Hasta La Gadget!

This week the folks at famed hack CyanogenMod have pushed their customized Android system over to the T-Mobile variant of the Samsung GALAXY S 4. This comes after some controversy over the idea that the team would cease working with Samsung devices after finding difficulty with Samsung’s Exynos processor software and builds earlier this year. As the AT&T version of the software was shown to be working earlier this month, now so too do we see the T-Mobile variant active.

CyanogenMod 10.1 is the version being pushed to the newest Android devices on the block, this bringing a variant of Google’s Android 4.2.2 Jelly Bean along with its software features such as Google Now. The CyanogenMod team of developers works to bring a customized system to devices that are rooted, this meaning they’re hacked and able to be modified by 3rd party systems. Android has been notoriously “hackable” since inception, this part of Google’s open source intentions with the mobile software.

The software included in the CyanogenMod build has been influential to many software builds since it first arrived on the scene several years ago, including Google’s own source build. CyanogenMod developers have also been incepted into hardware and software companies across the board in the past several years, their influence seen on devices of all types. Head CyanogenMod man Steve Kondik recently left a job at Samsung, continuing to pursue 3rd party work and the development of the ROM.

The Samsung GALAXY S 4 is either available at or is headed to each of the major mobile retailers in the United States and is making its spread abroad here in the Spring of 2013. This device joins the Samsung Galaxy Note II and the rest of the Samsung Galaxy Tab tablets family as the brand continues to strengthen with a common “nature” theme in both hardware and software – curved edges have served Samsung well enough that the wave will move forward through the year to the next release as well, without a doubt. Expect the Samsung Galaxy Note III sooner than later!

Samsung GALAXY S 4 ROM CyanogenMod 10.1 spreads to T-Mobile variant is written by Chris Burns & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.

The Sony XPERIA Z has already seen a release of sorts in the USA with the variant by the name of XPERIA ZL, but that’s not stopping the company from pushing a T-Mobile Z, it seems. An FCC listing appearing this week shows the original XPERIA Z coming up T-Mobile with 4G LTE abilities that match the carrier perfectly. This release would put Sony in a strange place as the XPERIA ZL is what was assumed to be the hero iteration of the device in the states earlier this year.

With the release of an XPERIA Z for T-Mobile, this would be another rare push by Sony to have a smartphone on a carrier with a contract here in the USA. Generally an XPERIA device will be released in the states off-contract only, allowing users to choose their carrier and their data plan without contractual obligations as such.

If the Sony XPERIA Z is released to T-Mobile in the near future, it’ll be put in indirect competition with the XPERIA ZL and direct competition with the Samsung GALAXY S 4 as well as the HTC One, both of which are being carried by T-Mobile this spring and summer. Sony’s hero efforts will need, therefor, a price point that’s less or equal to what these devices offer at least due to the much more active advertising efforts of the competition.

Have a peek at SlashGear’s review of the Sony XPERIA Z as it exists internationally, and stay tuned as we review the Sony XPERIA ZL for the USA as well. It’ll be up to you, if you’re Sony-addicted, whether you want to be attached to one or the other. Both will work with T-Mobile, mind you, but only one will be working with the network’s upcoming 4G LTE connectivity roll-out. The FCC listing discovered by Engadget this week shows the XPERIA Z to be working with T-Mobile-specific 4G LTE radios.

XPERIA Z appears at FCC with T-Mobile LTE compatibility is written by Chris Burns & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.

Since its March 26 unveiling, T-Mobile has been aggressively pushing the plan changes it has made, alterations that it says make it America’s “Uncarrier.” Such claims were challenged in Washington, where the state Attorney General’s Office initiated an investigation into the carrier’s advertisements. The investigation resulted with T-Mobile being accused of making deceptive statements about its plans.

The issue at play is that T-Mobile makes claims that seem to be contradicted by the fine-print in its uncarrier plans, which are promised to have no restrictions and yearly contracts. Such is the case with plans that aren’t accompanied by a cell phone, but not with plans where the customer gets a phone, which they are required to keep under T-Mobile service for two years or pay the device’s full retail price upon dropping the service.

