Google has been in hot water since it was revealed that it had harvested data, such as user names and email addresses, from wireless networks. The Internet giant sought to have the lawsuit against it dismissed, saying that claims it had violated the Wiretap Act weren’t valid, something an appeals court in the US ultimately […]
It’s taken almost eight months, but AT&T has at last finalized its deal to purchase $1.9 billion worth of spectrum from Verizon. The agreement, first announced back in January, allows Verizon to unload a good chunk of its 700MHz spectrum, which AT&T will in turn use to improve its LTE service for 42 million customers across 18 different states. And that’s all she wrote, folks. If you’re curious to see whether your state is covered, all 18 of them are listed in the press release below. Be warned, though: you’ll also need to watch AT&T do a victory lap over how fast its network is.
Wait, Apple unveiled two completely different iPhones on the same day? In the same year? The answer is a resounding yes, though we have a feeling Tim Cook’s little surprise wasn’t the most well-kept secret in Cupertino. Known as the iPhone 5c, this is the less expensive (yet vibrant) sidekick to the 5s, and we’ve been playing with the device here at Apple HQ. The device will be available for pre-order starting September 13th, and will hit stores a week later on September 20th. All told, you get a choice of five colors. The 16GB version will be offered for $99 on contract, while the 32GB tacks on an extra $100 to the total; if contracts aren’t your thing, the off-contract costs are $549 and $649, respectively.
It appears that the 5c ultimately keeps to the same spec list overall, with a 4-inch Retina Display, A6 processor, LTE, 8MP camera and more. A huge difference, however, is the actual build, which includes a full multitouch display on the front and a single hard-coated piece of polycarbonate strengthened by a frame of reinforced steel. Apple repeatedly mentioned during its event that it’s “unapologetic” about the plastic build, and deservedly so — not only does it feel great, it’s the most solid polycarbonate build that we’ve ever laid hands on. There is absolutely nothing about this setup that makes us believe it’s not capable of handling wear and tear, and the reinforced steel frame convinces us that it’s even going to survive falls without a problem.
Speaking of which, the 5c has a glossy finish, but we were quite happy to find that it’s not the fingerprint magnet that we’ve come to expect on other devices. It sufficiently handled the greasy fingerprints of a couple hundred journalists, so we doubt you need to be concerned about this phone looking dirty when it’s just you handling it. In fact, it has a subtle shine to it that serves to complement the vibrant colors.%Gallery-slideshow83704%
Filed under: Cellphones, Wireless, Mobile, Apple
To Apple faithful, iPhone day is as much a holiday as Thanksgiving (and much more so than, say, Columbus Day), and it typically only comes once a year. This time, however, was a little different, since we received even more presents than usual — both the iPhone 5s and the 5c. We headed to the demo tables after this morning’s announcement and had a chance to get our hands on both smartphones. First, we’ll begin with the 5s, which is the new flagship iPhone that will start at $199 for a 16GB model (32 and 64GB versions will be $299 and $399, respectively) on September 20th.
As you may have already heard, the 5s is rather similar in overall hardware to the iPhone 5, though there are a few changes in key places. As you can see in the above image, it’s available in three colors: space grey (which has black highlights on top and bottom), white and — as rumored so many times — gold.
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Filed under: Cellphones, Wireless, Mobile, Apple
It was only about four months ago when CSL, Telstra’s part-owned operator behind Hong Kong’s one2Free and 1010 networks, showed off its 150Mbps LTE Cat 4 upgrade; but why stop there? Today, the same company gave us a glimpse of its upcoming 300Mbps LTE Advanced service, which is enabled by aggregating its 20MHz carriers at both its 1,800MHz and 2,600MHz LTE bands.
“The announcements in Korea and the announcements in Australia around LTE Advanced… the theoretical speed that they’re delivering is 150Mbps. What we’re talking about today is LTE-A300,” said Phil Mottram, CEO of CSL. “It’s definitely a first for Hong Kong, and it’s potentially a world-first in terms of being able to deliver these theoretical, maximum download speeds at 300Mbps.” %Gallery-slideshow83577%
For the time being, consumers have gotten a look at WiGig technology through select vendors, with the technology having begun to pick up speed in recent times as more devices are offered with it. That speed increase will be coming in a different way in the near future, however, with DisplayLink and Wilocity announcing that […]
PayPal has launched Beacon, a new mobile payment dongle using Bluetooth LE for hands-free transactions, and with installation as easy as plugging in a wall-wart. PayPal Beacon hooks up via Bluetooth Low Energy to the PayPal app on their smartphone, automatically letting them check-in – with a quick vibration to show that it’s happened – […]
Apple’s making some huge changes to iOS this year, so what are the chances that the iPhone will undergo a similar transition? Based on what we’ve been hearing, the likelihood is pretty high; Tim Cook, Sir Jony Ive and the rest of the crew may show off not one but two new iPhone models for the very first time. We’re expecting to see both a 5S and a colorful 5C, but we’re still in the dark on when they’ll arrive, how much they cost and where they’ll be available. There’s always potential for a top-secret product nobody was anticipating, too. Regardless of what interests you the most, bookmark this page and return tomorrow at the time listed below as we keep you updated on the play-by-play!
