Hasta La Gadget!

MetroPCS may not be grand in scale, but it’s certainly not lacking for ambition. Just over a year after announcing its eventual transition to Voice over LTE, the carrier has officially launched its VoLTE services. Moreover, it’s announcing the first sale of a VoLTE-capable handset at one of the company’s Dallas / Fort Worth store locations. The Android-powered LG Connect 4G is the outfit’s first (and only, for now) VoLTE-capable phone, but the operator’s promising more rollouts and phone options “in the coming weeks.” For the consumer, those in range of LTE signals should notice clearer calls, and it’s become something of a trend to see carriers (Verizon and Sprint, for instance) moving in this direction as 2G / 3G networks start to show their age. So, DFW residents — anyone been able to try it out? Let us know in comments below.

Continue reading MetroPCS lights up Voice over LTE (VoLTE) services, starts selling LG Connect 4G

Filed under: Cellphones

MetroPCS lights up Voice over LTE (VoLTE) services, starts selling LG Connect 4G originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 07 Aug 2012 18:02:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Your smartphone and / or tablet is just begging for an update. From time to time, these mobile devices are blessed with maintenance refreshes, bug fixes, custom ROMs and anything in between, and so many of them are floating around that it’s easy for a sizable chunk to get lost in the mix. To make sure they don’t escape without notice, we’ve gathered every possible update, hack, and other miscellaneous tomfoolery we could find during the last week and crammed them into one convenient roundup. If you find something available for your device, please give us a shout at tips at engadget dawt com and let us know. Enjoy!

Continue reading Refresh Roundup: week of July 30th, 2012

Filed under: Cellphones, Tablet PCs, Software

Refresh Roundup: week of July 30th, 2012 originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 05 Aug 2012 21:40:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Back when we met the Galaxy S III for the very first time, Samsung promised a wireless charging solution would be coming soon to its sleek and potent slab. Unfortunately, Sammy’s power-boosting companion’s been hit by hapless delays that have prevented it from seeing the light of day. Now, thanks to a few recent shots from Phone Arena, it looks like at least some S3 owners could see a bundle in the near future, albeit not the official one from the Korean outfit. According to the site’s kind tipster, Verizon’s allegedly pricing the charging station at $50, while the rear case is expected to be around $40 — making it about $90 for the entire kit. Naturally, this could change at any given moment, but hey, at least we know it’s out there.

Filed under: Cellphones, Peripherals, Wireless

Verizon-branded Galaxy S III wireless charging kit starts showing up at retail stores originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 04 Aug 2012 00:43:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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CDMA variants are, invariably, the redheaded stepchildren of the Nexus line. That is to say, those units nearly always trail behind their GSM counterparts where updates and official support are concerned. But it appears Google’s picking up the pace, having just released the latest Android 4.1.1 Jelly Bean (JRO03H) binaries for Verizon-branded handsets three weeks after welcoming Toro devices back into AOSP. What does this mean for the average user? Not much, since there’s no real way to gauge whether or not this signals an imminent carrier-sanctioned OTA rollout, although it does bode well for those prospects. But for rooted users, the new addition is a boon, as it should pave the way for devs to cook up even more stable ROMs for your flashing enjoyment. So, that’s the good news. The bad? Well, if you’re on the Sprint side of the LTE Nexus divide, your handset’s still not invited back to the party — indefinitely.

Filed under: Cellphones, Software

Updated Verizon Galaxy Nexus Jelly Bean binaries added to AOSP originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 02 Aug 2012 14:29:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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In May of last year, our free ride came to an end. US carriers started blocking third party tethering apps in the Android Market. Not long after, the built in feature was turned off on most phones. Our fortune may be reversing, however. The FCC has ruled that Verizon violated the rules governing the C Block of LTE spectrum by preventing consumers from using any application of their choice. The end result: Big Red will have to open up its airwaves and allow customers to circumvent its $20 a month tethering plan using apps from the Play store — so long as you’re on a “usage-based pricing plan.” Though it’s not explicitly stated, we assume that means those of you lucky enough to be grandfathered in to the unlimited data plans are left out. In addition to unblocking apps such as PdaNet and Barnacle, Verizon must pay a $1.25 million settlement to put an end to the investigation. For a few more details of the plan put in place to ensure compliance with the ruling, check out the PR after the break.

Continue reading Verizon to stop blocking tethering apps, settles with FCC for $1.25 million

Filed under: Wireless, Software

Verizon to stop blocking tethering apps, settles with FCC for $1.25 million originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 31 Jul 2012 15:28:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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