Washington Attorney General Bob Ferguson said of the matter: “In our view, those advertisements were quite deceptive.” And one of the attorney’s working the investigation, Paula Sellis, expounded on that, saying: “You had to dig very deeply to understand what the terms of the program were, and you had to put two and two together.” T-Mobile doesn’t agree with their conclusion, as you might expect, but has agreed to change its advertisements and to offer customers a refund.

Says T-Mobile:

As America’s Un-carrier, our goal is to increase transparency with our customers, unleashing them from restrictive long-term service contracts — this kind of simple, straightforward approach is core to the new company we are building. While we believe our advertising was truthful and appropriate, we voluntarily agreed to this arrangement with the Washington AG in this spirit

According to Tech Hive, no customers complained about T-Mobile’s claims and services, with the investigation being prompted by the advertisements the carrier put out. For its part, T-Mobile has to pay $26,046 in costs and fees, has agreed to make its consequences of cancellation, true costs, and terms more clear, and to train its staff within the next 21 days to provide this information. Those who subscribed to one of the uncarrier’s plans by today are eligible for a full refund upon service cancellation.

[via Tech Hive]

T-Mobile settles “uncarrier” deceptive claims dispute with refunds and ad changes is written by Brittany Hillen & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.

This week the BlackBerry Q10 has been ushered in to the United States smartphone market with announcements from carriers across the board, starting with T-Mobile. As T-Mobile noted earlier today, they’ll be bringing pre-orders to the web starting on the 29th of April with business customers first up for in-hand action. This follows the strategy delivered with T-Mobile’s push for the BlackBerry Z10 earlier this year.

With the BlackBerry Q10, the company delivers its QWERTY smartphone experience for their full-fledged BlackBerry 10 mobile operating system launch. This device works with a display that’s a little over half the size of their Z10 model and offers a full physical keyboard in portrait mode.

The release of the BlackBerry Q10 will tend to traditional-style BlackBerry users as the original BlackBerry craze centered around physical keyboards and internet connectivity primarily. Though we’ve not yet seen a BlackBerry 10 device coming with a trackball between the display and the keyboard, we wouldn’t put it out of BlackBerry’s range of possibilities.

Have a peek at our timeline of BlackBerry Q10 bits and pieces below and get ready for the final launch of the Q10 for more than just business users. If what we’ve seen with the Z10 remains true of the Q10, this launch will be decent, if not simply satisfying for traditional BlackBerry fans.

BlackBerry Q10 appears in USA with T-Mobile, business first is written by Chris Burns & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.

The clock has been ticking down to T-Mobile‘s online release of the GALAXY S 4, which was supposed to be available on their website April 24 (that’s tomorrow). That changed today, however, when users posting on the carrier’s Facebook page were being told that the date had been pushed back to April 29. Despite it being posted across the page, nothing official had been said, but now a confirmation has been given.

It didn’t take too long for T-Mobile to give an official statement, however, with the carrier saying: “We know customers are really looking forward to getting their new Samsung Galaxy S 4 soon. However, due to an unexpected delay with inventory deliveries, the Galaxy S 4 will not be available on www.T-Mobile.com as planned on Wednesday, April 24.”

The statement goes on to say that the Samsung GALAXY S 4 is expected to be available online April 29, a few days after the initial date. Such is the nature of things, and the wait isn’t too long, so those eagerly waiting won’t be terribly disappointed. The Uncarrier has apologized for the inconvenience, and says that it is working with Samsung to get its customers the handset.

The GALAXY S 4 became available for pre-order via AT&T back on April 16, and will begin shipping on April 30, according to the carrier’s website. A short while later, rumors were confirmed when Verizon sent out a tweet confirming that it will begin offering the Samsung handset in May, with a sign-up page going live on its website a day later.

[via TmoNews]

T-Mobile GALAXY S 4 online availability delayed due to inventory issues is written by Brittany Hillen & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.