Disappoined that Verizon wasn’t going to offer its variant of the Galaxy S 4 until May 30th? You’re in for an unexpected treat: Big Red has just moved up the launch by a full week, to May 23rd. The $200 contract price remains the same, but we won’t complain much when Samsung’s quad-core flagship should now arrive ahead of the long weekend. It looks like those supply issues weren’t quite so bad as some thought.
Filed under: Cellphones, Mobile, Samsung, Verizon
Source: Verizon
Are you using an iPhone 5 on T-Mobile? Are you in an area with re-farmed 1900MHz HSPA+ spectrum? Well rejoice! Some enterprising folks over at TmoNews have hacked Apple’s carrier update for T-Mobile to boost data speeds on the 1900MHz (PCS) HSPA+ band. Better yet, this tweak applies to both T-Mobile’s iPhone 5 and the AT&T / unlocked versions — no jailbreak required. While the official carrier update enabled LTE for the iPhone 5 on T-Mobile, it also decreased data speeds on re-farmed PCS HSPA+ spectrum for many users. The hacked file makes a number of adjustments: it enables Release 9 for dual-carrier HSPA+ and sets the band preference to “auto” from AWS. Follow the source link below for more details and step-by-step instructions.
Filed under: Cellphones, Mobile, Apple
Source: TmoNews
For the most part, battery packs have become what CD cases were in the late 90s — generic and utilitarian. Nokia’s new DC-18 portable chargers dare to be different. The sharp, tile-like designs house a modest 1,720 mAh cell, retractable micro-USB cable (that doubles as a a switch,) plus an LED battery level indicator that lights up when you extend the aforementioned appendage. It’s available in four colors (red, white, yellow and blue), but only in select regions right now. No word on when and for how much, but color-coordinators can keep pinging the source to find out.
Filed under: Cellphones, Peripherals, Mobile, Nokia
Via: Gizmodo
Source: Nokia
BlackBerry isn’t done with improving the BlackBerry 10 editions of LinkedIn and Twitter — not by a long shot. The company has once more upgraded the two social apps, this time with an emphasis on search. LinkedIn now lets users import contacts to find people they already know; in Twitter, meanwhile, universal search now shows photos, profiles and tweets on a single page. There’s more than just these two upgrades, of course. LinkedIn reveals more about companies and carries a slew of minor UI tweaks, while Twitter keeps content fresher with automatic caching. If the new versions are tempting, they’re waiting at the source links for Q10 and Z10 owners alike.
Filed under: Cellphones, Mobile, Blackberry
Via: Inside BlackBerry, Phone Scoop
Source: BlackBerry World (1), (2)
It’s a cold day in you know where when our two mobile editors are lost for words. If you thought this week might be any different, think again. If anything, a brief hiatus means they’re literally finding words just for the show. Inscrupilous of them, we know.
Hosts: Myriam Joire (tnkgrl), Brad Molen
Producer: James Trew
Music: Tycho – Coastal Brake (Ghostly International)
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Despite App.net’s positioning as a Twitter alternative, it hasn’t had either an app to call its own or a way to sign up without at least an invitation. The social network has just crossed both of those items off its list with its new App.net Passport for iOS, albeit through an unconventional path. Passport is a gateway app, not a client: it lets users manage their profiles, but it really exists to point users to third-party apps and people they’d want to follow. Don’t write off Passport as a promo stunt, though. It also represents the first place where the curious can sign up without either an invitation or paying up front. CEO Dalton Caldwell warns that the wide-open registration is an experiment, not a guaranteed change in policy — if it doesn’t work out, the company may return to business as usual. Whether or not the strategy bears fruit, Passport should both serve as a fast track for newcomers and a launchpad for App.net development beyond iOS’ borders.
Filed under: Cellphones, Internet, Mobile
Via: iMore
Many have suspected that Sony wasn’t done with its 2013 high-end phones just because the Xperia Z and ZL were shipping. As of today, that’s more than just speculation: a once-rumored Xperia A has swung through the FCC for approval as NTT DoCoMo’s SO-04E. The filing is unusually detailed for a device that isn’t official, showing a 5-inch, 1080p handset that maintains Sony’s OmniBalance look while including a removable, 2,300mAh battery that we haven’t seen in the Z or ZL. The manual also has the Android phone sharing the Z’s 13-megapixel camera, 16GB of built-in storage and LTE, although mum’s the word on any upgrade to the Snapdragon S4 Pro. Sony hasn’t confirmed what we’re seeing, but we may not have long to learn the full story when NTT DoCoMo is revealing its summer mobile lineup on May 15th.
Filed under: Cellphones, Mobile, Sony
Source: FCC
We’ve heard talk of a GDR2 update coming to Windows Phone 8, including more recent claims of restored FM radio support and a double-tap-to-wake feature, but it’s been unclear when the mid-cycle refresh would show up. Telstra may have just given us a better clue: the Australian carrier tells customers on its support forums that Nokia should deliver its version of GDR2 for testing sometime in mid-May. That suggests the upgrade is relatively close, although we wouldn’t make too many assumptions beyond that — Telstra is just one of many networks that needs to sign off on GDR2, and it’s likely neither the first nor the last. Nonetheless, it’s apparent that Microsoft is relatively close to delivering a big tune-up.
Filed under: Cellphones, Wireless, Mobile, Microsoft, Nokia
Via: WMPoweruser
Source: Telstra
Americans wanting one of 2013’s Sony flagships have had access to the Xperia ZL for awhile, but they’ve had to chase down an importer if they wanted the glass-backed chic of the Xperia Z. Sony has quietly put that dilemma to rest by offering the Xperia Z through the US Sony Store. For $630, locals can get an unlocked version of the flagship in black, purple or white, albeit only with HSPA+ 3G for carriers like AT&T and T-Mobile; there’s no LTE to be found. Those who do want 4G speeds won’t have to pay a premium, however, when Sony is selling the LTE-equipped ZL for the same $630. While neither deal will be quite as tempting as subsidized phones at major carriers, those willing to pay full price for Sony gear can now afford to be a little picky.
Filed under: Cellphones, Mobile, Sony, AT&T, T-Mobile
Via: Xperia Blog
Source: Sony Store
While Sony intrigued us with the Xperia L’s blend of a low-end smartphone with a higher-end camera, it wasn’t very specific on just where we could eventually buy one: “worldwide” doesn’t help, folks. Courtesy of an FCC filing, there’s now a hint that the phone might show up in North America. The L has surfaced at the US agency carrying HSPA-based 3G compatible with the likes of AT&T, Straight Talk and T-Mobile, as well as Canadian carriers of all sizes. Even with a manual included in the filing, though, there’s no telltale clues as to which providers in either country might be interested. Without any built-in LTE, the Xperia L we see here is more likely to reach either smaller networks or go the carrier-independent route — if it comes to North America at all, that is.
Filed under: Cellphones, Mobile, Sony
Source: FCC
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