Filed under: Cellphones, Wireless, Mobile, Apple
While EE celebrates reaching 1 million 4G subscribers, Vodafone is stepping up its game to get you to become part of its LTE family. Originally limited to London at launch, Vodafone says it plans to roll out its 4G network in Birmingham, Coventry, Leicester, Nottingham and Sheffield on September 28th. On top of that, the operator will also throw in an extra 4GB of data if you join before the end of October. Vodafone already offers customers unlimited data for the first three months of their tariff, along with your choice of Spotify Premium or a Premiership football bundle (free for six months), so this will help to soften the blow when that comes to an end. Right now, Vodafone’s 4G footprint is still relatively small but it plans to push its LTE network live in Bradford, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Leeds, Liverpool, Manchester and Newcastle by the end of the year.
VODAFONE BOOSTS ULTRAFAST 4G PLANS WITH ‘4GBONUS’ SPECIAL PROMOTION
· All Vodafone Red 4G-ready and Vodafone Red Business 4G-ready customers signing up before the end of October will get an extra 4GB of data per month for the length of their contract
· Existing ultrafast 4G customers will also get the ‘4GBonus’ added to their plan at no extra cost
· Vodafone ultrafast 4G coming to Birmingham, Coventry, Leicester, Nottingham and Sheffield on September 28 as rollout to 98% of UK population continues
Vodafone UK is today giving customers even more reasons to enjoy fantastic sports or music entertainment on ultrafast 4G by boosting the amount of data available with all Vodafone Red 4G-ready plans by 4GB per month for the length of their contract. Vodafone Red 4G-ready brings 4G to life as never before, with sports action including over 150 hours of Premier League football from Sky Sports Mobile TV, or more than 20 million songs from Spotify Premium for music lovers.
Anyone signing up to a SIM only plan or a 12 or 24 month plan, with a new 4G-ready handset included, will get three months unlimited UK data, then double the amount of data available on standard Vodafone Red plans plus an extra 4GB per month for the length of their contract. On top of unlimited calls and texts it’s Vodafone’s best ever value deal. The ‘4GBonus’ offer runs from today until the end of October for new and upgrading customers. Customers who signed up for Vodafone Red 4G-ready plans after they went on sale on August 12 will also receive the additional 4GB of data at no extra cost.
Following the launch of Vodafone ultrafast 4G in London last month, Vodafone also announces today that it will launch 4G services in Birmingham, Coventry, Leicester, Nottingham and Sheffield on September 28. By the end of the year, Vodafone Ultrafast 4G, with speeds typically six times faster than 3G, will also be switched on in Bradford, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Leeds, Liverpool, Manchester and Newcastle.* Vodafone is targeting indoor 4G coverage across 98% of the UK population by 2015.
Mark Howe, Head of Post Pay Consumer, Vodafone UK, said “With our Vodafone Red 4G-ready plans 4G finally has a purpose and now with the ‘4GBonus’ Vodafone ultrafast 4G is even more compelling. There are a number of hotly anticipated new devices coming out in the Autumn and with the ‘4GBonus’ there are even more reasons for customers to choose Ultrafast 4G from Vodafone.”
Vodafone Red 4G-ready starts at £26 per month for a 12 month SIM-only plan, which now comes with 6GB of data, and £34 per month for a 24 month plan with a handset included, which now comes with 6GB of data. Vodafone Red 4G-ready customers also have a choice of great entertainment from either Sky Sports Mobile TV or Spotify Premium.
Customers choosing Sky Sports Mobile TV will have access to more live football than ever before, including exclusive live coverage of more than 100 matches from the Barclays Premier League, the Sky Bet Football League, UEFA Champions League, the SPFL and La Liga. Vodafone customers choosing Sky Sports Mobile TV can also look forward to the Ashes tour of Australia this winter, Majors golf coverage including the US PGA Championship and Heineken Cup rugby.
Vodafone Red 4G-ready customers choosing Spotify Premium will have more than 20 million songs at their fingertips. Spotify is the largest music streaming service of its kind, offering instant, on-demand access to the world’s music, on the go. Vodafone Red 4G-ready users can discover new music, enjoy playlists curated by their friends, follow their favourite artists and celebrities, or just relax and listen to Spotify radio. Spotify Premium lets music lovers enjoy music however they want – on a smartphone, tablet or through a home entertainment system. Music fans can even listen to their favourite tracks on aeroplanes, thanks to the ‘offline sync’ feature.
Business users who want to enjoy ultrafast 4G and the ability to share their data allowance at no extra cost with Vodafone Red Business 4G-ready, will also receive an extra 4GB of data for the length of their contract. Vodafone Red Business starts from just £21.67 (ex-VAT), for a 12 month SIM-only plan, which now comes with 6GB of data. Customers who signed up for Vodafone Red Business 4G-ready plans after they went on sale on August 12 will also receive the additional 4GB of data at no extra cost.
Filed under: Wireless
EE said it wanted to have a million 4G customers by the end of the year, but it won’t have to wait nearly that long. The UK carrier just topped that mark four months ahead of its stated deadline while its competitors are just getting off the starting blocks. O2 and Vodafone both fired up their respective LTE networks less than two weeks ago, while Three’s won’t launch until December. Despite having been the only game in town until recently, EE claims the UK’s adoption of 4G has been one of the world’s fastest so far. It seems like there’s a lot more technofreaks out there than Vodafone imagined.
Filed under: Cellphones, Wireless, Mobile
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