Hasta La Gadget!

Followers of FreedomPop’s saga have seen the fledgling data-only provider make a few audacious claims: providing free bandwidth, for one, and basing its 4G device lineup as much on iPhone sleeve cases as on traditional access points. Add another one to the list — the MVNO is planning to switch from Clearwire’s WiMAX network to Sprint’s LTE before 2012 is over. While FreedomPop is still planning to go forward with WiMAX for the initial deployment, it’s now looking to use tri-mode EV-DO, LTE and WiMAX modems and phone cases just months later. We’ll see if that leads to existing iPhone 4 and 4S owners getting an LTE fix without having to spring for a new phone; marketing VP Tony Miller wouldn’t tell GigaOM more. Either way, it’s a mixed blessing for data addicts that might find themselves crashing that much faster through the 500MB regular cap on free data.

Filed under: Wireless, Networking

FreedomPop jumping from WiMAX to LTE by year’s end, iPhone sleeves intact originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 11 Jul 2012 16:01:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Sprint’s latest OTA update to its new flagship jewel, the Galaxy S III, addressed some security niggles, but the download remained otherwise fuzzy on the details. It now appears the update also nixes the universal search function, meaning the handy box now directs to the web upon entry. It’s likely a response to recent legal hairpulling between Apple and the Samsung-made Galaxy Nexus — a phone which has the very same search capabilities. As Android Central notes, those looking to return the search option can hit up a download of the previous version in their forums. Visit the source to grab it while you can.

Filed under: Cellphones

Samsung drops universal search from Sprint’s Galaxy S III originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 11 Jul 2012 12:11:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Color us unsurprised that US law enforcers would push hard for surveillance access. Congressman Ed Markey has published a new report on requests to cellular carriers that shows a recent rush of demand for information, including last year. The rates vary sharply, but T-Mobile has seen a yearly hike of 12 to 16 percent, while Verizon has seen its own grown 15 percent — and Sprint took nearly twice as many surveillance requests as AT&T or Verizon in 2011, despite its smaller size. Markey’s concern is that police and other investigators are casting too wide a net and sweeping up innocent customers through widescale requests, potentially violating their privacy in the process. Whether or not cell tower dumps and other broad fishing attempts are problems, carriers have been quick to point out that they have huge teams in place to deal with police requests and cling steadfastly to requiring a warrant when the law demands it. Needless to say, there are a few groups that strongly disagree with that last claim.

Filed under: Cellphones, Wireless, Internet

Carriers face big surge in cellphone surveillance requests, raise a few alarm bells originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 09 Jul 2012 20:27:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Are you a Sprint customer with a penchant for LTE technology and white handsets? If so, listen up. Intel leaked to blog TechnoBuffalo seems to indicate that the Now Network’s very first LTE-toting handset will be hitting store shelves, in snow white, on July 15th; obviously, we’re talking about HTC’s latest spin on the EVO, the EVO 4G LTE. The albino set, much like its hued brethren already in market, will set you back $200 with a signed two-year commitment, or can be had for $550 contract-free. As an added bonus, it looks like Sprint will also be serving up a buy-on-get-one-free offer on Samsung’s Epic 4G Touch. Purchasing one 4G Touch — scheduled to get Ice Cream Sandwich in the near future — for $99 on-contract will allow you pick up a second set for the always attractive price of $0. Any takers?

Sprint’s white EVO 4G LTE reportedly set for July 15th release, BOGO on Epic 4G Touch in tow originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 04 Jul 2012 15:51:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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It wasn’t just Verizon Galaxy Nexus owners who were hurt when Google dropped Android Open Source Project support for CDMA models — officially, Nexus S 4G users had to depend on carrier-approved builds as well. At least one of those software dramas is coming to a close, as AOSP Technical Lead Jean-Baptiste Queru has just confirmed that the Nexus S 4G once again has a full AOSP build. Problems surrounding the phone have been sorted out to give it full CDMA voice and WiMAX-based 4G data while keeping true to Google’s original, easily modifiable vision. The download is available right away for the Nexus S 4G faithful, but Queru has dashed any immediate hopes of this being the prelude to its Galaxy Nexus counterpart; the camera, GPS and NFC currently wouldn’t work on Verizon’s model, even if the cellular components checked out.

Nexus S 4G regains AOSP status, Verizon Galaxy Nexus owners left hanging originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 03 Jul 2012 22:40:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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