Hasta La Gadget!

The LG Intuition may be one of Verizon’s more poorly-kept secrets of recent memory. Apart from LG itself having confirmed that an Optimus Vu rebranding is due for the US within weeks, there’s been pricing and even an uncannily detailed FCC filing to fill in the gaps. Why not throw official press images into the mix? From the renders DroidDog has managed to obtain, the Intuition is a bit more than just a one-for-one port of the original Korean phablet. While Verizon’s influence is light outside of that attention-grabbing logo, there’s a switch-up in the navigation keys to reflect that Android 4.0 will be there from the beginning — a nice break from the ancient-feeling Android 2.3 layout of the original. About the only question left at this stage is that of the exact release date. There’s a September 15th mention in one of the images, but we all know how dates in press imagery can be misleading.

Filed under: Cellphones, Mobile

LG Intuition spied in press shots, leaves one piece of the puzzle left to go originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 26 Aug 2012 14:04:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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It would appear that a new Samsung smartphone will be getting a Verizon release, but sadly, details are still mysteriously slim. The Samsung Galaxy Stellar is its name, and it comes sporting a $99 price tag, which suggests that this is a low-end piece of equipment. Of course, we can’t confirm that, because Samsung hasn’t talked specs yet, and for that matter, the company hasn’t even announced the phone yet.

The Verizon ad, which was spotted by Droid Life, says that the phone will be $99 after a $50 mail-in rebate and a two-year commitment. It also comes with something called “Starter Mode” which signals that this will be a phone aimed at users who are upgrading from feature phones for the first time. If this is similar to starter modes we’ve seen on other phones, then users won’t be getting hit with the full Android experience all at once. Instead, starter mode will help them ease into the world of smartphones, learning the basics of the Android OS before unlocking all of the operating system’s features.

It will no doubt be a handy tool for newcomers to have, but another curious thing is that the Verizon listing says it comes pre-loaded with the Amazon App Store. This may or may not be at the expense of the Google Play Store, which is an odd, odd move for an Android manufacturer. Perhaps Samsung thought that the Amazon App Store would provide a better experience for new users? It’s impossible to guess Samsung’s motivation behind pushing the Amazon App Store, so for now we’ll have to remain baffled.

So there you have it – Samsung is apparently planning to launch a smartphone aimed at new users through Verizon. Other than the bullet points listed in the Verizon ad, we know next to nothing about the Galaxy Stellar, but maybe that will all change soon. We’re not going to expect a marketing frenzy for a low-end smartphone, but an announcement would be nice, Sammy.

Samsung Galaxy Stellar launching at Verizon for $99 is written by Eric Abent & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.

A lot of people are expecting to see 4G LTE capabilities in the next iPhone, but a new poll suggests that a significant percentage of smartphone users aren’t all that interested in the feature. According to a new poll from Piper Jaffray, 46.8% of consumers say they don’t need 4G LTE. Piper Jaffray surveyed 3,000 people to arrive at this conclusion, which given the current 4G LTE push we see coming from carriers, is rather surprising.

Aside from those 46.8% who say they don’t need 4G LTE, another 25.7% think that all of the available 4G networks are the same (but don’t tell Verizon that). In all, 51% of respondents said that they either don’t know who offers the best 4G LTE network or think that all of them are the same anyway. A paltry 15.1% of respondents said that 4G LTE is the best network technology available today, and when it comes to who offers the best network, those with an opinion gave Verizon the crown, with the likes of AT&T and T-Mobile missing out on the top spot.

Piper Jaffray senior analyst Christopher Larsen said that this mixed bag of results is actually good for everyone. Verizon, for instance, is clearly benefiting from a level of brand recognition that the other carriers weren’t able to achieve, but the fact that so many consumers don’t have an opinion about the different 4G networks means that there’s still time for those other carriers to capture some consumer attention. In the end, the surprising results of this poll show that there’s still plenty of time for all of the carriers to get in on the 4G LTE action.

But those carriers will obviously have to convince these indifferent consumers that 4G LTE is indeed the way to go, and show them that 4G LTE brings actual benefits outside of just being a buzz term. If anything, this poll should cause carriers to push 4G LTE even harder, as it shows that a number of consumers out have yet to convert. That fact will likely translate into dollar signs for carriers who are gearing up for 4G LTE pushes, so keep an eye out for that.

[via CNET]

iPhone 5 next-gen features “not needed” by consumers is written by Eric Abent & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.

The executives at Verizon are likely jumping for joy today, as the FCC has approved the company’s planned spectrum acquisition. Verizon will be purchasing spectrum licenses from SprectrumCo, which is a joint venture between a number of big cable companies, including Comcast and Time Warner. It’s paying a lot of money for access to that AWS spectrum as well, as the total price comes in at a whopping $3.9 billion.

Naturally, Verizon plans to use this freshly-acquired spectrum to expand its 4G services, but now that it has acquired the spectrum it wanted, it will be licensing out its lower A and B block spectrum to other companies. One of the companies that will licensing spectrum from Verizon is T-Mobile, which plans a roll out of 4G LTE for early 2013. In a statement, it was pretty easy to tell that Verizon president and CEO Dan Mead was eager to begin utilizing this new spectrum. “This purchase represents a milestone in the industry and we appreciate the FCC’s diligent work to review and approve the transaction,” he said. “We will work aggressively to ensure that we put this previously unused spectrum to use quickly to benefit customers.”

We’ve known about Verizon’s plan to buy up this unused spectrum since December, when it first noted it was interested in striking the deal. Given the number of companies involved the deal and the amount of money changing hands, the FCC had to become involved to make sure everything checked out. The FCC obviously doesn’t have the problem with the deal, announcing that Verizon has the green light to go ahead with the purchase today.

So, not only does this deal help Verizon greatly, but it will also help out other carriers and their customers. Verizon’s 4G LTE network already covers 75% of the United States, but with this new sale, Verizon will be able to give that a boost. Here’s hoping that Verizon begins its roll out as quickly as Mead’s comments suggest. Stay tuned, folks.

[via Android Community]

FCC approves Verizon’s $3.9 billion spectrum purchase is written by Eric Abent & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.

Could this 5-inch LG handset be Verizon’s answer to the Galaxy Note? Our Intuition tells us otherwise (get it?), but that screenshot above and corresponding FCC docs deign to differ. Really though, that lady razor name’s the purported new moniker for Big Red’s rebranded Optimus Vu: the heretofore Korea-only phablet we recently reviewed. While we found the outsized handset’s worth as a true S-Pen rival hampered by its lack of a digitizer and 4:3 aspect ratio, it could catch on with folks eager for a 7-inch tablet alternative. However this one eventually shakes down in the crowded Android marketplace, it appears subs are in store for a 4G LTE ride and the carrier’s typical $199 on two-year contract pricing. Curiously, the leak makes no mention of an included stylus, so perhaps the operator’s opting to spin this one as a more traditional smartphone release. Smart move, that.

Filed under: Cellphones, Wireless

LG Optimus Vu to bow on Verizon as the Intuition, stylus not included? originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 22 Aug 2012 21:22:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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