network Technology, a venture to build, wait for it, LTE platforms for smartphones and tablets, with each party bringing its own R&D and IP knowhow to the table. There’s no word on how jilted lovers Samsung and Panasonic feel about the team-up, but we wouldn’t be surprised if they didn’t shed a private tear and think about the good old days.

Continue reading NTT DoCoMo, Fujitsu and NEC rekindle love and LTE partnership, Samsung and Panasonic left in the rain

Filed under: Cellphones

NTT DoCoMo, Fujitsu and NEC rekindle love and LTE partnership, Samsung and Panasonic left in the rain originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 01 Aug 2012 07:42:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Looking for a mobile hotspot that’s a bit less mobile? Rogers’ exclusive LTE Rocket Hub may be the pick for you, delivering 40 Mbps average download speeds with support for up to 15 simultaneous wireless device connections. LTE service is currently available in 28 cities above the border, but locales without the latest network can hop on HSPA+ to get connected. The device is set to ship beginning August 2nd, and unlike the carrier’s existing Rocket Mobile Hotspot, this larger flavor will require an electrical outlet — but with more than a dozen connections and a 10 gig LTE cap (which we presume applies here as well), you will need to unplug once in a while. More details at the source link below.

Filed under: Wireless, Networking

Rogers LTE Rocket Hub supports up to 15 simultaneous users, requires electrical outlet originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 01 Aug 2012 01:57:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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We just saw some evidence a few days ago a new QWERTY slider from Pantech would soon be hitting Verizon, and it turns out that was indeed the case. The carrier has now officially announced the Pantech Marauder, an LTE-equipped device that will set you back just $50 after a $50 mail-in rebate (on a two-year contract) when it becomes available on August 2nd. Not surprisingly, that won’t exactly buy you the highest-end phone around — you’ll get a 3.8-inch WVGA screen, a 5-megapixel camera, an unspecified 1.2GHz dual-core processor, 1GB of RAM, mobile hotspot functionality, and Android 4.0. Somewhat notably, the phone also offers you a choice of Standard and Starter modes, the former of which is apparently stock Android (or something close to it) while the latter provides a simplified UI aimed at new smartphone users. Assuming they aren’t scared off by a name like “Marauder,” that is.

Continue reading Pantech Marauder QWERTY slider gets official for Verizon, runs $50 after rebate

Filed under: Cellphones

Pantech Marauder QWERTY slider gets official for Verizon, runs $50 after rebate originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 31 Jul 2012 10:23:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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